A/N: Yay! The third chapter! Oh, and by the way, Tohru is pretty open and or serious because that's how she was in Volume 6. So I thought she'd become pretty open slash serious when it came to something she cared about. IE, her and Kyo. Review please, my lovelies!

WARNING: Contains about one sentence that has to do with Volume 6. If you haven't read that far, STOP READING THIS RIGHT NOW. But please, review anyway. You know it's possible, and all…

Disclaimer: It all belongs to Natsuki Takaya! Such an awesome girl. AND she's left-handed! Like me! Er. Not that it matters…

Thanks, once again, to all my peachy-keen reviewers! You make me smile everytime you review! I hope to see more of your helpful and encouraging comments. They're what keeps me writing this story! Loves and stuff, Ze Fanficshun Author.

What Can Come of Cooking

"…And today, Tokyo has a seventy-two percent chance of rain and thunderstorms. Watch out folks! Don't go walking the dog in this weather…"

Tohru sighed heavily, letting her head drop onto the unsuspecting shoulder of Kyo. She noticed he stiffened slightly, but then his shoulder drooped again. The two were sitting by the kotatsu, watching the weather channel for some inexplicable reason.

"Why are we watching the dumb weather channel anyway?" Kyo asked, voicing Tohru's thoughts in a harsher manner.

She shrugged. "To know if we can walk the dog in this weather?" she giggled, letting her eyes close. Tohru sighed again. It had been a week since the two had, well, officially gotten together, she supposed. Did the kiss in the kitchen mean they were officially together? She hoped so, or else the past week had been kind of useless. Tohru had loved it though. Spending time on the roof, walking around town together, and now Kyo was the one that insisted on picking her up from work. Tohru felt complete, after a long time. Her mother had been the one she loved and looked up to, and had spent all her time with before. Now it was Kyo.

She snapped back into reality, realizing Kyo's hand was stroking her hair in such a way it seemed he didn't even realize he was doing it. His eyes were still glued on the weather channel, and his face showed no signs of embarrassment. Tohru smiled to herself, feeling giddy inside. It was so different, being this close to Kyo! She had never expected to be snuggled up to him on the kotatsu with his hand in her hair. Of course, the two were close, but not so close that he would transform. They had gone over it three days before, to see how close she could to him before transforming. He had turned into a cat plenty of times, and it had been embarrassing for Tohru to get so close to him so suddenly, but it was better to know then for him to accidentally turn into a cat.

The couple had been lucky so far. No one in school suspected anything, except for of course, Hanajima, who seemed to be very suspicious. Uotani poked and prodded, but neither let anything out. They knew people would find out soon, but Kyo liked his privacy, and Tohru was willing to let him have it.

Even Yuki and Shigure didn't know yet. Shigure was obviously suspicious; he had been since Kyo and Tohru had lived in the same home. But now he was even more so, and Tohru knew they would have to tell him soon so he didn't catch them at an embarrassing moment. Yuki—well, Yuki was going to be harder. Tohru felt her stomach shrivel at the idea of telling him. The two had gotten so close, she was almost afraid at what his reaction would be. She didn't want to seem cocky, thinking Yuki liked her like Kyo did, but he had dropped obvious hints along the way that he did. Tohru could no longer pretend he thought of her as just a good friend. She was afraid Yuki might fight Kyo or something equally stupid, so she was trying to hide it for as long as she could manage.

"Kyo-kun?" she asked quietly.

"Huh?" he replied almost drowsily. Tohru still felt giddy, feeling Kyo's fingers playing with the hair on top of her head.

"Where is everyone?"

"How the hell should I know?" he asked, flipping off the TV. "Shigure's either writing or at the main house, and Yuki's probably at some stupid school council meeting." He closed his eyes and let his head fall gently onto Tohru's. She felt huge shivers run up and down her spine. His hand was now gone from her hair, but she felt his steady breathing instead. It was so close, and pretty soon she felt herself breathing with him. The two were silent for a while, just sitting there on the pillows of the kotatsu and thinking.

"People are probably suspicious," Tohru mumbled, fiddling with the zipper on his sweater absent-mindedly. "Are we going to tell them soon?"

"What do you mean?" Kyo asked almost grouchily. "Go up to the front of the class and explain to them about it?"
Tohru giggled. "No! Like, tell Hana-chan and Uo-chan, and Shigure-san and Yuki-kun…"

She heard Kyo make a grimacing noise in his throat. He sat up straighter, breaking from the comfy position the two had been in. He turned around in his seat so he was facing Tohru, sitting in his cat-like position. He looked at her intently, and Tohru felt like his eyes could see right through her.

"Do you really want to let people know?" he asked unnaturally quietly. Tohru hesitated.

"Well…at some point, you know? I can't keep such an important thing a secret," she said softly. Kyo looked at with a pained expression on his face, like there was a battle going on in his head.

"You do know," he started, hanging his head so his bangs hid his eyes, "that Yuki obviously likes you too?"
Tohru felt her heart break at the tone of his voice. Low and lifeless, like he was expecting her to say, "Wow, really? Then I love him too!"

Tohru grabbed both of his hands suddenly, holding them in hers. She felt that they were oddly cold. She gripped them hard, causing Kyo to look up through his bangs.

"I care for Yuki-kun," Tohru said, determined, "but as a brother and a best friend. I see you differently. I care for you both, but you…Kyo-kun, you're different. The good different. The better different. You're the one that I want to spend my time with, okay?" Kyo didn't move, and his face still held its reproachful expression through his bangs. Tohru hid a sigh.

"Kyo-kun, even if Yuki-kun has—um—feelings for me, I don't return them. Okay?"

Kyo hesitated, than nodded. "I know," he mumbled, his face reddening, "I guess I was just a bit…bit worried."

Tohru grinned at him: the grin that seemed to make everything right in the world.

"I will have to tell him though," she said sternly. "And Shigure-san and my friends."

Kyo moaned. "Do we have to? If we tell Shigure, he might tell…"

Tohru let out a gasp through her teeth. Oh no…memories of Kisa and Hiro rushed through her mind. A beaten Kisa, a Hatori with a blinded eye, Kana sobbing and nearly going crazy…

"He might tell Akito," Kyo finished, his eyes flashing with sudden hatred. "I don't want him to hurt you," he said fiercely. Tohru shook her head.

"I don't want him to hurt you," she said tersely. "But you know what? I think we can get over every obstacle. Don't you?" she asked brightly, trying to lessen the tension and dark thoughts. She shoved the lost love of Sohma members away from her mind. "I think we stand a really good chance."

Kyo grinned in a sad way, lifting one of his hands and ruffling her hair. "Okay Tohru," he told her quietly.

Tohru smiled at him. She loved being so close with someone. She felt something like a pang deep in her chest. Although she knew it was almost her duty to tell Yuki, Shigure, and her friends about their relationship, she almost didn't want to. She was afraid that once it became public…well…would Kyo brush her off? Would he become cold? Just because maybe…maybe he didn't want to be seen in public with her? Tohru's teeth began to chatter at the thought. That's why he didn't want it to be public! He didn't want to be seen with her!

He just agreed, you dummy, a voice chided. The other, more worrying side of Tohru almost sniffed hurtfully.

"Um…Honda-san?"

"Huh? What? Oh!" Tohru jumped to her feet, seeing Yuki standing in the doorway to the living room. Kyo seemed to have noticed him before Tohru had, because he was now an arms length away and flipping through the channels lazily. Odd, how fast fear could make you move. Because that's what he was, wasn't he? Afraid. Afraid to be seen with Tohru…

"I was just saying hello, but you weren't answering," Yuki responded in a calm, almost amused voice. Tohru bowed quickly to him.

"I'm sorry, Yuki-kun! My mind was just on other things…" She let her sentence drift off into nothing. Kyo hadn't made any hint he wanted Tohru to tell Yuki about their—er—situation. Tohru had no idea what to call it. But now that Kyo wasn't making any hints, she was positively sure he was too embarrassed to be seen with her.

"All right," Yuki said somewhat hesitantly, then disappeared behind a door. Tohru waited a moment to make sure he wouldn't pop back up, than crumpled to the floor due to nerves.

"Oh, and Honda-san?"

Without a second's hesitation Tohru jumped back up, eyes wide and body almost twitching. Twitching? If this was how she was going to be around Yuki until she told him, she wanted to tell him soon!

"Y-Yes, Yuki-kun?" Tohru asked pleasantly. She looked over at Kyo who seemed to be watching her with a somewhat amused look. When he noticed her glance he looked away and busied himself with the TV once more.

"I just wanted to tell you that Saki-san and Arisa-san said they wanted to speak to you tomorrow, first thing in the morning." He paused. Tohru noticed he seemed to be inspecting her. She fidgeted under his powerful gaze. Not to mention she noticed Kyo glaring daggers at Yuki for looking at Tohru for what he thought was definitely too long a time. "Are you sure…you're all right?" Yuki asked in a concerned voice. The tone made Tohru all the more nervous and flighty, and she felt her body start to almost dance across the living room without her telling it to. She knew she was going to look like a complete fool now, flopping and flapping all over the room.

"Yes, yes!" she cried, looking over her shoulder at Yuki as her body swung strangely, "I'm fine! Feel free to do whatever it is you wanted!"

Yuki gave her one last strange look, and then disappeared behind the door for real. Tohru let out an agitated gasp and fell to the ground again, clinging onto the wood floor for dear life. Her nerves were so frazzled!

She blinked up to see Kyo traveling on all fours over to her, a smirk planted on his face. "What was that back there? Some kind of new dance?"

Tohru blushed deeply. "My nerves! H-He made me nervous!"

Kyo sat down and glanced at her sharply. "Oh really? Why's that?"

"Because I have to tell him!" Tohru said hurriedly, realizing Kyo had misinterpreted her. "I mean, he's just so worried, and pretty soon I know he'll want to have nothing to do with me…" Tohru's bottom lip trembled, but she sucked in some air and bit at the insides of her cheeks. Yuki would have to live with her choice. She loved him like a brother, but Kyo was something more. He was going to have to accept that.

And deep in her heart, although Tohru would never say it, she knew Kyo needed her. She had helped him through his transformation, and she knew the two of them had an unspeakable bond of something more than she and Yuki had. It was just…there.

"Oh geez, you big drama queen," Kyo said through a gusty sigh. "All he did was take a step into the room and you crumble to the floor or start dancing? What the hell does that mean?"

Tohru had managed to sit up, and was now looking at Kyo's scornful face with an expression of utmost seriousness. "It means," she began, "that I'm very serious about us."

Kyo shifted uncomfortably under her gaze. "Yea…well…"

"Aren't you?" Tohru asked hurriedly, feeling her insecurity bubbling to the top of her throat again, nearly suffocating her. "Aren't you taking us seriously?"

Kyo looked at her with a strange expression on his face. Tohru immediately took it for one of disgust and horror. She blushed and jumped to her feet, head buried in hands. "Oh no!" she cried, without letting Kyo get a word in edgewise. "I knew it! I knew it!" she cried, blushing even harder. Without another word she spun around and ran for the door. Just like her though, she slammed into the wall beside it because she wasn't looking.

"Tohru!" Kyo cried. "Are you okay?"

Tohru didn't answer. She scrambled up, still blushing, and bounded out the door and onto the deck, where she leaped down and stumbled on the grass. She didn't know where to go, but all she knew, all she felt, was that Kyo was only interested in her if no one else had to know. As long as she wasn't in public with him, he was just peachy.

Well, she wasn't just peachy—not at all. With one last embarrassed look at the door to the house, she sprinted into the trees.

Kyo had bounded onto the deck, eyes wild and large. "Tohru?" he yelled into the air. No answer. "TOHRU!" he cried again, this time so loud a number of robins flew out of the trees near him and took to the sky. He didn't care. What had Tohru been talking about? She knew what?

"She's absolutely crazy," he muttered to himself. With a cry of frustration, he slammed his fist into the wall of the house. Of course it left a fist-shaped hole, but Kyo could have cared less. Why did Tohru always do that? Why did she always have to assume things? And what had she assumed this time anyway?

"Tohru," he said to the air, looking around to make sure no one else was around, "I'm very serious about us. I really, really, am."

With one last look into the house, Kyo dashed into the only place he could think of Tohru running into—the woods. As he disappeared behind the trees, he muttered something that sounded like "Stupid girl!"