Kyo looked up at the room on the hallway the groaned. Good Lord, was Tohru still in Yuki's room? Were they sharing the same bed? Were they….

He fought the urge to scream. Man, he had to know!

He went to the shed to find something, but he slammed right into another person.

"Watch it!" he barked, then paused.

Tohru scratched her head and sighed.

I wonder where Yuki-kun is sleeping right now. He let me stay alone in his room, but where did he go?

She nearly jumped when she heard something outside the window. It sounded as if something was climbing up the window!

At once she panicked.

A thief?

An assassin who wanted to kill the Prince?

A rapist?

Hey wait! People do not know that I'm staying in the Prince' room!

Before she could further ponder on the situation, something leaped into the room from the window. Her mouth gaped open in shock then screamed.

The intruder was followed by another shadow that quickly came to her and covered her mouth to silence her.

"Ssh!" hushed the mysterious voice. "It's us."

"Umph?" she said her voice still stifled by the hand. It immediately let go of her.

Suddenly, candlelight flickered. Holding it was…Momiji?

She turned to the trespasser by her side and was shocked to see Kyo.

"W-What are you two doing here?" she asked, fascinated.

Momiji placed the candle by the table and sat down beside her. "I caught Kyo looking up here, and I immediately knew that he was going to do something absolutely perverted like climbing up the window alone in the night and-"

The orange-haired prince' face flamed. "What?!"

"And he did," continued the hare. "So I blackmailed him into taking me along so I can see you. If he won't do so, I would have to tell Yuki, and my cousin wouldn't be too happy about that."

"Er, why come and see me this late at night?" she asked, puzzled. "You can see me tomorrow morning in case you want to give me an order or something."

"He just wants to know whether Yuki is sleeping beside you tonight," said Momiji for Kyo, making the neko freak out.

"That's not true! That's NOT TRUE!!!" yelled the cat.

"Ssh! Yuki will hear you!" said Haru.

The three freaked out. "H-Haru!" exclaimed Tohru, who recovered first. "How long have you been here?"

He shrugged. "After Yuki left, I was sitting by the bed already. You just didn't notice me, that's all."

"Y-You perverted cow!" Kyo took his cousin by the collar of his shirt. "You've been watching Tohru's every unconscious movement for hours already?"

"What's wrong with that?" asked the cow innocently. "And by the way, in case you didn't notice, your hand is a little dirty. Please take it off my shirt."

"Why you-" Kyo was about to punch Haru when Tohru stepped between them.

"If you guys don't stop quarreling I'll hug both of you!" she threatened.

Haru smiled. "I don't mind."

"Me too," quipped Shigure, who was sitting by the window.

"Oi, Shigure!" greeted Haru. "Good evening! What are you doing here?"

"Peeping on Tohru, I mean, watching Tohru." The writer smiled. "I mean, I was just checking on where Yuki slept."

Kyo looked totally freaked out. "All of you…why are you all here?"

Tohru laughed. "I'm so touched by your concern, but please do not worry, Yuki, I mean, Prince Yuki is not here. I don't know where he went to sleep."

"Gee…we have locked some of the extra rooms already. I wonder where he stayed…" said Shigure, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

Yuki placed the fifth layer of pillow in the middle of his bed and Ayame's.

"Whatever happens, don't you dare get the pillows out between us, understand?" he barked to his elated elder brother.

"Why, my dear younger brother, you made me so happy by knocking on my door, begging to be let in so we can share the same slumber space so, yes, I will do as you say," said Aya dramatically.

"Whatever," grumbled the younger Sohma as he put the light out.

"Oh, Yuki-kun?" sang his elder brother.

"What?" he snapped.

"Give your big brother his goodnight kiss," said Aya.

"Don't you dare or I'll kill you, did you hear me?" shouted Yuki, turning the light on again. Creatures like Ayame are dangerous at dark.

"We're going to leave now, Tohru-chan!" bade Momiji.

"Are you sure you don't want a stuff toy to hug?" asked Shigure. "I can make a very huggable stuffed dog, you know! You can even kiss me for free!"

Kyo dragged the still talking Shigure out of the room. "Perverted old man," grumbled the neko, then threw him out of the room. He then turned to Tohru. "Goodnight!"

"You too, Kyo-san!" she bade.

He looked down the floor shyly. "Um, Tohru…"

"Hmm?"

"If ever you have a problem or something, I want you to know that you can…always come to me." He looked at her. "And I'll do my best to help."

"Oh!" Her eyes widened. "T-Thank you, Kyo-san. T-That's very nice of you. To think that I'm only a maid here…"

"Don't say that!" protested Kyo quickly. "You're very special, Tohru!"

"Ah!" She blushed profusely, and Kyo's face echoed the same reaction.

"T-That's all I want to say, I guess," stammered Kyo. "Goodnight…and sweet dreams." With that, he shut the door.

She blinked.

Okaasan…

I never felt this cared for ever since you left.

You're right. There are people who do care for me, even if I'm not in the same pedestal as they are.

The next day, Tohru woke up, feeling much better. She started to stand up when she saw Yuki fast asleep, his head resting on the bed. He was seated beside her.

"What's he doing here?" she wondered. She then remembered that she was in Yuki's room, and she slept there. But she didn't remember sleeping with Yuki!

She looked at him again. I wonder what time did he come in?

She placed her hand on his shoulder to wake him up. "Your Highness?"

He yawned and opened his eyes. "G' morning," he greeted. "How are you feeling now, Honda-san?"

She smiled brightly. "I'm fine now."

He leaned over and touched her forehead. "Yup. You're fine. I'm glad."

"Because you can get your room back again?" she teased.

He shook his head. "No, because I can finally see you smiling again, with that healthy blush back in your cheeks," he replied.

She laughed. "Thank you, Your Highness. Ah, by the way, where did you sleep last night?"

Yuki groaned when he remembered the horror of waking up at the middle of the night finding his elder brother right beside him, cuddling him.

"Um, you don't have to answer that if you don't want to," said Tohru uncomfortably when she saw the look on the prince' face.

"Well, since you're healthy now, why not accompany me when I go out this morning? I'll be working in the garden first though, so you still have time to dress up," invited Yuki.

She gaped at him openly. "Me? But there are some other princesses who are much appropriate for someone like you!"

He frowned. "What do you mean by 'someone like me'? I want you to be the one to accompany me, so if you don't want to be with me, then say it outright. I know you may would rather be with Kyo or Shigure."

"N-No, but…"

"But?" pressed Yuki.

She laughed. "I'm just not used to this. I mean, a date with you?"

"D-Date?" Yuki turned around quickly. "T-This is just a horseback riding activity. That is ridiculous!" He turned to the window.

"I-I was just kidding," said Tohru quickly. "OK then, may I ask Ayame-san to help me with my clothes?"

"I don't care," he said. "You look pretty much the same whatever you wear."

Still cute.

She shrugged. "Very well, Your Highness." She was about to get out of bed when she clumsily fell down the bed, and pieces of paper from underneath the pillows flew down the ground.

Yuki's eyes widened, and he dove for the papers. "Don't-"

Tohru took one and was startled to find that the person sketched on the paper…

…was her!

She looked at the equally shocked Yuki who was staring at her.

tsuzuku