I know I haven't said anthing yet (except on my blog which there's a link to on my profile) but I'm going to see Wicked this summer! OwO The tickets came in the mail today and I'm so so so excited! I've never seen it before but I've been obsessed with it for months now. Anyway, let's get to the point. Thank you to my reviewers of chapter six: Thomlina, Fluffy52, Kamiko Jaisuma, KnowledgeandImagination, Great Story Reviewer, Big sis of 8, hannahmonkey1, gracygirl, Hitode Daikazoku, Miri-chan, xTammy-Blossomx, narutoluvr4evr, and Transparent Marshmellows. Now, just to prove that I do listen to my reviewers opinions, Kamiko asked if I would consider writing the scene from last chapter from Tohru's POV. I did. It's more of a thinking-back-on-it sort of scene, but I hope you enjoy it!

OfAmethystEyes: I vote Uotani can go next!

Uo: Yeah, because I don't even get to know what happens in this story. Like I'd really do a disclaimer for this story. Ha!

Kyo: Here, here! *pumps fist in air*

OfAmethystEyes: Well… I can tell you that Tohru's pretty happy just now…

Uo: Really? So you let something good happen to her? Like what?

OfAmethystEyes: Kyo's here so I really can't say it out loud but *whispers into Uo's ear* so she's actually doing really well.

Uo: All right, I suppose I could do this thing then. OfAmethystEyes does not own Fruits Basket or its characters. All rights go to Natuski Takaya.

Kyo: Hey! What do you mean she's happy? *looks expectant* What? No one's going to tell me?

OfAmethystEyes: Um, no. Read, review, and enjoy everybody!

Yuki felt his face heat up as Tohru pressed her lips to his. Why was she doing this? Why would she want him? Similar questions repeated themselves in his mind, but he found his heart and body responding in very different ways.

He found his heart speeding up in a nervous yet enjoyable way, and his fingers wove their way through her hair like he'd been dying to do for so long, pleased to find it as soft as he'd always thought it would be. He didn't want to let her go. He only wanted to live in the moment of her soft loving kiss forever.

When she pulled away, Yuki didn't relinquish the hair wrapped around his fingers and Tohru didn't seem to mind. Yuki whispered, "Honda-san, I—"

Tohru put a finger to his lips, stopping him before he could finish what he had wanted to say. "Don't say anything about how I deserve better, because there's no one I could love more than you."

Yuki couldn't admit to her that he'd been about to say practically just that. Would the truth be better? Maybe his own genuine emotions were what she needed right now more so than protection.

Yuki let himself smile a little, and then leaned forward, moving the hair covering her ears to whisper, "I was only going to say that I love you too, Honda-san. I have for the longest time. And even though I think you deserve more than what I have, I still love you and I promise that I'll be here for you as long as you want me." He'd only wanted what was best for her; that was why he'd turned her down. Although if his refusal hurt her at a time when she needed assurance and love, he'd rather help in any way he could.

Tohru was staring at him with something similar to wonder and hope. Whatever it was it made him feel like the center of her world; a feeling he'd never experienced before and was surprised to find it making him feel unnecessarily embarrassed. The color that at last drained from his face had once again returned under her gaze.

He still felt unworthy to be the one she looked at that way and to be the one gently stroking her hair, but if the affection he'd desperately wanted to offer her could make her happy, then he'd gladly give it to her.

"Yuki-kun," she said quietly, as if afraid to ruin the moment. "Can I ask you a favor?"

"Of course you can." The truth was that there was little he wouldn't do for her. If she asked it, he'd do it. Anything she wanted.

She blushed, saying, "Back at Shigure-san's you called me by my first name and I was hoping you might keep doing that. I… I liked it."

He simply nodded. When she'd first used his first name he'd transformed from the shock of it. And even after transforming back, he'd stayed in bed and hidden under the covers trying to comprehend what had happened. If she could feel even half of the joy he had that day simply because of the way he addressed her, then he certainly wouldn't deny her that happiness. "Of course I can, Tohru-kun."

OoOoO

Kyo assaulted Yuki the minute he reentered Shigure's house. "How is she?" he demanded.

Yuki held back the urge he had to glare at Kyo and answered him honestly, "She's hurt and scared, but she's still not giving in to him. The good news is that she's not in the dark room anymore."

Kyo was confused. "Huh? Dark room?"

"You wouldn't understand." Yuki took off his shoes, brushing past Kyo and heading for the stairs. He needed to think. His mind hadn't quite wrapped around everything that had happened yet and he just wanted to think.

"I'm not done talking with you, you damn rat!" Kyo stalked after him, following him to the stairs. "I want to know how she is!"

Kyo's determination to keep him from the privacy of his room was beginning to wear on Yuki and he had to fight to keep his voice calm. "You're out of luck. I'm done talking to you."

"Too bad for you! I want to hear the truth!"

Yuki turned on his cousin, not attempting to control his anger anymore. "Fine! She's little more to him than a slave! Are you happy now? He hits her and orders her around! And he even tells her things just to watch her cry!" Yuki could feel tears of anger coming on and didn't bother trying to hold them back.

Kyo looked horrified. "And you didn't do anything about it? You just sat back and watched! You bastard! I can't believe you!"

Yuki's fist connected with Kyo's face before he could say one more thing. "I did do something!" Hadn't he seen him taking it out of Tohru's room? Was he really that dense? "I gave her something that will help her more than anything I could've done! Do you know what would have happened to her if I had done anything more? It would have made things worse! I did everything I could for her!"

The next thing Kyo said was so quiet Yuki almost didn't hear it. "You disgust me."

Yuki wanted to let loose on the stupid cat. He wanted to pound his face into the floor and make him understand that he couldn't have done a thing. Only one thing stopped him and that was the part of his mind that kept wondering if he could have done more. Not only when Akito had invited him to dinner, but the night she'd been taken, and during all the days afterward. He was disgusted with himself too.

With a parting cold glare, Yuki turned and left, closing the door to his room with more force than necessary.

"Damn it!" He kicked the side of his bed, letting out the last of his anger, not having the energy to keep it up any more. He was too confused.

Sinking down to the floor, he let his forehead rest on his knees in defeat. She'd kissed him and asked to be called by her first name. She knew Akito had raped him and it didn't bother her; she still loved him. Yuki had never felt so loved and accepted in all of his life and he'd been forced to leave her in the hands of someone who would mistreat and hurt her. What would have happened if he'd just grabbed her hand and run?

But he couldn't have done that, and he knew it. All he'd been able to do was kiss her forehead and promise he'd do what he could even though he knew how limited and empty that promise was.

OoOoO

Hatori glanced at Akito's sleeping form. She'd determined herself sick again (probably upset with himself over the results of her dinner with Yuki) and promptly come down with a fever. She was sickly anyway, and a bad enough mood and firm belief that she was ill had successfully gained her the attentions of her favorite doctor.

Hatori had given a firm explanation, however, of why she should never keep Yuki's inhaler away. With plenty of scenarios that involved Yuki's death at the end, Akito was successfully frightened into agreeing to never doing it again.

But now that the Zodiac god was asleep, Hatori slipped out of Akito's rooms to find Tohru. He'd promised Yuki he'd deliver the package Yuki had given him to her when there was a chance. He'd keep that promise.

OoOoO

Tohru was in the kitchens, preparing an herbal tea for Akito. He hadn't asked for it, but she was sure he'd appreciate it. It had been a good day since with Akito sick and sleeping for most of it since he didn't have much strength to pay any attention to her.

This had left her plenty of time to think about the short time she'd had with Yuki two days ago. She could still hear the voice she loved so much telling her that he loved her, and she kept playing the words over in her mind. What had occurred before that, however, wasn't as quick to make her smile. It had been difficult enough to see him for the first time since coming to the main house and to treat him indifferently. Knowing what she did had made that task only harder. Then, returning to find Akito watching Yuki suffer while he couldn't breathe, withholding his inhaler and screaming at him… She hadn't been able to hold herself back. For that moment it hadn't mattered what Akito had told her and she'd dropped her formality to help him.

And after that… well, after that… Tohru started blushing again just thinking about it. It had been her first kiss, and she'd liked sharing it with him. But the thought that he felt himself inadequate, that he considered himself below ever loving some one, had left her heartbroken.

The water had just come to a boil when Tohru heard her name called. "Tohru!"

She turned towards the door and saw a blonde-haired boy standing there with a smile on his face. "Momiji-kun! What are you doing here?" She glanced around, making sure that no one would see them.

Momiji half-skipped over to her. "I wanted to see you. Can I help?"

Tohru smiled, happy to have a friend with her. "Of course! If you want you can pour the water into a cup while I get the tea leaves around."

Momiji happily did as she asked, humming under his breath. He told himself to stay happy, and keep his spirits looking bright. Tohru didn't need anything else to make her sad. "Do you want to know something, Tohru?" He turned to beam at her. "I have a secret."

"Really, Momiji-kun?"

He nodded. "When Yuki was here yesterday, he left something for you."

Tohru's heart skipped half a beat. "H-he did?"

"Yup. With Ha'ri. But I don't know what it is yet. I wanted to peek, but Ha'ri wouldn't let me," he pouted.

There was a sigh from the doorway. "Momiji," Hatori admonished. "You weren't supposed to tell her."

Tohru shook her head. "I don't mind, Hatori-san. It doesn't have to be a surprise, does it?"

"I suppose not." He took out something wrapped in tissue paper from his pocket. "Here. From Yuki. I don't know what it is."

Hands shaking a little, she took it from him, running her fingertips over the texture of the tissue paper. "Thank you, Hatori-san," she said quietly. "For delivering it to me. I'm very grateful to you."

Hatori smiled at her. "You're welcome. I was honored to."

Just then, a bell rang from elsewhere in the house. "Oh! I have to go, Akito-san's up and he'll want his tea. Thank you Momiji-kun and Hatori-san." She slipped the gift into her kimono, and picked up the tray with Akito's prepared tea. With a parting smile, she left them behind heading for Akito's rooms.

By the time she knelt down next his bedside, he was already asleep again. Silently, she set the tray beside him before leaving to stand just outside his rooms. It was only after a quick glance around that she took out Yuki's gift to her and unwrapped it with careful hands. When she saw her mother smiling up at her from behind the glass of a picture frame she hugged it close for a second wanting to cry for joy. Yuki knew her so well; he'd known how important the picture was to her and now for the second time he'd brought it back to her when she couldn't.

She lifted the picture from the remains of the tissue paper and saw a note beneath the picture.

Honda-san,

I may not be able to give this to you myself, but I wanted to make sure that you received it somehow.

Everyone misses you at home, especially me. Your worth here and to us is immeasurable so please don't let Akito tell you any differently. No matter what he says, it's not true. You're cherished by many people.

I hope that your mother's picture helps somehow. I have faith that she'll watch over you.

Yuki

Yet more Yukiru… I love this pairing too much. They're perfect… . Please review and let me know what you thought! I'm waiting with bated breath!