Chapter 4

Yuki sat out on top of the roof, which was usually Kyo's spot. He needed time to think. Although it wasn't her concern she was now involved with the family much like Tohru has become. He always knew that deep down things he said he was going to far but it never really bothered him, until now. Someone who has been living with his brother for almost two months, someone who was a complete stranger is bringing it to his attention. One of the worst things he hated was having some 'outsider' point out the one thing no one else would. And since it came from Kageshi, who has made herself a part of the family in some way it was harder.

Kyo climbed up the ladder and saw Yuki in his spot. "What are you doing here? Get off this is my spot," he shouted. Yuki looked at him, he was in a strange mood and Kyo didn't want to get into it because it looked like he could really just really lay into him. As Kyo was heading back down the ladder, Yuki spoke up, "You can have it back". Kyo looked at him weird and in a strange way wanted to know what was wrong.

Kyo, "What happened now? Afraid your going to lose this time?" They both knew that wasn't going to happen. Kyo pushed Yuki to sit back down and he sat a good distance from him and they both just sat there. After a good long while Yuki looked over at Kyo lying on the roof. "How can you just lay there?"
"It helps me think sometimes and just staring out just seems like I have no troubles." Kyo noticed that they were being way to "friendly" so he stopped. Yuki was always envious of Kyo. He attracted so many people to him in such a friendly manner, that when Kyo answered him in that way, he almost ALMOST understood why they are so attracted him.

"Do you think I'm too hard on my brother?" Yuki asked Kyo looking out over the house. It was so dark but the stars bright shine and the moon's light made it seem like there was light at the end of a tunnel.
"What do you mean?"
"It's just sometimes I think I shouldn't say the things I say but I do and then think if it really offends him?"
"Well I'm not one to talk I can say I've done that too. But I always find a way to make it up to them and let them know that I didn't mean what I said. It's hard when you've been a certain way then along the line you've changed little by little without even realizing it."

They were both now thinking of Tohru. How her cavalier presence and kindness has helped them all and slowly changed them both. They're talking without yelling or getting mad.

"What brought this on?" Kyo asked.

Down below Kageshi and Ayame were saying good-bye to the Shigure and Tohru.

Kageshi, "Kyo-san, Yuki-san Thank you very much. Please take care".
Ayame looked at all of them and smiled, "Wait for me again!" He said with laughter, which made Kageshi laugh, and made him smile even more. Kyo waved from the roof and Yuki stood there looking at them. He's never seen Ayame smile like that at any of them. Kageshi looked up and waved to them and Yuki just turned away. Kyo looked back at Yuki and back at Kageshi.

"Oh are you jealous of your brother?" Kyo smirked.
"No one can be jealous of my brother." Yuki looked solemn. "She…" his voice trailed off and Kyo looked at him. "She asked me why I do that to him?"
"Do what?"
"Say those comments. She said that when I say those things to my brother it hurts his feelings. That I shouldn't say those things anymore."
"And you think?"
"I think sometimes it's true but I can't help it. It's just weird. She's lived with him a whole two months and it's like she knows him better than me."
Just then Shigure climbed up the ladder, "Because from her eyes it's what she sees." They looked at him and both said his name. "Shigure!"
"Both of you should come down now… well it's better for me. Me and Tohru alone~" They both shrugged and got up to try and hit him but he fell down the ladder instead. Yuki, "baka (idiot)"

Another two months pass and it seems that Akito's health has been getting a little bit better. And Ayame has been worried wondering what Kageshi does in between cleaning and cooking dinner; one would think they were married. One night after Kageshi cleaned up her and Ayame had their usual talks. Every night after dinner Ayame and Kageshi talked about things Ayame did and little by little he grew and opened himself up to her. He told her things that he never admitted or told Hatori or Shigure. He found himself finding a new best friend one would call it. At times he even cried in front of her when he wasn't feeling like anything meant anything to him. As a child Ayame had grown up and had the 'loving' feeling from everyone but he was never able to 'love' back and have that female role in his life. But something was missing, after four months; she did not once talk about herself, where she came from. He wanted to know who she was. It was frustrating for him (and Hatori and Shigure knew this) for her to know everything about him but not vice versa.

As they talked he finally asked her, "Tell me about yourself? Where you came from? Who your family is?" Ayame unlike Shigure and Hatori and the rest of the clan didn't care why she came to the Souma household. Ayame was that sort of person. He didn't care about your past, or think you have an agenda. To him it was the present, not the past not the future, the present. Right now, Kageshi and himself is the present, getting along with Yuki is the present. "I have to admit, it's a bit frustrating not to know anything about you."

"I'm sorry, Ayame-san"
"No don't be sorry, just tell me some things about you. Not everything, but I would like to know you better."
She moved and sat over next to him and placed his hand on her heart and her hand on his heart. "Ayame-san does know me. What do you feel about me? What is it that you feel you need to know about me?"
He wasn't sure if he should say but he said it anyways, since he's become so comfortable and open with her. "About your family, about yourself."
"You know about me, you don't need to know about my family"
He cut her off, "If you think I'm going to judge you by your pass then you haven't been paying att.." she cut him off.
"No not entirely. You know me already, what you feel and what you perceive of me is all true" she paused, "but I will tell you about my background."

They both sat across from each other quietly for about 10 minutes before she spoke. "I don't know what you really want to know. My father died when I was young and my mother right after. My father's side, well there was no one, he was an only child and both of his parents where gone before I was born. My mother's side didn't want to acknowledge me. They called her a witch, they thought she played with magic but it wasn't true. True she could foretell the future with her dreams sometimes and with cards but that was it. After she died that's when they tried treating me as one of their family. Because they thought such bad things of her they thought she wouldn't die, but we all know that everyone has to die. By then I had felt I had no family left. When my mother died I felt a great pain but also happiness. She told me, "Always smile for me, I'll be watching you so don't ever bring down yourself or everyone else will be sad. When things get hard be brave and remember that me and your father love you and we'll always be watching you." After that I just kept on smiling, I felt a lot of sadness but at the same time joy."
Ayame looked at her and felt sad, he wanted to hug her. She smiled at him, "don't have that look, it doesn't suit Ayame-san" and a big smile ran across her face and on his. "Sometimes though," she went on "I feel that Ayame-san has great pain because of Yuki-san. You want to be a family but he doesn't try." She went over to him and gave him a hug, "Give him time, just a little bit more, he will get there.." and in a whisper to herself, "..in time for me to see."

Secretly Kageshi was starting to feel love for the Souma family, especially Ayame and Yuki. She was an only child and she felt that she wanted to see them as a family. Secretly she was falling for Ayame, but thought that he could never see that way so she kept it a secret from him.