Sorry for lack of updates. Really, I've no excuse. I know where this is going, yet, I don't think it was be climactic enough, I'm really bad at the main action of the story. Sigh.

So, some side stories will be in here. I think they become important in the sequel to this fic. And, I think they better give the sense of how time is passing. After making the introduction while they were all young kids, I need to transition into Kyo, Yuki, and Usagi's older years. Right before Usagi meets Luna – a few years before Kyo and Yuki meet Tohru.

((Btw, my style was a bit off while writing this. I don't really get it. Yes, this is a side story, mostly. Yes, this is a filler.))

From then on, she had visited the main Sohma house more often. Her friendly, cheerful face became well known among the household members. Of course, it was always "an errand" she was running, and she was trained very well to make sure to avoid her birth mother.

With her presence, Yuki had grown stronger. He had never before been able to rely on someone trust someone. For all Akito spoke of loving the young reincarnation of the mouse, Yuki could only love Usagi. He snuck out when he could; she snuck in when he couldn't. And, she always had something new to say, a new story to tell about the moon, a new game she played with her friends.

For her part, Usagi felt a little deceitful for lying to Yuki for she did not always visit him first when wandering around the vast Sohma estate. Sometimes, a feeling inside would guide her to a secluded area, separate – it seemed – from the rest of the household. It was a cold place, and she was slightly fearful of the atmosphere it contained. Yet, she knew she was following her heart, and that would never lead her wrong. And, of course, then, she would always come upon Kyo, who immediately put her at ease, despite the emptiness of the area.

For years, life went on like this – Usagi using all her free time to visit Kyo and Yuki. If Usagi ever felt deceitful for never telling one about her visits to the other, she calmed herself by knowing she was simply waiting for the right time. Usagi knew that it was her duty to make amends between the two possessed Jyunishi.

With such trips, however, it was only a matter of time until she met the other possessed.

Side Story from a Rainy Day…

Momiji:

He loved the scent of candy – overbearing saturnine smell that simply quivered the nose and salivated the mouth. The basic pleasure of a lollipop or chocolate bar was enough to overwhelm the senses, if but for a moment, enough to make him forget the ache of the everyday life as one of the cursed.

It was his habit, to sit on rainy days, a cherry sucker tucked into the pocket of his cheeks. From Hatori's back porch, he would watch the drops fall, patting onto the leaves as if mimicking friendly conversation.

It was on such a rainy day, during such a time, that Momiji met Usagi. (Both would later laugh that it was his Jyuunishi power that had attracted her to him.) She had rustled through many bushes, blindly seeking shelter from the rain. However, once she had come upon Momiji, she had stopped, stunned for a second.

Both had eyed the other tentatively, blushing for the curiosity of children before she offered that wide and honest smile that was signature of her charm. That insatiable hunger that was also indefinitely part of her character overcame timidity as she extended a friendly hand forward in greeting as she quickly queried for a share of the sweets. And that was it, really. Both of them shared a love for sweetness, and both of them had sweetness inside of them.

After that day, it became his habit, to sit on rainy days, a cherry sucker tucked into the pocket of his cheeks, a blonde and cheerful companion at his side. Rainy days after that one lost their wistfulness. From Hatori's back porch, he would watch rain drops fall, patting onto leaves as if mimicking his friendly conversation with Usagi.

If Momiji had somewhat withdrawn before from losing his mother, he now grew lighter and more cheerful in reflection of the time he spent with Usagi. For sure, all days were not always good days. But even the worst ones felt better with a reassuring pat on the back and the knowledge that there existed someone who truly cared for his existence. Rainy days became his favorite days from then on, for she would always make a point to visit him then. It was enough to overwhelm the senses, if but for a moment, enough to make him forget the ache of the everyday life as one of the cursed.

Short, yes…and I don't know if you detected it, but somewhat awkward..? I truly am sorry and I'm trying to push myself to update. But I can't seem to fall intot he pace I had before, and I feel like pace is key to this story. Sighhhhh. I will keep trying.

It doesn't help that I finished FB and found the ending pretty disappointing...On the other hand, it does help if I get reviews.