Torhru watched the courtyard until there were no passing bodies. The evening air was frigid and sharp, cutting through the nightdress she'd been given.

"Tohru?" She heard Momiji's voice whisper from behind the door.

She pattered over and opened it to Momiji and a very tall young man— or she thought he was young? His hair was mostly white on top. He had on a lot of jewelry and looked… well, cool. In his arms was a sheet and an oversized crossbody bag.

"Hi," he said. He didn't say anything else.

"Hello," she replied nervously.

"So are we gonna hug now or later?"

"Oh! Uhhhh," Tohru let out, nervously waving her arms in front of her.

"Let me tell her the plan first, Hatsuharu!" Momiji chastised. "This is Haru. He is the Ox."

"It's nice to meet you," Tohru said with a small bow, though doing it made her fevered head feel dizzy.

"Nice to meet you too, Miss Honda," he said. Despite his severe style choices he seemed to have a kind way of speaking. "Here, sit down."

"Thanks," she whimpered.

Momiji watched her with concern before closing his eyes. "Right."

He explained the plan to her quickly. She would transform both Momiji and Hatsuharu. Momiji would bound ahead as lookout, and Hatsuharu would carry a bundled up Tohru, as well as their clothing. Tohru profusely thanked them. As much as she wanted to refuse them going to such trouble, she knew it was worth it to assure Kyou.

Momiji opened the bag and produced a long expensive-looking coat to swathe Tohru in. The thick coat comfortingly warmed her more thoroughly than any coat she'd worn in years. She stroked the material a moment before trying to take it off.

"Oh no, this is too nice!" she said, struggling to get it off.

"Non-sense, you are sick!" Momiji said. "You won't be able to get better and see Kyou if aren't kept toasty warm! Plus it's a coat I don't fit into anymore. It's just been sitting in my closet for two years waiting for someone to wear it! I'm sure it's been lonely."

"Well… Alright, I guess. I'll make sure nothing happens to it."

"It's just a coat, Tohru," he said with a warm smile. She smiled back, but the coat didn't feel as comfortingly warm.

She'd have to work for months to afford something so nice. She remembered having a coat like it when she was young. Back before it was just her and her mom. She'd been about four and her father had bought it for her. She'd worn it until she couldn't fit into it anymore. All her coats since then had been thin and not quite enough to keep the most biting of cold winds away.

She turned around and saw a shirtless Haru's back. Her head tilted sideways in confusion until he dropped his trousers and underwear to the ground. She let out a yelp and quickly turned away.

"Oh, sorry. I don't want to rip my clothes," Haru said vaguely. "I'll put the sheet on before we hug."

Beet red, Tohru nodded, not daring to turn around.

She closed her eyes when it was time to hug him, even though he was fully covered from what she could feel. There was a loud popping sound and then the breeze of smoke brushed her cheeks. She opened her eyes to see a black and white ox staring at her.

"Can you put my clothes and sheet in the bag?"

Tohru quickly complied, gathering his clothing, heavy with leather and chains. Momiji put the strap of the bag around Haru's neck before hugging Tohru and becoming a rabbit. She gathered his clothing and put it into the bag as well as a sheet and a candle so they could see once in Kyou's dark cage.

"Follow me!" the little rabbit cried out before darting out the door. Tohru held tight to Haru's large neck as he lumbered forth. There were small flakes falling from the sky that landed on her cheek, but she didn't dare brush them away. She was so clumsy she was sure she'd fall if she let go of the ox's neck for even a moment.

Momiji's plan worked well. He'd bounce ahead and disappear behind a building, hten bound back, leaping onto Haru's back to embrace Tohru so he'd remain a rabbit. It was almost fun until they reached the steep stone stairs to Kyo's house.

"I'll check ahead," Momiji said, hopping up the stairs at a quick pace.

The path was a touch precarious in daylight— but at night with an icy breeze and errant snowflakes it felt plain treacherous. Haru's footing stayed true though, and the powerful ox was able to heft Tohru all the way to Kyou's dark courtyard.

When they reached the top of the steps she could hear Kyou's voice pouncing through the cold air, the words muffled. She lowered herself from Haru and entered the Cat's room, unlit candle in hand. It was very dark, but by the moonlight she could see Kyou had Momiji by the scruff of his neck, a fierce look on his face.

"Are you joking?" Kyou yelled. "She should be in bed! What were you thinking, letting her come here!"

"She wanted to!" the rabbit replied, little eyes crinkling into a smiling squint.

"I don't care, you stupid rabbit! You can't put her at risk! Not for me."

"Kyou?" Tohru asked.

His eyes went wide and he immediately dropped the rabbit as he looked upon her.

"Tohru…"

She'd never heard him say her name before. She felt alight and cozy and squirmy all at once. His eyes were soft and he immediately went to the metal bars.

"Are you alright?" she and Kyou said at the same time.

"Me? You're the one who passed out!" he exclaimed. "You need to get out of here!"

He turned to Momiji. "Does… Does the family know about her finding out?"

"Only us, Kagura, Haru and Hatori," Momiji reported.

Kyou sighed and with it his whole posture crumpled. "Is Hatori going to tell Akito?"

"I don't think so," Momiji said, looking at Tohru with wide eyes. "I hope not, at least…"

Through the conversation Tohru busied herself with lighting the small candle and putting it on the small box in front of his bars.

Kyou turned his gaze back to Tohru. "You shouldn't have come here."

"I had to see you!" she blurted, nearly touching the bars with her face.

He stared at her. "Why?"

"Because, I'm going to keep coming to you. Every day. And I wanted you to know that. To know I want to be your friend."

Momiji suddenly bounded up to Tohru and hugged her. His little rabbit ears drooped low. "I'll leave you and keep watch."

Kyou's eyes were wide, and maybe it was a trick of the firelight, but the pupils almost looked like slits.

"I'm so sorry I fell on you," Tohru apologized. "You tried so hard to keep your distance, and I messed it up, but I'll make it up to you every day, I swear!"

"Don't be stupid," he whispered. "I'm a monster. Now that you know I'm not human you shouldn't come here any—"

"I don't care that you turn into a cat!" she fiercely stated, putting her hands on the bars. "When my mom would tell me the story about the zodiac and the feast, I always loved the cat. I even said I wanted to be a cat."

He looked at her with something between awe and puzzlement.

"You can't help that you turn into a cat, just like Momiji can't help being a rabbit or Haru an Ox. I don't care what you turn into… I want to be your friend. I want to see you every day."

She held onto the cold bars so tightly her fingers ached.

The candle cast a flickering orange light against the wall. It was hard to tell, but she thought the tiniest, gentlest smile was forming across his face.

"I mean it! I'm not going to stop coming!"

"I believe you. And you can come see me," he murmured before shaking his head and giving her one of his piercing looks. "Just stay away the next few days so you can get better, okay?"

"Really?"

He nodded, looking away as if he didn't care, but that tiny smile began to form again.

"Okay!" she chirped.

"How'd you get here anyway? You didn't walk through the cold did you?"

"Oh no, I didn't walk. I rode on Haru's back!"

"Hey," said Haru, making the pair jump. He came into the open doorway in his human form, nude as an Ox.

"Oh!" Tohru gasped, turning away.

"Put some clothes on, ya weirdo!" Kyou snapped.

"We need to go before someone notices we're gone," he replied.

"Right," said Tohru stoutly.

One of Kyou's hands came through the bars in a fist and gave a small tap on Tohru's head. She gave a small squeak of surprise.

He was gazing at her with a tenderness that made her face burn. That was something that she hadn't fully learned to cope with around Kyou— his moods were so hard to predict. He'd be stubborn and grumpy one moment, tender and caring the next— completely temperamental. It was part of what made him so interesting to her.

"Promise you'll take it easy?"

"I promise."

"Hey Haru, Momiji: Be careful on the stairs with her! And make sure she rests when she's not here."

"I promise," said Momiji, quite seriously. "I'll take care of her."

Kyou gave a grunt, put out the candle between two fingers and retreated into the darkness.

As Tohru left the cat's building, she felt her cheeks burning, whether with fever or excitement she wasn't sure. She couldn't be entirely sure, but it felt like she had actually been able to mend the bridge between them; make him know she wasn't going to so easily abandon him. It was clear he wouldn't believe her until she'd kept at it for a while, but that was only natural. He was skittish and used to being mistreated, so she'd just have to keep trying with him. The connection felt frail like the candle's light she'd brought into his prison— one gust of cold wind and it could be put out so easily.

Haru was wrapped in a thin sheet when it was time to hug him. They safely reached the clinic without detection. Both the young men waited behind a screen to turn human again, but Tohru kept her eyes pinned to the ceiling just in case.

Haru left without much preamble, but Momiji stayed behind, face shuttered.

"Tohru… I was wondering something…"

"Yes?"

His face went a bit pink before he looked up at her through his blonde hair. "I heard some of what you said to Kyou, and… I was wondering… It's just… We don't really have any friends outside of the other zodiac and… Would you mind seeing me too? Being my friend?"

Tohru's eyes went wide and a wave of compassion overwhelmed her. How alone had the zodiac members been through the years? How many experiences had they gone through of rejection, and how many times had they missed out on friendship and touch?

"Of course!"

"Can I visit you while you're in the clinic too?"

"I'd love it if you came."

"Oh! I have cards and all sorts of games I could bring," he proclaimed, looking again like the adorable excited rabbit. "Would you like that? Do you like music? I can bring my radio! Or is there anything you need me to get from your room? I don't mind getting you things."

"I don't need anything," Tohru laughed, "But I'll look forward to your visit. Bring whatever you like to keep yourself entertained."

As Momiji babbled excitedly about what he wanted to bring, Tohru's mind went to Kyou. While she was warm and making friends, he was left in that cold cage.

I'm going to help him, Mom. I'm going to break his curse, and bring him out into the light.

author's note- thank you for the kind reviews! They really make me want to write more