hmm....christmas presents.....i was going to have a link to show you what kyo is making yuki, if you would like one let me know, and i'll post it with the next chapter. i more detailed description of the gifts will follow when they give them to each other.

the song is 'take me down' by the smashing pumpkins.

i don't own fruits basket, or 'take me down' and i don't make any money from this.

Take my hand, I lost where I began
In my heart I know all of my faults
Will you help me understand
And I believe in you
You're the other half of me
Soothe and heal...
When you sleep, when you dream, I'll be there if you need
Whenever I hear you sing...

I woke in his arms. He was sat with his back against his door, looking down upon with tired eyes. Although worn, and obviously uncomfortable, he had let me fall asleep, he had let me cling to him in a fitful slumber. When he noticed I had woken up he smiled gently, he ran his arm down my back as if I was in cat-form and he was petting me.

"I'm sorry" I whispered.

"what for?" his voice was somewhat stronger than my own.

"for falling asleep, I don't even remember it."

"it's ok, you obviously needed it. But can we move to the bed now?" there was something a little menacing in his smile, and I realized he was having a dig at me.

"bastard" I couldn't even swear at him convincingly anymore. Ii got to my feet, feeling a little less unstable than I had been earlier.

My clothes were crumpled, my hair a mess and my eyes still stinging, but I had that light feeling. The kind you only get after having a huge crying fit. I felt a little better in short. I held my hand out to him and he took it, I was startled at the icy cold feel of his skin on mine.

"are you ok?" maybe he was ill or something.

"yes. Why?"

"you're so cold" he was now on his feet but I still held his hand.

"the floor isn't the warmest place in the house. I'll be ok when I'm in bed."

I had to accept that Shigure's house wasn't the warmest.

"you should have woken me" I grumbled, but he didn't answer.

I presumed nervously that I was invited to stay the night, and as I watched him awkwardly get changed for bed, I knew I would go to the main house for Christmas. He looked too thin and wiry to defend himself against whatever they would throw at him, even though I knew more than most he was more than capable.

He climbed into bed, once again lying close to the wall. Leaving room for me. My heart skipped a beat as I removed my school uniform. I was wearing underwear today, thank the gods, and so I didn't need to sleep in the most uncomfortable clothes I owned.

I slid into bed next to him, for the first time not hesitating to lie down. He had left his night shirt off, maybe because he liked the contact of the skin like I had done. I pulled the covers over us both, wrapping my bare arms around him trying to charge him with my heat.

He curled up close to me, our faces millimetres apart on the pillow, his eyes were closed and I guessed he was already drifting into a lull. I leant in near to him and kissed him lightly on the lips, thankful that now I could do so and not be scared. In response he squirmed in closer to me, our legs were tangled and our bodies were as one.

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When I woke he was gone. The bed felt big without him. Yet there was a strange familiarity to it, I had after all slept in the same bed for years, all alone. I stretched my aching muscles. Today was Saturday and there had been no need to set my alarm clock. It was bright outside and so it must have been late morning. I had something I needed to do today that I couldn't forget.

I showered, once again using kyo's soap. The scent seemed a bit more intense than yesterday but nevertheless I breathed it in as much as I could. There was a part of me, deep inside that wished Kyo was in the shower with me, that I had his naked skin against mine, his hands washing the soap away, his lips kissing the drips of water away from my eyes. I shuddered. Thoughts like this were new to me, and not wholly accepted as a good thing. There were times though, when I couldn't stop them from entering my head.

I towelled dry and went to get dressed. Looking at the shirt I had chosen, I felt a little queasy. It was a gentle orange. I tried to assure myself it was a coincidence, and that nobody would guess the probable unconscious relation between it and Kyo. As I exited the bathroom I felt on edge. I knew I would have to see Shigure sooner or later, but I would have preferred later. He was not there. Making my way downstairs, I was prepared to go straight out of the front door, I was caught however, by Ayame.

"brother! Good morning!"

"hello" once again I just could not be bothered to shout at him

"Tohru has saved you some breakfast" he seemed somewhat subdued than normal. I couldn't help but wonder if he knew as well.

I didn't answer him, I just walked to the kitchen. Tohru was sat talking to Shigure and Kagura. She looked up at me and beamed.

"good morning Sohma-kun!"

"hello Honda-san" at least she knew how to be polite.

"kyo-kuuuun!" Kagura was out of her seat, and wrapped around me faster than my brain could cope with.

She hugged me tight, as was her custom. I was spared the kind of attack the Kyo usually had to endure, but her hugs were hardly the most gentle.

She pulled away suddenly, looking at me as if something was wrong.

"what is it?" I questioned.

Her face contorted, and suspicion seemed to rise about her like a cloud.

"you smell like Kyo"

I almost died. Of course she would know the smell of his soap, she could probably smell him on me from where we had slept together the previous night.

"no, I don't you're imaging it. Why would I want to smell like that" I almost convinced myself, until my eyes caught Shigure's who stared at me seriously. The comment fortunately seemed to bypass everyone else in the room.

"Honda-san, I'm sorry, but I have to go shopping. Is it ok if I eat later?" I needed to escape. Quickly.

"of course! Make sure you eat something soon though Sohma-kun, or else you might faint!" she was so considerate, I knew how she felt for Kyo, I felt guilty for a moment.

Turning on my heel, I left, pleased to be away from anyone who could hassle me.

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I hunched over the pile. I was cutting perfect squares from light pastel shades of paper. 28 piles of five squares. It was excruciating, but it was for him. I had prepared fully, paperclips and glue on hand, today I would make yuki's present.

A kusudama flower ball looks intricate but is simple once learned. I always made extra flowers though, for I was clumsy and my hands were not the most articulate. Things always went wrong. I was deeply surprised I could even make this. As I began to fold the first petal I paused. Yuki had gotten up and gone out, I wondered if he was thinking of me. Thinking about us, and how we slept so well together. I smiled, looking at the good nine hours work I had in front of me. He was worth it.

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I found myself outside the jeweller again, in the harsh light of midday winter sun it seemed even more small and unkempt than before, but inside it was a treasure trove.

A bell chimed as I entered, and the old man shuffled out of a door neat the back, he saw me and smiled, in a croaky voice he welcomed me:

"Sohma-san! Good morning"

I was shocked that he remembered my name, but there was a part of me that thought I may have been the only customer he had had all week. he disappeared back from where he had come. There was a lot of banging and clanging and eventually he reappeared with a small box.

He looked proud.

"it was a difficult job, it isn't normally possible." He grumbled, handing it to me.

Taking the lid off, I found the bracelet I had purchased. It was as stunning as I first thought, and turning it over I saw my request perfectly accomplished. A 'y' and a 'k' engraved in my own handwriting, joined together by a swirled hyphen.

"it's beautiful" I looked up at the man who was grinning widely. "you are fantastic, thank you!"

My words seemed like gold to him as he nodded his head.

"thank you young man!"

I wished deep down that more people would come to the shop, he deserved to make a decent living especially as he was so talented.

After paying, I left the shop with the box in a paper bag. There was a chill in the air and it cut right through all of my clothes. There was a forecast that it was going to snow. As I looked up to the sky, and saw heavy looking clouds overhead I considered my name. Yuki. Snow. We used to be so alike until Kyo 'happened'. I used to be as cold as my name, as frosty, and as pale, (the majority of times I was around him I was bright red).

In terms of snow I was melting, and every fibre of me was thankful.

There's a sun, it'll come, the sun, I hear them call me down
I held you once, a love that once, and life had just begun
And you're all I see...
And the trumpets blew, and angels flew to the other side
And you're all I see, and you're all I need
There's a love that God puts in your heart