It was the day that Yuki had been dreading for the whole year. Which made that one month and thirteen days. This day is what ruined it everytime he was in a fairly good mood. Which he often wasn't. And around this time of year, he never was. He knew Kyo, that orange haired bastard, dreaded it too, but he couldn't be sure it was for the same reasons. Why talk to that stupid cat anyway? All Kyo ever seemed to want to do was fight. Yuki couldn't understand. And poor Tohru still had hope they could get along! But if Tohru insisted, maybe he could try . . . Honestly, though, Tohru really shouldn't get her hopes up.
Yuki slipped on his shoes and sat down on the porch. He settled in for the wait, stretching out his lean frame that charmed so many girls at school. Yuki could faintly hear Kyo yelling at Tohru to not put the leeks next to his cereal on the counter. "Eh heh heh, you really hate leeks, don't you, Kyo-kun?" Tohru laughed in her usual cheerful voice. Yuki would never grow up, would they? Yuki envied Kyo and his childishness, and the way he and Tohru had grown so close. Then, Yuki realized what he had just thought and slapped himself mentally. Being envious of Kyo, of all people. Couldn't he be envious of Hatori, or Shigure, or even Ayame? Realizing, once again, that his thoughts had taken a wrong turn, Yuki slapped himself, for real this time. Just as Tohru came out onto the porch. "Is everything okay, Yuki-kun?" She remembered by herself, for the first time, that he had asked her to address him that way. She looked with concern at the small red mark appearing on the right side of Yuki's face.
"Ah, Tohru-san. I'm fine." Yuki had to use all his self control to keep from turning a ripe cherry-red in embarrassment. Thank goodness his voice didn't waver.
"A-are you sure? Is there anything I can do?" Tohru asked anxiously. She knew something was up, but had no idea what it could be. Yuki turned her question over and over, thinking. What he really needed an escape from the horrors of the day the Sohma boys dread. The feared and despised . . . Valentine's day. But was there anything Tohru could do about it? Yes, Yuki realized, there was. A plan formed in his mind, a quite devilish plan for his mind to have come up with.
"Tohru, could you help me with something?" Yuki asked, and, completely oblivious to whatever plan Yuki had formed, Tohru complied.
When Tohru and Yuki arrived at school, all eyes were on them. Kyo was furious, almost as furious as the Prince Yuki fangirls. The students whispered to themselves, none of them brave enough to go up and ask about this sudden event. Yet, Haru and Momiji seemed completely indifferent, almost as if they knew this was going to happen sooner or later.
Tohru and Yuki were holding hands.
Tohru was completely red, and looked kind of shell-shocked, while Yuki was not bothered at all by the gesture. Or at least, he appeared to be. On the inside, his mind was racing, trying to come up with a reason for his quickened heartbeats. He told himself he was just nervous that his plan might not work. He shot a fast glance at Tohru to see how she was faring with 'Plan Pretend Girlfriend'. He noticed mildly that her face was as pink as the salmon Kyo picked up for dinner tonight. Some of the Yuki fangirls shot her death glares, and on instinct she edged closer to Yuki, tightening her grip on his hand. Yuki returned the glares, narrowing his purple eyes. None of them bothered Tohru after that.
For the rest of the day, Yuki had no trouble at all with girls. The 'Plan Pretend Girlfriend' had been a success. Well, mostly. Lots of girls confessed their love for Kyo now, and he just ran away. Yuki had a good laugh. Maybe they could start a Kyo fanclub! But the Valentine's festivities were only just beginning . . .
"Shigure-San! We're home!" Tohru called, slipping off her shoes. The boys followed her into the house, keeping a watchful eye out for the pervy dog-spirit. It was Valentine's day, and who knew what Shigure had in store for them. When the trio stepped into the living room, they found out.
Red and white confetti lay everywhere, and the room was taken over by neon pink streamers. Several boxes of pockys lay on the table. Kyo leant to the side, retching at the sight of the pink mess. Haru patted him on the back, wincing as Tohru let out a rather loud "EEH?!" Momiji stood there looking clueless. Yuki got this terrible feeling in the pit of his stomach. He knew Shigure was planning something with those pockys . . .
"Surprise!" Shigure yelled, popping out from under the table. Ayame followed, and Yuki immediately knew that disaster would soon befall the friends. Walking in, Hatori noticed that his friends were at it again. He silently fled into the kitchen, just barely escaping their reign of terror.
"Was that Ha-chan?" Ayame asked, using Hatori's nickname. Shrugging, Shigure dismissed it. Hatori's solemn presence would just ruin the mood. Plus, he was too old for theses children.
"Let the pocky games begin!" Shigure shouted, just as a crash was heard and Kagura tore into the room, grabbing the back of Kyo's shirt as he tried to make a break for it. Towing him over to the table, she shoved him in a seat, warning, "Don't you even think about escaping." Shigure chuckled; all was going according to the plan. He began humming 'High School Girls' and proceeded to herd a shell shocked Tohru and a tense Yuki over to the table. Haru and Momiji followed, they really wanted to see this.
"Alright, now me and Ayame will demonstrate how it's done," Shigure instructed. Ayame nodded solemnly. Shigure gripped a pocky between his teeth, making sure that he got the chocolate end, making Ayame whine. Biting the other end, Ayame proceeded to eat the whole thing, practically ripping it out of Shigure's mouth. That made Shigure whine, "cuz I didn't get no pocky!"
"Now, children, I expect great things from you!" Ayame commanded, shoving pockys in the girl's mouths. And Momiji's mouth. Momiji proceeded to eat it. Tohru just stood there looking dumb. Kagura tried yelling at Kyo to bite the other end, but alas, her efforts failed as she had something in her mouth. Finally, she just stuck the pocky into Kyo's mouth, devouring it in anticipation of kissing her long-time crush.
Yuki figured that before Shigure got to Tohru, he should protect her from the horror. But this meant taking the other end of the pocky. He figured he had to do it, as Ayame was also eyeing them with suspicion. Flushing slightly pink at their closeness, Yuki bit on the pocky hanging out of Tohrus mouth. They nibbled slowly at it, growing redder at the closing distance between them. Yuki was so preoccupied that he didn't notice Momiji devouring the rest of the pockys while Haru looked on, bored. Yuki didn't even notice Kyo and Kagura's heated kiss. He was much too busy trying to figure out what to do to get out of this. By now their noses were brushing. Millimeter by millimeter, their lips got closer, until they were almost touching. After what seemed like an hour, their lips met. It was quick, so fast that Shigure barely caught it on camera. But in that moment, they had both felt a flash of joy, and fell, hard. Tohru actually thanked Shigure in her mind, she was so happy. And Yuki, well let's just say he couldn't help himself but to kiss Tohru again, this time drawing it out as long as he could, before they had to breath. Yuki was so happy, they were so happy, it felt like they had died and gone to heaven. They didn't care that now even Kyo and Kagura were staring, having broken apart for the first time in minutes. Yuki wrapped his arms around Tohru, and she hugged back, tightly gripping him to her.
"I love you," she whispered.
"I love you too," he whispered back.
"Well, it looks like my little brother has finally realized he's in love," Ayame congratulated.
"S-shut up, you bastard!" Yuki yelled. Tohru hid behind him, not wanting to get involved. But they couldn't deny it now however much Shigure teased them. There were in love. And everyone was happy, especially Kagura, who had finally managed to get Kyo to like her.
That was the first Valentine's day that Yuki enjoyed.