Wow... I am on a roll but this is to make up for this weekend because I will be gone at a convention. Ani-Magic 2002: The Autumn Dream ^_^ Enjoy!
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Without You
By: FayeValentine00 (Sarah-chan)
Chapter 4




I sat in the room that Kagura and I shared the night before and slowly repacked my overnight bag. I felt like I was moving out of Shigure's house all over again. I could hear all of my friends talking in the sitting room and it was like music to my ears but it also made Tokyo seem lonely and somehow knowing that I was returning to that was frightening.


I heard a soft knocking on my door before Yuki stepped in and closed the door behind himself.


"Yuki, is anything wrong?" I looked up to him in concern. His face looked sad and I didn't know what had happened.


"No."


"Are you sure?"


He came over and sat down next to me. He gazed at me with a strange look in his eyes that I didn't understand. I looked at him for a really long time too, trying to take in every detail before I had to leave again. I didn't know how long it would be before I would be able to return for another visit.


"I'll miss you." I spoke softly.


"I'll miss you too." He gave me a halfhearted smile.


"Oh, what have you been trying to tell me since yesterday? It seems like we finally have a moment."


"Well..." He fidgeted a bit. "I wanted to tell you that I've missed you... a lot. ... I think about you all the time." I saw him start to blush and I felt my cheeks grow warm too.


"Yuki..."


"What I'm trying to say is that I---."


"Tohru! What are you doing?" Momiji burst into the room, causing Yuki to stop the words that I'd wanted to hear so badly.


"Momiji?!" He scared me so badly that I looked up in shock. I was really disappointed that Yuki and I had been interrupted again but I knew that Momiji hadn't done it one purpose. That was obvious by the apologetic look on his face.


He looked between Yuki and I in concern. "Ummm ... Am I interrupting?"


"No, it's fine." Yuki sighed heavily and climbed to his feet.


"Yuki, wait."


"It's okay, Tohru. I'll talk to you later about it."


"But..." I tried to stop him but he just smiled at me.


"I'll be in the sitting room." Then he walked out the door and left me and Momiji in the room.


"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt you guys." Momiji still looked really worried.


"No, it's okay." I sighed and looked up to Momiji with a smile. I just hoped that my disappointment was as obvious as it felt.


"But Tohru ... Yuki really cares about you."


I just nodded to him absently. My mind trailed off on its own. It was nice to know that Yuki thought of me as much as I thought of him but what did it mean? Maybe we were just really good friends but it felt like more then that to me. Could that be possible? It certainly felt like it but until he told me how he felt, I'd never know.



"Do you really have to go, Tohru?" Shigure asked me in a whiny voice.


"Yes, I have to be at work tomorrow morning at 7am and it's already 5pm now."


"You promised to visit so you better." Kyo gave me a threatening look but it only made me laugh.


"Okay. I will."


"Call me and let me know what's going on." Kagura spoke softly before giving me a big hug and whispering into my ear. "Once your gone, I'm going to tell Kyo and Yuki."


"Alright." I sighed but smiled to her anyway. "Thanks for everything."


"Take care of yourself and call if you need anything." Hatori flashed me one his rare but incredibly attractive smiles.


"I will."


"Thanks for coming, Tohru! It was fun, right?!"


"It was wonderful, Momiji. Thank you." I smiled and when he jumped into my arms, I wrapped him into a tight hug until *POOF*, I was holding an adorable little rabbit.


"Don't forget us, okay?" He spoke to me softly.


"I won't. I promise." I felt tears begin to build up in my eyes as I set him back on the ground.


"Here. I'll carry you bags over to the car." Yuki picked up my overnight bag and purse before walking over with me to the car.


"Thank you." I said softly as he opened the door for me and then loaded up my bags in the back-seat. "Yuki, about what you were trying to tell me. I--"


"Wait. We can talk later." He seemed a little sad to be saying that but when I followed his gaze, I saw that the others were coming over to us to say one last good-bye.


As I pulled out of the driveway and onto the street, I felt like my heart was being torn out of my chest. All of the fear of going back to work tomorrow and the pain of having to say good-bye to my friends overcame me and my vision became blurred with tears.


The entire drive home became an emotional roller coaster. Memories replayed in my mind of the fun that I'd had growing up with Kyo and Yuki in Shigure's house and how happy I'd been when I'd met each of the different Junnishi members. Then those happy memories would be interrupted by the memories of sleepless nights alone in Tokyo and of Mr. Fujisawa, who was determined to get more out of me then I was willing to give. All of the reasons that I'd left seemed so stupid now. I'd wanted to be on my own so the Sohma's wouldn't worry about me anymore but if they knew the truth, wouldn't they worry even more?



When I walked into the apartment, I saw the light on my answering machine flashing so I walked over and listened to the messages.


*BEEP* "Tohru, it's Uo-chan. I'm going to be in the city next weekend so let's get together, okay? Call me. Bye. *BEEP*


*BEEP* "Tohru, This is Kagura. ... I told Kyo and Yuki the truth and they were really upset. We're all really worried about you so please be careful. Call me back." *BEEP*


*BEEP* "Miss Honda, This is Mr. Fujisawa. I'm looking forward to seeing you tomorrow. ... Wear something ... cute." *BEEP*


I felt a chill run down my spine. I couldn't believe the nerve of that man! He thought that he owned me simply because I was his employee but he was wrong. I just wondered how I was ever going to be able to keep him away from me tomorrow, without losing my job.


I prayed that Yuki would show up at my work tomorrow and recuse me from my evil tyrant of a boss. He'd be just like a knight in shining armor or even a prince, just like we'd called him in school. It was nice to dream, but I knew reality. Yuki didn't even know where I worked.


When I laid my head down on my pillow that night, I decided that sometimes dreaming about the impossible was better then worrying about reality.


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Next Chapter - Work

Do you like?! Do you like?! (Or do you hate?) Let me know! ^_^ ~ Sarah-chan