Chapter 4: Nothing New

After much anticipation, New Years had finally arrived. This would be the day Tohru can spend with all of her Sohma friends without anybody getting hurt. Of course she was pretty nervous about going to the Zodiac Banquet with Akito there and all, but the idea of having Yuki and Kyo there with her was definitely comforting, because she knew for a fact that they'd never let anything happen to her, but that didn't stop her from being on the edge today.

"Stop being so nervous!" Kyo scowled, standing up from where he was sitting down, "it's just a party, nothing important."

"Yes…" she answered unsurely, "but… I've never been to one before, and… it's a family party, but I'm… actually invited."

"You have to thank Ame-chan for that," answered Shigure, from behind his paper, "I'd like to know what she had to do to convince Akito-sama."

"Don't we all," said Kyo sarcastically, walking out of the room.

"We can go early and visit Ha-san if you want?" asked Shigure, lowering his paper, "maybe you'd like to cook something for the Banquet or you can simply hang out with one of my dear cousins."

"Really?" questioned Tohru; happily, "it would be my pleasure to be able to do something for the Banquet!"

"If you're going to cook, then we better hurry up and get there right now," said Shigure, standing up, "lets get Kyo and Yuki."

Few minutes later, after they've gathered Yuki and Kyo, they set off for the Main house. Of course the two of them were dreading about being back there and seeing Akito again, then again, who wouldn't be? After a couple of minutes of walking, they've finally arrived. Being very early for the Banquet, Shigure, Tohru and Yuki decided to visit Hatori's house and to stay there until nighttime, but Kyo was a bit preoccupied in keeping Black-Haru Company. When the three of them arrived, they saw Hatori, Kyami and Ayame there, to Yuki disgust.

"I wanted that cookie!" whined Ayame to Kyami as she took a bite out a cookie.

"Too bad," she answered, taking another bite out of it, "I got it first. There's more in front of you."

"But I wanted that one…" whined Ayame, looking slightly down

"Will you two stop arguing already? You're giving me a headache," scolded Hatori, more than slightly annoyed.

"You know you're not suppose to be yelling at your friend who came here early to help you with the spring cleaning?" complained the white blonde

"You aren't exactly cleaning are you," argued Kyami, looking slightly annoyed by Ayame.

"So? That doesn't mean I won't be," he complained, taking a plain cookie from the dish.

"I prefer if you don't…" muttered Kyami, "you'll just make a mess of things…"

"I'm hurt!" said Ayame clutching his heart as if he was stabbed there.

"Remember last year?" she asked, looking at him dangerously, "you almost caught the whole house on fire."

"You shouldn't be talking," said Hatori sternly without opening his eyes while sipping his tea, "you did catch the house on fire once."

Everybody sweat dropped. "I was nine then, what did you expect from me?" questioned Kyami looking slightly uncomfortable and guilty.

"All I asked you to do was to boil water," said Hatori, looking at her.

"You know you weren't suppose to put me with fire…" the young girl complained, "and I told you I can't cook."

Shigure decided it would be a good time to announce their presence. He cleared his throat as all the attentions turned on to him.

"Hello Gure-san," Ayame called out happily, "and you too, my dear-sweet-little brother!" he jumped up, as if to try to pull Yuki into a hug, but Hatori grabbed his shirt sleeve to stop him from hurting himself.

"Ha-san, Aya," greeted Shigure, taking off of his shoes and entering the house through the porch as the others followed behind, "Ame-chan."

"Good afternoon Shigure-san, Yuki-kun, Tohru-san," said the younger girl politely.

"Ame," Yuki nodded his head politely, as Tohru waved hi to her. Hatori, Ayami, and Shigure quickly engaged into a conversation about something none of the younger kids understood, while Hatori kept a firm grip on Ayame so he wouldn't go near Yuki.

"Yuki-kun?" asked Kyami looking at her cousin, "how long are you going to give Kyo and Haru before we stop their fight?"

"Give them another 10 minutes before we ruin their fun," he answered, smiling

"You sure it's safe for you go get between Kyo-kun and Haru-san, Ame-chan?" asked Tohru, worried about the younger girl's safety

"She'll be fine," snorted Ayami lightly, looking up from their conversation, "she's been learning martial arts since she was four. She can take care of herself."

"Really?" asked Tohru surprised, always thought Kyami as being a rather gentle girl, "I never knew."

"She doesn't look like it does she?" asked Shigure, smiling at her, as Tohru nodded, "Ame's just like Yuki-kun. She looks sweet and quiet, but has the power to beat up any guy who ever challenges her. So it would be smart not to get on her nerves."

"I just wish she had as much of a gift in the kitchen as she does in the dojo," muttered Hatori, as Kyami shot him a glare, while everybody there sweat dropped once more, knowing how terrible she was when it comes to house work.

"I can teach Ame-chan how to cook in the kitchen if you want?" offered Tohru, as everybody there shook their hands in front of their faces in protest

"Please don't…" begged Yuki, "just keep her away from the kitchen…I don't think Hatori would like his house to be burned down twice."

"I was NINE then!" complained Kyami, "how did you expect me to cook?"

"I knew how to boil water WITHOUT burning the house down when I was seven," replied Hatori looking at her.

"They haven't let me into the kitchen since," Kyami explained to Tohru, looking away, "not that I like cooking or anything."

"How are you going to take care of your family after you get married then?" asked Tohru curiously, "women are suppose to know how to cook and to take care of their families."

Kyami looked surprised at that remark, but answered, "it'll be cheaper if I just hire a maid for the rest of my life than to repair the house every single day."

"Point taken," answered Yuki, getting up, "I think I should go and stop them now, before Haru ends up with a black-eye for the New Year's Banquet."

"I'll go with you," said Kyami, getting up as well.

"Be careful you too," said Shigure in a goofy tone, "and have fun!"

"I can find twenty things wrong with that last comment," muttered Kyami as she and Yuki left the house, and he nodded in agreement.

When they reached the yard of Hatori's house, they found Haru and Kyo there fighting. As they've expected, Kyo was getting the upper hand. "Which one do you want to take?" asked Yuki, looking at the two brawling idiots.

"I'll take Kyo… it'll be safer that way," she answered, "Haru wouldn't hurt you that I know, and you won't hurt him, but if I put you with Kyo. Then he'd end up getting hurt."

"Good point," Yuki smiled, walking up to them as Kyami followed.

Kyami grabbed Kyo's wrist to prevent him from punching Haru, as Yuki grabbed both of Haru's arms from the back. "What are the two of you doing!" yelled Kyo angrily, "interrupt somebody else's fight!"

"Sorry…I wouldn't stop your fight, but I don't think Akito-sama would be happy with a broken front gate and you two to come to the party with black eyes," she smiled innocently at Kyo, as he gazed at her surprised. In the mean while, Yuki pulled Haru far away from Kyo, to the opposite side of the yard. Yuki kept a firm grip on Haru's arms to prevent him from escaping, while he just smirked. Black Haru cast his sight on Yuki, who was gazing at Kyo and Kyami on the opposite side of the yard.

Kyami was smiling sweetly at Kyo, who looked extremely uncomfortable with a huge blush on his face, "stop looking at me like that! It's scaring me!"

"How can a smile scare anybody?" she asked sweetly, trying to keep his attention away from Haru, and it seemed to be working. "I'm just trying to be nice."

"Nice doesn't involve looking at me with puppy-dog eyes!" yelled Kyo, still with a small blush on his face. "Now stop that!"

"If you really want?" she questioned, looking hurt, as she loosened the grip she had on his wrist.

"Um… I ah… " Kyo looked more uncomfortable than he was before, "just forget what I said!" he turned around, and stomped away toward the direction of Hatori's house.

"Works every time," she muttered, smiling at her brilliant plan.

Yuki gazed at the scene in surprise, not knowing how she managed to make Kyo forget about his fight with Haru without throwing a punch or casting an insult. He shook it off as he turned his attention back on to Haru, who had already turned back to white. "Since when did you change back?"

"I don't know," he answered, looking back at Yuki, "not long ago I guess."

Yuki shook his head at his dazed cousin, "let's go back to Hatori's. It's where everybody else are."

The dark clouds soon covered the sky, blocking the sun away, as snowflakes slowly fell out of the sky. Kyami and Tohru sat on the porch of the house, gazing at the falling snow. "How do you feel about Yuki?" she asked suddenly, out of the blues. Tohru looked at her in surprise and suddenly a blush appeared on her face.

"Yuki-kun's nice," Tohru, responded, looking away, "he's kind to me, and a great guy. He's understanding, and has great manners. He is a great friend."

"A friend?" she questioned, "nothing more?"

Tohru's blush deepened, "I…uh…I don't…. know…"

"Do you like him? More than a friend I mean," She asked, "you don't have to be nervous. I'm not going to tell anybody. I was just asking."

"Oh…" Tohru relaxed.

"I don't know what's going on in your mind, but I know enough to know that you are a great person," said Kyami, smiling at the older girl, "I just wanted to tell you to follow your heart, because it's always right. When it's between listening to your head or your heart, you should always pick your heart."

"Hatori raised me when I was a child. He always meant more to me than my own sister. I probably even loved him more than my own parents," she continued, "For the past few years, I've always regretted not getting to know Kana even though I knew how much she meant to him. I cared for her, even though I never got to know what she was like, I loved her like I loved the rest of my family, because I knew Hatori loved her, and that was enough for me."

Tohru looked surprised at her, not knowing where it was going.

"He was always mine and mine only. I was afraid of sharing him with somebody else. I was afraid she was going to take him away from me, so I stayed away, far away. On the day they've decided to get Akito's permission to get married, I was invited to go of course. But I've refused. My heart told me that I should've been there for Hatori like he was always there for me, " she paused, "but my mind told me not to go, because I knew I would get hurt, knowing the fact that he wasn't mine anymore. I didn't want to face the reality, so I refused."

"I've regretted till this day about not going," she gazed up at the falling snow, catching a small one that melted instantly, "if I were there, then I could've done something to stop Akito from hurting his eye. Maybe even kept him from getting angry and allowing them to get married. If I were there, then maybe things wouldn't have turned out to be the way it did. They could've gotten married. Then maybe Hatori could've been happy with Kana. I've blamed myself and kept it on my conscious for a long time, there's not a single second when I have not been regretting for what I didn't do. Don't turn out to be like me, Tohru. Don't regret every single thing that you've ever done and did not do. Follow your heart, for it knows best."

"If you really like Yuki, then tell him," she got up, and turned to the door behind her, "before it's too late. You can decide whom you like and whom you want to be with, but I can't. I'd hate to see you get hurt and end up like me," she smiled before walking out of the door, leaving Tohru there to wonder what she had heard.