There was only one week left before graduation. One week of freedom left. How had his life gone by so quickly? Kyo sighed, staring at the stars. He wasn't solitary by nature, but ever since his own family had rejected him because he was the cat, and a monster, he had had a hard time accepting himself. He didn't want to become accustomed to friends and companions, because in only a week he would be locked away forever. Alone.

The ladder creaked, and Kyo turned. He had been half-hoping that Tohru would come to see him, and half-dreading it. Of all the people to say goodbye to, it would be hardest to say farewell to her. The worst of it was that she didn't even know that he was going to be locked away yet. He didn't have the courage to tell her.

Her brown head appeared over the edge of the roof, followed by the rest of her.

"Kyo-kun!" She called cheerfully, waving. She was carrying a plate of onigiri. "You hardly ate your dinner at all, so I brought you a snack."

It was true. He didn't have an appetite. Food actually sounded nauseating at the moment. "That's okay, Tohru. I'm really not hungry. I had a big lunch," he fibbed, and then fell silent, staring resolutely at the sky. He heard her sigh softly and sneaked a glance. She too was studying the sky, looking uncertain.

"Kyo—" she started, biting her lip. She took a deep breath, and then began again. "I know why you're upset."

That caught his attention, and his orange eyes flickered to hers as he waited for her to continue, every nerve on edge. Then he remembered he was pretending disinterest, and looked back up at the stars. "How could you know?" He thought to himself.

"Akito told me," Tohru said, making him jump a little. Had he said that out loud?

"Akito told you what?" He all but snapped, kicking himself mentally when she flinched. She blushed and lowered her eyes to her hands, twiddling her thumbs.

"Sh—He said," she said, barely remembering that Kyo didn't know Akito was a girl in time to stop herself from calling Akito a girl, "he said that you're going to be…locked up." The last words were a whisper. "After graduation. I—oh Kyo, I'm so sorry!"

"What are you apologizing for?" He growled darkly, embarrassed and looking as if all the life had been drained from him. How could Akito tell her that? How much did she know? He sat up and faced away from her.

"Kyo, I didn't find out how to break the curse in time. I'm so sorry!" She sniffed and he realized she was crying. He swiveled his head to look at her over his shoulder. He hated it when she cried.

"It's not your fault," he spat, despising himself for his own ineptitude. "I couldn't beat that Yuki!" She gave him a confused look and wiped her eyes, and he realized that Akito hadn't told her about the bet they had made. He clenched his fist, refusing to meet her eyes. "There's still… there's still a chance. If I beat Yuki in a fight, then Akito won't lock me up. I'll be…free…" Or as free as anyone who suffered from a curse could be, he added as an afterthought.

She gasped softly, as if finally understanding one of the great mysteries of the universe. "Now I understand! Now I see why you've always wanted to beat Yuki so badly…" She debated asking him why he hadn't told Yuki. Surely Yuki would let him win… of course, Kyo was a little too proud to admit that he needed help. And that, undoubtedly, was what Akito was counting on in order to win the bet. But why did asking Yuki to let Kyo make her feel like she was betraying Kyo?

"What, did you think I didn't have a reason? Keh," Kyo scoffed. Tohru fiddled with the hem of her skirt and didn't answer right away.

"What if… you ran away?" she asked, sounding almost hopeful.

"I don't run," he snapped, hating himself more with every harsh word. Why did he always treat Tohru so horribly? She didn't deserve it. "Maybe… I deserve to be locked up. Did you ever think of that?" He was short of temper, and knew it. But maybe saying goodbye would be easier if she hated him. Maybe it would be easier to face the future if he lost everything he cared about now. If he had nothing to live for, then being free or a captive wouldn't matter.

"But Kyo-kun doesn't deserve to be locked up," Tohru breathed. "My mother would always say…" Kyo stood up, rudely interrupting her.

"Look, Tohru… I'm really tired. I'm going to bed." He strode to the ladder and began to clamber down. Before his head disappeared beneath the awning of the roof, he hesitated. "I'm sorry," he mumbled, red-faced. Then he was gone. Tohru just sat and stared. Kyo-kun had been so distant lately, she felt like she didn't even know him anymore and she couldn't help but be depressed at the thought. But she couldn't seem to help him either.

A pair of violet eyes peered out of an open window, regarding the inky darkness outside. Yuki tilted his head, listening to the creaking ladder, as he considered the conversation he had just overheard. He leaned his chin on his hand and breathed a quiet sigh.

It was perhaps not surprising to learn that Kyo had a reason besides the obvious for fighting him. Dedication to any goal would only carry a person so far. If Kyo had been fighting him just to beat him, then he should have given up long ago. What was surprising was what he had at stake. And to think that after all this time, Kyo had never asked Yuki to let him win...

It occurred to Yuki for the first time that Kyo was honorable, that perhaps the only reason he and Kyo had such conflict issues was because of the history of their possessor spirits. Maybe he had been too proud to admit that Kyo, although not his favorite type of person, was still a good person.

He sighed again, drumming his fingers lightly on his chin. He needed to figure out what to do from here. If he didn't let Kyo Sohma win a fight, he would be responsible for ending, in effect, Kyo's life. No wonder Kyo had always been obsessed with becoming a member of the Sohma family. Although Yuki had always considered himself a prisoner of the curse and had longed for freedom, Kyo's freedom really was more at stake than his had ever been.

The creaking of the ladder interrupted his thoughts. Tohru was coming down for the night, and with her caring heart, if she saw that his light was still on, she'd come in to talk to him. That was the last thing he wanted right now. Moving quickly but quietly, he flicked off his light and stretched out upon his bed.

Yuki couldn't deny that there were some benefits to having Kyo locked up. With Kyo gone, his relationship with Tohru could, perhaps, develop into something deeper. He sighed and threw his arm over his eyes. But that was the crux of the matter. Tohru would never forgive him for not helping Kyo when he had the chance. Come to think of it, he might never forgive himself either. Despite all their differences, he and Kyo had—almost—become friends.

All he had ever wanted to do was to escape his fate, to stop being a Sohma. Well, maybe he couldn't break the curse, but he could change at least one person's destiny. If Kyo won, he would be the first cat to remain alive and free. That, at least, was a start.

Now that he had decided what to do, he had to decide how to do it. The fight would have to be convincing enough that most people wouldn't think it was fixed, but Kyo would still have to win. He bit his lip, thinking hard. It was too bad Kyo couldn't become faster. There was no way he could keep his reflexes and instincts in line enough to lose.

Or then again… maybe Kyo didn't have to become faster. Maybe if he became slower? Well, that was fairly easy to take care of. There were some sleeping pills in the medicine cupboard. If he took one—no, make that two, just to make sure he was slow enough—then Kyo could quite easily win the battle. Everyone was so used to comparing other people's speed to Yuki's that it would never occur to them that he may well have slowed down. It would look as if Kyo had gotten faster. Or so he hoped.

That also meant there would have to be witnesses. Yuki grimaced. That was his least favorite part of the plan. He knew Kyo would gloat. His defeat would be humiliating enough, but it would be less so if no one else bore witness. Akito, however, would never believe that. So witnesses were a must. Again, that was easy enough to manage. If he just antagonized Kyo at breakfast, when both Shigure and Tohru would be there, there would be more than enough people to testify that Kyo had, in fact, won. Kyo's temper was shorter in the morning, too, so it might be easier to goad him into a fight.

Yuki clenched his hands into fists. After all the time he had spent planning this, he realized that he couldn't back out now. As appalling as it was to think of losing a fight to Kyo, Yuki had to do it for Kyo's sake—and for Tohru's. His last thought before falling asleep was that it was a pity he would never be able to tell anyone that he had let Kyo win, because Tohru would really have loved him for it.

Yuki awoke to the most unpleasant feeling of butterflies in his stomach. He sighed disgustedly as he realized he had slept in his clothes again. A persistent ache just behind his eyes made him realize just how little he had slept the night before. All that planning had kept him up much later than he normally was. And his nerves had woken him up earlier than normal, too. With any luck, Kyo had slept well and would fight excellently. That would make his job easier.

I don't know what I'm nervous about, he grumbled to himself. All I have to do today is LOSE one blasted fight. Can't be that hard; Kyo does it all the time. With a groan he pushed himself to his feet and staggered down the hall to the bathroom. Opening the medicine cupboard, he pulled out the sleeping pills. Before he could lose his nerve, he quickly crammed two of them into his mouth and swallowed them. He grimaced at the bitter aftertaste they left in his mouth. He brushed his teeth and returned to his room to comb his hair. It would be slightly suspicious if he looked too unkempt.

Kyo meanwhile stomped downstairs. He had slept in later than normal on purpose. He didn't want to have to spend more time than was necessary with Tohru, after the way he had treated her last night. He took his customary seat at the table, staring pointedly away from the kitchen. If Tohru was angry with him, he didn't want to know it. He wanted to remember her as she had always been, cheerful and forgiving. And if she wasn't angry, well, every time he looked at her it became harder to face his fate. Kyo had to admit that in many ways, his life would be a lot easier if he hadn't met Honda Tohru.

Yuki staggered downstairs, almost tripping on the last step. Kyo stared. That wasn't like always-graceful battle-ready Yuki. Then again, Yuki didn't look his best. There were dark shadows under his eyes and his skin was somewhat pale. Surprised by his concern for his rival, Kyo snorted and turned his head away, just in time to meet Tohru's eyes. He started a little and looked quickly at the table, trying to hide his blush.

"Ohiyo, little flower!" the far too-cheery voice announced the arrival of every-noisy Shigure. He all but swept into the room and dropped into his customary place around the table.

"Ohiyogozaimasu, Shigure!" Tohru responded cheerfully. "I trust you slept well?"

"Mmm," Shigure agreed, restless eyes wandering from Yuki, who just looked miserable, to Kyo, who was looking rather tense and temperamental. With a small Shigure-like grin, he settled back to wait for the drama to unfold.

Tohru, oblivious and happily humming carried breakfast out. "Hope everyone's hungry. I made a lot!" she sang cheerfully. She set the first plate down in front of Yuki. Kyo bristled, trying not to be jealous because Yuki had been served before him. Much to everyone's surprise, Yuki took one look at the food in front of him and pronounced it:

"Disgusting. Perhaps good enough to feed the cat," he glared at Kyo, "but the rest of us deserve food that doesn't smell like garbage."

Tohru almost dropped a plate in shock. "A-ano, I could make something else…" Her gentle eyes had filled with tears, but she turned away quickly and by the time she turned around again, there was no sign that her feelings had been hurt.

Shigure's jaw fell open in surprise before he, too, covered all trace of his reaction to Yuki's statement. He quickly turned to look at Kyo as if expecting to see a firework show begin.

Kyo's hand was tightening on his glass as he clearly fought for control of his temper. Suddenly the glass shattered, along with Kyo's control. He leapt to his feet, eyes blazing.

"That darn rat has gone too far! Say what you like about me, but leave Tohru out of it. She doesn't deserve to have you or anyone nagging her. She does a wonder…" Seeing Shigure's smug look, Kyo trailed off and dropped into his seat with a huff, trying not to flush from embarrassment. Yuki just stared at him, looking as though he were trying not to smirk. Kyo scowled at him.

Tohru set a plate in front of Kyo and Shigure before sitting down herself. Kyo quickly began shoveling food into his mouth, trying to ignore Yuki as much as possible. Yuki took a bite, looking thoughtful.

"Perhaps it wasn't the food that was disgusting as much as the company…"

With a snarl of rage Kyo threw the remains of his glass at Yuki. Predictably, Yuki dodged it, leaping to his feet as he did so. Kyo dove across the table at him. Tohru gasped.

"Please, Yuki, Kyo, don't fight!"

"Or at least not in my house," Shigure agreed. "If I have to replace that door one more time…" he trailed off, shaking his finger threateningly. If Kyo or Yuki heard, they gave no sign.

Kyo's fist flew towards Yuki's face. Yuki lazily reached up a hand and blocked it. Kyo used the distraction to aim a kick at Yuki's stomach, which was again blocked. Growling in frustration, Kyo decided to forget everything he had ever learned about fighting fair. Before Yuki realized what he intended, he snapped his head forward, catching Yuki right on the nose. Yuki, looking shocked, raised one hand as if to brush away the blood trailing down his face.

Kyo didn't give him the chance. Instead, he snapped his fist into Yuki's stomach. Yuki gasped and doubled over, acting more hurt than he really was. Using his pain as cover, he hooked his foot around Kyo's knee and knocked him to the ground. He lunged, aiming a punch at Kyo's face. Kyo, however, had rolled out of the way, wondering if he had gotten faster or if Yuki had gotten slower.

As Yuki slammed his fist into his stomach, though, Kyo had to wonder if it really mattered. He was probably incapable of winning this fight. He was the cat, after all. Didn't everyone think the cat was useless? By chance he glanced over at the table, where Shigure and Tohru were sitting motionless. One look at Tohru's wide, innocent eyes convinced him that he had to at least try to win his freedom.

He took a deep breath. There was a whisper of sound behind him. Somehow, without looking, he knew that Yuki was trying to tackle him. Heck, he even knew exactly where Yuki's head was. Was this how Yuki always felt? No wonder it was almost impossible to beat him in a fight. He whirled around, hands wrapped around each other in a double fist which he proceeded to slam into the side of Yuki's head. With a soft groan, the unexpected happened: Yuki collapsed, unconscious.

Kyo stared, chest heaving as he gasped for air. He blinked, waiting to wake up and find that this was some sort of dream. Nothing happened. Trembling, he turned and headed back to the table.

"A-ano…" Tohru whispered, looking absolutely stunned.