Lord Cynic: "At the request of Princess Viv, I'm no longer going to update 'in pairs'. It'll give readers, and me, a breather if I space them out, eh? About 3 days on average will separate them if I get enough ideas. Actually, after this pair, I'm gonna write some Yukiru and Kyoru poetry… because I'm lazy. Oy.

Oh, and I just got FB volume 6. Damn. Even though I've seen the entire anime, I just can't get over the climax (as I consider it) of the volume slash anime. I won't spoil anything, though. Oddly enough, I can't get emotionally teary when I read chapters 33 and 34, although I get pretty damn close. 34 is rather touching, too. Eh..."

Lord Cynic: "Disclaimer: See previous chapter."

One rice ball, two hearts

Secret Base

During the mild weather of autumn, Yuki and Miss Honda usually spent an hour of each day tending to Yuki's garden. After strawberries, they had tried for mushrooms, which were sure to be extremely tasty. To rub it in the stupid cat's face, however, Yuki had dedicated another patch of soil for leeks. That would be an effective supply for when Kyo needed to be shut up. That idiot always found ways to give Yuki a headache, which was why he had to retreat to his secret base everyday for some alone time.

However, now he had some very pleasant company as he tended to his garden. Miss Honda always showed immense enthusiasm when it came to his secret base, ever since he told her about it. She'd helped him save it numerous times during rough storms, and was thrilled to discover what they would be planting each day. She was sincere about everything when it came to his special place, and he was grateful for it. Most of all, the time he was able to spend with her, away from that stupid cat or that sleazy dog was precious to him.

More than that, though, she was precious to him. She once told him his kindness was like a candle. A candle that just seemed to light up the room and make her want to smile. Well, to him, her kindness was like a rainbow. Even after the storm, when the sunshine came, a beautiful rainbow would appear to make him feel better. Its majestic colours and wonderful appearance filled his heart up with pleasure and warmth. That was Miss Tohru Honda.

In many respects, the garden reminded him of her. It was calm and beautiful, never succumbing to the pressures of the world. Despite any dangers it faced, it would trudge on and never give up. Everything in the garden would grow to be beautiful and worth the time and effort. It also provided him with a smooth and serene atmosphere, much like her smile and her words of encouragement. The only thing that was different, was that he could keep the garden to himself, but unfortunately for him, he couldn't be that selfish with Miss Honda.

He wished that he could, but that wasn't true by any stretch of the imagination. She'd come into the Sohmas' lives when they had least expected it. She'd turn their secret, but never shied away or called them outcasts because of it. On the contrary, she welcomed it with open arms (sometimes literally) and never criticised the curse. She was courageous, far more than any of them could possibly hope to be. Especially Yuki. If he was, then he could tell Miss Honda how he felt about her without feeling any apprehension. He would gladly face up to Akito with the knowledge that, although he'd gone against the Sohma head's wishes, he'd found the one person who could truly make him happy, maybe even break the horrible curse that hovered over the family like impending darkness.

Perhaps it was fate's doing, that Miss Honda would come to know about his secret base. Perhaps he was destined to reveal the one sanctuary he had from the rest of the world. Perhaps he was meant to feel the way he did, for the one girl who didn't turn her head when she learned of the curse. Perhaps Akito was wrong for telling Yuki that everyone would hate him for what he was. Because that wasn't true at all. There was one person who cared about what type of person he was on the inside, not how he looked on the outside. And that's all he cared about.

"So, Miss Honda, what should we pick today?"

"Hmm, let's see… the radishes are done, I think. And the green peppers."

"I think the mushrooms are almost ready, too, don't you think?"

"Oh, yes, definitely! Good thinking, Yuki!"

Yuki smiled as Miss Honda trotted over to the mushrooms and began plucking them one-by-one. When she figured there were plenty, she dropped them into a wicker basket and smiled with satisfaction. Yuki couldn't help it, and he smiled back as he picked up the basket and began leading the way back to Shigure's house.

The garden was his secret base, and within it, he held an even more precious secret. One he would reveal to Miss Honda, and Miss Honda alone… someday.