Tohru bustled around the stove in the expansive Sohma kitchen, beaming subconsciously to herself as she listened to Yuki and Kyo's heated bickering through the door.

"You kuso nezumi, you can't do that! Take that back, dammit! It's not in the damn rules!" You could tell when Kyo was mad by the way he found himself shouting cuss words every other phrase. Tohru giggled as she vividly pictured Kyo-kun challenging in indignation at whatever Yuki had done this time. She stepped over to the wooden cabinets and took out a few porcelain plates, setting them absentmindedly on the counter as she listened.

"It is now." Yuki's voice stated his defense calmly and smoothly, unperturbed as always.

She took the lid off a pot of ramen and stirred, breathing in the steaming aroma of chicken and spices.

"What? You can't just add a rule, dammit! I said take that back!" She wasn't sure why they even played card games together if neither of them could go for ten minutes without imploding from repressed hatred.

"Now, now, children. Stop your flirting," came Shigure's voice over the sound of tea boiling. He was most likely at his desk in the corner, writing another of what Kyo called his hentai novels.

"Pervert!" Tohru winced as she heard the crashing noise that was undoubtedly the two boys cooperating for once in the act of throwing Shigure across the room. Stirring the ramen again, she wondered whether to laugh or worry.

"I'm okay…" came a dazed voice from near the door. She decided to laugh, and in doing so, accidentally knocked over one of the plates that she had just precariously placed on the counter.

What the boys heard in the next room was the harsh tinkling of china shattering and a high-pitched yelp that could only have come from Tohru.

The door flew open. "Tohru-san!" shouted Yuki. Kyo was right behind him, looking concerned. "Are you all right?"

Blushing crimson, Tohru nodded and bent hastily to sweep up the fragments of the plate into her palm. "I'm sorry!" she cried wildly. "I'm all right! I just knocked into the plate accidentally with my elbow and—Ow!" She jerked backward and stuck her finger in her mouth.

Yuki calmed a bit. "Are you sure you're okay?" he said softly, leaning down and pulling her hand out of her mouth. "Do you need a bandage?"

Tohru found her voice. "I'm fine," she admitted meekly. "I'm so sorry to trouble you. You can go back to your game with Kyo-kun now."

But he didn't leave right away. He gazed at her, something unrecognizable passing behind his wide, clear eyes.

She looked back at him, curiously. "Did you want to ask me something, Yuki-kun?

Was that a…blush creeping along the lines of his cheek? "No, no, I'm sorry, Honda-san, I just zoned out for a second," smiled Yuki. It took a second for his monotone mask to switch itself on again, but there it was now, as unresponsive as ever. There was still a visible tint of red resting across his face. "I must have stayed up late last night doing homework."

"Oh! Well, I guess that's all right, then. Make sure you get more sleep tonight!" What was that emotion she had just felt? "I'm sure you'll feel better tomorrow in the morning."

"…Yes," he muttered, averting his gaze and standing suddenly. "Maybe I'll do that." He turned and stalked out of the room, his sudden contemplation left unexplained.

She watched to door swing slowly shut behind him, heard the resonating thud in the suddenly empty kitchen. Kyo had scampered away when he had seen that everything was all right, anxious to be somewhere far, far away from Yuki and his silent wrath. Cats could tell when something big was going on in someone's mind.

The kettle began to whistle loudly, and Tohru stood, scolding herself for losing focus due to a petty plate. She located a broom and started the steady motions, back and forth, pendulum-like. What was that wrenching of her heart that had happened, as she was talking to Yuki? It had passed to quickly to identify, but too slowly and painful to escape notice. The pressure inside the kettle peaked as it screamed even louder for attention, and she swept the plate into the garbage before turning to take the tea off the stove. Let her ponder this later, while in bed. For now, it seemed, she'd better occupy her mind with only one think at a time. She had a dinner to fix.