A/N: This chapter could have gone two ways for me. The way that fit OR the way that would have been in charactor with the anime. I chose to go with the way that fit with the story. It just doesn't make sense to change Yuki so that he becomes vengeful. So I tweaked him and Kyou into a differant direction. I used their pasts to help you guys feel more comfortable, but I will be a the crowd of pitchfork-wielding readers screaming "Hey they're OOC!" but although I dis-like going astray from their personalities, I believe I did my best, and the entire story is OOC, Tohru shouldn't be able to hug them. I appologise if anyone feels that I've done an injustice by going in this direction, but at the same time would like to argue that what I've done was done well, and it something that we all wish for the charactors, at least those of us who don't wish certain charactors eminent death. Please enjoy it for what it is, a story.

Kyou was searching through Shigure's video collection, trying to find something to watch with Tohru when he heard the front door open. 00 They must be back now, I wonder how he's doing. 00 Kyou shook his head. 00 It doesn't matter how he's doing, I won, I finally beat that bastard. . . so why do I feel so horrible about it? 00

Yuki walked into the study sadly, and leaned against the desk. "She just told me. . ." Yuki bowed his head. "I know in my heart she belongs with you, someone who can make her happy . . . I know I could never do that for her Kyou, I can't even make myself happy. But I thought that she could, I didn't want to lose that. But when she told me, she was so happy, she was so in love with you but, she still cared about my feelings . . . I realised something, she doesn't want to leave me, she still wants to be my friend."

Kyou reached out towards his cousin without realizing what he was doing, he was about to hug Yuki, and when he did realize, he dropped his hands to his sides. "Listen Yuki, I don't want to pretend to be firends with you in front of Tohru anymore."

"Huh?" Yuki looked up, his tears stopping.

"I also realised something today, All those times I've challenged you and fought with you, those were some of the best times I've had in my life. You're one of my best friends, it shouldn't be so hard for me to be nice to you." Kyou started to leave, but turned at the door. "I never intended to take Tohru away from you, I always knew that what you really needed from her was a friend and she would never stop being your friend. I think that's where the differance between us is. You always felt you had no friends, I always felt I needed a family. Even with people around us saying they could be that, we needed it from Tohru. Some day, I plan on marrying her and creating that family I need. And when that time comes I want you to be there."

Yuki was shocked. "kyou?" 00 How could I have never seen this coming? 00 He stood in the study thinking about what had just happend. 00 I really never thought about him being my friend, but looking back, he really was the only person in my life who was consistantly there, except for Akito. Kyou was always there, fighting me, but because he was fighting me, I could forget everything that Akito had done to me. I never looked at it like this before but if Kyou hadn't been there fighting me, then I may not have survived myself. 00

"Oh Yuki! What are you doin in here, you know Kyou's upstairs as we speak, wooing our dear flower. If you don't act now he may corupt her, he is the cat you know." Shigure smiled.

"You're dispicable." Yuki groaned, leaving the room.


Yuki threw open the door to Tohru's room, where the movie had just started. The scene before him was as he'd expected it, Kyou and Tohru were sitting on the floor like the other night, her head against his chest, his arm around his shoulder. "I need to talk to you right now."

Tohru was blushing wildly. Kyou pushed pause. "I'll be right back Tohru."

Out in the hall, Yuki closed the door behind them, so Tohru couldn't hear. "You'd better treat her with respect. If I find out that you've made her do anything she doesn't want to do, I swear I will not hold back, I don't care if you are my best friend, I will set the date for your funeral, do you understand."

"Thank you."

"Huh?"

"I was afraid yoou'd still hate me, that I was wrong, and you really loved her like I do. And I thought you'd never believe that I want to be your friend. That's how it all started you know, I would fight you whenever I saw that you were down, you always pounded me into the ground and it made you too angry at me to be sad, but after awhile I just forgot why I fought you, I started to resent losing all the time and someone told me that we were supposed to hate each other and I made that my reason." Kyou smiled. "She's amazing. She told me once that even if she didn't have the power to lift our curse, that was okay, as long as she could make us be friends. I would never do anything to hurt her, but with you around to kick my ass if I do, I feel beter about it." He opened started to open the door. "And Yuki. Thank you for saying that I'm your best friend."

Yuki blushed not realizing that he had said that. "Tohru's waiting for you." He turned to go to his own room.


Shigure smiled to himself. 00 this would really bother Akito. 00 He started to go back to his study. "But, what Akito doesn't know, won't hurt them."

A/N: I think I inserted a shounen-ai feel to Yuki and Kyou, but never fear, this isn't that kind of a story, I think I've just been reading too many of that kind of story, that's all. I have no idea what's going to happen next chapter, but I do plan on doing a bit of research for it, but don't worry after those first couple of chapters, I don't plan on getting too scientific. I'll definately include some cute little happening as well, so until next time . . . REVIEW!