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Coming back slowly

The Rat

She smiled.

He shivered.

"It's okay, Yuki," Kagome looked up at the full moon as the grey-haired male buried his face further into her stomach, "It's okay."

She could feel tears dampen her clothing.

"I-I'm not weird?" Yuki tightened his arms around her, not even thinking it could cause her pain, "This isn't a dream, is it? You are real?"

A girl he could hug without transforming?

What was she?

"Of course I'm real," Kagome answered, "And no, Yuki, you're not weird at all. You're unique!" She said it with such enthusiasm that he actually believed it.

Maybe Akito was wrong?

"It's too bad though," Kagome stroked his hair, laughing, "I would have liked to see your rat form. I bet you are really cute!"

"It's not cute," Yuki, if he had a choice, of course, he would never want to transform into a rat again, "How can I hold you?" He flushed.

She had just been a new transfer only a week ago, and now here he was, at her home with his arms around her and crying in her lap.

"Such a curse won't affect me," Kagome replied, shocking Yuki enough that he looked up to her face, but she was still looking at the moon, "It's very intricate and I could break it, but it probably would damage your soul in the process."

"Y-you can sense the curse?!" Yuki stammered, "Then you know that Kyou is...!" He felt immediate jealousy, wanting to keep the girl all to himself.

"Yes, I know about Kyou-san too," Kagome shrugged, "It's hard not to see the curse. I'm surprised no one has tried to break it yet."

"Keep this secret," Yuki begged, "Keep our meetings secret and if anyone asks, we are just study partners."

He could not have Akito anywhere near this girl.

"If that is what you want," Kagome sighed, knowing she could not see more finer details and the source of the curse if Yuki wanted to keep her a secret and away from most of the Sohmas, "We are study partners," She grinned, "Well, I do need one in math."

"Then I will help you," Yuki took her joke seriously, causing her to glance down at him in surprise, "I don't care if I have to tutor you in every subject, just as long as I'm with you."

And her addictive warmth that even his cursed side desired.

"It will be fine, Yuki," Kagome finally said after looking at his pained expression, "I can assure you, you are not a freak and not weird at all."

"Thank you, Kagome-san," Yuki finally moved off her lap, feeling his face burn as she smiled at him, "I mean that." His hand hesitantly moved until it was on top of hers and he interlocked their fingers together.

Tohru had caused the first cracks, but Kagome was the one who finally shattered him and he finally felt like a human being again.

He never wanted this feeling to end.