A/N: This chapter features some fluff. Please be gentle on me, as this is not normally my genera.


"A birth and a death on the same day..."

The door slowly opened, spilling light from the hallway into the darkened room.

"Wait right here..." This lowly whispered request came to dispel the silence, followed by the lightest giggle of chimelike laughter.

Large azure eyes followed the retreating figure into the shadows before the room was flooded with the soft glow of ambiance lighting. The lavish space came colored in soothing neutrals and beautiful crème, beige, and browns. And from the vast expanse of the room, to its very edge, came a large wall-length bay window overlooking the New York City skyline. As the soft melody of instrumental jazz gently stirred the silence, another chorus of light airy laughter came in sweet tandem with the music.

The shuffling of footsteps manifested throughout the room underneath the music and joyous giggles before the figure once again reappeared at the threshold of the door.

"Are you ready?" The deeper voice murmured through a smile as another adorable giggle of anticipation came in response.

"You really don't need to do this, Yuki." The sweet words came so filled with love and awe over the open display of affection, causing the warmest of smiles to wash along his lips.

"From the very moment I met you...I knew I wanted to keep you forever." This breathless whisper passed through the smile along his lips. "And I want to spend the rest of my life sweeping you off your feet, Mrs. Sohma." This vow came sealed in such sweetness as their lips met and touched, palm to palm in a holy palmers' kiss.

"You have everything?" He asked, patiently waiting for her to ready herself.

Yuki gently gave her assistance, claiming the bags she had gathered in their day of adventure along the New York strip. And in his thoughts, he had to marvel at what his wife had really purchased. Through the treasure trove of shops they had visited, she hadn't bought a single thing for herself. Not one...the bags he now held containing gifts and momentos she had gotten for others. Her friends. Her colleagues and fellow teachers. Even managing to remember a small token trinket for each of the children in her classroom. Smiling to himself he fancied that if he hadn't gone and purchased something for her himself, his wife might very well have left New York with nothing of her own.

...and she would still have been overjoyed...

His wife's genuine selflessness outshone and put to shame every single act of charity he had ever done throughout his life. With all of his family's endless resources at the tips of his fingers...Yuki found he could never even come close to matching the loving self-sacrifice his wife seemed to do naturally. Every single day. In simple...little acts of kindness.

Her kindness... That was what had first drawn him to her, he remembered. This kindness radiated off of her like light and warmth from the sun. And he knew... Yuki knew that all he wanted in this life...from the very moment he had met her...was to make her happy.

...she deserved that, and so much more...

Watching as she gathered her purse to herself, she gave a small smile to him and a nod that she was ready. And with this Yuki gently placed his arms around her in such a way as to gather her into himself. As he lifted her from the ground, the smile along her lips grew. And Yuki found that he could live contently the rest of his days with that smile alone. As he held her bridal style, he took a small moment to lovingly kiss her forehead before he effortlessly carried her across the threshold of the lavish hotel room. With her...everything seemed to come so effortlessly for him. And gazing into her eyes as he carried her to the bed, Yuki wondered if she truly understood how fully she completed him. In every way.

Placing the bags along the floor by her feet, he perched to her level, the softest smile creeping along his lips as he once again marveled at her beauty.

"I'm going to wash up before we go out to dinner." He whispered tenderly to her, stroking her hair as she smiled at him. "And...I'm not too sure, with the time difference, but I think you might be able to catch the new episode of Iron Chef before we have to go." And at this she crinkled her button nose with the most beautiful laughter he had ever heard.

And with this, Yuki quietly dismissed himself to the bathroom, giving a stolen side-glance to his wife as she immediately went to turn on the TV. Before closing the door to the bathroom...listening to the sound of the food show in the background...knowing his wife was contently watching...Yuki imagined that this small moment of peace and joy couldn't possibly come any more perfect.

Having washed away the day's outing and muggy embrace of the New York air, Yuki took his time exiting the steamy bathroom in his boxers, toweling his hair dry as he made his way towards finer clothing for tonight's dinner. But as he stepped from the bathroom, Yuki found himself completely derailed from this task by what he saw. From the scene, Yuki could make out that his wife had found the beautiful evening cocktail dress he had bought her for this dinner. But...the dress laid momentarily forgotten along the bed, abandoned by his wife as he watched her gaze out the window at the New York skyline. In that moment...her expression was so filled with awe over the vastness of the city. So innocent as she gazed at the many lights and buildings. Like the wonderment of a small child greeting Christmas morning with its many twinkling lights, decorations, and gifts. And the smile of contentment along his own lips at her happiness couldn't avoiding turning slightly impish with the fact that she had sacrificed dressing for their dinner to admire the view in her modest underwear.

As quietly as he could. With as much stealth as he could possibly manage. Yuki made his way to his wife's handbag to retrieve the old, classic Polaroid camera he knew was there. He had insisted on getting her a new, digital camera...but she simply wouldn't hear of it. She hadn't wanted him fussing over her like that. Sneaking the camera from her purse, he quietly tiptoed his way to secretly angle himself for the best shot for this impromptu photograph. And in a breathless moment of time, he managed to capture the immortality of this angel before the sound of the antiquated Polaroid attracted the beauty's attention.

"Yuki?!" This squeak of an exclamation burst forth from her lips as he began to chuckle, watching revelation dawn across her beautiful features at discovering what he had just done.

"Did you..." She began, her azure eyes gazing at him intently. "...did you just take a picture of me?" And the only response to this question was the confirmation of the photograph as Yuki waved it in his hand to develop...that same impish smile lingering along his lips with the small waggle of his eyebrows.

"And if I did...?" Yuki countered playfully, enjoying the little game he had just started as she gave him the most adorable scowl.

"Then you'll give it to me right this minute, mister." She scolded, stalking her scantily clad body towards him.

"Well that's a bit naughty..." Yuki murmured through his growing smile before his expression feigned seriousness. "I hope you don't scold your students like that..." His tone attempted to come just as serious as his expression, but instead came off more than slightly sensuous and a bit husky with that debonairly impish grin as he watched his wife's beautiful face flush a brilliant shade of red.

"Yuki Sohma!" And his lower lip came tucked between his teeth to stifle his amusement towards this chastisement.

"But you get all of the other photos of New York." Yuki argued, meeting her ineffectively stern gaze with his smile as he instinctively held the preciously captured image above his head protectively away from her reach. "This one's mine."

"Yuki!" She moaned in protest with an irresistible pout along her lips, attempting to retrieve the indecent picture from his hand as he gave a helpless chuckle. "Give me the picture! It's not funny anymore."

"You're absolutely right." Yuki bowed to her whim in seriousness before that same impish smile spread along his lips. "Besides...I think I want the real thing a little more." And with this he wrapped his free arm around her bared waist as she gave out a squeak of surprise at the way he carried her off to the bed.

Gently placing her at the edge of the lavish bed as he abandoned the photo, Yuki came to his knees on the floor in submission before her, between her legs as he stared at her for a moment. She was so beautiful. Not just possessing an outward beauty. Though in this moment, as she was now, he would have been lying to himself if he would have denied his sexual attraction to her. But her beauty was all-consuming, shining from the inside out. A beacon of light that radiated from her soul.

"Are you happy, Tohru?" Yuki asked in earnest, his amethyst gaze peering into peaceful azure as she smiled down upon him, her fingertips coming to gently brush away the damp hair along his forehead.

"Of course I'm happy, silly." Her voice came so very sweet and soothing to his soul now. "I couldn't be more happy." She whispered to him, running her fingers along the back of his neck as she absorbed the infinitesimal shapings of sorrow along his face. "What's wrong, Yuki?" And at this question a small sigh escaped him.

"I just wish that she would have decided to come, is all." Yuki murmured this bitter lamentation over the fact that his own mother had failed to make an appearance at their wedding ceremony. "I mean...even Aya showed up. And I haven't talked to him in years." At the mention of his estranged brother, a gentle expression of empathetic understanding shaped his newlywed bride's face.

"I know how much that hurt you..." She whispered tenderly to him, continuing to stroke the back of his neck as he lightly shook his head.

"I didn't want it for me." He murmured, his gaze far off as he spoke in confidence to his life partner. "I always knew how she felt about me. And the more I knew, the less I began to care." His voice grew low with the seriousness of his tone as his gaze drifted up to the face of his lover. "But you deserve more respect from her. She..." Yuki's voice came in the breath of a whisper. "...she should have at least come to our wedding for you..." A sigh passed through his nose with these words as his lips parted once more. "...and I'm really sorry about that, Tohru..."

"You worry too much, Yuki." She softly cooed to him, gazing lovingly into his amethyst eyes. "I'm sure that she had her reasons for not coming." Tohru lilted warmly to her husband. "And I think that all she ever really wanted was what was best for you." And at this tender consolation Yuki couldn't help the small, bitter snort that escaped him.

"If that were true, she would have accepted you the second that I did." Yuki whispered. "She would see how happy you make me." And at this, Tohru's beautiful features came gently shaped in her precious smile.

"I have a feeling that one day she'll come around and warm up to me." Her words came laced with a level of optimistic, unconditional warmth and innocence as she spoke.

And Yuki found himself in awe of his wife's ability to see the good in absolutely everyone. To trust that there was, at least some, good...in everyone. And if there was anyone in the entire world that could warm his mother's frozen heart...it was his Tohru.

...just like she had managed to open up and warm his once frozen soul...

She had saved him from the fate of becoming a cold and lifeless shell of himself, empty and hollow.

"I have an idea..." Yuki whispered to her, nuzzling into her hand as it moved to caress his cheek, his larger one coming to hold it in place as he gazed at her. "Let's stay in tonight."

"What about the reservations at the restaurant?" Tohru murmured this question with the slight furrow of her brows.

"We can order room service." Yuki countered.

"But the dress you bought me..." She whispered lightly as Yuki brushed a lock of hair to tuck it behind her ear. "I was kind of looking forward to wearing it for you." The look in her eyes the rare gaze that she only gave for him...only him, and a smile graced the corner of his lips.

"Well..." Yuki murmured, his fingertips gently trailing the length of her arm. "I'm finding that I like what you're wearing right now a lot more than the dress I bought you." And Tohru came to gently rest her forehead along his, attempting to hide the blush and slight smile along her lips at this complement.

Yuki slowly rose from his knees, wrapping his arms around his wife's torso as he did so. This gentle movement sent them both to the bed as he came to suspend himself over her. Gazing at her, his fingers again tenderly brushed her bangs, and he whispered to her once more.

"So what do you say...?" This question came in full sincerity as he waited for her answer.

...whatever it was... He would be happy.

"Okay." She whispered up to him. "Let's stay in." And Tohru began to giggle as her husband's lips gently began their work of planting loving kisses along her neck and collarbone.

That night. In that room. There was so much love. An entire lifetime of love held in a single, precious moment.

That night...they drank much.

They ate much.

And they laughed much.

But...most of all...

They loved much.

And so very deeply.

In the lateness of the hour, Yuki found himself drifting content in sleep, entwined in his lover. Sleep, and dreaming, that was violently disturbed as thick lashed fluttered in weighted, heavy...almost oppressive exhaustion. There was so much noise. And it was so very loud. Someone was pounding on the door, and there was a loud voice through the other side. Yuki struggled to right himself through the fog of sleep. And everything moved too quickly as the door was suddenly forced open to flood the room with painfully abrasive light from the hallway.

And the sounds only intensified as they reverberated in his muddled mind. Voices far too hostel came authoritative and so very loud in their demand that he remove himself from the bed. But this dazed, almost frightened state left Yuki completely paralytic...unresponsive as he remained silent in the safety of the bed with his wife. This intrusion was far too violent and terrifying for him to move himself into action. Grasping onto his lover's hand, Yuki gave it a gentle squeeze of comforting strength. He knew she would need this from him. That he would need to be her rock now, though he barely came to hold himself together. Whatever this was...it was surely a terrible mistake. And he would stand firm and protect his wife as best he could.

As he held fast to her hand, Yuki felt himself forcefully ripped from the safety of the bed, his naked body coming so shamefully exposed as he was restrained to the ground. His arms were retched from his sides and painfully pulled together behind his back to be bound as a hand came to push his face further into the ground to subdue him.

Ragged, painful breaths came so very heavy and close to his ears as he heard a disembodied voice speak of resisting arrest and having the right to remain silent. And he did...remain silent. Though his thoughts were consumed with his terrified wife. He needed to see her. Needed to be able to comfort her now. Needed to know what was happening to her. What they were doing to her. These thoughts came all-consuming as he was finally lifted from the ground by his arms and brought to his knees.

And what he saw...

What his eyes bared witness to...

The absolute horror that lay in that bed...

Yuki's lips trembled in a moment of breathless silence before they were completely overcome by a scream. And he screamed, a guttural, savage scream that never ended.


A/N: I would just like to take this time to thank all of the readers and reviewers of this story. You guys are truly some of the most amazing people I know. And the fact that you continue to give me your time, love, and support...well...that is more precious than any gift. So...thank you.

TohruKyoYuki

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