A/N: Yuki/Machi as I promised! Hurray! I think these two are so cute! Sorry if the later paragraphs are missing a few words. I finished this at 1:45 AM. It's the weekend (at my college, no school on Friday, YES!) so it's okay. :) Oh, and I want to send out a special thanks to "ajfan" for the million "thankyous" all I have to say is . . . . . . . wow . . . . thank you! And to "Wicked-Mistress": the anime is great except they end it right after volume six which bugged me greatly and they had Yuki there with Tohru for her whole "I want us to stay to together," scene with transformed Kyo, lowering, in my opinion, the intimacy of the scene. It was probably because they wanted a neutral ground between Tohru's relationship between Kyo and Yuki for the ending so it seemed more final. I would love to see Kyo confrontation with Akito from volume ten animated! Sigh.
To answer "Ryuchan": No, Akito didn't die but she was sceaming in anger/agony because she lost hold over all of them. And thank you "Ao Aoi Eyez": I'm relieved that someone agrees.
Burned Curry
Yuki walked at a brisk pace down the street. He glanced up at all the apartment buildings he passed until he found the one he was looking for.
"First door to the right on the first floor . . . ," he muttered to himself as he entered the complex.
Yuki soon found himself staring at her door. He had never visited Machi alone, Manabe had always been with him.
Yuki cleared his throat, straightened his jacket and pushed back a few strands of hair. He lifted his hand to knock but then paused to comb his fingers through the gray mass one more time.
Yuki knocked three times then stepped back and waited.
Nothing. For some reason he had not figured on her not being home. He was about to knock again when a loud crash to his left caused him to whirl around and behold a red faced Machi a few feet away. Her hands had been full of brown paper grocery bags which were now strewn about her feet.
"Uh . . . Machi?" Yuki took a wary step toward her.
"What are you doing here? Is my brother with you?"
"No . . . it's just me."
The girl's face became even redder and she quickly bent down to pick up the groceries. "What do you want?"
"Well, I— Here, let me help you with that."
"You don't have to— Machi began but Yuki ignored her and began to pick up the fallen groceries. "It was a good thing you had the eggs on top and the bag didn't tip over."
"Uh . . . yeah . . ." The girl mumbled, not looking up from collecting her purchases.
"Are you feeling okay?"
"I'm fine."
Suddenly both Machi and Yuki saw that there was only one item left on the ground, a ramen noodle cup. They lunged for it.
A sharp crack resounded in the corridor as their heads collided.
"Ow . . ."
"Are you alright, Machi-san?"
"Don't worry about me!" Machi hid her blush with her bangs as she fumbled for her key.
"I'll hold that bag for you." He offered and made a move toward it.
Machi leaned away slightly and made an irritated noise as she tried to peer around her burden to see the keyhole. "You already have the other two, where are you going to keep the third?" She had been barely able to hold all three on her way home.
Yuki appeared to be considering the question. "I could balance it on my head."
Machi stopped and stared at the class president. Yuki could have sworn he saw her lips twitch for a moment but, she turned away too quick for him to be certain.
Soon the door was open and the two were inside. Yuki followed Machi to the kitchen and placed the groceries on the counter next to the refrigerator.
"Why are you here?" Machi asked once again.
" I— I came to go over our class's new budget since we ran out of time to during the last meeting."
"Oh."
"Is that all right with you?"
"I'm the treasurer."
Machi turned from him and began to move the grocery bags' contents into the refrigerator and pantry.
"So it's . . ."
"Yes!" she snapped.
Yuki smiled softly at her. "I'm glad." He then helped her finish putting away the groceries.
The two worked over the budget for some time in silence until Yuki looked at his watch. It was already six o' clock and they were not even half done.
Machi took note of this and rose to her feet. "You may stay for dinner." She said shortly then made her way to the kitchen. Yuki followed her and offered to help.
It took only a few minutes of Yuki in the kitchen for a fire to start.
"(Censored)!"
Machi shoved Yuki aside and slammed a lid over the pan to smother the flames. After a moment she carefully lifted the lid and inspected the damage. She sighed. "Forget the curry."
"I'm sorry . . . I can't cook, but, today I felt I could do it." (Just like Kazuma-dono :) )!
"I'll boil water for some instant ramen, if you still want to help you can set the table. When you're done just wait in the sitting room." Yuki complied, though still feeling bad about it all.
As he set the table he could have sworn he heard a soft laugh come from the kitchen.
After Yuki set the last plate he headed to the adjoining sitting room and plopped on the couch. He realized that he had never sat on her couch before. It was very comfortable, so comfortable in fact, that he stretched out without thought and dozed off.
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"Dinner's ready."
Silence
Machi came out of the kitchen bearing a tray laden with two bowls of beef ramen and chopsticks. She placed the tray on the table then looked around. She then spotted Yuki sleeping peacefully on the couch. She slowly moved over to him, entranced by the simple sight, the gentle rise and fall of his diaphragm and his handsome face expressing the picture of someone thoroughly comfortable.
Since the couch was parallel to the table, Machi stopped at the armrest. She leaned over and gazed at him, not noticing that some strands of her hair had slipped loose and were now brushing his face.
Yuki stirred and slowly opened his eyes. Machi didn't notice until too late that he was staring up at her. He caught her gaze and she found herself unable to pull away. She just stood there, staring back at him.
Yuki's mild surprise quickly melted into an intense expression that was all affection.
As if in a trance, Yuki slowly reached up and gingerly traced the outline of Machi's face. He breathed her name.
Machi's breath caught and against her will, or so she thought, her eyes fluttered shut and she leaned farther down into his touch.
Suddenly the girl felt his hand pass her ear. Able fingers curled around the back of her neck and gently tugged her head down.
"Y-Yuki . . ."
"Shhh . . ." He raised his head and gently closed the gap. Immediately he felt Machi kiss back. Warmth rose in him and he couldn't recall a time when he felt happier, except when he found out the curse had lifted.
Suddenly, water dropped on his cheek. He broke the kiss and laid his head back on the couch in order to see her clearly.
"Machi, what wrong?" Worry evident in his voice. He was relieved to see that although there were tears on her cheeks, Machi was beaming.
"Nothing's wrong, that's just it! For the first time in my life . . . "
Yuki rose from the couch and, taking her hand, pulled her into a tight embrace. He sighed happily and buried his face in her light gold hair.
Yuki pulled back slightly and nipped at Machi's lips.
"I love you," he whispered.
Machi smiled brightly.
"Especially when you do that."
Machi ducked her head a bit with a blush, still unused to such sincere attention. "Thank you." She then raised her face to his and brushed her lips against his. "I love you, too, Yuki."
Yuki kissed her again but this time it was much deeper. Machi eagerly answered with such a kiss of her own. She slid her hands up his back and began to stroke the back of his neck. Yuki shivered with pleasure and he felt Machi grin. He held her tighter against him, reveling in the feeling of her form.
Machi suddenly made a bold move by lowering her hands and sliding them under his shirt, exploring his chest. Yuki groaned into her mouth.
Before they knew it they were on the couch. Yuki's hands found a way under Machi's sweater and began to caress her stomach. Machi sighed with pleasure.
"Yuki . . . suki . . . "
"HOLY CRAP!"
Yuki and Machi started and fell off the couch. Yuki recovered first and taking Machi by the hands, helped her up then turned to her livid brother.
"Umm . . . Kakeru . . . we can explain."
Manabe Kakeru stormed up to Yuki and got in his face. "LIKE FUN YOU CAN, I NEVER WAS SERIOUS ABOUT YOU BEING A PERVERT, YUNYUN— No, its Sohma-kun now! YOU HAD TO GO AND—!" He suddenly cut off his sentence and turned to Machi.
"DID HE FORCE HIMSELF ON YOU?"
"No . . . I . . . we . . . we both like each other a lot, Onii-chan."
Kakeru looked sternly back at Yuki. "Is this true?"
Yuki gazed back with equal solemnity. "Yes, it is."
Kakeru stared at the two for a moment then whipped out his cell phone. "I MUST INFORM EVERYONE!" a giant grin was on his face.
"WHAT?" Yuki and Machi yelled at once.
"And the first one I'm gonna call is . . ." Kakeru raised the phone to his ear and began to back away as the two slowly advanced on him.
"Hello, Mine-chan? Tell Ayame-san that his baby brother now has a girlfriend."
"YOU BASTARD! GIMME THAT PHONE!" Yuki tackled Kakeru and wresting the cell phone from his grip, threw it out the window Machi had opened earlier for fresh air.
"AHHHH! MY PRECIOUS!" Kakeru raced out the door to see if it survived.
Machi and Yuki plopped, exhausted, down on the couch. He put his arm around her and she rested her head on his shoulder.
"Well, he was bound to find out sooner or later. Might as well be sooner."
"I guess you're right," Yuki sighed.
Suddenly the two spotted the spare key Kakeru had dropped on the floor in his initial surprise. Twin evil smiles appeared on their faces.
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Kakeru came back to the door. "Good news," he said reaching for the door handle. "It still works, NO THANKS TO YUNYUN! . . . . . . . . . um . . . . . . the . . . uh . . . the door's locked . . . . . . . . guys? . . . . ."
A/N: I hope you liked it! I had fun! Read and review! I think next I'm going to do Mine/Ayame and it makes sense, you who are not up to date can't protest that he's gay because of Chapter 110! So cute! Ciao!