A/N: And so it begins.... (laughs) Thanks so much for your reviews, you guys. They make writing more fun My computer is still dead, so it's hard to get updates up here, but I'm trying! Hope you enjoy!


Chapter Four – In the Elevator

'I'm going to be late!' Tohru thought desperately, scrambling to finish her duties by 11:00. Running back and forth down the hallway with a broom, she checked her watch. 10:58. She had two minutes. If she was lucky, she could make it.

"That girl works so hard, right until the end of her shift, not a minute before." One of Tohru's fellow caretakers said to another.

"Too true, and she's been with us for four years." The other answered, her head cocked slightly, her hands and chin resting on a broom.

'One more time…' Tohru thought as she ran up the hallway with her broom, finally finishing, her silver watch beeping, signaling the beginning of a new hour. "Yes!" She grinned, fist thrusted into the air in triumph. "I had better get going!" Running the broom to the cupboard where it belonged, she bid her coworkers farewell and rushed back into the elevator. Once inside, she pulled the headband that was part of her uniform off of her head, staring at herself in the mirrors that passed as walls in the small room. She had just finished fixing her hair to her satisfaction when the elevator doors opened on the 8th floor to reveal another woman wearing the same uniform as Tohru, but had her black hair up in an elegant knot.

"Hey Tohru! Going home?" She greeted, her kind face forming into a tired smile as she checked to make sure the 'main' button was pressed. Her name was Kira, she had worked with Tohru for a few years now.

"You'd think so, but I still have to go out for coffee." Tohru laughed.

"Coffee at 11:00? You'll never get to sleep dear!" Kira answered, looking mildly surprised. "Who with?"

The doors suddenly opened again as the elevator came to a stop on the fourth floor.

"Good evening, Mr. Sohma." Kira greeted as Yuki walked onto the elevator.

"Good evening…" He answered, looking not at her, but at Tohru, a smile on his face. "Hello again, Miss Honda. I see you everywhere, don't I?" he chuckled. Kira looked to be in a state of dumbstruck disbelief. It was clear that she wasn't used to being ignored, especially by someone as normally nice as Mr. Sohma.

'Imagine the irony…' Tohru thought, her cheeks turning a dull red color. She was feeling both a little embarrassed for herself and Kira.

"Ready to go? I hope I'm not keeping you out too late… away from your schoolwork or anything…." Yuki inquired, looking slightly worried by Tohru's redness.

"Um, no, it's fine! Really!" she answered back quickly. She'd have been fine if Kira hadn't been there, did he even notice that there was someone other than the two of them in the small room? This thought was cut short as the doors opened once more, this time to reveal the handsome lobby. Kira, looking annoyed, cut right in front of Yuki, who was closest to the open doors, giving him a dirty look, which he seemed to have missed completely. Kira turned around, once out of the elevator and mouthed to Tohru while Yuki's back was still turned:

'With him?' Tohru nodded ever so slightly, which Kira must have noticed because she covered it up with a loud "Bye, Tohru!"

"See you Kira, take care!" Tohru waved, walking out of the elevator, Yuki beside her. 'He's a little oblivious…' she thought.

"Are you sure tonight is okay?" Yuki asked again concernedly.

"Of course." Tohru answered, turning to face him. "I at least owe you some time and a coffee for saving my life and being so kind to me!" she laughed, her redness fading a little now, which seemed to calm Yuki's nerves.

"Nonsense, my treat." He grinned. "Do you have a coat with you?" he asked. "It's cold out there." With that, Tohru went into panic mode.

"I KNEW I forgot something! I left it in Kyou's car." She said, nonplussed and in a state of complete disbelief.

"Kyou? He brought you here? What a complete idiot, letting a woman out of his car without her coat in this weather. So irresponsible…" Yuki replied, annoyed, as he began to remove his long trench coat from his shoulders to put onto hers.

"It's not Kyou's fault… I was being stupid and I forgot it…." She argued in the orange top's defense. "Oh, no, Yuki I could never take yours, really, I'll be fine, I'll just run to the doors fast…"

"You have an admirable ability for talking rapidly." Yuki winked, the annoyance dissipated from his face. 'I know her… I do… Damn, she's cute…' he thought. "It's alright, I have another one in my car."

"Th-thank you…." Tohru stuttered, the warm coat now hanging on her subtle shoulders, blush returning to her dainty face as the couple walked out toward the doors that lead to the bitter cold of the winter night. "You really are too kind, especially to someone you just met. I should be the one giving you my coat." She told him quietly.

"You know… I think I've met you before. You aren't like a stranger to me. I like you Tohru, and I feel like I did before… sometime…" These words caused Tohru's blush to deepen across her features as they walked out into the parkade beneath the Sohma building; wing playing at Tohru's hair, causing it to flow delicately through the night air. "I'm parked down here." Yuki smirked at her. 'What is this, that I feel deep within my chest…'

"This is it." The handsome 21-year-old guided her, his hand on her slender back to a black BMW. He opened the door for her as a breeze crossed his face, blowing his silvery hair in the cold wind. Once she sat in the passenger seat, he walked around to the trunk, which he opened and pulled out another overcoat, very similar to the one Tohru was wearing. Putting it on, Yuki continued around the car, finally sitting in the drivers seat.

"So, where'd you grow up? I must know you from somewhere…" Yuki inquired as they drove to a close by coffee shop.

"Osaka… I lived with my mother until she died when I was 16." Tohru answered happily, staring at a photograph that was lying on the dashboard with interest.

"I'm sorry about your mother… that must have been difficult." Yuki sighed sadly. "You lived in Osaka? That's funny… So did I…" he said, thinking critically and turning his head so he could make eye contact with Tohru for a brief second. Her attention was called briefly away from the photograph. "Until I was fourteen, then I was forced to move here to Tokyo because my parents worked for the Sohma Corporation. Not to mention the fact that I needed medical attention after Akito pushed me off a second story balcony at the main house…" Tohru's eyes were wide.

"That's horrible… who is Akito?" she asked, a worried look crossing her pretty face.

"Akito… He's the head of the Sohma clan. Lunatic… Probably a sociopath or something… Needless to say, I had some memory loss. That's why I wonder if… I knew you when I was a kid." Tohru had finally picked up the photograph on Yuki's dashboard, her mouth dropping as she looked at it.

"Oh my- " she paused. "Is… Is this you??" she asked, clearly shocked. Yuki looked slightly taken aback but still answered.

"Yes, that's me when I was ten…" he said, staring just as Tohru was at the photo, trying to drive safely at the same time. "It's my fourth grade class photo… I don't really know why its in here…" Yuki told her, puzzled. "Why so surprised?"

"Because this is me!" Tohru pointed to a cute young girl standing right beside little Yuki. "I haven't seen this for years! I don't think they let us take it home that year… I can't think of why…" She continued, slightly excited now.

"You're kidding me!" Yuki laughed in excitement and glee as the couple pulled up in front of the coffee shop. "I knew you weren't a stranger! Bring it with you, okay?" He requested, getting out of the car; Tohru following suit, photo in hand. She looked again at the Yuki in the photo as she walked toward the door, then at the 21 year old Yuki who was holding it open for her, biting his lip in an effort to keep from looking like a guffawing lunatic. The boyish face was still visible in his laughter. Tohru grinned at him, making her look even prettier than usual as the moon's light danced upon her flowing hair. This was unbelievable.


A/N: They seem a little over excited, don't they? Haha, there is a reason… for some reason they don't remember… (yet?) That's all I can say(eep!Don't hurt me!) otherwise I'll spill the whole story! And yes, Akito is a guy. (wink!) Next chapter is the big one… one of my favorites so far! (Yes... the hopeless sap loves writing those things...)

Anyway, Ja ne! Thanks for reading! R&R!

-Sahariah