Shigure sat back on the front porch, listening to the calming rustle of trees. It was so peaceful, so relaxing, that he nearly missed the sound of soft footsteps behind him.

"It's a bit cold, don't you think?"

Shigure merely smiled, allowing a deep chuckle to escape his lips.

"Yuki. It's been awhile since we've spoken."

Yuki sighed. Something told him that Shigure expected this conversation. He sat down a few feet away.

"Honestly, I'm surprised you haven't assaulted me by know. Considering you know about my situation. I imagine Tohru told you..? About my sins?" Shigure said, his voice showing no remorse, but rather, amusement.

"Yea, well, we all have our sins." Yuki mumbled in return, his hand unknowingly caressing his lips. He stopped when he noticed Shigure peering over at him from beneath his bangs, his brow raised in curiosity.

"You're referring to the kiss?" He asked, a smirk playing at his lips. Yuki stiffened his back, his eyes growing wide as his fists clenched.

"How do you-?"

"You will find that there is very little that I don't know about, Yuki. I can see the shame in your eyes, though, I wonder how ashamed you really are."

Yuki turned to face him, anger permeating the cold between them. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" He shouted. Shigure didn't bother facing him, bringing his hand up to stroke his chin leisurely.

"Well, considering that you call for her in your sleep.." he rattled, before being interrupted.

"I don't! And besides!" Yuki realized he had been shouting, sweat threatening to drip from his brow.

Shit. I can't let him get to me.

"We were talking about your sins, remember?" He said, low and through clenched teeth. Shigures responding chuckle infuriated him.

"Right. I just got carried away. I've been meaning to thank you for coming home when you did. The last thing I would ever want to do is hurt Tohru. She.. she is very important to me."

"Yea? Well, you've done a great job showing it." Yuki snapped, sarcasm dripping from his words. "What exactly were you planning on doing with her?"

Shigure sighed, a slight hint of frustration showing through his calm demeanor.

"You already sound just like Hatori. I was going to do whatever the hell she would have allowed me to do. I imagine I would keep going until she snapped out of her shock and finally told me to stop." Yuki growled, jumping to his feet. Shigure gave him a cold glare. "But that didn't happen, Yuki. I barely touched her."

"But you would have! If I didn't come back, you-"

Shigure stood to his feet, squaring his shoulders while looking down at the irate rat.

"You touched her more than I did! So stop with the false white knight act, already." Shigures eyes grew dark as he took slow and calculated steps towards Yuki. "I've been dying to ask you, oh guardian of Tohru. How did she taste, huh? How did it feel to have your tongue down the throat of a confused and half-unconscious woman? Oh, or better yet, how did your little girlfriend react when you told her?"

There were very few times when Shigure invoked fear from Yuki, but at this point, Yuki could no longer stand beneath his piercing gaze. He dropped to his knees, his head hung in shame as he shamelessly remembered each and every answer to his questions.

She tasted delightful, like strawberries and cream, mixed with the harsh sake she had drank. She felt warm, her hot breath mingling with his as he continued to kiss her, knowing whose arms she really wanted to be in. Her hands burned his skin with each unknowing stroke of his neck.

He deepened the kiss that night, just wanting to hold her, taste her, feel her pressed against him for as long as possible before he had to return her to Kyo. He only stopped his deceptive affections once he felt her body go limp in his arms.

That's when he cried.

It started with a single tear, falling for the deep feeling of loss that formed in his chest. Then, a few more trickled down, falling onto her rosy cheeks beneath him. Those were for the shame. He saw himself as a monster, as filth. And he prayed that she would never know what had happened that night. He wouldn't be able to bear the look of disgust on her face when she saw him through the filthy lens of his envious heart.

He had no right to feel affection for her. They were both in happy relationships. So why did he feel so.. incomplete?

Shigure wiped the single tear from his cheek, now kneeling beside him.

"I'm sorry, Yuki. I went too far. Like you said, we both have our sins, right?" When Yuki remained silent, he continued. "Tohru has touched each of our hearts in a way that they had never known. And I know.." He placed his hand on Yuki's trembling shoulder. "I know how hard it must be hearing about their engagement. But we have to do what's best for Tohru. And you know that that is Kyo, don't you?" Shigure asked, his voice a soft whisper, far from the previous harsh and demanding voice from a few moments ago.

Yuki wiped his eyes, before accepting Shigures hand for standing.

"Of course I know that."

Shigure smiled, beaming with a new found energy.

"Great! Then we can move past all of this shame and guilt nonsense, and focus on planning for their wedding! She is depending on us, after all. We only have three short weeks."

Shigure continued his rambling as he walked inside, but Yuki tuned him out, following close behind. There was still a storm brewing inside of him, but he suppressed it, like he had learned to do quite well. Shigure was right. Tohru and Kyo belonged together.

The memory of their kiss would forever be a reminder of what he never had, a burden he would have to carry to his grave. And if he had any chance to rid himself of that burden, he would have to learn to rid himself of his feelings for Tohru. Simple as that.

"Yes, simple." He muttered beneath his breath as he slowly ascended the stairs.

He was utterly exhausted, and needed a nap after the shouting. At least, that's what he told himself.

He removed his shirt and sank into the soft sheets of his bed, smiling a barely detectable smile, knowing that his dreams would be about her.