No Woman No Cry

by DuchessPeachie

Bright & beautiful Marley Bakshi thought her life was over with the death of her parents & declining health but is given the gift of a 2nd chance she hopes to be worthy of. The dancing foreigner finds herself in the middle of a strange fairytale when brought into the Sohma family & they are drawn to her like flowers to the sun. But with the light comes the shadows. Eventual KyoXOFC

24. Of Which I'll Share With You

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The room was quiet, the T.V was on mute, only the persistent sound of machines beeping sounded through the room but I had gotten used it.

I stared out the window, it was a beautiful spring day, and I couldn't help but wonder what the flowers looked like. I hadn't been able to leave the hospital since being admitted. Only able to go for short walks through the halls or even made to be pushed into a wheelchair.

"Maybe they'll let me go the roof now that it's getting warmer..." I thought out loud, hoping to get some fresh air.

I checked the time and looked at the phone, waiting for it to ring. I had given Mama and Bapu a few calls earlier as they should have landed in Vancouver by now, and they mentioned they were taking a train from Vancouver to California then a bus from there to Las Vegas. It made for a long day of travelling.

They had wanted to fly, but spring break was in full swing in the states, and it was impossible to find a direct flight or even a connecting flight.

"At least Mama likes trains... don't know about Bapu though...maybe he likes them too. What do you think" I asked the little lion plushy by my side.

Time passed, and soon it was late afternoon, and my phone had yet to ring, so I tried calling again, but it went straight to voicemail again.

I was alone today, Zuzu's health had been good, so she had no need to be in the hospital. While I was happy she was doing better, a small part of me was feeling lonely in the empty room.

Me alone with my thoughts didn't seem to be a good idea as I fidgeted with my fingers, my anxieties bundling up in my chest.

" I'm sure they're exhausted after travelling. I'll try again in the morning." I decided as I opened up my book, hoping the world of George R. Martin would distract me.

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The sun had gone down, and their doctors did their night rounds, checking on me and my vitals but not offering much in conversation. Which was fine. They're busy.

A knock on the door took me out of my trance, and I turned to see Hatori and Dadaji.

" Oh, hey, what are you two doing by so late? Did you guys have dinner yet? I think the cafeteria is serving curry today, it smelt pretty good." I greeted the two, giving the two a smile, happy to see them.

But they didn't return a smile or seem to be in any sort of good mood as I took in their sagged shoulders as they walked into the room solemnly. Hatori remained standing while Dadaji took a seat by my bed.

"Is everything okay? Did the doctor say anything?" I tried to figure out what had them is such low spirits and what I could to maybe cheer them up.

" It looked like a beautiful day outside, I bet the flowers are just coming in, I heard someone said that cherry blossom season is on its way," I mentioned, not really sure what that meant but it sounded pretty. Bapu had told me they would have picnics under cherry blossom trees when he was a kid.

Dadaji took my right hand in his, rubbing the top of my hands with his thumbs. His eyes looked like he had been crying, and he was clenching his mouth.

" Marley.. there... there's been." Dadaji tried to say something but couldn't seem to get the words out and had to take another breath. I placed my other hand on top of his, and it only made him lower his head.

"Tetsuo-Sama... I can-"

"No." He cut Hatori off as he sent the doctor a glare and then turned his gaze to me, and I only waited, a feeling of dread entering me as he really stared into my eyes.

" There's been an accident. .. I'm-. Your parents ...have passed."

I felt a deep clenching in my heart, and I couldn't breathe. All I heard was the machines around me, harshly beeping as I ripped my hands from Dadaji and brought them to my chest, trying to make the pain in my heart disappear.

"CODE BLUE!"

"CLEAR!" A hard, painful shock tore through my body.

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I woke up with a start and brought my hand to my chest, feeling my heartbeat rapidly as I stared up at the ceiling. I looked around the room and realized I wasn't in the hospital room but in my room on the Sohma Estate. A lump of fur jumped onto my bed and chose to crawl onto my chest, making himself comfortable.

Taking a deep breath to try and calm down as I used one hand to pet Gimli, who meowed and started purring.

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That... felt like it was only yesterday...

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I grabbed my phone and quickly dialed a number, silently praying for him to answer. As the phone rang, I brought my hand to my face and felt it was wet on my cheeks. Tears were still flowing down.

"Marley? Everything okay? It must be 5 in the morning over there." A gruff voice came through the receiver, and I felt myself smile, a breath of relief leaving me.

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He's okay

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"Ah, yes, just woke up early, I guess, and I thought I would give you a call," I explained, sniffling a little bit.

" Are catching a cold? You sound a little stuffed up?" He asked, and I immediately tried to come up with a lie to explain my sniffling.

" Yes, a cold... it's from a cold because..well you know summer is around the corner and people get summer colds, and I've been having to carry around tissues but don't worry, I'll take some cold medicine." I told him, hoping he wouldn't see through me and just accept it.

" Okay, well, take care of yourself and get Hatori to do a check-up, the Sea Monkey might as well make himself useful." Dadaji insisted, and I couldn't help but giggle at the poor Hatori's nickname.

"Dadaji." I giggled while trying to lightly scold him.

" Tonight's the showcase, right?" Dadaji asked, ignoring my scolding. I got up from the bed to which Gimli meowed in protest as I went to open the curtains, revealing the torrential downpour.

"Yep, tonight's the night," I responded, silently hoping the weather would turn around by the evening.

" Hatori told me the Rabbit invited half of the Sohma family." Dadaji chuckled as I heard movement from the other side, a door opening and sounds of horns beeping and people talking.

"Not exactly, just a few friends," I mentioned, hoping he could hear me through all the noise. I heard someone on the other side ask Dadaji something, and he told whoever it was that he was busy.

"I'll let you go Dadaji, I just wanted to call and say hi," I told him, not wanting to keep him from anything important.

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Dadaji's okay, he's alright

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"Alright, well. Have a good time tonight, you... you're.. have fun." Dadaji

"Thanks, Dadaji. Have a good day, miss you." All I heard was grumbling on the other end till he finally responded.

"... I miss you, too.."

"Awwww, Dadajiiii!" I gushed into the phone.

The phone clicked off, and I couldn't help but laugh at my poor Dadaji, who was clearly at his limit for any of 'that cutesy stuff' as he called it.

I took a deep breath and decided that even though it was raining out, I could use a small jog.

"Gimli, wanna go outside?" I asked the cat as I rummaged through my closet, looking for jogging pants and a rain jacket. Gimli gave me an annoyed look and just curled up on my duvet to fall back asleep.

" I guess you're done with the rain, huh honey." I gently scratched behind his ear, causing him to meow and purr as the rain continued to beat down on the roof.

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.-.-.-.-.-.

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The morning sun was finally peeking out from the clouds, giving the Sohma Estate a little break from the heavy rain they had been experiencing the last few days.

Removing my raincoat hood, staring up at the blue sky, I tightened my ponytail while I took a small break from jogging, catching my breath as I took in the smell of summer rain, a smile stretching across my face. There was just something about sunshine after heavy rainfall that was so simple and beautiful that I just wanted to stop and enjoy it.

I took a second deep breath the scent of the fresh rain changed, and the alarming smell made me scrunch my nose as a charred burning smell took over. I looked around and followed the scent quickly and came to a house that was always on my jogging route.

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Oh no

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Small clouds of smoke rose out the porch, and I leapt into the door, not even bothering to take off my shoes as I rushed into the house. The forgotten pan on the stove was on fire, and smoke nearly engulfed the kitchen. I rushed to turn off the stove that was left on high, but the fire seemed to have a life of its own.

Scrambling around looking for a pot lid, opening numerous cabinets till I found one and pushed down the fire. Once the flame was snuffed out, I took a breath and tried to calm down my racing heart, opening all the windows in the kitchen to let out all the smoke.

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How did I go from enjoying the morning rain to putting out a kitchen fire

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"Hello? Anyone home?" I called throughout the house, finally slipping off my sneakers before I tracked any more mud throughout the house.

I heard footsteps, and a tall man with long chestnut hair in a low hanging ponytail walked in, brown eyes looking at me as I stood in the kitchen with my sneakers in hand.

"Sir, are you alright?" I asked as I quickly looked him over, but he seemed to be quiet calm as he stood in the doorway, looking more surprised at me being there rather than the state the kitchen was in.

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He looks like he's about Bapu's age... maybe a little younger

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" Yes, I was just trying to make a quick breakfast, but it appears that I maybe got a tad sidetracked." He mentioned as he looked at the kitchen, the strong smell of burning food still hung heavy in the air.

I stood there in awe at this man who seemed to not understand that he was moments from his kitchen going up in flames.

" Is there something I can help you with, miss?" He asked as he stared at me, a kind smile on his face.

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Wow... he's completely calm

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I looked around at the mess of the kitchen and back at him. I then started laughing and covered my mouth, trying to hide my laughter at the situation. After a moment, I put myself together.

"Well, I'm glad you're okay. You could have really gotten hurt, why would you leave the kitchen with the stove up so high?" I asked, really not understanding how he could be so careless.

" Apologies, I didn't realize I had left it on high, I had a good feeling and thought I would give cooking another try." He reasoned, lightly shaking his head.

"Give cooking... another try...?" I repeated, astonished with the man's calm attitude as the kitchen was still slightly smoky. I even lifted the pot lid to see the remnants of whatever the man had been cooking, but it looked like just a black charred mass.

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Why do I feel like this is far from the first time he's burnt something to near oblivion...

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" I just got back from a long trip, and there's some unpacking I wanted to get done." He explained as he smiled at me.

"Oh! Welcome home. I hope it was a good trip." I gave him a smile, wondering what his trip was about.

"Thank you, it's good to be back. I'm looking forward to seeing my family." The man replied, a very soft and fond look in his eyes.

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I wonder how long he's been gone...

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"I bet they'll be happy to see you too." I encouraged, happy for the reunion as I started cleaning up the kitchen, throwing the burnt pot under the tap was running hot water.

" ... Wait! We got sidetracked... you shouldn't be distracted while cooking, something terrible could have happened to you." I tried to scold him as checked to make sure the water was hot and put some soap into the burnt pot.

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This pot might not be salvageable, but it's worth trying...

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" Apologies, I really did have a good feeling about today." He reasoned, looking very innocent.

"Well...maybe next time someone should supervise or help you. Who normally cooks?" I asked, certain that someone had to have been feeding him if he couldn't cook himself.

" My assistant does a lot of the cooking I must admit-" He started to explain, but footsteps came rushing into the kitchen, and a new voice called out.

"Shihan! What did you do?!" A younger man ran in, interrupting what the man in the kimono was going to say, looking around the kitchen. He had lighter brown hair that brushed against his ears and brown eyes.

" This young lady came and saved the kitchen." The man explained and then before he could say anything else the young man bowed slightly.

"Thank you for helping, I'm Tomoda Kunimitsu, I'm Kazuma-Dono's assistant." The boy introduced himself and then looked at me. I smiled and wiped my wet hands on my jogging pants.

"Oh! I'm Sohma Marley, it's nice to meet you too. And I guess.. you are Kazuma?" I smiled and gestured to the older man in the blue kimono who I had been trying to scold for his cooking mishap.

"Yes, it seems I don't know where my manners are today. I'm Sohma Kazuma, and I run a karate dojo. May I call you Marley-San?" The man with the long chestnut brown hair introduced himself.

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He really is handsome... and he has very kind eyes... like Bapu

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"Please, just Marley is fine." I insisted, but then I remembered something as I thought about what he had just said.

"Oh! Wait, you must run the dojo on the estate, right? Then do you know K-"

An alarm started beeping from my phone, reminding me to get ready for school. I needed to shower, and it was going to take forever to blow dry my hair. The timing might be a little tight.

"Sorry, I've got to run. Welcome home and please... maybe have supervision next time you want to try cooking, I don't want you hurting yourself." I insisted as I grabbed my shoes and slipped them on at the porch door, giving them a wave and a smile before I jogged home in the sunshine.

Hopefully, the sun holds out for the rest of the day

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.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

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The gym class was being held indoors today due to the field being too muddy because of the rainy season, and 2-D shared their gym period with a few other classes, so the gym was pretty packed today. Two of the gym teachers had disappeared a while ago, leaving one in charge, and everyone was basically doing their own thing. The one gym teacher was too caught up in reading her romance novel to really navigate any sort of order in the gym.

"C'mon you damn Rat, today's the day!" Kyo yelled as he ran the length of the gym, trying to catch up to Yuki, who was dribbling the basketball. The game had started with other players, but the rival's intensity had the other boys just watching from the sideline. Yuki fan girls were happily enjoying Yuki showing off his athletic talent while Tohru, Uo, Hana and Marley rested on the bleachers, observing.

"Kyo's pretty good. It's too bad they scared off the others from playing with them, though." Marley pointed out as she watched the boys play the one on one game.

"Same bet as always?" Uo asked as she smirked over at Marley from her spot, stretching and resting her hands behind her head.

"You're on, Kyo's got this." Marley held out her hand for Uo to shake, sealing the bet. Marley was confident in her saffron-haired friend and his ability to beat his cousin at something. The white-blonde didn't know how beating Yuki would make Kyo happy, but he was so determined and never gave up, so she figured it must be important.

Or maybe it was just a cat-mouse thing.

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"Yo, Marley!" A tall third year sauntered over to where the girls were sitting, casually running a hand through his shaggy black hair.

" Hey Ryu, how are you?" Marley smiled up at the boy from her sitting position, and Ryu offered a fist which Marley happily returned, lighting bumping his knuckles with hers.

" Not much, you haven't been at the studio the last few weeks, what's up?" He asked.

"Ah, sorry, I've been dedicating all my free time to do aerial silks, but I'll be back in the studio Sunday, maybe? if not, then sometime next week for sure." Marley promised. She was surprised how much she missed dancing contemporary and street while she had been working on aerial. Or maybe Marley just missed dancing with a group of people. She had found aerial was feeling a little lonely.

Marley used to love working on her aerial arts but found herself not enjoying it like back in America.

"Good, we thought maybe you were ditching." He teased with a devilish smirk.

"No, no. Just too busy, I've missed you guys." Marley insisted she had been watching the Instagram stories and snap chats from people in the studio. She was maybe even a little jealous of some of the combos they had been working on.

Uo made a coughing noise from beside me.

"Oh Sorry, Ryu. These are my classmates, Honda Tohru, Hanajima Saki, and Uotani Arisa. Ladies, this is my friend from dance, Ito Ryunosuke. " Marley made the introductions, and everyone said hello. The girls couldn't help but notice how tall and handsome he was.

"Hey, call me Ito-Senpai." He said with a cheeky smile.

"..." And he somehow lost any appeal he had with the girls.

"Or not... We-" The boy was cut off by a bunch of girls screaming Yuki's name when he made a basket, causing Kyo to yell at his fellow Zodiac member.

"Wow... that's... intense," Ryu muttered, a little intimidated by the fan club and their cheering.

"Ya... you get used to it... kind of." Marley smiled but noticed how Ryu's eyes drifted to a group of three girls that were hanging out by the hoop, staring with a small smile.

.

"Ryu?" Marley asked while the boy seemed to be a slight daze.

"Ah, yes, sorry. I actually came over for a favour..." The senior said while eyeing the other girls around Marley, and she thought he probably wanted some privacy for whatever he wanted to say.

"Do you want to go somewhere and talk?" Marley offered, ready to get up and talk in a corner if need be.

"Actually... you girls might be able to give some advice," Ryu said, rubbing the back of his head as a small blush came to his cheeks, his green eyes peeking over the group of girls he had been staring at before.

" So, are you all part of that Prince Yuki club?" He asked, a little unhopeful because he seemed at least half the girls in the school were part of the club.

Uo flat out started laughing while the rest of the girls just shook their heads.

" Do you think that... a girl in the club would be open to another boy asking them out?" The Senior boy asked, hoping the girls would be able to give him some insight.

"If the girl has a brain, then yes," Hana said with a non-expressive face as she continued to concentrate on Tohru's hair, putting it in a french braid.

Ryu looked over at a group of girls and Marley watched his gaze.

" You have a crush, and she's infatuated with Yuki.. right?" Marley asked, pretty confident that she was on the right track. Not that it took a detective to figure this one out.

"... yes..." He admitted, staring at the ground, already looking defeated.

" Which one is she?" Marley asked, getting excited for her friend. Marley had only known Ryu for a few months, but she found him to be a kind and talented person, and always so supportive to the dancers at the studio. She was curious to see who he was crushing on. Marley stared at the group of girls, waiting for him to point out which one.

" the one with the shoulder-length hair..." Ryu revealed, not daring to look over as he was trying not to be too obvious.

"Oh.. the girl with the cute blue hair clip?" The excited foreigner asked, already imagining the two holding hands as they walked through the school.

"Yes." He softly said

"Oh, she 's so pretty! And you two would look so cute together. What's she like?" Marley practically yelled in her excitement and the boy had to shush her.

" She's kind of shy... but really nice and always brings really cute bento lunches," Ryu explained with a light blush on his face.

"Aww, Ryu! You should tell her. Maybe she'll make cute lunches for you!" Marley encouraged her friend while Hana and Uo just stared at the excited girl, eyebrows rising in surprise.

" She only has eyes for that Yuki kid, though." The boy said sadly, not liking his odds.

"Well, if you confess to her, I bet she would change her mind." Marley debated.

" I doubt it. She probably doesn't even know who I am." Ryu already seemed defeated before he had even tried, and Marley couldn't stand for that.

" Don't say that! You're so kind and talented, no one does a body roll like you, and plus you're a total cutie, she would be foolish to not at least see you." Marley encouraged as she talked him up, making him blush, and even the girls were surprised at how upfront Marley was. Her bright eyes were staring up at him, hoping that she was getting across how much she admired him and give him some confidence. Ryu just blushed from all the attention.

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"Well... I did have this one idea for her to get to notice me..." He admitted, trying to gear himself up to ask for a favour.

"Great! Can we hear it?" Marley asked.

" I was thinking... maybe if she saw... me dance?" Ryu suggested, feeling confident in his dance skills but still uncertain with how that would come across to the girl he wanted to woo.

"That's perfect! You're amazing, if you do one of your body rolls, how can she resist!" Marley encouraged, entirely on board.

" Do women like men who can dance?" Uo asked, looking a little skeptical of the idea already. When she thought of men dancing, she thought of men dancing in ballet tights, and that didn't really do it for her.

"Are you kidding? A guy that knows how to move his body and has rhythm, that's always a good thing." Marley insisted, making Ryu regret bringing it up at all as he blushed even more.

" Would you... do it with me?" Ryu finally asked, looking at the ground as he asked. He had no idea that asking Marley for her help would be so hard. But he really couldn't think of anything else. He had already tried to write multiple confession notes, but they didn't feel right.

"Eh?" A look of confusion crossed Marley's face while the three other girls looked at Ryu skeptically, even Tohru was eyeing the senior over his choice of words.

"It would be weird for me to just break out in dance alone.. and I know that you have a decent memory for the combos. I've even thought of a few from the last month, so it's still fresh." Ryu tried to talk Marley into the strange request, and she seemed unsure about the idea.

"You've put a lot of thought into this." Hana pointed out, wrapping an elastic around the end of Tohru's braid.

" Wait, like right here? In gym class?" Marley asked while looking around at all the different students, some she knew from her class, but there were lots of people she didn't know.

"Yeah, the gym teacher is... chill, and it's not like anyone's doing anything else." Ryu brought up, even gesturing to the gym teacher who was still reading their book with an intense look.

"But wouldn't your crush see us dancing and then assume we're together or something? " Marley asked, not wanting to hurt Ryu's chances in any way.

"Actually, she might see him with you and see him another light, like maybe get jealous or something. People normally want what they can't have. They can be fickle like that." Hana pointed out while Uo only agreed with her.

"See! That's what I was thinking." Ryu gave the girls' a thumbs up.

"Plus, me being seen with the hot foreign chick is bound to get me noticed." Ryu gave her a cheeky smile, which only made Marley tilt her head slightly.

"Really? Hot foreign chick?" Marley looked a little annoyed at the term. She doubted that's what she was known by at the school.

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" I would love to see you two dance! Are you going to do it right here?" Tohru asked, stars in her eyes as she started to get excited. The brunette was looking at Marley with such interest that it was making her consider doing it just to please her, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to have any more attention on her than there already was. The white-blonde girl also didn't want people thinking she was some sort of show-off.

Plus, Marley wasn't sure if she appreciated being used to make another girl jealous somehow.

Ryu then grabbed her hands and bowed his head.

"Please, I really can't think of anything else, and I just... I want her to notice me." The boy asked, hoping Marley would give in, he really did think this was his best option...

Marley looked at the boy's bowed head, and her eyes softened. She could understand just wanting to be noticed.

"Alright... what choreo were you thinking?" Marley finally answered, and in a flash, Ryu stood up straight and pulled Marley up to a standing position. Wrapping his arms around her waist and swung her around while thanking her. Marley only laughed while Uo told Ryu to put her down.

"How about that '2U' combo, I know it's Bieber song, but it's good?" He asked, and Marley shook her head.

"I think that one may be a bit too intimate, you're amazing at that one, but I think it might attract the wrong attention at school." Marley rationalized. It was a great dance and so much fun, but it was also a combo that was a little... risqué. They needed to do one that was a little more... up-beat.

"Alright... how about... 'Sucker?'" He suggested to which Marley laughed and asked, 'Which one?'. There were lots of dance combos of the popular song, Marley thought of three when Ryu suggested it.

"The Jojo Gomez one, we did it just a few weeks ago, Kaito was really stoked about it.." Ryu hoped that she would say yes because there were only so many dances he knew from the top of his head.

Marley closed her eyes and looked like she was thinking really hard until she nodded.

"I'm just gonna look it up real quick to refresh my memory, but yeah, sounds good to me." Marley agreed as she got out her phone to look up the dance on YouTube.

"Sick! I'm gonna go get some friends to help me with the sound, give me a few minutes?" He asked, excited that he got to show off doing something he loved. Ryu was also grateful that Marley was willing to dance with him. The kind girl gave him the thumbs up, and he ran off.

"Oh man, I'm gotta get this on video. Finally, something interesting in gym class." Uo was getting excited as she brought out her phone.

" Oh, I hope Ito-San's plan works," Tohru mentioned as she looked over the girl Ryu had a crush on.

"I'm sure it-" Rain started pounding down on the roof, the pitter-patter distracting the girls as they looked out the gym window, grey skies and rain was all they saw.

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"Wow... it's really coming down." Marley thought out loud, and then a body slumped onto the bench she was sitting on.

"Kyo? What happened?" Marley asked concerned for the boy who seemed to have his very life-force drained from him.

" I lost again... dammit... and this damn rain... it's too much." Kyo groaned, sounding exhausted as he rested his arms on his knees and leaned forward. Marley looked at him with sympathy and was about to say something before Hana interrupted.

"It looks like you lost again, Marley." She pointed out, and Marley just shook her head and stood up.

"Double or nothing next time. Next time for sure." Marley insisted while Kyo had no idea what the girls were talking about.

"Ya nervous at all?" Uo asked as Marley stretched a little, touching her the floor and then reaching for the ceiling, twisting her torso a bit.

".umm a little... but if it helps Ryu gets the girl, then I'll do what I can." Marley smiled at her friends while she collected all a part of her hair and put it in a simple half ponytail. Kyo just became more lost. Ryu called Marley over, and the white-blonde winked at her friends before jogging to the other side of the gym.

While everyone was wearing the sports uniform, Marley was sporting black high-waisted sweatpants and a plain crew neck T-shirt, the front of the tee was knotted showing off a little of her midriff. She did own a pair of the school shorts, and they did fit around the waist, they came up a bit high on her thigh, and she asked permission to wear simple sweatpants instead. Her grandfather also insisted as he pointed out the shorts were too short, so the school let Marley wear long pants.

Marley typically had no problem showing off her long legs, but it felt slightly inappropriate at school, especially when her last school in the states had strict clothing outlines.

The gym actually had a decently sized speaker system and Ryu was currently hooking up his phone via the aux cord. A few boys were talking to Ryu and gave him the thumbs up as Marley walked over, and he introduced her to his friends.

The girl that Ryu was hoping to impress was standing with her friends, Marley took another peek at her, hoping that this would work.

"I wanna get a good shot, I'm headin' over," Uo said as she got up from the bench.

"Tohru-Kun, shall we?" Hana asked as she got up, and Tohru was about to follow.

"Kyo-Kun? Want to come?" Tohru asked as looked down at the slumped over boy.

"What is even going on?" Kyo asked, exhausted and slightly annoyed that boys from another class were being so casual with the white-blonde girl at the other side of the gym.

"Marley-Chan's friend from her dance studio is in class 3-B, and he wanted to dance with her here. I'm so curious to see what they're going to do." Tohru gushed, her eyes beaming with excitement. She certainly hadn't expected anything like this to happen is gym class.

Kyo groaned and sat up and looked over at the side of the gym, where Marley was standing with a boy he didn't recognize. He didn't know who he was but seeing him all friendly with the white-blonde girl pissed him off. They were talking and then gave each other a thumbs up.

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Orange eyes took in the white-blond girl as she seemed to take a deep breath in and out, clearly getting ready for something. The Cat of the Zodiac lifted himself up, using what little energy he had to walk over with Tohru, who joined her friends as they stood close by to watch. Music started to fill the space as Ryu hit play on his phone and Marley swayed, going over the combo in her head as she got into the music.

We go together
Better than birds of a feather, you and me
We change the weather, yeah
I'm feeling heat in December when you're 'round me

Uo got her phone out to record and whistled at Marley. Marley looked over her shoulder and winked at the camera, making Uo laugh. The white-blonde walked away from the camera and turned to it while she waited for the dance cue as Ryu stood closely behind her. The foreign girl closed her eyes, and a small smile graced her face. Marley opened her eyes, and Uo had to whistle slightly at the flirty smile on the tall beauty's face.

"What a vixen, she really turns it on, doesn't she." Uo teased as she recorded the two dancers.

" She certainly has quite the aura, almost drags you in," Hana commented as she stood with her friends. Kyo just crossed his arms and huffed, not seeing what the big deal was about. In his mind, this all seemed over the top, and the ex-gangster's comments were unneeded. Grass was green, water was wet, and Marley was a beautiful girl. If anyone asked him, would he admit that? Not in this lifetime.

I've been dancing on top of cars and stumbling out of bars
I follow you through the dark, can't get enough
You're the medicine and the pain, the tattoo inside my brain
And, baby, you know it's obvious

The cue happened, and both of them in sync started the dance, controlled, precise movements with the music. Even though the two were dancing the same routine, Kyo could see the difference in their styles. While the boy seemed to move in more straight, rigid lines, Marley seemed to flow and curve.

"Wow...that's hot." Uo whistled as they watched. Kyo rolled his eyes at the comment but decided to concentrate on Marley's face. Her expression was one of slight mischief, her eyes seemed to hold a tempting playfulness, one that made Kyo blush ever so slightly as he continued to watch her body roll to the music. But she did look like she was having lots of fun. Marley seemed to almost glow with joy and students watching were utterly entranced.

I'm a sucker for you
You say the word and I'll go anywhere blindly
I'm a sucker for you, yeah
Any road you take, you know that you'll find me
I'm a sucker for all the subliminal things
No one knows about you (about you) about you (about you)
And you're making the typical me break my typical rules
It's true, I'm a sucker for you, yeah

The song came to the chorus, and they jumped into synchronized steps as they faced each other. Spinning and twirling and Marley did a few hair flips and Ryu stopped in front of her and she placed a hand on his chest and pushed him away with a smile.

Don't complicate it (yeah)
'Cause I know you and you know everything about me
I can't remember (yeah)
All of the nights I don't remember
When you're 'round me (oh, yeah yeah)

The students cheered as the dancers seemed to be finished with the dance and Marley was so happy that she was able to remember the combo as well as she did. The girl looked over to see what kind of reaction Ryu's crush had and was over the moon to the girl in question was looking over at Ryu, slightly blushing.

.

The older boy ruffled Marley's hair, and she swatted him away, gesturing to his crush. Marley watched as the two people locked eyes and slightly blushed before they turned away.

Marley only giggled and joined her friends.

"Marley-Chan, that was amazing!" Tohru gushed as she grabbed onto Marley's hands, and Marley lightly blushed at the compliment.

"I think she might be turning in her Prince Yuki Fan club card." Marley teased as Uo offered her a high five, which she happily returned.

"Sorry, Yuki." Marley smiled at the boy who was more lost than anyone when it came to what had just transpired on the gym floor.

"Huh?" The poor Zodiac member was completely lost in what had just transpired, but Tohru promised to catch him up.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

The classroom was in a bit of disarray as the students had received their exams, and most students looked relieved, but a few looked like maybe they hadn't done too well.

I let out a content smile at my scores, happy that I hadn't failed, and my studying had at least paid off a little. The school bell had gone off, but students were still socializing and talking about their exams.

"Marley-San!" A few girls from the class came around my desk with their exams in hand.

"Hey! Soooo-" As I gestured to heard how they did, they all happily smiled and showed their English exams to me.

" You guys did great! I'm so happy! Congratulations!" I cheered as I brought them all in for a group hug. They giggled and jumped up and down in joy, relieved that they had done so well.

"Thank you so much for tutoring us. My mom can't ground me over these grades." A classmate let out a massive sigh of relief, her long side bangs covering one of her eyes.

"Oi! You offering to tutor now?" Kyo asked from the desk behind me.

" I wouldn't call it that really, just a little help here and there, I barely did anything." I insisted it was true, I only had to point out a few things, but the girls figured it out really quickly.

" No, are you kidding! You really cleared up stuff." The class vice- president insisted, adjusting her glasses.

"And even though it was really hard, you conversing in English with us was really helpful." Another classmate pointed out.

"I'm just glad I didn't confuse you more," I confessed, blushing lightly at all the kind words the girls were giving me.

.

Plus I got a free latte out of it

.

" You should all have your midterm results by now- but if you failed an of the subjects.. you have to retake it on Sunday!" Our homeroom teacher, Mayu-Sensei, was holding a clipboard as she looked over the class.

A few individuals in the class groaned.

"Be grateful to your teachers for giving you another chance on our day off!" She scolded, clearly irritated with the students.

"That's right. If you don't like taking make-ups, don't fail in the first place!" Uo smirked as she leaned back in her chair.

"At least they offer make-ups, I don't remember having the option in America." I thought out loud, tilting my head slightly as I tried to remember.

.

Were there make-up tests? Maybe in special cases...

.

" I guess, but at least we have nothing to worry about right... Tohru...?" Uo looked over at her friend, who looked like someone had just stolen her wallet.

Tohru was hiding her face in her hands, looking utterly defeated.

"... You failed part of it?" Uo asked, and Tohru nodded.

"... how many subjects?" The brunette held up one shaky finger.

"That's okay, better than two. " I quipped, trying to make the girl cheer up a little. Tohru seemed to be taking the failed exam really hard.

" That's right Tohru-Kun... It's cute compared to me, given I failed every subject..." Hana comforted as she held Tohru's shoulder and smiled down at her.

" Now, you're someone who oughta be depressed about it." Uo pointed out.

"But this is your first time failing a midterm, huh, Tohru? Didn't the Prince help you study for this one?" Uo was surprised the girl had failed even one subject.

"Oh yes.. he did..." Tohru admitted, clearly feeling worse than she did seconds before.

"Honda-San...? Do you have to do a retake?" Yuki asked as he walked up to our little group.

"I'M SORRY!" Tohru yelled, clearly in distressed over the whole thing.

.

She probably feels like she let Yuki down...

.

"...Um... Honda-San...?" Yuki was at a loss for words as Tohru slumped to the ground.

"Tohru, it'll be fine. What subject was it?" I tried to help the girl as I kneeled down and joined her on the floor, ignoring the looks we were getting from the other students in the class.

".. English," Tohru admitted, still staring at the ground as I sat beside her.

" Well, that's okay, languages are difficult. I can help you get ready for the retake, English is my second language. I already helped out some girls in the class, so I might be a better tutor this time around." I encouraged, hoping that I could help her in any way I could.

"I couldn't possible-" Tohru started to reject the idea, but I cut her off.

"Please, it would make me happy to help, I understand how frustrating and defeating failing can be. I actually had to be held back in seventh grade for not being able to keep up." I confessed, a little embarrassed about the info, but maybe it would make Tohru feel a bit less... embarrassed or alone somehow.

"Oh, so you're a year older than us?" Yuki asked, seemingly surprised about the reveal. It not like I went around announcing what year I was born.

"I guess. I turn eighteen in the fall." I told the boy as I sat on the ground next to Tohru.

"Should I start calling you Senpai?" Uo teased, which made me roll my eyes and smirk at my blonde friend.

" Haha, very funny. Anyway, I bet the makeup test will be a lot easier, and we can go over the exam you got back and tackle any difficult spots." I insisted, it really hurt seeing Tohru with such a look on her face, especially over something like this.

.

I'm sure there's more to it...

.

Uo and Hana started talking back and forth, and I took a moment with Tohru, who still looked utterly down in the dumps.

" Take a breath, I know it doesn't feel like it, but it's going to be okay. You passed all the other exams, and it's only this one little... blip that you have a chance to redo." I tried to encourage as I rubbed her back in small circles.

" ... I know, but. I don't want to trouble anyone... I feel so pathetic." Tohru admitted.

" But you're not, no one is thinking that. "I promised.

.

And if anyone thinks that, then they are the pathetic ones

.

" I told mom that I would graduate high school... how can I when I'm failing tests like this." She muttered, her face looking a little flushed with all the stress she was putting herself through.

.

Ah.. there it is

.

"Tohru, they're not going to keep you from graduating for not passing one exam. Your mother would understand. " I tried to comfort. I hadn't known her mother personally, but from the stories I heard about Kyoko, I had been able to put together a decent picture of what kind of woman she must have been.

.

Plus, she raised Tohru, and she's an amazingly kind person through and through, her mother would be crazy not to be proud of her

.

Tohru continued to look down, and I tried to think of something to say. I patted Tohru's head and gave her a small smile. I wished Mama was here so she could provide Tohru with a better speech, but I decided I would try my best.

" You work so hard Tohru.. and you have so much to be proud of, and I'm sure your mother is proud of you too. Don't beat yourself up like this, it won't do you any good. If you feel bad about failing an exam, it just means you get back up and try again. We learn more from our failures; anyway, this is just an opportunity to learn and do better." I encouraged, being all too familiar with failure myself, I could understand where Tohru was coming from. It's easy to beat yourself up, and that's where Tohru was right now.

" Take the night off. Go home, have a snack, a cup of tea, put on something cute, and there's a small after-party after my showcase that should be lots of fun. And then Saturday we'll spend the day studying, I can even bring over some treats." I offered to take her hand for reassurance. I could tell she was trying to hide some tears, and I brought out a tissue and offered it to her.

All seemed calm for a moment.

"Hey! You! Sohma Marley! Don't think we've forgotten that stunt you pulled in the gym today!" One of the Yuki fan club girls with pigtails yelled at me as she put her hands on her hips.

"Stunt?" I asked as I tilted my head, looking up at her from the ground.

"Yeah! You are obviously just showing off and trying to trick Prince Yuki into falling in love with you." She accused as she pointed her finger at me.

I could swear that I could hear crickets or something in the silence that followed her accusation. Then I couldn't help but laugh at the idea and turned to the grey-haired boy.

"So? Yuki, did it work?" I asked, giving him a smile and raising an eyebrow.

Yuki quickly put his head down and headed out of the classroom, most likely not wanting to be involved with the drama that his fan club started.

"I have to go drop something off..." And he was gone, door sliding closed behind him.

"Hmm, well, ladies, it looks like my plan didn't work, pity." I sighed.

Uo started laughing, and when the fan club girl was about to reach out and grab me, Uo decided she had enough and brought out a metal pipe from... I actually wasn't sure where she grabbed it from.

"How about you sit down and shut up." Uo threatened, which sent the girls to their seats, far away from our group.

.

" I mean... I guess people falling in love was the motive behind the dance... sort off." I realized as I returned to my seat to gather my things.

"You think that that actually worked?" Kyo asked as he stared at me from his seat. I was about to answer when two people standing by the gate distracted me. I felt a smile spread across my face, a giddy feeling spreading through my chest.

"Kyo! Look, look, look!" Insisted as I tugged on the white sleeve of his uniform rapidly.

"What are ya smiling at?" Kyo asked as he allowed me to drag him to the window and followed my eye line.

" I think it worked," I mentioned as I watched Ryu and the girl he had a crush on standing outside, Ryu looked like he was offering to share his umbrella and they both seemed to be blushing.

" Look at that! It did work. Nice job, miss cupid." Uo teased as we all looked out the window.

I only smiled at her before turning to look outside again, a warm feeling spreading as I tightened my grip on Kyo's arm.

"Hey... so that dance you did? Is that like.. what you're doing tonight?" Kyo asked, causing me to look over at him, and I unlatched my fingers from his sleeve.

"Huh? Oh, no, the aerial silks are very different." I explained.

"And I assume your dancing to some English song, right?" Kyo sighed, looking a tad bit annoyed. Something I had noticed about the Cat of the Sohma family was that he hated not knowing something and that included not understand music lyrics, so I always tried to translate what I could for him. I also showed him how to look it up on his phone.

" I am, I can tell you the song if you want, I think you might like it, It's really pretty," I assured him.

"... fine... text it to me." He agreed as he looked over at me and had the smallest smile on his face, but it was there. I nodded, already bringing out my phone to send him a message.

I can't wait for him to see the show tonight, I bet he'll be stunned to see what Mama used to teach me., maybe he'll even ask for a little lesson.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

" It's been raining so much it reminds of monsoon season back home." The white-blonde shared the pink umbrella with Tohru as they walked across the school grounds.

"Oh? Did it rain a lot back in the states, Marley-San?" Yuki asked as he walked beside the girls under his blue umbrella.

" Not in Vegas, but in my Mama's village in India, it could really come down. We even got a pretty bad flood one year, and we actually brought the chickens inside the house." Marley laughed, remembering the chickens running around her bedroom, making themselves at home among the blankets in her closet.

" You had chickens?" Tohru asked, surprised at the information.

"Yep, just a few though, but they were little cuties. " Marley had loved all the animals they had on the small farm her great-grandmother owned. The chickens always provided the most entertainment, especially when Marley made them jump for berries.

"Hopefully, the sun makes an appearance..." Marley sighed, getting a little sick of all the rain. She did enjoy the rain, but this was feeling like a little much.

" The forecast said it's supposed to let up a bit later this afternoon." Yuki pointed out, and Marley brought her phone to check.

"That would be helpful, I would like to do a load of laundry before we head out tonight." Tohru thought out loud.

" It looks like we're gonna have clear skies all next week." Marley was enthusiastic, hoping the weather report on her phone was right.

"Oh, that would be so nice. I hope we have clear skies all summer." Tohru gushed, getting excited about the upcoming season.

" Summer, huh? Do you like the season Honda-San, Marley-San?" Yuki asked as they walked out of the school gates.

" Yes! For one thing, I can work a lot more during summer vacation." Tohru pointed out. Marley only giggled at Tohru's fantastic work ethic, reminding her to actually enjoy a bit of her vacation.

" I'm looking forward to ice cream and Momiji, and I were talking about taking the trip to the beach, we should all go." Marley enthused, already picturing lying on the beach with a good book and maybe tossing around a beach ball.

"Oh, that sounds like so much fun! I've never been to the beach!" Tohru revealed.

"Do you like Summer, Yuki-Kun?" Tohru asked her housemate, wondering what he was excited for.

"Mhh, I can't say I do..." Yuki didn't like the extreme heat as it made him feel woozy, and he had no good summer memories.

"Oh, really? Ah! I bet you like it, Kyo-Kun!" Tohru turned to Kyo, who was less than energetic at the moment.

.

" Like I give a damn..." He groaned, hating the rain more than anything right now.

" Not a fan of the rain, huh?" Marley asked the boy, feeling sad for Kyo, who seemed to hardly be able to carry his own umbrella.

"Don't worry about him. He gets mopey on rainy days... at least that's what Haru told me." Yuki explained, actually appreciating the effect the rain had on his typically loud cousin.

" Oh, that explains earlier in the gym?" Marley remembered how, as soon as it started raining, Kyo sat on the bench and seemed exhausted.

" So it would seem. Really just seems like an excuse for being a slacker." The teens stood on the street, and a black town car pulled up Marley's ride.

"BETTER THIS... THAN ..wakin' up on the wrong side of the bed... every morning... like you..." The boy could barely get out an insult.

"Dammit, this sucks..." Kyo cursed as he looked at the ground.

" Kyo.. if you're really not feeling well why don't you come with me in the car, we can give you a ride. You can even lay down and rest your head on my lap!" Marley suggested as she sat down in the car and patted her lap, completely serious.

".. I .. I look..." Kyo was in shock at the invitation, feeling flustered.

"Yes?" Marley asked, looking up at him her big eyes, waiting for his answer.

"Don't look at me like that! Like I would be caught dead resting in some girl's lap, I ain't accepting no ride either!" He yelled, appearing to get some energy for the little outburst.

"Oh well, maybe if I hugged you and you transformed, no one would know that it's you and I could even carry you into the house-" Marley suggested starting to get up out of the car again, ready to 'help' in any way she should.

"That's even worse! You damn weirdo! Just stay in the damn car and go home!" Kyo yelled as he pointed to her and to the car.

"Are you sure you'll be alright?" Marley asked, clearly concerned for his well being. The look she was giving him made him feel all tingly like he was suffocating in her warmth.

"Stop worrying' so much, you'll wear me out more than I already am." Kyo scoffed as he looked away, not being able to look at her as she stood in front of him, getting wet in the rain.

" Okay... as long as your sure you'll be alright, I don't want you to get sick or anything," Marley said softly, clearly not convinced.

"Just... get outta here... I'll see you later tonight." Kyo had to basically push her back in the car, making her sit-down.

"Okay... I'm really happy you're coming. .It's going to be so much fun" Marley smiled up at him, genuinely excited for the evening.

" Go away already." Kyo tried to glare down at her, but instead, he smiled lightly, shaking his head at her attitude, and she smiled back, finally closing the door and heading out.

.

They walked for a bit in silence till Tohru broke it.

" I can hardly wait. I've never been to a showcase and Marley's so talented. I feel like we we're in for a real surprise. Oh, and I hope it's okay that she comes over tomorrow, she's going to help me study for the make-up test." Tohru gushed, feeling grateful again to the Sohma family.

Kyo couldn't stop the soft look on his face at the mention of the optimistic girl coming over and helping Tohru because, well, it was so Marley.

From across the street under the safety of an umbrella, a man watched the teens walking together. He recognized the two cursed Sohma members, and he assumed the girl walking with them was Tohru Honda. The only thing that really surprised him was the soft smile on Kyo's face as he walked alongside the girl.

Kazuma Sohma had only come from a meeting with the head of the Sohma family, and it was decided that Tohru Honda would learn the truth of the cat's true form. The older man thought that if she was indeed the cause of the soft look on the saffron-eyed boy's face, then maybe she can truly accept him.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

Marley was in the kitchen, working on a small snack to put out on the table. She didn't want to make anything too big as she remembered that the after-party was supposed to be filled with lots of good food.

"Haru? Zuzu? Would you like some tea?" Marley called from the kitchen, and she heard the boy call back with a soft 'yes, please.'

She poured the chai into a few cups and placed them on a tray filled with some cut up fruits and cheese.

"Here you go." Marley placed the tray down on the table and sat herself down.

"When are you heading out?" Isuzu asked as she softly blew on her cup of tea.

" In a bit, Hatori and Ayame are picking me up. We have to do a quick rehearsal, and then I have to get all dolled up in the dressing room." Marley explained to the two. She had her bag ready by the door filled with her make-up, hair stuff, and the outfit she was going to wear for the showcases after party.

" I heard that Momiji even got Kyo to come," Haru asked Marley, pretty sure if the rumour was true.

"Yes! He is! I'm hoping the rain lets up so he can at least have a little energy.." Marley explained a bright smile on her face at the mention of the Cat of the Zodiac.

"Though a part of me is worried he'll wear those cargo pants..." the girl spoke more to herself, but her friends heard it.

"God, those are ugly," Isuzu muttered, knowing exactly which pants Marley was talking about. Marley only giggled at the look on her friend's face.

.

"Oh, Zuzu! You are finally going to meet Tohru! She's super nice, I can't wait for you guys to be friends." Marley exclaimed.

"We're not going to be friends.."Isuzu glared over at the white-blonde who just smiled back at her, knowing of her friend's stubborn nature.

"Yes, you will." Marley was just as stubborn, and this only caused Isuzu to glare harder.

Haru only laughed at the two girls with opposing personalities, the optimist and the pessimist. The Ox of the Zodiac knew that even though his girlfriend looked annoyed, she enjoyed every moment she spent with Marley.

"Oh! That reminds me! Tohru looked really stressed earlier, I'm going to call to make sure she isn't beating herself up still or anything. She's going to give herself a fever." Marley got up from the table to grab her phone and make the call out in the hallway.

.

"So... Kyo.." Isuzu started

"You're worried about her," Haru stated, easily figuring out what was on Isuzu's mind.

" It's just... of all the people to close to...and Kyo can be..." Isuzu started. She also didn't want to think of the eventual heartbreak that could happen if Marley were to fall in love with the most cursed family member.

"Difficult? Short temper? Abrasive?" Haru was sure he could say those same traits about Isuzu, but Marley had seen right through them to the loving girl she was beneath her cold exterior.

Isuzu just huffed and looked away from Haru, choosing to glare at the news report on the television. Haru only sighed and smiled softly at his girlfriend. He stood up and made it, so he was sitting right beside her. He gently took her chin in his hand and made her face him.

"Kyo has become a lot softer.. he has a hard time staying away from her. She can even get away with teasing him... You've seen it too. When Marley was hurt, Kyo was here. You see something between them. Otherwise, you wouldn't be so concerned. Plus... I think Kyo would rather die than hurt her. He's not as subtle as he thinks he is when it comes to Marley. It's a little entertaining and sweet." Haru tried to put Isuzu's worries to rest and laid a soft kiss on the black-haired beauty's lips, making butterflies flutter in her stomach. Even after all this time, Haru still made Isuzu's heart skip a beat.

The Horse of the Zodiac thought to herself how lucky she was to have Haru. He brought so much happiness and love into her life. Why shouldn't the Cat have someone who does that? Even if it was just for a little bit. Wouldn't it be enough?

" Hopefully he'll have a growth spurt soon, he's still on the shorter side." Haru couldn't help but bring up their height difference, and Isuzu giggled, pointing out that Haru gets caught up in strange things.

.

.-.-.-.-

.

"So?! Out with it! What'd you come here for!?" Kyo demanded as he sat on the tatami mat floor, very unhappy with the uninvited house guest.

"Huh? Oh, I thought we could go together to Marley's showcase together! It could be a date!" Kagura insisted, hearts floating around her as she fantasized.

"No way!" Kyo yelled, all his energy back in full force as the rain had stopped the moment they got home.

"What? Why not? I even bought this dress for the event... I wanted you to see me in it..." Kagura mumbled as she fiddled with the black hem of the purple midi-dress.

"I don't care! I don't give a damn about what you're wearing! I sure as hell don't want to see you!" Kyo snapped, this was not how he wanted to spend his afternoon.

"That's cruel... what a cruel thing to say..." Kagura started to cry, now gripping the edge of her dress. She didn't understand when the boy could push her away so easily.

" Ah Kagura-Sa-" Tohru tried to comfort, but Kagura had already snapped and picked up the table.

"...WHEN I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!" The Boar of the Zodiac yelled, fully intent on hitting Kyo with the table.

"WHY DON'T YOU GET THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS I CAN'T STAND YOU-!?" Kyo yelled back but was grabbed by the adult of the house and pushed across the room.

Shigure nearly tossed Kyo into Kagura's arms, and she dropped the table she was seconds away from throwing.

"Silly boy.." Kagura cooed as she held the boy close to her.

" Shi-Gu-Re-" Kyo nearly growled, feeling like he was in a trap of some sort.

" You two should go on a date or something." Shigure offered, clearly trying to get the two out of the house and keep Kagura from destroying his home.

Yuki only shook his head in disbelief at Shigure's attempt and was about to comment, but the phone ringing in the hallway stopped, and he left to answer it.

" I ain't goin' anywhere! Aren't we supposed to head out to where ever the show thing is?!" Kyo opposed, entirely against any kind of free time with the love-crazed girl.

" Oh, Kyo-Kun! That's not for a couple hours, we have time for a little date." Kagura informed him. Though she found herself a little surprised at how he seemed to be actually worried about missing Marley's showcase.

"You should pick up flowers for Marley-Chan, it's the tradition to get a lady a bouquet for her stage appearance, at least that's what I've been told," Shigure suggested as he whipped out his fan, trying to make his point more dramatic.

" All right! It's a date!." Kagura cheered as she rushed out of the house, dragging her prisoner with her. The house could barely make out Kyo cursing Shigure out as the two left for the errand.

.

"Phew... The plan to kick them out was a success..." Shigure sighed dramatically, happy that his house was safe for the moment.

" I'm surprised Kyo even came home today, it seems like we're seeing less and less of him these days," Shigure mentioned. It was true, in the last little while, it seemed that Kyo was spending more and more time out of the household, but when he did come home, he appeared to have a soft look in his eyes.

Tohru had an idea where he was and couldn't help but feel happy for her friend as she had a small idea where he was. Also, Haru and Momiji had teased him at lunch for hanging out at Marley's house so often.

"Perhaps I should take the money from Kyo and Kagura's bank account as a fine for destroying the house. Tetsuo-Sama has already sent me enough threatening notices to stop asking for money to upkeep the house." Shigure mentioned, shaking his head as he could just imagine the angry look on the Sohma's elder's face whenever unnecessary damage was done to the house.

"Kyo-Kun has a bank account?" Tohru was a little surprised at the information as Yuki walked back into the living room.

"Oh yeah. So do you, right? Yuki-Kun. The family deposits money into the accounts monthly. Another thing Tetsuo-Sama insisted on since it's unsafe for Zodiac members to have jobs on the outside and whatnot. I think the old man has a soft spot for the Zodiac members and makes sure they have little spending money. But don't tell him I said that." Shigure winked at Tohru.

Tohru realized how little she really knew about the house she lived in and the people around her.

The handsome boy didn't say anything, just glanced to the side, looking a little annoyed.

"Yuki-Kun? Who was on the phone?" Tohru asked, curious.

"Marley-San was just calling to make sure you took it easy. She wanted me to make sure you relaxed rather than do any work." Yuki revealed the annoyed look leaving his face and instead, a soft, polite smile graced his features.

" Oh, I was actually just going to do some laundry since the sun came out. It's nothing really." Tohru justified, in her mind, it was just a little work, and she didn't want to put it off.

"I think it's going to rain again soon. In fact, why don't you two go for a little date while you have a chance? I'm sure Marley-Chan would count that as 'taking it easy.' We still have lots of time before we head out." Shigure insisted.

"Yes, let's go on a date. Maybe just a walk to the usual secret base if you don't mind?" Yuki offered.

"Sure!"

Tohru again counted her blessings to have so many people watching out for her.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

"So many pretty choices! What to pick, what to pick! Which flowers do you like Kyo-Kun?" Kagura asked while looking at the different arrangements, maybe she could even make Kyo buy some flowers for her.

"I don't give a damn about flowers, they're all the same," Kyo grumbled, not believing he was in this situation in the first place as he stuffed his hands into his pocket. Kagura looked over at him and the beaded bracelet around his wrist.

".. Say, Kyo-Kun...She doesn't know yet.. does she?" Kagura asked, not sure what really brought it up. Maybe it was the fact that they were out buying flowers for Marley. Or perhaps she felt like Kyo was different somehow these days.

Kyo felt his entire frame freeze. While Kagura hadn't mentioned a name, all Kyo could think of was Marley's bright amethyst eyes and kind smile.

"Do you intend to hide it.. forever?" The brunette asked, genuinely wondering what was going through Kyo's head. Kyo only felt his skin crawl and bubble, his temper rising.

"SHUT UP! THAT'S GOT NOTHIN' TO DO WITH YOU!" The aggravated teen yelled at her, not wanting to talk or even think about what she was insinuating. He had thought about it, and the outcome was always the same. She would run from him, like any sane person would...Kyo didn't want her to know.

"Kyo-Kun... YELLING AT A GIRL IN PUBLIC IS HORRIBLE!" Kagura yelled as she practically rattled his head with her fists. Everyone in the florist shop looked over at them, and Kagura felt a little shame about how she was behaving in public.

" Geez, Kyo-Kun, this is so embarrassing! Come on, Let's go over there!" Kagura insisted as she pushed Kyo down another section.

"Why...? Why are you so obsessed with me...?" Kyo muttered, wishing he was far away from Kagura's presence.

"It's weird, ain't it? If you were normal... you'd avoid me. Y'know, keep your distance..." Kyo thought out loud, not even realizing how intently Kagura was listening.

Kyo stopped to look at an arrangement of flowers, orange marigolds, bluebells, sprigs of lavender, white roses, and thyme. It was a strangely beautiful combination. He wondered if Marley would like it. Kyo then let out a sigh and realized that she would probably like anything they picked out for her.

"That's... Kyo-Kun... you don't know.. what I did..." Kagura started to say, but Kyo was hardly listening and only raised an eyebrow at her.

"You would cry if I told you, Kyo-Kun... so it stays my secret." Kagura brought a finger to her lips as she stared up at the object of her affections.

"huh?"

"C'mon, we'll take these. Let's go to the counter." Kagura grabbed the bouquet Kyo had been looking at.

"Hey! What are you talkin' about?" Kyo asked, following behind her as she brought the flowers to the counter. Kagura mostly ignored him as the florist took the flowers from Kagura's hands.

.

"Oh! This one? Who is this for?" He asked, admiring the combination.

"A friend of ours is in a show," Kagura explained, not bothering to bring out her wallet. Kyo just sighed and brought out his own, grumbling about how this seemed unfair.

"Do you know these flower meanings? Would you like to know?" He asked as he rolled out some paper. Kagura nodded while Kyo just rolled his eyes.

" These bluebells mean humility and kindness. Lavender can mean devotion. Thyme symbolizes courage and strength. The white roses are heavenly and mean that I'm worthy of you. Now Marigolds, they are interesting, they normally mean despair, grief or jealousy." He explained as he wrapped the bouquet. Kyo looked at the marigolds, he just thought they were nice. He never imagined a flower could have such a sad meaning.

" but... I've heard in India it is known as the herb of the sun, of passion and creativity." The florist explained, pointing out each flower before he started wrapping a string around the bouquet, keeping everything in place.

Kyo only stared at the orange marigolds. Hanging onto the darker meaning of the flower. Kagura bringing up his... well, it only made despair come to mind.

Kyo paid for the flowers and headed outside as the clouds started to darken the sky and rain seemed to want to fall from the sky.

" Looks like it's going to rain again...Let's hold hands on the way home!" Kagura held out her free hand to Kyo as she held the bouquet in the other.

"Not on your life!" Kyo yelled, shoving his hands in his pockets again as he tried to walk away.

"Why not?! We always used to hold hands when we were kids-" Kagura whined, wanting the boy to give in.

"Yeah, like when three or four years old!" Kyo yelled, embarrassed that she would bring it up at all.

"Kyo-Kun! You're so cold to me..." Kagura dropped to the ground, looking on the verge of tears.

"Don't mess up the flowers! All right, Fine! You wanna hold hands?! Here!" Kyo picked up the flowers on the ground in one hand and held out his free hand to her.

"But only part of the way!" He tried to compromise, not wanting her to cry.

"Okay!" Kagura immediately cheered up and took his hand, smiling at his back as she walked ahead of her.

She wanted him for herself.. if only for a little while longer.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

" Oh! It's raining again... I hope Kyo-Kun and Kagura-San are all right?" Tohru worried as she felt a few raindrops.

"Even if Kyo passed out, Kagura would carry him home." Yuki comforted her, knowing very well of Kagura's strength.

"Oh.-" Yuki came to a sudden stop, and Tohru bumped into him. She started to apologize but noticed the look of slight shock on his face.

"Is something wrong?" Tohru asked before she followed his gaze and noticed a stranger standing at the Sohma's front door in a deep blue kimono.

"He's back..." Yuki muttered.

"Ah... Somebody you know?" Tohru asked, curious about who the stranger was and how Yuki knew him.

"KNOCK IT OFF!" Kyo's voice carried as he and Kagura came up the stairs.

"We held hands long enough! You know I hate that clingy stuff!" Kyo continued to yell as he finally got Kagura to get go of his hand.

"Aww, Kyo-Kun." Kagura whined.

"Kyo..." The stranger at the door said the boy's name and the boy in question turned in shock at the man in front of Shigure's door.

"Shishou?" Kyo muttered, astonished that he was here.

"You're looking well... Kyo." The man greeted, giving Kyo a soft and loving smile.

.

.-.-.-.-.-

.

Marley sat in the dressing room, along with the other girls performing in the showcase. She was just getting started with her make-up. Ayame had taken his sweet time in doing some very last minute alterations with the bodysuit he had made her.

She couldn't help but admire herself in the mirror over Ayame's handiwork, twirling in the mirror now and then.

Ayame had designed the body-suit out of a beautiful turquoise velvet material, and while it had a high neck and long sleeves, it had a stylish back-cut out and was in a bikini cut style. The colour really complimented Marley's brown skin, and the cut showed off her long legs. She wore some of her old nude tights underneath the bodysuit as it was uncomfortable when the silk wrapped around her bare skin. But from far away it looked like her legs were bare.

"Wow! Sohma-San, your bodysuit is beautiful! Where did you get it from?! " Asked a girl about my age who was doing an aerial hoop act.

" A family member actually made it for me. He's really talented, I can give you his card if you want?" Marley offered, and soon she had a few girls all asking for Ayame's business card. It looks like she served as good advertising.

Marley quickly texted Ayame that she was getting lots of compliments from the girls and thanked him again for the beautiful job he did.

" Can I borrow your lipstick Marley-San? I forgot all mine." Another girl asked as she rummaged through her own makeup bag beside her.

"Of course! Just clean it after." Marley said as she gave the girl a small pouch of lipsticks to look through.

"Anyone special coming tonight, Sohma-San?" Another girl asked as she slipped on her leotard.

"Yes, my family's coming," Marley mentioned as she dusted on some highlighter and started to blend out all her makeup.

" No boyfriend?" Teased another girl, and Marley slightly blushed, shaking her head.

"No? I noticed some pretty handsome boys in the audience. I think you're holding out on us." The same girl teased, coming behind Marley and slipping a hairpin into the white-blondes hair, making sure the bun stayed in place.

"Okay, give me back my lipsticks." Marley joked as she pretended to reach out and take her bag, only causing the girls to laugh.

Marley laughed as well before putting on the last touches to her stage make-up, popping on some fake lashes with a little help from one of the other performers.

"Whoever he is. He's not going to be able to look away from you, that's for sure." A girl complimented.

The Tanaka twins couldn't help but try to make a few snide remarks.

" Marley-Senpai is so tall, she's a bit hard to miss!"

"Ya, like Godzilla!"

This resulted in the other girls throwing things at the twins, and they retreated back to their corner.

"You guys are so silly." Marley giggled as she rolled her eyes at the gymnasts in the room, but she couldn't deny that she was excited for her family to see her on stage. Just to even share a little bit of what her Mama had left to her.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.

.

"Shihan is spending the night here, right? I'm staying over too! Shii-Chan gave me permission." Kagura announced, excited to the sleepover.

"Like hell! Go home!" Kyo yelled at her. This day was already turning into such a mess.

Kyo wasn't sure how to feel at the moment. He had been waiting for Kazuma to come back, but his Shishou had surprised him when he told Kyo that he wanted him to keep living in this house. Kyo knew that Shishou had put two and two together when meeting Tohru, but he wasn't sure what his karate teacher was thinking by making him stay here.

" Will he be okay in the house alone while we're gone? I feel bad leaving him while we go to the show." Tohru asked, not wanting to appear rude or have anyone feeling left out.

" Maybe he can meet up with him for dinner after, I'm sure Marley-Chan would be happy to have him at the party." Kagura offered.

"Where should I lay a futon out? Shigure-San's room?" Tohru asked, and Yuki slid the door open to Shigure's room.

"Definitely not. I'm used to it, and it's still repulsive." Yuki shuddered as he and Tohru took in the state of the Dog's room. Tohru couldn't help but wonder how Shigure usually slept.

"Maybe Kyo-Kun's room would be best." Kagura offered to which Tohru wholeheartedly agreed.

" Huh?! let him sleep in the living room!" Kyo argued as he tried to listen to music through his earphones.

"I'll go ask him!" Kagura ran up the stairs in search of the man in question.

"Hey!" Kyo called out but was ignored, Kagura just continued on while humming a little song to herself.

.

As she turned down the hallway, Shigure and Kazuma's voices made her stop.

" So.. Akito brought this up," Shigure said as he and Kazuma spoke the balcony, facing towards the setting sun. The sky was bright pink and littered with rain clouds here and there.

"Yes, but I too want to see. I had been told that Kyo had become softer and I think that girl... I thought that perhaps she could open his heart. Maybe she could accept him the way he is. Perhaps the best time to get to the bottom of it was now." Kazuma himself was uncertain but felt that this was the right thing to do.

" And Akito asked to do it tonight," Shigure asked, a little surprised the Kazuma wanted to trust Tohru with everything so quickly. He assumed that Akito made no mention of Marley, and the head of the family was only doing this in hopes of Tohru rejecting Kyo and breaking him.

"Yes, and when I remove it... things may get a little loud. I apologize in advance." Kazuma mentioned as he stared at the horizon. He had only met Tohru, but he wanted to believe that she would be the one. She seemed like a kind girl, and Kazuma wondered if it was fate that brought the Honda girl into Kyo's life.

"Hmm, that really is too bad. We were looking forward to Marley's showcase. But this is more important." Shigure rationalized. He knew Akito had chosen tonight for that very reason. Akito assumed that if this household didn't show up, then Marley's feelings would be hurt and then she wouldn't be friends with them anymore.

"Marley?" Kazuma repeated the name, curious as to why the foreign girl he met earlier was being brought up.

" Yes, Tetsuo-Ji-Sama's granddaughter. I guess Akito didn't tell you how close she is with the Zodiac members. But if this is what you and Akito want... But are you sure you want to risk this? There's no guarantee that this will succeed. Kyo may reject her even if she accepts him... Kyo could have a mental break this time." Shigure mentioned, he too was betting almost everything on Tohru, not that he would tell anyone that. Not yet. There was still so much more that had to fall into place.

"He may even hate you. He may never... smile again." Shigure warned.

Kazuma thought back on a memory...

.

"Whoa... what is this? What did you do to get it like this? You really are terrible at cooking, Shishou." A younger Kyo sat at the table, inspecting a piece of fish that had been burnt black.

"Hmmm.. I guess I still need a lot more training." Kazuma admitted to Kyo.

"Haha!" Kyo laughed at Kazuma and his lack of cooking skills, a bright smile like the sun on his face.

.

"Even so... I want to bet.. on her... I need someone to accept him.. not out of pity but of true acceptance." Kazuma had decided it was now or never.

The sun was starting to go down, and more rain clouds seemed to be overhead.

"Please... please for Kyo's sake..." Kazuma prayed silently, closing his eyes as he did so.

Kagura backed away slowly from the door, feeling that maybe she should have just stayed home. But she couldn't leave now... Kagura felt her heart clench as she knew what was going to take place.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.

.

" Thirty minutes till curtain time, ladies and gentlemen. Get yourselves ready and remember, no talking or noises of any kind when you are waiting off stage." The director reminded as she passed the dressing rooms.

" I'm gonna go peak..." Marley said as she wrapped herself in a black silk robe to cover herself up.

"I'll come to." A younger girl insisted as she followed the white-blonde through the hallways and finally up the stairs, to the off-stage area. Marley smiled and took the young girl's hand as they snuck off.

They tiptoed to the edge of the corner and slightly moved the curtain so they could look at the audience.

"Wow. that's a lot of people, I'm getting a little nervous." The slightly younger girl admitted, and Marley only smiled at her squeezed her hand. The girl in pigtails was doing a rhythmic gymnastics routine, and this was going to be her first time doing it in this environment.

"You'll do great." Marley encouraged before turning her eyes back across the audience.

.

Due to their hair colour, she was quickly able to find Momiji, Haru and Ayame as they stuck out so much. Momiji had a camera ready in his hand and was talking excitedly with Hiro, who looked a little annoyed, but Momiji didn't seem to care. Hatori was to Momiji's other side as he and Ayame spoke.

Isuzu was looking down at her phone while she sat next Hiro. Haru sat on Isuzu's other side while he talked with Kisa. Marley was hoping the two youngest Zodiac members would have sat together, but it looks like they were still not speaking.

Marley was slightly nervous about so many Zodiac members in a busy place, but she had to hope that everything was going to be okay. She gazed around the theatre and found Akito's seat up in a balcony section sitting next to Kureno, her personal assistant. Akito seemed to be drumming her nails on the balcony rail as she looked down over the Zodiac members who were in attendance.

"huh.." Marley voiced as she continued to look around the audience, a few people were missing, she couldn't find a familiar tuft of orange hair.

"What is it, Marley-San?" The young girl asked as she looked at the worried look on the beautiful girl's face.

"Oh... it looks like a few people still aren't here..." Marley mentioned as she looked for Kyo's orange hair and the rest of his household. Kagura also seemed to be missing.

"I'm sure they'll be here soon, there's still lots of time." She encouraged, and Marley took a breath and agreed.

"Your right."

Even though Marley really wanted to call and make sure, she told herself that everything was alright, fighting the bundle of anxiety in her chest.

The girls were pulled away from the curtain, and they looked up into the disapproving eyes of the showcase director.

"Ladies... may I suggest you return to the dressing room." She told us as she slightly glared at the two athletes and put her hand on her hips.

"Yes, ma'am, right away ma'am." Marley saluted as she held the girl's hand, and the dashed away before they got reprimanded.

There was still time for them to get here, everything was fine.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

"Oi! We needed to get going already." Kyo yelled as he put away his earphones, he had listened to the song that Marley was going to use and even looked up the meaning. He was feeling giddy about going to see how she performed and wanted to head out.

" Calm down, Stupid cat, we're getting ready to leave now." Yuki snapped at him, unimpressed with his cousin's impatience. It's not like he was the only one looking forward to the show.

"Kyo-Kun! Where are the flowers." Tohru asked as she looked around for the bouquet he had bought.

"I think I saw them in the kitchen, I'll help you Tohru-Kun." Shigure offered and then sent a knowing look to Kazuma. Yuki watched the interaction with slight confusion. What was the Dog planning?

" Kyo, may we talk for a moment outside," Kazuma called for Kyo, knowing he needed to do it now before he lost his nerve.

"Shishou, can't it wait till we get back," Kyo muttered, the rain was starting back up, and he just wanted to get to the theatre before the downpour began.

"It'll only take a moment." Kazuma lied, walking away with Kyo following close behind him.

.

"Why do we gotta talk outside? You know I'm no good on days like this." Kyo groaned, his mood and energy plummeting to the ground.

"Neither was my grandfather. Apparently, he often became ill on rainy days. Is it because of the cat's spirit?" Kazuma mentioned as they stood outside.

"Is it because that cat spirit's true form hates the rain?" Kyo's karate master pondered as he looked up at the sky and then to his student.

"It's about time for you to accept that true form... to move forward." Kazuma reasoned, stepping closer to Kyo. The teen couldn't believe his Shisou was bringing this up all of a sudden, and he felt his body tense.

"I do accept it." Kyo snapped, not believing that his Shishou would bring up this conversation out of nowhere.

"I accept that my life was over the second I was born possessed by that damn cat spirit." The young teen growled as glared at the ground and then up to his Shisou.

" And I accept... it's the Rat's fault... his fault for startin' all of this!" Hate and anger filled Kyo's saffron eyes as he stared at Kazuma.

"You.. haven't changed..." The older man let out a sigh, hating the Zodiac member still had all this hate and despair in his body.

" Is that how... you're going to continue to live? With your ears shut, your eyes closed...?" He asked, not wanting that for his student. He wanted Kyo to live his life without the veil of hatred and despair.

"Covering everything up with hate for Yuki..." Kazuma thought to himself.

"Is that the only way you can keep a grip on yourself? And is that... how you're going to die? All alone?" Kazuma kept pushing buttons.

" .. You said... that you hated this place.. that you'd rather be somewhere else.. but you're just trying to run away... you don't want her to know the truth. You don't want her to know about your 'True Form.' Are you afraid of losing her?" Kazuma asked as rain pelted down.

Kyo started to look around, in his mind he knew that there was no way Marley was here, she should be getting ready for her show.

Just like how he should be heading there.

.

"And I can't go if your ankle's busted. Maybe you don't even want me goin- " Kyo started but was quickly interrupted by Marley's melodic voice.

" Yes! I mean no, I do want you to come, I'm so happy, please, only if you don't mind, but I would really love you to come, it would make me so happy" Her large eyes looking up at Kyo with gratitude and excitement. His heart felt like it was going to beat right out of his chest.

.

Kyo was supposed to be there, she was expecting him. He said he would be there. But his Shishou had him by his wrist with his bracelet, and if he ripped his hand free, he worried his beads would slip off. His mind was spinning. Kyo feared why his Shishou was bringing all of this up anyway.

"I... let me go..." Kyo tried to ask.

"Let's see if your life... is truly over," Kazuma asked as they heard footsteps come around the corner.

"Kyo-Kun! I found the flowers for Marley-Chan, we should-" Tohru voice called out as she walked out with the flowers in hand and an umbrella over her head.

In one move, Kazuma blocked Kyo's eye line and slipped the beads from his wrist. Kyo could feel his heart beating in his head, and red hot searing pain tore through his body. His mother's voice rang in his head.

"Don't look...don't look... don't look..."

"Don't look at me..." A heartbreaking plea roared out from the boy as the rain pelted down, the sound of fabric ripping was dulled out by Kyo's scream. His mother's voice was replaced by God's.

"Repulsive"

"DON'T LOOK AT ME!"

.

.

.

..-.-.-.-.- To be continued .-.-.-.-.-.-.

Notes:

Marley and Ryu did the choreo by Jojo Gomez and Jake Kodish to The Jonas Brother song 'Sucker'. :)

Helllo! Peachie here :)

Thank you for reading. I know it's been a while but I've been away and now with Christmas on its way, there is so much to do that I haven't had a lot of time to myself.

A HUGE thank you to TwilightNewMoonEclipseMidnight, Littlecosma001, lostfeather1, and James Birdsong for the reviews. They really keep me motivated to keep writing this story. So thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Till next time, ciao.