Yes, I did say that I might go for a Kyo/Yuki. Sorry to disappoint, but I somehow went for Ritsu/Kagura instead. This is one of my favorite non-canon, non-slash pairings that Furuba has to offer, aside from Megumi/Kisa, which will also get its turn eventually, mark my words. No idea how this one came out, so I'd love a review. Pretty please with promises to fulfill requests on top?

X. Nectarines & Apples

"Kyo and Tohru are together."

Kagura had no pretense in uttering these words; in fact, Ritsu had barely processed the fact that she was standing there in front of him before they were out of her mouth. She stood there, heaving, her face red and her brown eyes shining darkly. Looking wild and beautiful and most of all, very, very angry.

"Oh… I'm… I'm sorry," he stammered, watching her glare down at him. Why had she come to him, of all people? He'd been taking a hopefully peaceful walk around the Sohma grounds, trying to sort out his thoughts, but the arrival of the most temperamental Zodiac member wasn't about to help that. Especially when he realized just what she'd said, and the reflexive words that had come from his mouth took on real meaning. "I'm sorry!" he repeated, beginning to get worked up. "It's my fault, it has to be, that's the only reason why you'd be telling me—Kagura-san, I'm sorry…" His voice was rising. "What can I do to make it better? How can I fix it? I'm sorry!" The volume had now reached what could safely be called a wail.

The Boar took two steps closer, and leaned in until he could see that her eyes were sparkling with furious tears. He was amazed that she was actually holding herself back physically—but there wasn't much time to be. "You can do this," she hissed, and, just as smoothly as she'd spoken, she grabbed his face in her hands, winding her fingers into his long hair, pulled him down, and kissed him on the lips, once, so hard that he found himself dazedly half-wondering if it would bruise later. Then she let go, and he found himself staring blankly at her nervously trembling form.

"But—Kyo," was the first thing to come from his mouth.

"Yeah? What about him? He has Tohru now," she replied defensively. He could tell by her eyes, though, that she didn't mean it. Kagura still cared about Kyo. There wouldn't be any changing that. But then why…

"You're not a substitute, just so you know," she added steadily, almost conversationally. "It's just that I feel differently about him than about you."

"Wh-what are you saying? Why are you…?" He sank slowly to his knees, trembling with confusion. "Why did you just do that?" A squeaking "I'm sorry" was added on the end of the sentence for good measure.

"They're going to stay together. I can tell," she explained, a smile beginning to form on her flushed face. The tears seemed to have vanished from her eyes. "And I'm going to need someone to help me get through this."

"I can't help people with that kind of thing… I'm sorry…" But he could tell by the now-full grin that he was wrong. At least, he was by her standards.