Disclaimer: Don't own it.

Notes: This may take a day or two to update, depending on my homework, but it won't take as long as "Why her?" or anything, never fear!


"Tohru," Kyou says, fingers shaking, "I-I need to talk to you."

"Umm, alright," I say, confused. I wonder what he wants to tell me. He's been acting kind of odd lately, always blushing and mumbling. But that's okay. I love him so much. He's one of my very best friends, you know. Kyou, Yuki, Uo and Hana. I love them all SO much. They're always so nice to me!

Anyway, we're out on the roof -- Kyou was up there thinking again and I came up to give him his dinner -- and the stars are beautiful above us. Maybe Kyou can tell me some more of the constellations. I turn to face Kyou, but have to lean in a bit to see his face. It's very dark out, but I think he's blushing again.

"I, well, you see, I sort of… I, I… I l-love…" I wait patiently for Kyou to put the words all in order. It's so troublesome sometimes, especially for me. Unless I'm quoting Mom, of course.

"I love you!" Kyou shouts, "I want to be with you forever and never let you go! I want to protect you and talk with you and I love you so much I could burst!"

…What?

"Oh!" I smile brightly, finally understanding, "I get it! We are very wonderful friends, aren't we?"

His face falls. I wonder why. Doesn't he want to be friends with me?

"No, Tohru, I-- I mean, I love… I love you."

He's quieter now and looks sort of shell-shocked.

"I love you too, Kyou! I think you're one of my very best--"

Kissing me. Kyou is kissing me.

Why?

Why is he-- Oh. Oh no. Oh no, no, no. He doesn't love me as a friend, he-- Oh no. This is terrible. I thought that…

My mouth opens in surprise, and he puts his tongue in my mouth. Ew. In an instant, I leap away.

"No, no, no, no," I whisper. This can't be happening. We're friends. FRIENDS. No. Just, no.

"Tohru?" he says softly, looking scared, "I, I didn't mean--"

I need to get away. I can't be here. But we're friends.

"We're friends, Kyou. Why did you…? Why would…? Does Yuki, too?" I whisper, horrified, "Aren't we all friends? I, I thought--"

I can't take it. We're friends. This is going to hurt him. I don't want to hurt anyone. We're friends. Just friends.

Off the roof, down the ladder, into the woods.

"Tohru!" he yells after me, and he starts to run too, but I keep going.

"No! We're friends!" I scream back, but he catches me by the arm, "No no no!"

"Tohru, Tohru, I'm sorry! Forget that--"

"No, no, let me go!"

When we smile together, are we friends? How long has he thought of me like that? Why?

"Tohru, no, I'm--"

I need to get away. I turn around, he bumps into me, there's a boom, and I run away from the wide-eyed orange kitty cat.

"I've always loved the cat from the zodiac!"

What did he think I meant? That I wanted to hug him and kiss him because I loved him? I love him. He loves me. We're friends, just friends. Not girlfriend and boyfriend. We can't be. We're friends, like brother and sister, not, not--

Hana's house. She can help me. Maybe she can explain it to them.

I knock on the door frantically, but Hana is already opening it. I jump on her, hugging her, crying.

"Tohru, Tohru, what's wrong?" she murmurs, alarmed, stroking my hair.

"Kyou, he, he--"

"What did he do?"

"He kissed me! He said he loved me! He doesn't think we're friends, he, he thinks--" I can't finish.

"Shh, shh, it's alright Tohru. It's fine. I understand. Want me to go explain it to them?"

I nod. I know I should say, 'No, no, that's fine, I can tell them, don't go to the trouble' but I really don't think I can right now.

I end up staying the night at Hana's. Uo comes over too, and stays the night with us. I can't go back just yet. Not to a house of male not-friends. They don't understand at all!

The next morning, we go back. I hide behind Hana and Uo as they knock on the door. Feet pound in the background and three very worried faces are suddenly where the door used to be.

"Tohru?" asks Yuki, "Are you alright?"

"Tohru!" whispers Kyou, "I'm so sorry!"

"Our little flower," says Shigure, "you're back!"

"She's fine, no thanks to you three," Uo growls, "What the heck were you thinking, telling her you loved her?"

"I know," Kyou says softly, pained, "I have no right to be in love with--"

"That isn't it," Hana says, glaring at him, "You kissed her."

"What?" Yuki is startled, "You what?"

"But that is not the problem," Hana continues, "You kissed her and claimed you loved her when she thought that you were just a close friend of hers. Even more, you took advantage of her trust in you for that kiss. She can't love you. Any of you. At least, she cannot be your girlfriend."

"Why… Why is that, Saki?" Shigure asked tentatively, "I, I mean, they seemed to get along so well, so I thought…"

"She cannot be your girlfriend," Hana said evenly, smiling softly, "because --"


Cliffhanger! Several alternate endings to come.