Right. It's been a while. I'm so sorry it took so long… TT_TT I feel terrible. I hope it's worth it. Thank you for waiting so patiently and thank you to my reviewers: HitodeDaikazoku, 1 Hell Of A Monster, KnowledgeandImagination, Sophia Lena Duchannes Riddle, RhythmWeaver, kayjaylew, SweetComplications, guineapigsrule, Nerdynerdnerd, It Is Only Me, Sparklybutterfly, jadedflower, TokiooWishes, Miri-chan, and GirlOfTheForestGreen. I LOVE YOU ALL.

Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket or its characters. Natsuki Takaya has all the power where that's concerned. Much love to her for giving birth to such a magnificent series.

Tohru and Yuki had the class work they'd missed spread out across the table. Tohru had much more to work through than Yuki, having missed far more than just the time he had been in the hospital.

Before they began on the workload, Yuki had said something that completely caught her off guard: "When we finish all of this, I want you to pick somewhere to go. Anywhere you want and I'll take you." Yuki had bypassed actually using the word "date" knowing his own reaction to the word would be awkward.

Tohru had understood and blushed a deep crimson. Her voice a little higher, she'd asked, "You mean… a- a date?"

Nervous, Yuki was quiet for a moment. It didn't matter if they'd been in a relationship for weeks, this felt more like the traditional beginning point of a relationship when the man asks the woman to go somewhere with him for a date. The relationship he had with Tohru felt almost backwards when he thought about it; as if they'd done things in entirely the wrong order.

Finally, he'd responded, "If you don't mind, yes."

Eyes wide, Tohru had silently nodded. "I-I'd like that."

Now, it was nearly four in the afternoon and they'd been studying for nearly three and a half hours. Yuki had finished half of his work already and Tohru had made a decent dent in hers. It would still take at least the rest of the week for her to fully catch up, though.

Yuki slowly stacked his books, folders, and notebooks into neat piles, deciding to be done for the day. He sat back and watched Tohru on the other side of the table as she stared down determinedly at her open textbook. She had the end of her pencil placed thoughtfully between her lips in a way that Yuki couldn't help but find endearing. He hesitated to break the image by speaking, but softly interrupted, "Tohru-kun, I'm going to save the rest of my work for tomorrow, but is there anything you'd like help with? I can explain anything that's not making sense to you."

Tohru looked up, the end of her pencil still held to her mouth. "Um… Well, this paragraph here." She pointed to the place in her English book, flipping it around so he could see. "I don't quite understand what they mean."

Yuki looked at the paragraph of English, reading through it himself and translating it into Japanese internally before explaining it to her. Tohru looked less confused as he went on, but there was still a small wrinkle on her forehead. She nodded in response to what he was saying until finally her eyes got a little wider and looked up from the book in excitement; it was the usual sign to Yuki that he'd succeeded.

"I think I understand, Yuki-kun. Thank you!"

Yuki smiled, sliding the book back to her. "You're welcome. Do you want to take a break? We could go out to the secret base for a little while and then come back."

Tohru glanced up at the ticking clock. "Oh, it's late isn't it? Shouldn't Kyo-kun be getting home soon?"

"I'm sure he's on his way," Yuki assured her. "He might have stopped at the dojo."

"Mmm..." Tohru glanced at the door, looking worried. "If we go out to the secret base, do you think he'll be home when we come back in?"

"I'm certain of it." Yuki had seen Kyo mope around the house in Tohru's absence as much as he himself had. No matter how much Kyo had been upset that morning, he'd come back. Because Tohru was there and Yuki knew he cared for her. It was difficult not to feel protective over her when he thought about how attached Kyo was to her as well, but at the same time… he felt secure and confident in his relationship with her. He didn't feel the need to worry as much.

"I'll go change then," Tohru said, shutting her books and heading to the stairs. She turned around, one foot on the first step, to look back at him. "I love you, Yuki-kun."

After his parents had disowned him, Tohru had promised herself that she'd tell him that she loved him everyday, never wanting him, for even a moment, to feel abandoned the way he had that day.

Yuki flushed a little, small traces of color tinting his face. She said it with such sincerity that he wanted to replay it over and over again. "I love you too."

OoOoO

"You should go home, Kyo," Kazuma said gently. Kyo was sitting at the table, untouched tea in front of him.

"I don't want to," he responded sharply.

"She'll worry if you don't." Kazuma's argument fell on deaf ears and Kyo didn't respond. Kazuma waited in silence for a few moments. What could he say? The first person to accept him in every form had fallen in love with some one else. Where did that leave Kyo? At the same time, if Kyo gave up now and stopped caring… if he ceased the progress he'd been making then he'd only be going backwards. Four steps forward and six steps back. Running away now was not an option.

"Kyo. Go home." Kazuma's voice was firm. "I will not let you stay here."

Kyo looked at him accusingly. "Why should I? And why can't I stay here?"

"Has she explained herself to you? Do you know why she slept with Yuki last night?"

Kyo scowled, his mood worsening when Kazuma mentioned what had happened.

"Go back and let her explain. Don't pass judgment until you understand her reasoning. I'm sure that the last thing she wants is to lose your friendship."

OoOoO

Weeds fought for sunlight against the vegetable life, some of which had long been ripe and now lay rotting on the ground. The small vegetable garden was an unmistakable disaster.

"Oh no," Tohru breathed.

Yuki apologized, not sure how to explain that he'd been unable to work in it without her. It would sound as pitiful as he knew it had been. He should have come out here before bringing her with him so he could have repaired at least some of the damage before she saw it.

"We'll just have to revive it!" Tohru said with determination, quickly kneeling down and beginning to pull out the weeds.

Yuki slipped on his own gardening gloves, feeling like a failure as he got down beside her to help. They worked in silence for a long time, until a third of the garden had been cleared and a large pile of weeds and past ripe vegetables had grown at the edge of the worked soil. While they'd been gardening, Tohru had been in thought, trying to come to the best conclusion for what she should do to smooth things over with Kyo. He'd been so angry that morning. Her mind continued to wander back to one possible solution.

"Yuki-kun," she said quietly, sitting back on her heels. "I've been thinking about something."

"Hmm?"

"If it's all right with you, I'd like to explain what happened to Kyo-kun. I think he might have a right to know."

Yuki looked at her, a little confused. "You mean what happened with Akito?"

"Not what happened when you were little, but just recently. Ah! Unless it's too personal! If you don't want me to, then—"

"I trust you," Yuki said, stopping her. "If you think you should tell him what happened, then maybe it would be for the best. Although… even if something confuses him, please don't mention anything about before I moved to Shigure's."

Tohru shook her head earnestly. "I wouldn't even think to. Those are your secrets, not mine."

Yuki did trust her. He trusted her more than he'd ever trusted anyone else. At the same time, the thought that Kyo would know more about his relationship with Akito made him wary and nervous. The last thing he wanted was for Kyo to start insulting him because of it and using the information to his own devices.

OoOoO

Kyo stood outside the door of Shigure's house, not wanting to go in. If Kazuma hadn't all but ordered to go home, he'd still be staring at that cold cup of tea rather being here.

He could smell dinner cooking inside, and could just imagine her standing in the kitchen, preparing the meal. With a scowl, he opened the front door and mumbled the customary greeting out of habit. While he took off his shoes, he hoped no one had heard him enter. Maybe he could just sneak past them upstairs and—

"Welcome home, Kyo-kun." Tohru had exited the kitchen with a wooden spoon in hand. "Um… if it's not a bother, could I talk to you after supper? There's something I'd like to explain to you."

He wanted to say no but instead mumbled, "Sure. Whatever."

Tohru beamed. "Thank you! I'll have supper ready in about ten minutes, okay?"

"Fine." Ten minutes until he had the pleasure of being an awkward third wheel at the supper table. It was the last thing he wanted to do – why hadn't he just delayed coming home until after supper? Hands in pockets, he headed upstairs, planning on hiding in his room until the very last minute. The more he didn't have to see them acting like a couple, the better.

It didn't seem like nearly enough time before Tohru called for him from the bottom of the stairs. Was this never going to end? Was he going to be forced to be witness to those smiles she gave Yuki and the way she was so nervous and careful around him? It had been one thing the few days she'd been at school, but now he had to live surrounded by it every day.

OoOoO

Supper was the drag Kyo expected it to be. A long irritating drag. He wanted to stand up and tell everyone he wasn't hungry but… Tohru was there. It still seemed like a miracle to have her home. He couldn't bear to leave while she was still there.

"Kyo-kun," Tohru said, addressing him in a cheerful tone. Supper had mercifully ended and Kyo had been about to return to his bedroom to hide. "Would you care to take a walk with me? So that we can talk like I said earlier, I mean."

Surprised by what seemed like such an intimate suggestion, Kyo couldn't help but glance at Yuki to find that he wore an unreadable expression. No aversion to Tohru's idea, no nasty glare towards him, no surprise at all. Kyo didn't get it. "A… walk?"

Tohru nodded. "Unless you'd rather not. We could talk somewhere else too."

"I don't really care if that's what you're asking."

Tohru smiled. "Good. Just let me clean up and then we can—"

"I'll take care of it," Yuki interrupted. Truthfully, he wanted to get that conversation over with. Despite that he would be far from present, it made him nervous. The sooner he could stop worrying himself over it, the better. "You can go ahead. I'll clean up."

Kyo felt more confused than before. Not only was Yuki seemingly okay with this late night stroll, he was pushing them out the door. What the hell?

It felt weird leaving the house with Tohru and it felt even weirder with Yuki's reactions to it in mind. It was only when they'd started down the path towards the woods behind the house that Tohru spoke, "I thought… maybe you should know." Her voice was a little unsure, but she kept going. "So, if it's okay with you, I'd like to explain what happened at the main house."

Kyo sighed. It was about damn time in his opinion. He'd never once been given a straight answer from people over the phone while he'd been living alone at Shigure's. The gist of what he knew was simply that "Yuki's been stabbed and he won't be home for a while". No one had said much more than that except to assure him that Tohru was fine. He almost didn't want to know, but he certainly had no intention of staying out of the loop if he didn't have to. "Yeah. Go ahead."

OoOoO

A plate shattered on the kitchen floor, the dozens of shards crashing against the tile. "Damn it," Yuki muttered, bending over to carefully pick up the pieces. He didn't usually break the dishes he tried to carry. Usually he could clear off a table and wash dishes without incident, but tonight Tohru was out with Kyo, telling him things Yuki would sooner not have him know. Unfortunately, he sort of had a right to know. Yuki, himself, had been the one to agree to it!

Why had he ever… been so stupid?

All he had was an empty house and a sink full of dishes while he waited for Kyo to come back and rub all of Yuki's weaknesses in his face.

Yuki sighed, tossing the broken pieces of glass in the trash can. He'd agreed because he trusted Tohru and he'd continue to trust her even if Kyo came back to mock him with what he'd learned.

OoOoO

Tohru clasped her hands behind her back. "I haven't talked about what happened much with anyone. I talked to Yuki-kun a little bit, but other then that, I guess I haven't."

Kyo found it a little strange to be in a situation like this; usually it was other people sharing their pain with Tohru. He'd done it, and was positive most everyone did. She was open and caring and she didn't judge anyone which made her perfect if you wanted a listening ear.

"It was early morning when it happened. It wasn't even light out yet. I heard Akito-san screaming so I went to see what was wrong; I didn't know until then that Yuki-kun's curse had somehow broken. Even though, Akito-san was angry it made me happy. I was so glad for Yuki-kun to be free!" Tohru said the last few words within a breath of relief and in the darkness, Kyo knew she was smiling. "I only wish that everyone could be free that way. …It would be so wonderful.

"But what's important was that Akito-san blamed me for Yuki-kun's release; to him it was my fault. He was angry and so he…um…" How was she supposed to describe it?

"'And so'?" Kyo prompted, wanting to hear it and dreading it at the same time.

Tohru stopped walking, biting her lip. "He hurt me and screamed such terrible things. Without explanation, he forced Hatori-san to bring Yuki-kun from school and told me that he'd make it so I could never interfere with their bond again." Her voice was hushed and small. "I didn't want Yuki-kun to come; I didn't want Akito-san to do something that would hurt him or take him away from me. I was scared that if he came then it would be the end but I was scared of staying with Akito-san too."

Kyo hated to think of her being hurt and scared. How dare Akito hurt her? Kyo clenched his fists, letting his fingernails bite into his palms. Before he could say anything Tohru went on.

"When Yuki-kun came" – her voice caught – "he stood up to him. I think it might have been the first time, but he got mad and hit Akito-san; I don't think he's ever been able to do that before. Akito-san got so angry at Yuki-kun after that." Tohru's voice got quieter and quieter. "Yuki-kun… he told me that he wasn't going to let Akito-san hurt me anymore; that he'd protect me and I shouldn't interfere."

Kyo spoke before she could continue; he wasn't sure he wanted to know anymore. "You don't have to tell me, Tohru. It's not—"

"I want you to understand, Kyo-kun. I don't want you to have to be confused or hurt by something that could have been explained. This is important."

Silently, Kyo nodded. "If it's that important to you, I'll listen." It touched him that she would care enough about his feelings that way. "So… he told you not to interfere?"

Tohru continued from where she'd left off and explained how Akito had hurt Yuki as punishment for striking him. She didn't mention the paint, deciding it was too personal of a fear for Kyo to understand without explanation. "But then I said something. And I keep thinking that if I hadn't then maybe things wouldn't have turned so horrible. Akito-san was angry with me, and told me he'd force me to be quiet." Her voice began quivering, and Kyo was feeling cold horror set in, knowing what Akito was capable of. "I didn't know what it was, but I think Yuki-kun did. He… he held me close and shielded me from… from…" Tohru sank slowly to the ground, crying.

Kyo lowered himself to the ground next to her, not sure if he should comfort her or let her cry. He was so confused and unsure about everything. What was he supposed to think or do? How was he supposed to respond to his nemesis protecting some one he cared about, some one who, in all appearances, seemed to be very much in love with that same nemesis? Kyo hesitated but put a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay," he told her. "Whatever happened, it's over now."

"I know." Her words were jumbled through her tears. "But I can't forget; I can't erase it away and never have to think about it. It still happened."

"Then tell me what happened so I can help you move on from it." Kyo saw her nod and heard her take a long shuddering breath. Taking one of her hands in each of his, he prompted, "Okay, so tell me what Yuki shielded you from." He was trying not to seem affected and trying to help her. It seemed as though she honestly need some one to tell this to, as if she'd kept quiet about what she'd felt that day until then.

Tohru whispered her response, "A… a whip. Akito-san had a whip." She held onto Kyo's hands fiercely. "Akito-san wanted to beat me, but… Yuki-kun held me so that the only one who would feel that pain was him." Tohru broke into sobs, remembering the darkness, sounds, and emotions that remained far too vivid. "His arms trembled, Kyo-kun. He was in so much pain and I couldn't do anything about it! It went on for so long… I don't think I'll ever comprehend the pain that he felt – that he took onto himself for my sake."

After that it was quiet for a long time and the only sound was of Tohru's crying. Kyo had mixed feelings about the whole thing; he was confused, yes, but he felt… thankful that Yuki had been there. Thankful that he'd taken care of Tohru. He'd never felt thankful to Yuki for anything until now. Because if it hadn't been him, it would have been the precious person before him who would have endured that torment.

"I can't imagine," Kyo said softly, not knowing if Tohru could hear him through her tears or not, "that he regrets what he did."

OoOoO

Yuki heard the front door open, and looked up from the book he hadn't actually been reading. Kyo stood there with a strange look on his face. "Tohru'll be in a minute. She cried and I don't think she wanted you to know." She'd said she'd only be a minute since she'd had the time explaining to him how Yuki had helped past a nightmare the previous night to let her eyes return to normal. After that explanation, Kyo had understood that too.

Yuki closed his book. "All right."

"I'm going to bed." Kyo headed towards the stairs but stopped halfway there. Without looking at Yuki, he said, "Thanks. For… what you did." He didn't wait for a response and went upstairs quickly. There was far too much think about. It might take him awhile to accept Yuki and Tohru's relationship, but at least now he could try to understand.

Yuki waited patiently for Tohru come inside, thinking about how Kyo had done the least expected and thanked him. No doubt the next morning he'd pretend that it had never happened, but it still had. That meant that things had gone well, right? The door opened and shut, permitting Tohru inside. Yuki noted that her eyes were a little red which meant she'd been crying like Kyo had said. Without a word, she came over and wrapped her arms around him. She took in a deep breath and let it out in a sigh. After a minute she slipped away, whispered, "Sleep well, Yuki-kun," and went upstairs.

What did you think? Let me know if there are errors so I can fix them. It's past midnight and I won't have a chance to read this again, so I'm sort of worried. I'll admit that this was one of the hardest chapters to write. It took the longest and was full of so much drama. Grr. I hope you all enjoyed. I feel better about Kyo, at least.

I don't know when the next chapter will be ready. Please be patient with me! I'll try and complete as soon as I can!

Youmacon in two weeks! :D

EDIT: I fixed the ending. ;)