OK everyone! After too much delay, I'm finally finished with chapter three:) Thank you to everyone who's been reviewing my story! I think I have 11 reviews by now! I'm so amazed! I never thought this story would be very popular because it is an alternative pairing, but apparently I'm not the only Fruits Basket fan in the world who thinks these two should be together! Anyways, I hope you all enjoy chapter three. Most of this is telephone conversations, which I've never written before so they presented a great challenge. I hope I did OK! Please read and review:)

'It's pretty, like you,' Ayame's heart leaped as his talented fingers flew over the dress fabric. He worked with familiarity, each stitch appearing in a pattern far more predictable than the man who created them. 'I really hope you will accept this gift, Ritsu. It's the least I can do for you.'

Withdrawing the outfit from under the sewing needle, he studied his work in appreciation. 'Yes, it should be perfect,' he sighed as he saw light spinning over each fold and hem. His mind jumped unwillingly to a picture of his younger cousin, imagining the boy in the silky garment and dreaming that the redhead was standing in front of him once more. Hands tingling as he recalled the shape of the other boy's waist and the warmth each touch elicited on the monkey's cheeks, he laughed in bemused confusion. 'I'm certainly spending too much time on this customer! Perhaps it is because he seems to have developed a little crush on me!'

Rising to his feet and leaving the refinished outfit on his worktable, the snake pranced into the main room of the clothing shop. Immediately catching sight of his assistant, he offered a dazzling grin as he found her with two new customers. "Good afternoon to you both! I am Ayame Sohma, the owner of this enterprise," he bowed dramatically before the two older men. "How may I be of service to you today?"

Mine smiled, producing a tiny purple miniskirt and matching blouse from behind the counter. "They want to buy this, Ayame-san." She looked proud to have sold an item without her boss's help.

"Oh, a fine choice, I assure you!" The silver-haired man waved his arms in excitement. "And for what occasion will you be needing this piece? A party, perhaps?" Picking up the garment and fingering the sheer material, he noted that it was one of the many dresses sized for men. "Is it for one of you, or for someone else, may I ask?"

"Um, it's for me," the smaller of the two men replied shyly. "Our one year anniversary is coming up, and we wanted to try something different," his words teetered off. "You understand, I suppose. One of our friends recommended your store for," he dropped his voice to a whisper, "these sorts of things."

"One year together? How wonderful!" The snake broke the awkwardness in the air with his self-assured response. Clapping his hands in appreciation, he laughed to ease the tension on the other man's face. "So this is something new for you? Hmm," his eyes danced from shelf to shelf around the room. "Would you like to see some accessories to compliment this ensemble? I have a pair of stiletto heels in this precise lavender hue!" Swaggering toward a nearby rack, the silver-haired man swiftly found the shoes. "Ah, yes, right here! What size will you be needing?"

"Nine," the taller man supplied for his boyfriend, flashing a gentle smile. "He wears size nine."

Mine scampered forward, bringing the delicate footwear to the customers. "Here, I can help you try them on!" Kneeling down, she eased the man's feet into the unusual shoes. "What do you think?"

"Lovely! Simply lovely!" Ayame nodded emphatically, throwing his hair over his shoulders.

"Yes," the taller of the two men told his lover. "They look very good on you." Meeting Mine's hopeful gaze, he chuckled. "We'll take them."

Hurrying forward, Ayame snatched the stilettos from his employee. "I will go wrap these, dearest Mine. Now you must finish ringing up the purchases for these nice men." Clasping his hand on her shoulder, he turned back toward the storeroom. "I will find the packaging for these items."

"OK, Ayame-san," she sang as she started to click at the cash register buttons.

Leaving the room, the snake quickly found a haphazard pile of boxes. Folding the outfit with deft fingers, he started to search for something in which to wrap the shoes. 'Oh, I guess I can use the newspaper,' he strutted to the backdoor of the shop, laughing as he located a mound of unopened periodicals, most of them faded due to excessive exposure to the sun. 'I don't even know why I bother to get these delivered,' he sighed in amusement. 'They are far too boring to read! Well,' sifting through the pile, he located the freshest looking paper and began to wrap the shoes. 'At least they are good for something.'

As he prepared to discard the half-used newspaper, however, a picture caught the silver-haired Sohma's eye. There, staring back at him, a photograph of his younger brother and his friend, Tohru Honda, adorned the Entertainment section under the title: "Local High School Set to Perform 'Romeo and Juliet'." The snake's mouth gaped in surprise. "Yuki?" He asked aloud. "Yuki's going to play Romeo? My little bother has the lead in the school drama!" He felt delighted as he studied the younger boy's soft smile. "Well, of course he was cast as the main character. He's certainly handsome and talented enough! He has my charm, which will make him simply perfect for such a demanding role!"

Skimming the article for details about the performance, Ayame's mood dampened sharply. 'The play is tomorrow,' he realized, his stomach clenching as his excitement melted away. 'But, why? Why didn't anyone tell me?'

He bit his lip, suppressing any uncertainty as he forced his body to regain its cheery aura. Rising to his feet and sashaying back to the customers, he unloaded the packages into their arms. "Good luck to you both!" His voice sounded falsely sunny. "I really do hope you two have an amazingly romantic anniversary!" Dancing toward the dark-haired girl, he whispered into her ear. "Nice sale, little Mine-san. Now I must call my brother and discuss an important issue with him. You don't mind taking over here for a little longer, right?"

"Of course not!" She blushed at his compliment, meeting him with a sincere smile. "Take all the time you need!"

"Merci beaucoup!" He waved his arms in a fluid motion, floating up the stairs and to the door of his apartment. As he stepped inside, however, he immediately dropped his joyful façade. 'I hope Yuki didn't mean anything by not inviting me. It had to be a mistake! Doesn't he know how much I love the theater?' Ayame tried to console himself, although he knew that his attempts at reassurance were in vain. Reaching shaky hands for his cell phone, he dialed Shigure's number in desperation.

"Hello Aaya!" The dog's voice greeted him immediately from the other end of the phone line.

The silver-haired man's heart lightened slightly at the sound of his friend's voice. "Hello, my sweet Gure-kun! How are you on this lovely afternoon?"

"I'm doing much better now that I'm talking to you, my darling Aaya," the snake heard Shigure joke flirtatiously. "You couldn't wait until you closed shop for the evening to call me? How sweet of you!" Ayame couldn't help but smile as the dog's voice filled the phone with laughter.

Twisting his fingers through his silver tresses, Ayame felt somewhat revitalized by the normalcy of Shigure's tone. "I'm so sorry, beautiful Gure-kun. Je t'aime, of course! But I wasn't calling for you." Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and willed his voice to remain steady. "I wish to speak to Yuki."

"Oh, now you're hurting my feelings, Aaya," the man at the other end of the line replied sarcastically. "And all this time I truly believed that you wanted me." Putting an end to his teasing, he gave a hearty chuckle. "Sorry, but Yuki is at, I mean, he's not here right now."

"He's at," the snake's heart dropped once more as he sensed his brother's true location, "he's at drama practice. Right, Gure?"

"Oh," Shigure gasped slightly before regaining his composure. "You are a brilliant little snake, Aaya! Yes, yes, he and Tohru are rehearsing their little romance right now. But not to worry, because he should be getting home very soon." Trying to change the topic, the dog brushed any more talk of the play aside. "So, how was business today? Did you do your part to fill the world with passion and sexuality, as you always do so very well?"

"Oh yes," Ayame stared at the wall in front of him, finding it hard to feel flattered by his cousin's compliments while worrying that he had been left out of an important family event. "Why didn't anyone tell me that Yuki was going to be in the school play?" The silver-haired man's voice sounded strangely serious as his eyes blurred unwillingly.

"Is that what this is about?" Shigure tittered, sounding slightly uneasy. "Don't you worry about that, sweet little Aaya-kun. It really isn't a big deal. Not many people are coming, and we all just assumed that you would be bored watching something like 'Romeo and Juliet'. If I were you, I would feel happy that I didn't have to go."

In the privacy of his home, the snake made no attempt to mask his depression, instead slumping onto the couch in a motion of anxiety. "I really love the theater. You remember our high school days, don't you, Gure-kun? I was in the drama club. I was always receiving the lead roles." Giving an exaggerated moan, he flipped over onto his stomach. "I would have liked to see him perform."

"It's just, well, you know how he can be, Aaya," the dog attempted an explanation. "Don't get all upset about it." Laughing lightheartedly, the other man's voice rose, directing itself not into the phone but to someone else on that end of the line. "Well, speak of the devil, if it isn't Yuki himself! Yuki-kun, come here, your brother wants to talk to you."

Silence. Ayame shook his head, feeling dread spreading in his chest as he anticipated hearing the younger boy's voice. 'I have to do it right this time,' he silently hoped for an opportunity to reach his brother. 'I have to say the right things. I must make up for my past mistakes and show him that we really should strengthen our bond. I cannot fail again! I will not.'

Readjusting the phone against his ear, the silver-haired man strained to identify the rat's voice amongst the chatter on the other side of the phone line. "No, no, I don't want to," the younger Sohma's angry tone burned into Ayame's mind. "Tell him I can't talk, I," the arguments faded into stillness, leaving the snake with the icy fear of being rejected once more.

Suddenly, however, Yuki's frustrated response swelled into the earpiece. "What do you want?"

His chest nearly collapsing in pain at the boy's sharp greeting, Ayame struggled to keep the cell phone between his fingers. 'Yuki, Yuki, I just want to talk to you,' he tried to answer, but the words caught in his throat. All he managed to muster was a boisterous, "Good afternoon, my dearest little brother!"

No response.

"I trust that drama practice went well," Ayame wasted no time in bringing up the subject that weighed on his mind. Even though he was a little uncertain, the silver-haired Sohma did not like to put off important matters, rather facing them precisely when he needed to. "You are not nervous, of course! I never got stage fright. You know, I was in several productions throughout my high school years, and I always played the romantic hero. That's just one more thing we have in common, I suppose!" Praying that his emphasis on the two boys' similarities would create an outlet for connection, the older man's voice brightened. "I really want to see you tomorrow night. I'm so proud of you! Why didn't you tell me about the drama sooner?"

"You're not invited," Yuki's reply was cold and lifeless, leaving little room for argument. "You'll only embarrass me if you come."

Regrets pulsed through Ayame's veins, stinging at his heart and leaving him feeling isolated and drained. "Oh, Yuki, I would never do such a thing!" He made an attempt to sway the younger boy, though his voice had lost its vivacity. He felt helpless. 'Yuki, why would you say that?' He asked silently. 'Everybody likes me! I don't know why you are ashamed of me. I try so hard.'

"You always do," Yuki accused the older man. "And you don't even care that the people around you don't want to be near you. You just impose yourself on everyone because you want attention. I don't want the people at school to know I have a brother like that."

"Yuki!" Ayame hoped that the other boy could not hear the tears that welled in his throat. "Yuki, please, I want to come!" Tracing his numb hands across the posh sofa fabric, the silver-haired man felt lost. 'I didn't mean to annoy you!' He protested internally. 'Really, I just wanted to be a good brother. All I want is to be your friend. I don't understand!'

"You want to come?" Yuki retorted sharply, losing any trace of the control that he usually kept on his words. "What about what I want? You are so selfish." Not giving his brother a chance to respond, the rat added in a frigid voice. "It isn't like you gave me a moment of your time when you were my age."

Click. Ayame heard the younger boy disappear with a slamming of the phone, instantly wishing that he could go back and redirect the conversation. 'Oh God, Yuki!' Groaning dejectedly, the tall man curled up into a position far more vulnerable than his usually-confident posture. 'What did I do wrong this time?'

Clenching a fist around his silky locks, the snake felt tremors rattle his body. Images of the past haunted his thoughts like a cloud of smoke that lingers long after the fire is put to rest. A little boy was crying. Reaching for him. Needing him. But he turned away, far more concerned with his own life than the troubles of his only brother. 'I was selfish,' he realized emptily. 'And now I have to pay for that with every day of my life. I've lost my family, and it feels like nothing I can do will bring them back to me.'

Examining the cell phone that rested uselessly in his palm, the dress designer longed for some distraction to elevate his mood. 'Ritsu,' dreams of his younger cousin brought an unexpected warmth to his chest. 'I need to tell him that I finished the dress. Yes, yes, I need to talk to him.' Without giving any more consideration to the matter, his fingers flew over the buttons and entered the familiar number for the main Sohma estate.

"Hello, Sohma Residence!" A sunny voice filled Ayame's ear. "This is Momiji speaking!"

"Oh, hello, little Bunny-kuns! You sound absolutely splendid!" Regaining his attitude of regal cheerfulness at the idea of speaking to the monkey again, the older man offered a sparkling laugh. "How is school going for you?"

"Oh, it's great!" The rabbit responded with enthusiasm. "We're doing a play right now, and I got a really big part! I get to be Benvolio. He's one of Romeo's best friends! It's so fun! Kyo is Mercutio. He's another one of Romeo's family members. Haru gets to be Tybalt, and he and Yuki get to have a big sword fight. Yuki's Romeo, by the way. You're going to come see us tomorrow night, right?"

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Momiji-kun, but I can't come," Ayame forced himself to remain upbeat, giving the younger boy little more insight into his problems. "I would love for you to tell me more about this at a later time, but right now I must speak to Ritchan. Could you go get him for me?"

"Ritsu?" The younger boy sounded a bit surprised, but still retained his happy demeanor. "Of course! Just a minute!"

Taking a deep breath, Ayame listened intently to the noises at the other end of his phone line. He heard the German boy scampering through the house, opening doors and asking the other family members about the monkey's whereabouts. Finally, the snake noted a whispering voice that he decided must be Ritsu's. 'Oh good, Ritchan! I can't wait to talk to you!' The weight in his chest seemed to dissolve as he remembered the other boy's sweet smile and blushing face. 'You make me so happy.'

"Of course he wants to talk to you, Ritsu-san!" Momiji giggled loudly. "Why else would he call? Here, come on, say 'hello' to him!"

After a short time, the rabbit's voice was replaced by a much softer tone. "Hello, Ayame-san."

"Hello, my favorite little monkey!" Ayame pulled himself off of the sofa, smiling in sincere pleasure. "Just the person I want to hear!"

"No, no," the other boy's voice was barely audible. "You don't want to. I mean, I-."

Ayame sighed dramatically, spinning from side to side around his room. "Oh yes, I've been thinking about you all day! I finished your dress, and I want to know when I can come bring it to you!"

"I'm sorry, I, I can't take it. Really, I don't deserve anything from you," the snake could hear his cousin quivering in fear at the other end of the phone line. "You've done so many nice things for me, and I'm not worthy of taking any more from you! I can't! I-."

The silver-haired man cut him off with words of reassurance. "You won't be taking it from me, silly Monkey-chan! I'm giving it to you!"

"No, n, n, no," Ritsu's voice cracked with tears. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I shouldn't be talking to you! Good-bye!"

"Ritchan? Ritchan, come back!" Ayame demanded as he heard the other boy's voice fade away. Staring into the phone's earpiece, he felt pained by the loss of the monkey's voice. "Come back, Ritsu!" Throwing himself against the wall, he felt even worse than before he called his timid cousin. 'You sound so afraid of me? Why? Why can't I just erase the past? I care about you now! I care about all of you: Yuki, Ritsu, and everyone else I ever pushed away. I want you to see that I'm different! Please, please give me a chance!'

Sliding to the floor, the snake buried his face in his hands. "I have to see you again, Ritchan. Even if I have to come get you myself!"

Français Avec Ayame (#2)

Merci Beaucoup- Thank you very much

Je t'aime- I love you

I'm going on vacation for a week so I won't have computer access. :( I'll try to at least write chapter 4 while I'm gone, and then I can type it as soon as I get home.

...next chapter...Ayame pays Ritsu's college a visit:)