Chapter 16: The Dinner

Kyo watched as Tohru prepared the ingredients for their special family dinner. She was all hyped up because it was their first time to have a visitor over who wanted to see her.

He nearly jumped when Tohru suddenly looked at him.

"Kyo-kun!" she cried happily. "Will you help me cook?"

"A-Ah!" What other explanation could he offer her? He couldn't tell her that he was secretly watching her because he finds her fascinating!

"Sure."

Soon they were putting the food on the frying pan. As the oil sizzled, Tohru began to fill the basin with soapy water to start washing the plates. "So, Kyo-kun, have you memorized your lines already?" she asked.

"Um, yeah. Sort of," he grumbled. Well at least he knew that he was supposed to say "Good morning" as his first line in the play. And he was supposed to be sweet to the rat of the play. And he was supposed to act exactly the opposite of his personality.

"Oh?" She stopped what she was doing and looked at him. "Hmm, I take it that you haven't memorized all of your lines. The play is just days away."

He groaned. "Don't remind me."

"Tell you what, I'll help you memorize your lines!" she said brightly.

He was shocked. "You?! But you can barely memorize the chemical formula of water!"

She blushed. "Well, I'm willing to learn to memorize so I can help you."

It was his turn to blush, but he quickly turned his back on her so he won't see his damn reaction. "What do you want in exchange?"

She laughed. "The best performance you can give in your whole life! I'll watch you do that!"

Kyo looked at the ceiling, at the door, at the frying pan - anywhere but at Tohru. Because if he looks at her, he was afraid that she might see how much she made him happy.

She's going to watch me.

Alright, if what it takes to make her happy is to slip on that stupid dress and act like a birdbrain on stage…

…then, hell, I'LL DO IT!!!

Yuki was trying to write a proposal letter to the administration about the student council project on the school play, but he couldn't concentrate. All he could picture in his mind was Tohru. And her mysterious visitor.

Sighing defeatedly, he placed his pad down and instead looked up at the ceiling. Who could that person who wanted to meet her?

He then remembered the time his playmates were hauled into Hatori's clinic. He then had no idea what was going to happen to them. But after that fateful day, he tried to talk to them again. All he got was bewildered looks…even fear.

Who are you?

We don't remember you anymore.

We don't know you.

Yuki's fists clenched.

Hatori, I won't let you touch Tohru.

Over my dead body.

I will not allow you to meddle with my newfound life. This is the only time I am really happy. I will not let you take her away from me.

He then heard the sound of vehicle engine.

He's here.

"'Tori!!!" Ayame was about to jump joyfully into the doctor's arms when the latter stepped left. Aya missed him, and crashed on the wall.

"Stop acting stupid," muttered Hatori.

"Hey, 'tori!" Shigure, perpetually dressed in his kimono, welcomed him to the living room. "Wow, you actually found time to visit lil ol me?"

"It's not you that we want to see," grumbled Hatori, rolling his eyes.

"Oh, no need to be shy with your feelings!" said Ayame, having recovered from his injury. "The minute I called you about me staying here in "gure's house, you immediately wanted to come!"

"Hmp!" The doctor turned away and instead looked around the house searchingly.

"Who's with you anyway?" asked Ayame.

Hatori took his coat off. "The German hare."

"Where's he?" asked Shigure.

"Looking for Honda Tohru."

"There!" Tohru used the chopsticks to take the shrimp from the pan. "It's almost dinner time-" She accidentally dropped some cooking oil on her hand, causing her to drop the plate. "Ouuuuuuuuuchhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!" she screamed, eyes welling with tears.

Kyo, acting quickly, took her to the sink and placed her hand under running water, rubbing it soothingly while doing so. "There, there. It's going to be ok. That's what you get for being too clumsy!" he scolded with gentleness Tohru only saw now.

After a few minutes, the pain had disappeared. Kyo glanced at her. "Does it still hurt?"

"Ah…!" She couldn't find the voice to speak. His unexpected kindness has caught her off guard.

"Tohru?"

"H-Hai?"

"D-Does it still hurt?"

"Ah, no, thanks to you!" she quickly said, face turning warm. "Y-You are very kind."

Unknown emotion flickered in his face. "You…you are the first person to tell me that," he murmured, unconsciously tightening his hold on her hand.

Tohru smiled. "Because…because you try to act angry all the time, but actually, you're just masking something deep within you."

How did she know? How did she understand my problem quickly?

"But you see, Kyo-kun, if you will always be scared of people, they in turn will be scared of you, and you'll be left alone. Being all by yourself is lonely."

His heart skipped a beat. She knows exactly how I feel!

Looking at her warm eyes gazing at him, he suddenly felt the urge to tell her how he feels. About her.

"Tohru?"

"Hai?"

"I don't want to be alone. I-"

"Tohru!!!!!!!!!!!"

The two turned around in surprise just as a blond-haired boy leapt into Tohru's arms.

Poof!

"So I see you've met Momiji, the hare of the Juunishi," said Hatori as he sipped his tea.

"Oh Tohru, your arms are so soft! And you smell like roses!" gushed Momiji in his animal form, snuggling in her arms.

"You pervert!!!" Kyo was on the verge of tearing his cousin into pieces. "Leave her alone!"

Tohru laughed uneasily. "But he's just a child…"

Shigure choked. "Momiji's not a child! He's-"

"Good evening," greeted Yuki formally as he joined them in the dining room.

"Yuki!" The doctor smiled at him coldly. "I thought I told you to drop by the main house and have your check-up? It's not good to ignore your health."

"On the contrary, I love my health that's why I do not drop by the house anymore," he retorted, sitting beside Tohru.

Tohru, on the other hand, was bewildered. What is it with the main house that makes Yuki-kun uneasy?

Momiji pointed eagerly at the shrimps. "I want that one! I want to taste what Tohru made!"

Kyo was glaring at the hare lethally. "Shut up!"

"Hah! You want those tasty things for yourself, don't you, Kyo?" accused Momiji. "Because you love her!"

"W-What?!!!" Kyo's face burned. "Of course not! Why should I-"

"I saw you! You were holding Tohru's hand in the kitchen!" said the hare triumphantly.

Shigure looked like he was going to spit out his tea. Hatori suppressed a smirk. Ayame's trademark smirk was playing on his lips. Haru was eating his dish obliviously.

And Yuki…

"What were they doing?" asked the rat calmly.

Tohru panicked. "Nothing, Yuki-kun! Nothing!!"

Momiji however was only too glad to reveal what he saw. "They were talking. Kyo told her she was kind!"

Shigure was positively hysterical. "Bwa ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!!!!!!! Unbelievable, but true! Bwahahahahahahahahha!!!! Children never lie!"

Aya was grinning from ear to ear. "Someone's in love and someone's jealous!"

Tohru was really freaking out now. "But we really were just talking!!!"

Hatori finished his drink and took a bite of the shrimp. "This is good."

"Ah, you really think so, Hatori-san?" she asked excitedly.

"Good cook." He looked at her thoughtfully.

"Hatori," said Yuki warningly.

"Don't worry. I won't touch her unless Akito decides on it."

Yuki stopped talking, but Tohru could still feel tension from him. She instinctively reached out and touched his hand lying on his knee below the table.

He froze, then glanced at her. She smiled at him.

Calm down, Yuki-kun. You promise not to hate anymore. You promised.

He nodded.

Yes, Honda-san, and I'll never break a promise I gave you.

"More rice, everyone?" she chirped.

Shigure, relieved that her voice chased the tension away, grinned gamely. "Bring it on!"

"We really have to go," said Hatori, irritated. Ayame and Shigure were keeping him hostage, showing him the album of their high school photos.

"Aaw, but this is fun!" said Ayame.

"Yeah! I second the motion!" agreed Shigure.

Meanwhile, Momiji was still being cuddled by Tohru as she, Haru, Kyo and Yuki played cards.

"I won!" said Kyo triumphantly.

"I don't think so," said Haru, placing his cards down. It was two points higher than Kyo's.

"And I lost again," said Tohru, grinning sheepishly. "I'm not very good at this, but I still like playing this."

Momiji beamed. "It's ok! We'll beat them next time!"

"Next time," said Hatori firmly, taking the hare away from Tohru.

Ayame stood up quickly. "When will you drop by again, 'Tori?"

"We'll watch the play," he said simply before he left the house.

"Ah, "tori never changes. He's still as boring as the tiles on the bathroom floor in my office," sighed Shigure.

Yuki frowned. "We? We who?"

"He might just be referring to Kisa and the others," said Haru comfortingly.

But Yuki wasn't comforted at all by his cousin's words.

He still couldn't take the fear off.

That Akito will make his appearance and do something to hurt Tohru.

His fists clenched.

And he's afraid that he might not find the guts to stand up to him to defend her if that happens.

The door opened again, and in came Hatori again. "Oh, by the way, everyone, I want to know…"

"Yes?" asked everyone.

"Can you say sex?"

"Sex?" said everyone just as the flash of camera blinded them.

Hatori nodded and kept his camera in his jacket. "Thanks. Akito likes looking at family pictures."

"Man, I wonder what he meant by that sudden camera trick," groaned Kyo.

Yuki was in deep silence. He knew that Hatori was going to use the pictures, but how?

Ayame sighed melodramatically. "If Hatori wanted my picture, he should have just asked nicely and I could have gladly posed for him."

"That is what he was afraid of," said Shigure, grinning.

Tohru stood up to clear the dishes. "So what year in elementary is Momiji in?"

Haru looked up at her. "Are you kidding? He's in the same year as I am. We're both third year junior high students."

Tohru dropped the plates. "What?" she squeaked.

Kyo sighed. "As I was saying…"

"I think I'm gonna faint…" she whispered.

"I'll catch you, Tohru-" The writer was saying when Kyo hit him.

"Perverted bone eater!"

"Hah! You're just as lecherous as I am! What did you do to Tohru-kun in the kitchen, huh?" said Shigure challengingly.

Kyo's face flamed. "NOTHING!!!"

"Yeah right, and I'm a rabid fan of Barney."

"Maybe you are!"

Tohru waved her hands frantically. "Calm down, everyone! Let's all talk in peace!"

"Kyo is a lecherous cat!"

"Shut up! Just shut the hell up, you dog!"

Akito looked at the girl in the picture Hatori gave him.

"She is Honda Tohru," said Hatori politely.

"She's ugly. Truly revolting," said Akito, crumpling the picture. He then blinked and flattened the picture again. He found who he was looking for.

"Ah, Yuki has grown," he said with a self-satisfied smile. "I can't wait to see him in the play. Just three nights to sleep away, then we'll see each other."

Dark clouds formed in the sky above the Sohma mansion.

"Then he'll come back to me," said Akito, smiling in malicious glee as he tore the picture in a half, separating Yuki from Tohru.

tsuzuku