Tooru glanced at the tall youth beside her. His soft hair played in the breeze while a serene smile was settled on his delicate mouth. His quiet grey eyes met hers suddenly. "Honda-san, are you sure you can carry all of those by yourself?" Yuki asked.

"Yes! Souma-kun shouldn't worry so mu—!" Tooru tripped and struggled to hold onto the bundle of vegetables they had picked. Among the harvest were the first of the strawberries.

"Honda-san, let's sit down for a little while, okay?"

"Okay…" The two found part of a low wall to rest on. Tooru's eyes were troubled. Her usual vacant stare was replaced by one of confusion. The lithe body beside her turned, and she felt a hand rest on her shoulder. 'Ah! Souma-kun's hand is on my shoulder!!' Tooru thought desperately. Her face turned a cute shade of pink as she craned her neck to see Yuki's face. She had never seen him wear an expression like this before. One of… peace? No. Was it…?

"Honda-san. I don't want you to be bothered."

"Ah! No! I… I'm not bothered." The troubled expression returned to her face. 'Souma-kun has been so good to me. Souma-kun, Kyou-kun, even Shigure-san… They all… They've all helped me. They've helped me so much. It isn't right that I should feel this way for Souma-kun!' The hand shifted to reach its way over her back to her far shoulder, so that Yuki was almost cradling her with his arm. Almost. Tooru's face deepened to a pretty shade of crimson as she fought with the desire to lean into his arms.

"Are you alright? Tooru… kun."

"Ah! I'm fine! Souma-kun..." What was happening? Did Yuki just use her first name? "Souma-kun…"

"Tooru-kun, I think it's time." Yes. There was peace in Yuki's face. But… Something else, too.

Not for the first time that day, Tooru was puzzled.

"Tooru-kun, we have been living together for a long time. Most couples…"

"Souma-kun, are you saying…?" Tooru's eyes glistened and her blush deepened further.

"Tooru-kun, don't you think it's strange that a couple should live together for so long… without saying that they love each other?" Yuki tightened his grip on her shoulder, leaning in to rest his head on hers. His soft eyes were filled with something intense.

Tears welled in her big brown eyes, spilling over and running down her cheeks, falling one by one to dampen the skirt of her dress. "Thank you." She turned and embraced Yuki, fully aware of the consequences.

Bon!! Yuki landed softly in Tooru's lap, and even despite the fact he was now a mouse, there was nowhere else he would have preferred to be. Tooru picked him up, cradling him against her chest. "Thank you, Yuki-kun." A tear fell near his paw.

"Tooru-kun, I love you." Yuki felt himself pulled up to meet her face, and was cradled gently beside her cheek.

"Yuki-kun, thank you. I'm so happy here." Tooru placed him softly on the ground in front of her. She didn't think about this, but he could see right up her dress to the dainty white underwear she was wearing. Yuki's eyes widened and he blushed, and his body picked a rather inconvenient time for him to transform.

"Ah! H-Here are your clothes, Y-Yuki-kun…" She turned her face away from the perfect young male body in front of her.

"You know, Tooru-kun…" Yuki said thoughtfully as he pulled on his pants, "It… It doesn't really matter, anymore." An amused expression crept onto his face.

"P-Pardon?" Stammering, Tooru assumed that he was talking about his nudity.

"The curse." Tooru sighed in comprehension. "Lovers do not need to embrace one another to be in love."

'Lovers!? This day keeps getting more and more wonderful…' Tooru turned her head to look at him, parting her lips, and almost said something.

Yuki seized his opportunity and leaned forward, planting a gentle kiss on Tooru's soft, warm lips.

He pulled away gently to whisper, "Thank you, Tooru-kun." Their breath had a few seconds to mingle, while Yuki took in every detail of her perfect face. Tooru blushed, and looked down. Yuki caught her chin in his cool soft hand, and resumed the kiss. He pushed further, deepening the kiss and explored Tooru's neck with his hands. Tooru's face, which had showed so much emotion already today, flared red, and a passionate frown crept onto her brow as she surrendered herself entirely. She returned the kiss.

Yuki felt a hand snake its way around his waist, and another over his shoulders and through his hair. He pulled away to kiss her neck, and nuzzled into her nape, planting tender kisses every so often. He could smell her hair.

"Yuki… kun…" Liquid brown eyes found their way to meet his. "I… I love you, too."

Yuki let out a soft laugh, and smiled through the kisses. He stood up, pulling her with him, and kissed her deeply. "Tooru-kun, what about the strawberries?" he whispered tenderly into her ear. Tooru could tell he was smiling.

"Strawberries?"

"Yeah. I don't know if they'll make it home in this weather…" On anybody else, that would've been a smirk.

"Oh! Then we should hurry! Kyou-kun and Shigure-san will be getting worried now anyway, so—" Tooru was cut off by a swift pair of lips.

"I don't think we should go back just yet, do you?" Yuki smiled. "The sun's about to set. Let's go somewhere where we can watch it."

Tooru felt a hand slide protectively over hers, and the two walked towards home. "I'd suggest the roof, but I don't like heights, and that stupid cat's always there."

Tooru snapped out her quixotic daze just long enough to speak. "Ah! I know a place we can go. Follow me!" She beamed at being the one to think of something for a change. Clutching each other's hands, they walked slowly in the direction that Tooru was taking them.

Finally, they rounded a bend in the path, the babble of a stream apparent through the trees.

"Tooru-kun… this is where…?"

This time it was Tooru who began the kiss.