Yuki woke up the next morning. He was too lazy to get up, despite that he already saw and realized that it was 9 in the morning. He used to be aggressive in mornings, always the early bird so that he prepare the meal early.

That was his life… until the goddess came along.

"She's so good in everything." He muttered. "She's more than a goddess. If she was a normal person, she would be here staying with us. Or maybe… I could adopt her. In that way, she won't have any other reasons to leave. She'll become a part of the family."

Family. The only word that struck his mind for a minute. He remembered what happened last night. He was hugging her so tightly… just like Akito on her stories. Or is it like him?

And what he said to her, I would like to grant you something that you've longed for. Your freedom.

"At least I haven't promised it." He whispered.

But still, voices encircled around his mind.

First was Uotani…

 "Very well, I will leave Tohru under your care. Make sure she won't meet anyone that isn't a Sohma, understand?"

"Of course." he nodded. "I'm her master and I will protect her."

"Master?" Uo stared at him, then at Tohru. "Is he…"

"Yes, Sohma Yuki…"

"I see… you're the stepson of Sohma Akito." She replied.

"Many people say that rubbish." He whispered. "I can never call him a father."

"I see. I hope you're right."

Next was Hatori… and he fully understood what the doctor was trying to say.

 "So did you get what you want?" Hatori asked. She wanted her freedom…

"Um… I've been expecting, demo, I haven't got it yet." She answered. But Akito was too selfish…

"I see."

Lastly it was Shigure…

"Yuki, it's not what you think." Shigure began. "Hatori met her when he was on your age, and she had a hard time with Akito. He was the one who kept on protecting her from him."

"What are trying to tell me?"

"What I'm trying to say is that you're acting like him!" Shigure roared. "You're acting like Akito!"

"So what if I do? There's nothing I can do." He smirked. "I was raised under his care and I do what he taught me: to be heartless."

"Then how come you understood her and believed her on who she really is? Lust? Greed? I don't think so." The novelist stood up and stared at his cousin. "You cared for her. You know that." He left the room silently.

He hoped so much that Shigure was wrong. Tohru is a goddess and he did not own her in the first place. But what he was thinking…

Was he really thinking like Akito?

"I'll try, Tohru…" he whispered to himself. "I'll try not to be like him. You're not a thing to play with. You're a human… and I…."

"KYOU-KUUUUUUUUUN!!!!!!"

Yuki sat up as Kagura stormed inside his room. She scanned the room, then stared at him. "Have you seen Kyou?"

"I've been here the whole morning." He answered coldly. "Have you checked the roof?"

"Yes, I checked everywhere…" she cried. "… and also, Tohru's not here---"

After hearing that, Yuki stood up and walked out of his room. "Where did she go? Did she leave a note? Did she mentioned where she was going?" he yelled.

"No…" Kagura replied.

"Damn… where is she?" he muttered.

"Why are you so worried all of the sudden?" she asked. "You worry more about her than Kyou!"

"She's a girl!"

"He's your cousin!"

"He can defend himself!"

"She's a goddess!"

"I DON'T CARE!" he yelled. "I'm her master and I should know where she is going! Remember the sun guardian?! She told me that I should look after her!"

"So you're worried because somebody might get her and steal her away from you?! Is that it?"

Yuki took a deep breath and nodded slowly. "I don't want to lose her…"

"You're becoming greedy, Yuki…" Kagura placed her hand on his shoulder. "…just like Akito---"

"Never compare him to me!" he said firmly.

"We're home!!!" he heard somebody yell. He went down the stairs and saw Tohru and Haru coming in.

"Thanks for helping me in the groceries, Haru-san." She said happily.

"No worries. It's the only thing I could do in return after you grant me my wish." He replied.

Yuki furiously went towards them. "Where were you?!"

"I just went out to buy some food." She answered. "We ran out of supplies---"

"You weren't allowed to go anywhere without my permission!" he said firmly. "You should have told me!"

"But I though you were asleep---"

"Even so, you weren't allowed, Tohru." He glared at her.

"Whoa…." Haru raised his hands. "Please no fighting here."

"Shut up."

"I'm sorry, Yuki-kun…I just… don't know…" she said in between sobs. All them were silent, but Yuki was still angry.

"It's not enough, Tohru. You could have been killed." He muttered. "What if I lose you? What would I do?"

"You won't lose me, silly." She giggled. "I'm not going to die. I'm immortal---"

"What if someone stole you? Taken you away? Forced you to live with another person?!" He stared at her angrily, like he was going to melt her. "I won't let anybody take you away from me!"

"But if somebody really took me away, I would come back here… come back to you…" she replied calmly. "You're my master…"

"Of course, I am. And you should obey me." He said. "You shouldn't deny any of my request, understand?"

Tohru looked at her hands instead of him. She was terribly shaking and her body becomes unstable. Several flashbacks came to her mind, which reminded her of Akito's cruel words towards her.

She felt herself collapsing but arms came and supported her. She looked around and saw Shigure hugging her. "Ne, Tohru-san, did you lose weight?" he asked. "You're a lot lighter than before."

"Let her go, pervert." Yuki replied sternly. But Shigure ignored his cousin.

"Maybe you need some fresh air, ne?" the novelist smiled. "Why don't you come with me?"

"LET HER GO!" Yuki grabbed his cousin's shoulder. "SHE'S MINE!"

Tohru almost jumped from her place when she heard that. Just like Akito…just like him… she thought over and over again.

Shigure hugged her closer to him. "Ne, we're just going to take a walk, ok?" he smiled mysteriously. He looked at Tohru. "Where do you want to go?"

She leaned forward and whispered something in his ear. He grinned at her but she remained silent.

"You're not taking her anywhere, Gure." Yuki warned. "She should stay here with me and with NO ONE ELSE!"

"My dear cousin Yuki," he faced him seriously. "Four words: you – don't – own – her." Then he shifted his mood quickly. "Let's go, Honda-san!"

"Hai…" she whispered. Then they walked away. Yuki remained in his place for quite a long moment until Kagura whispered. "What were you thinking?"

"Huh?" he looked at her. "I was doing my job."

"I haven't heard the whole story but," Haru walked towards him. "I felt that she was scared when you said that. It sounded strange, just like Akito."

"Don't compare him to----"

"It's over Yuki." Kagura said sadly. "You just scared her again, reminded her about Akito."

That afternoon, Shigure came back alone. He was humming the song from Avril Lavigne when Yuki went towards him. "Where is she?"

"With somebody." He quickly said.

"I'm not joking, Gure-san." Yuki stared at him, but he knew there's only one person whom Tohru wanted to go when she's lonely: Hatori. "I want to know where she is."

"Are you sure you want to know?"

"Spill it."

"She's with a person who cares for her and respects her." the novelist began. "Someone who treats her warmly and sees her as a human being, not a goddess, and a friend, not a thing to own." He smiled persuasively. "For short, she's with---"

Just then, the phone rang. Yuki went towards it and picked it up. "Sohma's residence." He said.

"I want to speak with Shigure, please." A voice answered.

"Hatori!" Yuki was partly surprised to hear him. Hatori usually calls in the morning but…

"Yuki, I want to speak with Shigure," he answered coldly.

"Where is she?" the nezumi asked. "I know she's with you. Is she alright?"

"I did not call to talk to you, Yuki. Where's Shigure?"

"How long will you be keeping her? Are you going to steal her away from me, Tori, like you did from Akito?" he asked angrily. The doctor sighed loudly on the phone.

"I'm surprised that you've grown just like him. If I knew better, I wouldn't let you be the clan head. You're just repeating the same situation that Akito encountered." Hatori explained coldly but calmly. "He found her, cares for her and eventually uses her, like she's nothing to you, like she's something to dispose soon enough."

"Hatori, you're thinking---"

"For your information, I'm not here to steal her. She came to me crying and told everything to me. I had no other thoughts in mind but to keep her away from you for a while, just for her to breath deeply and think about the situation you two had gotten into. It was her will to say yes to my suggestion." He explained once more but this time, in a much higher tone.

"I want to speak to her." Yuki requested.

"I'm sorry, but I won't allow her to speak to anyone whom I think will yell at her again." The doctor said firmly. "I thought you were different, Yuki, that you would bring hope from the curse Akito gave to us. But I was wrong. You were there to follow his footsteps, to continue Akito's goal: to place Sohmas in darkness, away from the world."

Yuki tried to say something but the words that Hatori used was a bit harsh. He couldn't reply at him. All he could think about right now was her.

"She's afraid of you, Yuki." The doctor said finally. "She's afraid on what words you're going to use next. She doesn't want to get hurt anymore. She doesn't want to cry."

"I… understand."

"All you could do now is wait, Yuki. It's her choice to come back to you or not." Hatori whispered. "Women always cry when they get hurt, you know that."

"Yes I do…" Yuki replied. "But I don't know… what I said was…."

"I know Akito taught you to close your heart but you have a choice, Yuki." Hatori explained again. "Please, put Shigure on the line. I would like to talk to him."