N/A: PLEASE READ! Okay, sorry, but I have to straighten things out. When I started this story, I was only on the fourth book of Fruits Basket. So I know that this probably won't fit in with anything after the fourth book, but it can fit in there or right after the anime. Don't hate me! Please!

Kyo's POV

My hand twitched at my side and I clenched it into a fist, flexing the muscles in my wrist. The beads on my bracelet clicked together as I did so. My forehead was beaded with sweat and my heartbeat was going about twenty beats per minute faster than usual. There had been few times where I'd felt worse than I did right now, but it was all for the right reasons. Right now I didn't feel terrible because that damn rat had just beaten me – again – or because Kagura had just slammed me into yet another wall: I felt this terrible because I was terribly nervous… Today, I was going to take the upper hand over Yuki. I was going to do what he hadn't done: I was going to tell Tohru that I loved her.

I'd been working so hard for this moment lately. Kagura had, thankfully, decided not to be so stupid and smothering, and I think she might've even had her eyes on Hatsuharu… Well, I guess she did have a creepy thing for younger guys… Shigure was out of the house with Hatori at Ayame's pervert shop for the afternoon, and, though I'd tried to get the rat to go with them, I was fairly sure he wouldn't be bothering my plans stuck up in his room with his books and his homework. Momiji had taken Kisa and Hiro to a park – "What, Momiji, just because we're 'kids' you think we want to spend all of our free time at a park?" Hiro had protested – and I'd made sure that Ritsu was at his mother's spa.

I'd even helped out with chores to make sure Tohru had as little as possible to do today. I'd done two loads of laundry, done all of the breakfast dishes, scrubbed the kitchen and bathroom floors and swept the porch, and yesterday I'd run down to the market to pick up extra soy sauce, lemons and milk to make sure we didn't run out. Well, okay, I'd drank the milk on the way home, but I'm a freaking cat. What do you expect?

I glanced down at the door to the house and, involuntarily, my foot began tapping in impatience. Lately, Yuki had been showing signs that he was beginning to think of Tohru as a little bit more than a friend and I wanted to beat him to the punch with her. I mean, come on! The idiot had hundreds of girls to choose from at school, even if some of them were crazy stalkers, and he had to fall for the same girl I had? The same sweet, innocent, generous, optimistic, beautiful girl? Why me? I knew this was a long shot in all: Yuki was, after all, a "prince" and all good-looking and crap, and any girl, even Tohru would be at risk to swooning over him and his charm. But I'd placed a note that I thought was pretty damn romantic coming from me on Tohru's bed when I knew she'd be downstairs and waited for her to up on the roof here to meet me as she'd done multiple times before.

Tohru, the note read. Meet me on the roof at five o'clock or whenever you have time, you know, because I wouldn't want it to be inconvenient for you or anything, so just, when you can, okay? Don't worry about any chores or anything, I'll do them or have the rat take care of them later. See you later, I guess. I mean, if you do decide to come, which I wouldn't know until my butt gets numb from sitting on the roof for too long waiting for you, I guess. Please come? 'Course… you probably will, with how willing you are to do anything for anyone. I should stop writing. –Kyo

Yeah, it was pretty pathetic. Yeah, I'd managed to babble on paper. Yeah, I knew she'd come, even if it was just to see if I needed help on my math homework or something. That was what I was counting on. I looked up at the sky. If the sundial in the yard was right, it was about half-past four. Come on. Really? I'd been sitting out here for an hour already, and I still had a half-hour to go? But then again… the shadow was a little past the half-hour mark…maybe it was more like fifteen minutes, or even just ten.

I'd just been feeling impatient to have Tohru here already, but suddenly, there couldn't be enough time until five o'clock. Everything was wrong. This wasn't romantic, it was dangerous. What if Tohru fell off the roof? The girl was known to be sort of a klutz, and I didn't want to cause her to be paralyzed or something because she'd fallen off the roof! Because of me! And besides this major problem were all the little things: my clothes were old and worn and unimpressive and I wasn't wearing any shoes…that's so informal… And while I felt comfortable around Tohru most of the time, formality seemed more romantic and impressive as compared to my small green t-shirt and baggy beige cargo pants. My hair was hanging in my face and it was probably as messy as always, which upset me more. Tohru would go running from this! And then she'd really fall off of the roof.

What if she tried to bring food or something up here? She wouldn't be able to keep bowls and things balanced while she tried to get up the ladder and I couldn't easily help her without sliding off of the roof myself. I couldn't just hope that she wouldn't bring food up here. I mean, she'd done it before, hadn't she? What was to stop her from doing it again?

All this worrying reminded me of the last New Year's Eve, when Yuki and I had rushed home after a heap of worrying about Tohru to find her crying and looking at the picture of her mother. But that just made me more anxious. I thought of all the happy things I possibly could – tuna, cod, salmon, onigiri, catnip – but I couldn't get my mind to stay off of Tohru for long and how she should be here soon.

Suddenly, the front door opened. I tensed up, completely stiff, and waited to see Tohru's head as she started up the ladder. I heard voices.

"Honda-san, there's something I've been meaning to tell you…" It was that stupid rat. What was he doing with my girl?

"Yes, Sohma-kun?" Oh, her sweet voice…

"Well… I've meant to tell you this for a long time…"

"You're my friend, Sohma-kun, you can tell me anything," she assured him.

The two of them stepped off of the front step and went to go stand under a tree near the house. Yuki's back was to me, but Tohru stood facing him and I could clearly see her face. She looked concerned for him, and affection burned in her eyes.

"That's the thing…" Yuki shifted his weight and put one arm behind his back, seeming uncomfortable. Good. "I… Tohru…" he addressed her by her first name, without a suffix. "I want to be…more than friends… That is," he continued quickly, seeing the surprised look on her face, "I think…I think I love you."

Oh. Hell. No! This was my moment! I was going to express my feelings to her! Me! Not that damn rat in all of his freaking perfection. That…that bastard! He was really asking for it. He was just trying to get me mad; to make me come down there and fight him! But…he wanted a fight? I was usually the one begging for a fight. Not Yuki. So…was he serious? Had he come to the same conclusion I recently had – that Tohru is the most beautiful person in every way that I'd ever met? Did he see all the wonderful things about her that I did? He…he couldn't! Right? The rat could never appreciate or love her as much as I did, it was impossible! Of course not! She should know… She should know that I loved her and he didn't! At least, not as much.

"Yuki-kun…" she gasped, breathless. Her face was flushed a bright red and her eyes darted back and forth, looking at Yuki's. "Are… Are you serious?" Her eyes welled.

Of course. She was concerned for him, because she was about to break his heart. She was going to tell him that she loved someone else – me – and let him down gently. But she was afraid to break his heart, to hurt him. She didn't want to put the bastard through any pain. Oh. Well, poor idiot. He can go off with the Prince Yuki fan club, making about seventy girls from school ecstatic. Fulfill their dreams and get away from Tohru, rat! I called out in my mind.

"Yes. I'm serious."

"Oh… Oh, Yuki-kun…" a tear slid down her cheek. Here it comes… She's about to crush him… "I love you too."

WHAT?

She put her arms tentatively around Yuki's neck, not quite hugging him, but pulling him close. Yuki put his hands on her waist and my vision went red. I knew what was coming and I knew what I wanted, what I needed. Tohru was too innocent and I knew she couldn't have had her first kiss yet. Plus, she'd told me so. I'll be damned if I was going to let her first kiss be with Yuki.

"Hey! Tohru!" I called down, using the courage I'd gained from my fury.

Tohru jumped back from Yuki, yanking her arms back, and Yuki did the same. "Kyo-kun!" she exclaimed, surprised. "What…what are you doing on the roof?"

"Waiting for you, obviously. Didn't you get my note?"

"Oh…" she flushed again. "Right! I was supposed to meet you! I'm so sorry, Kyo-kun! I got sidetracked and then…" she glanced at Yuki nervously.

"You don't have to explain anything to him, Tohru," I heard Yuki murmur. "Your time is not his and you don't have to do what he says."

I hissed under my breath.

"Oh, no, Yuki-kun, but I have to! I couldn't let him think I'd forgotten or ignored his request – that would be rude!"

"Do what you want, just know that you're under no obligations to that stupid cat."

"All right…Yuki…" Quickly, she took one of his hands and kissed him on the cheek, blushing furiously. I hissed again.

"She's coming, idiot. Be patient," Yuki chastised me angrily. "No need to hiss…"

Tohru turned away from the rat and began climbing the ladder. When she'd reached the top of the ladder she began, "Kyo-kun, is everything all right? In your note you sounded pretty…conflicted. Or upset. Is something wrong?"

Yes, something's wrong. Everything's wrong. It's all wrong! You're wrong! Yuki's wrong! I was wrong…

"No…I…" I realized then that not that I'd called her up here, I no longer had anything to say. I couldn't exactly tell her I loved her now. Absolutely not. Now that…well…

"Kyo-kun?" she prompted, looking concerned.

"I just…it was me who destroyed all of the leeks in the garden. Not Hiro. Just…just thought you should know… You know, 'cause you're the one who cooks them all…"

"Oh, is that all?" Tohru asked incredulously. She started laughing. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to laugh, but…" she continued laughing. "Obviously it was you! None of us suspected Hiro for a moment. It's all right though; you know I wouldn't make leeks for you, don't worry."

"What's going on up there?" I heard Yuki's voice. Gah! That damn rat was spying on us?

"You're spying on us?" I exclaimed angrily, unable any longer to suppress my feelings.

"I think I have permission, even though it isn't really spying. I never really went inside and you never made it clear that this was a private meeting, did he, Tohru-chan?"

Her first name… I want to say her first name like that…with…love…

"Well…" Tohru looked back and forth from the ground to my face nervously. "I…I guess not…"

"That's right, stupid cat. So next time don't get on my case for simply walking around the place I live."

"You son of a –"

"Kyo-kun, please don't," Tohru whimpered. Usually I paid no attention when Tohru attempted to break up my battles, because even though I appreciated heartily that she was always concerned for me and wanting me to control my anger, I didn't need it. I could handle myself just fine and I didn't need her to tell me what to do. But now, her voice sounded different. It was filled with not only concern and wariness, but a loving protectiveness that happily shocked me. She…she was trying to protect me…? "Yuki-kun's sickness has been acting up again with all the wind lately. I don't want him to get sick." Oh. She was worried about him. God, I should've known.

"Whatever. He's not worth my time anyway." I paused, considering my options. Play it cool, ignore Yuki and go inside to make some onigiri or make a dramatic getaway? In my anger I went with the most beneficial and easier choice: dramatic getaway. "Thanks for…uh…you know. Forgiving me for the leeks," I said lamely as a simple last thing to say to her.

"Kyo-kun –"

I then jumped off the roof. I'd done it numerous times before and I landed on my feet perfectly, then I was up and running through the woods. I guess it was cowardly, running away, but I needed to get away from the feelings that were still at that house with those two. Even with Shigure. Obviously I wouldn't be able to stay away forever; all of my things were at the house and though I could live without them, it wouldn't be comfortable. Plus, my life wouldn't feel…complete…without being near Tohru. Even if she was now all romantic and crap with the damn rat, her smile and her kindness towards me would be more than enough to keep me around.

Where to now? I thought about going back to the mountains with Master, but I'd really just gotten back from a very long training session and I could go without another four months of mountain-climbing without any equipment and hauling buckets of water down the long paths into town from the Master's house.

What about another Sohma? One who lived outside of the main house like Shigure. Because there was no way in hell I'd be going back there. Even if everything was great at home with Tohru, I'd never go back there.

Monkey-boy… Nah. Actually, definitely not. I wouldn't be able to take more than five minutes of "I'M SO SORRY, KYO-CHAN! I DIDN'T MEAN TO RUIN YOUR AIR WITH MY PRESENCE! I'M SORRY! I'M SOOOOO SORRY! LET ME SCREAM IT TO THE WORLD: I'M SO SORRY THAT I MESSED UP KYO-CHAN'S AIR! I'M SO SORRY THAT I MESSED UP YOUR AIR, WORLD!" Yeah. No.

Ayame? Oh, hell no. Not in a million years. Well, before I'd go back to the main house, I guess I would go to Ayame's but there had to be some better option than that.

I couldn't even think of anyone else who lived outside. I'd probably find something wrong with every option anyway.

Well…I guess…I could just go and sulk in my room for the next month… At least I'd be at home… And I didn't necessarily have to interact with Yuki at all! I could avoid him easily enough. And maybe, just maybe, I might get another chance with Tohru… I could at least tell her how I feel… She'd have to at least consider it, right? Being with me? God, I was so pathetic. If I kept this up, I might soon resemble some of my family… And they're just sad.

Suddenly, my bedroom was seeming like a better and better idea. Who there would be on my side? My pillow… Well, that was two of us at least.

Damn that rat.

A/N: So…Hate it? Love it? Well, oh well, 'cause I've already finished the story and I'm putting it up… But review anyway, please! It literally makes my day! Thanks!

~Pathway