Reviewer Replies:
Sailor J-Chan aka Luna Weasely:
lol, okay then, I don't think we have to worry about 30 page chapters xD And here I was thinking 10 was a long chapter ; thanks muchly for the review!
Lady Evilness:
Yay! You really thought that scene was good? I was worried it didn't sound quite natural enough. Getting Yuki and Kyo to talk peacefully without sounding lame is a challenge, I discovered o.O heh. But yesh, that scene was one of my favorites. Although I really enjoyed writing Yuki and tohru's last scene there a lot too o Bottom line is, I think, boys are so cute when they're awkward xD ahahahah :grin:3
But no way, you got to go to Vegas? I was stuck in small town Marryville! lol I'm so jealous xD Music camp was fun though. made top band again. Wouahahaha. My stand's a bastard. xD :rolls over laughing: yeah, okay, I'll stop myself before I keep listing inside jokes, lest I make an entire chapter out of them. You'll just have to take my word that there were some hilarious jokes floating about campus xD nyaha. My music camp so pwned your vegas xD
Chapter Summary: A question is answered and relationships unfold.
Author Comments: Yeah, okay, I know you were expecting a freaking long-butt chapter after my little spiel last chapter. Buuut, I read through the prospective chapter again, and decided that this was a decent place to cut it off. Soooo sorry it took me so long to update, after I came back mom bombarded me with chores ;.; ahh :bangs head: but the next chapter will come up soon. Just have a couple last-minute editing-type things to do. nods
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The three departed for school the next morning cheerily enough. Tohru and Yuki put on their happy faces, at least. Kyo's fists mingled in his pockets, and he was already glowing red like he was sun burnt. He was, to say the least, nervous about today. Lying on the roof sitting, reflecting, and thinking...he had finally made up his mind, but telling it to Uotani would be a little different. He never was good with coping with anxious nerves, and even a good 20 minutes beforehand, his palms were clammy and his forehead was sweating.
Luckily Tohru and Yuki had developed enough tact to ignore it, as they both - yes, even Tohru - could guess what he was nervous about. Yuki had finished explaining about the talk he had with Kyo a ways into the walk last night, when Tohru had calmed down about the Zodiac a bit. Now that she knew the whole story, things were really starting to fall into place, and she felt good about what she'd done with Yuki the night before, even if she was afraid for what Kyo and Arisa's path would bring them.
"Good morning, Uo-Chan!" Tohru ecstatically greeted the blonde as she and Saki met with the group of three. Tohru took one brief glance between Arisa and Kyo and quickly ushered Yuki and Hana inside the school building, insisting that Yuki had asked for their help for a student council project. Uo was suspicious that Tohru seemed to know just what she and Kyo wanted, but didn't push the matter, considering the three of them were gone in a split second.
"So, orangetop," Uo smirked cavalierly and pulled back her bangs, while Kyo blushed and kicked at the ground, dreading having to say it.
"Listen, Uotani, there are some things...you dont know about me..." Uo's smirk faded, and she suddenly felt very nervous. This was sounding suspiciously like an "I like you but not that way" speech.
"But...I guess I'm willing to let you find out. ...God, that sounded lame..." Thankfully, it was only a moment of dread, and another, much longer moment, of bliss.
"I told you, orangetop," she grinned and walked over to him, ruffling his hair lightly.
"HEY!" Kyo snapped, swatting away her hand and straitening out the mess she made.
"THIS DOES NOT MEAN YOU GET TO DO THAT!" Uo just laughed.
"Orangetop, you're angry again..." she grinned at Kyos grumpy, "I'm-so-not-angry-anymore" face.
"A-and," he added, "You only get to find stuff out little by little. No, like, breaking into my room or anything." Arisa rolled her eyes.
"Come on, what do you think I am, a fan girl? This is what they call a relationship, orangetop, its not like I'm gonna stalk you or anything. I don't want you breaking into my room, either."
. We're agreed."
"Yes," Uo laughed, finding it to be a little silly - but cute, of course - as was Kyos fashion, "We're agreed."
"A-and, I don't want to hear any marriage crap, either! And no forcing me to hold hands, and absolutely no hugging!" Uo just laughed more and more the more she heard. Orangetop was proving to be very amusing today.
"Alright, alright! We'll take things slowly, I get it. Yeesh, you're uptight about relationships. You ever had a girlfriend before, orangetop?"
"...not exactly..." Arisa grinned, having suspected it. She didn't feel like making him get flustered over that, so she said nothing more on the subject, and started to head inside to find Tohru, when... well, Tohru crossed her mind, and she turned around.
"Did you tell Tohru?" Kyo couldn't decipher whether it was scolding, worry, or curiosity driving the question, but he answered truthfully and in full, seeing nothing wrong in giving her the details.
"I talked to Yuki about Tohru yesterday, and I think he might've told her," now that he thought of it, he didn't know too many details, anyway. He hadn't gotten a chance to talk to Tohru since supper last night, and on the walk to school he was far too focused on this talk with Arisa to be thinking about Tohru.
He felt a little guilty for it, but supposed this was the deal he made. Girlfriends are, after all, supposed to be more important than gal friends. He had to accept that from now on, he'd agreed to put Arisa first, even if it meant serving Tohru very quickly afterwards.
"Oh. Do you know...how she feels about this?"
"Well, no, but I'm pretty sure, if she'd be jealous of anyone, it would be Yuki. I mean, I'd hate to admit it, but...for Tohru's sake, I have to. She'd be better off with him, anyway. She needs someone more...soft than me. When I talked to Yuki yesterday, he said that if Tohru was feeling lonely because of you and me, he would be there fore her."
"But you haven't asked Tohru what she thinks?" Kyo was silent for a moment, then,
"...No." Arisa sighed and continued inside, Kyo following in soon after.
-/-/-
"Souma-kun doesn't need help with student council, does he?" Saki's eyes briefly glared, while Tohru sighed and shook her head.
"No, but we had to get away from Kyo a-...! I mean! there was this-"
"I know." Hana said matter-of-factly, saving Tohru the trouble of trying to cover it up, afraid that Saki wasn't aware of Arisa's situation yet. Tohru breathed a sigh of relief and looked back towards the school's entrance.
"...I should stop them, though," Tohru murmured. Yuki shook his head.
"No, we should leave them to their own devices. After all, Hatori didn't stop you, did he? It doesn't help to warn someone of danger like that, for good or for bad."
"I guess...you're right..."
"What danger is there to be had with Kyo?"
"Ahhh," Both teens instantly took to waving it off, grinning nervously and sweatdropping while they tried to convince Saki to drop the subject.
"It's nothing, Hana!" Tohru exclaimed.
"I-it wasnt about Kyo, Hanajima, it was, uhm, my brother, yes, Ayame, he was-"
"Yeah, you don't have anything to worry about, Hana! Uo and Kyo will be just fine!"
"For Kyo's sake..." Hana murmured, "I hope so."
"Eheh..." Yuki and Tohru both let out huge sweatdropps, relived that Hana hadn't pushed the topic further.
"What about you, Tohru?" Hana turned from the door to her friend, earning some confused blinks from Tohru.
"Are you and Souma-kun an item now?" Both their hearts pounded in sync, and Yuki was especially disturbed that Hana's powers could read that. It was kind of scary, to tell the truth.
"...Arisa commented yesterday that she thought you two would make a nice couple. As do I..." Well, there was some relief. She was simply stipulating and not reading.
"Yes, we are, actually," Tohru grabbed Yuki's hand and held it up proudly.
"As of last night," Yuki added, blushing.
Saki smiled, delighted that she found herself more happy for Tohru than jealous. She'd likely turn jealous when she started not getting invited on the double-dates or feeling left out as the fifth wheel, but now, in this blissful, happy moment, all that she was, was glad. Her two best friends had found people they could connect with, and it was a delightful thing that they could both be so happy. She was starting to emulate Tohru, afterall.
"I am glad," she bowed slightly, "for both of you. I wish you both happiness."
"Thank-you," Tohru beamed with the approval of Saki, and Yuki's blush saturated a lighter pink.
Attention immediately turned to the doors as Arisa and Kyo came marching in. Kyo was still as slouched and grumpy as ever, but Arisa's cheerful, triumphant mood was a dead giveaway that things had happened according to her plan.
Hana quickly approached her friend, and the group settled around where the two met, Kyo slouching behind his new girlfriend, and the other couple happily clasping hands on the other side of Uo and Hana.
"So, I take it this means that Kyo agrees with you, Arisa?" Kyo muttered something under his breath, his face a violent crimson. Arisa, however, nodded happily.
"Ah-huh. Orangetop and I are going to the arcade this afternoon,"
"We're WHAT!" Kyo burst, but, as always, was completely ignored.
"You three want to come with?" Saki let out an elongated sigh and brought her hand to her cheek, shaking her head.
"No thank you, Arisa. I never have liked that noisy, chaotic place. The electric waves run rampant through the walls...I get such a headache..."
"So, how about you two? Yuki, Tohru?"
"Aw, don't invite that bastard!" Kyo complained while he was still ignored, as Arisa waited for Yuki and Tohru to finish blushing and looking at each other, communicating with a series of looks and glances that Arisa frankly couldn't understand.
"Well..." Tohru started, "I'm running kind of short on money..."
"I can pay for you, Miss Honda,"
"O-oh! No, Yuki, I can't ask you to do that!"
"Its no trouble, Miss Honda, really-"
"W-well, I-I also have to-"
"I would like to play cards this afternoon." Yuki and Tohru both blinked at Saki, while Arisa grabbed onto Kyo's arm and started to yank him towards class.
"Alright then, you three have fun. Tohru, would it be alright if I stole orangetop for supper?"
"Oh, u-umm, sure..."
"Hey, wait a minute-!"
"Alright, it's settled then. I'll be sure not to keep Kyon-chan out too late."
"DONT CALL ME THAT!" Arisa giggled and grinned at Kyo, sending him into another steaming, grumbling fluster.
"He's so cute when he's angry... come on, orangetop, we better get to class."
"Yes, Arisa's right." Saki nodded and walked off after Arisa and Kyo, while Tohru and Yuki both stood, equally fascinated by the relationship unfolding before their eyes.
Angry Kyo was...cute? And Arisa could shut Kyo up almost as effectively as Tohru could, although Tohru wasn't sure that Arisa's flustering methods were the best idea in the long run. Still, it was amazing. Neither of them had seen that couple coming, and now that it was there, they were entirely transfixed.
"Tohru-kun, Souma-kun," Saki paused and glanced behind her, finally breaking the two out of their dazes.
"Ah! Oh, sorry, coming!" Tohru shook her head violently to wear off the shock factor, and hurried to catch up with her friends, Yuki following close behind.
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Hazzah! xDDD Also from Music campt. oye, I'm going to be saying that for the longest time. That, and my stand's a bastard xD The boys were bastards, too. They got to be a full five minutes closer to the fine arts building that the girls :cries:
Anyway, I'll get the next chapter up ASAP. Even with this cut out of it, it's still nice and long xD plus it has bonus features. So to say xD tee-hee. In the mean time, as always, Read, enjoy Review! nyaha