A/N: Thanks for the reviews and reminding me to update again…haha. I don't know how often I will be able to update after school starts, but I'll try to make it at least once every month. For now, enjoy!

Dance with Me

By Lil' Tapioca Sunshine

Tohru looked around the inside of the library. It was just as beautiful as it looked on the outside. There were windows everywhere she looked and the sunlight streamed in like warm beams of golden honey. Tohru's breath caught in her throat at the beautiful view. Her room at home had an entire wall of windows but somehow, this library had such an aura of old-world romance and mystery that made it different.

Realizing that she had been standing at the same spot for quite a while, Tohru began walking towards the study area. She wanted to get give herself some time to read over her book because she had missed the notes. Sighing, she realized that she now had to take her own notes from the book and study twice as hard because she was already behind. Walking briskly to an empty table, she set her books down and plunked herself down into a chair. Sighing deeply again, she began to study.

Half an hour later, Tohru's concentration was already beginning to wane. She blinked her eyes and then rubbed them wearily. Biology really was not the most fascinating subject, but she hoped to become a pediatrician and it was a required course. Deciding that she probably wouldn't get much studying done in her current condition, she gave herself a break to look around and explore.

The first thing that caught her eye were the many signs, "NO TALKING," "SILENCE IS GOLDEN," and "YOUR NEIGHBOR APPRECIATES YOUR SILENCE." Repressing a giggle, Tohru mused that the facilitators of this library were obviously very big on a quiet environment. Next, her curiosity got the best of her and she began looking at the people sitting near her. It was one of her habits and hobbies to people-watch. Most of the tables were empty or only had one person. Disappointingly, none of the people looked very interesting.

"They're probably very nice people, Tohru," she told herself. Still, she couldn't help being a little disappointed. She was so hoping that she would meet someone interesting.

Realizing there was one more table to her far left that she had not looked at yet, she glanced, and her heart stopped for a beat.

Sitting alone at the table was the most beautiful boy she had ever seen. Her heart thumped painfully and she realized she had been holding her breath. Letting it out slowly, she leaned forward to get a better view. His hair was dark and it hung over his face, hiding his eyes from her view. But she caught sight of his straight nose, high cheekbones, and delicately structured jawline. Luckily, he was absorbed in studying his notes so he did not notice her looking at him…looking? Who was she kidding…this was full-fledged staring, jaw dropped and all.

"Get a grip, Tohru Honda…it's not like you've never seen a cute guy in your life," she desperately tried to convince herself, "but not like him…I've never seen anyone quite like him."

He raised a slender hand to brush away the hair that was blocking her view of his eyes, revealing large, hauntingly beautiful violet eyes. She found herself mesmerized by those eyes. She had never seen such eyes. "But then again," she reminded herself, "you've never seen anything like the rest of him either…"

Her buzzing cell phone roused her from her reverie. She gasped, realizing that even though the phone was on vibrate mode, the buzzing could still be heard quite loudly by other people. She quickly grabbed the cell phone and answered it, huddling under the table, partly to muffle her voice, and partly to hide her burning cheeks.

"Hello" she whispered.

"Hey Tohru, it's Uo and Hana's here too."

"Oh, hi you guys, I'm so sorry but I can't really talk right now. Can I call you back?"

"Yeah, sure, only if you're not too busy. I mean, with you starting at this local college and all, we just wanted to make sure your first day went OK."

"You are all right aren't you, Tohru?" Hana's voice floated in the background.

Smiling, Tohru pictured her two best friends, each trying to clutch the phone away from the other, and both with brows furrowed with worry. For her.

"Yes, yes, yes, of course I'm fine. Don't worry, I call you back later. Bye!"

"Bye! Talk to you later!"

Tohru hung up and glanced around, making sure no one had come to yell at her for breaking the "no talking" rule. Breathing a sigh of relief, she looked at her watch and thought, "Oh no! I'm going to be late for lunch! Daddy won't be happy at all!"

Running in breathlessly, Tohru was greeted by the butler, who quickly took her coat and ushered her in.

"You're late, Miss. Your father has been waiting for quite a while, now."

Without pausing to catch her breath, Tohru nodded her thanks to the butler and walked as fast as she could to the dining hall. She would have run, but she knew the sound of her rapid footsteps would only irritate her father further. He had told her it was unladylike and unbefitting for a daughter of his to be gallivanting around like a horse everywhere she went. As if she even knew what "gallivanting" meant.

She reached the doorway and paused for a second before going in. "Hello, Daddy," she murmured tremulously.

Her father looked up, and with a pang, Tohru realized he looked much older than he was. Streaks of grey had invaded his hair and his face looked weary and tired. What had happened to the handsome, lively man she had known?

He died when Mom died. The man I see here is just an empty shell.

He smiled, much to her surprise. She had thought that he would be upset that she had not been on time. Instead, he beckoned her to sit down. Tohru quickly approached the table and sat.

He cleared his throat, "Tohru, sweetie, I have a surprise for you. I know your birthday was last month and I've been a bit late on your present, but now I have it, and you are going to love it!"

Tohru's heart lurched with hope and she clenched her fists under the table…hoping, yet knowing the inevitable.

Her father reached for a rustling package and handed it to her, beaming with the certainty that his daughter would love it.

Tohru's heart dropped and she fought to keep the tears from flooding out. She accepted the gift and slowly unwrapped it, preferring to concentrate on the tissue paper rather than her father's cheerful smile. She found a velvet box, quite expensive-looking, at the bottom of the package. She opened it and gasped; snowy-white pearl earrings with a hint of pink blush. They were beautiful…they were perfect…they were such a disappointment.

"Daddy, they're beautiful. Thank you."

Her father gestured grandly with his hands and dismissed her thanks with a wave of his hand. "Anything for my precious daughter. Happy birthday, honey." He glanced at his watch and sighed, "I'm sorry, sweetie. I wanted to eat lunch with you and hear all about your first day but I really have to run. I didn't know your class would take so long. Don't wait up for me, OK? I have a business trip and I'll be out of town for at least two weeks. Oh, and I almost forgot, I meant to give you this," and he handed her a one-hundred dollar bill.

With that, he stood up, grabbed his briefcase and swept past Tohru without waiting for her reply. Tohru stayed in her chair, a bit dazed by his rapid speech. Then, slowly the tears began to trickle out until she started sobbing silently. She stared at the beautiful earrings and suddenly swept them off the table.

Daddy, why can't you understand? I don't want more jewelry, and I don't need your money. I just want YOU. When was the last time you spent any time with me, just listening?

I want you to stay with me.

I want you to talk about Mom with me.

I want you to look at me…I'm not a little girl anymore. You can't just brush me off with jewelry or money or clothes. I need you Daddy.

Every year, I hope…hope that you will finally understand. Why won't you look me in the eye? Why do you shower me with gifts when all I want is your love? Why do you leave me for weeks at a time? I might as well be an orphan…you and Mom have both left me. Don't you love me anymore? You used to tell me stories every night…

The fairy-tale prince and princess…living happily ever after.

The knight in shining armor rescuing the damsel in distress.

They were all lies, weren't they? There's no such thing as happily ever after and there's no Prince Charming out there ready to rescue me.

Tohru jumped at the sound of the butler's voice, "Miss Tohru? Are you all right?"

She quickly wiped her tears, but not quickly enough. "Why, Miss Tohru, have you been crying?"

She shook her head, then gave up and nodded.

"Well, I don't know what this is all about, but I know your father wouldn't like to see you cry. And neither…neither would your mother."

At the mention of her mother, Tohru glanced up at the butler, surprised that he would speak of her. Her father had forbidden any talk of Tohru's mother ever since her death.

"Your mother, Miss Kyoko, was so lively, so vibrant. She brought life and laughter whenever she walked into a room. Maybe that's why your father took it so hard after she died. It was like she took all of that energy along with her, and maybe some of his, too. He lost his will to live, not that he ever considered going after her. No, your father is a responsible man and he would never leave you all alone. He just buried himself in work and tried to get away from this house as often as possible, where he and your mother shared so many memories together. And you, Miss Tohru, you may look like your father, but you hold so much of your mother inside of you. It isn't that he doesn't love you, Miss Tohru; he loves you more than you could know or understand, just as any parent loves his child. But you remind him of your mother, and he just is not ready to face those memories yet. Don't worry; someday, he will realize just how special you are and that it's because you have your mother inside of you that you are even more precious."

Tohru impulsively hugged the butler, who turned red with embarrassment and surprise with himself as much as her sudden gesture.

"Thank you…thank you so much," Tohru whispered, "I'll remember that."

Thank you, Mom, for giving me the hope that maybe someday, Daddy will finally see me instead of your shadow…and for giving me the strength to keep on working hard until that day.

A/N: So, this chapter was considerably longer than the last one, but it just seemed to write itself. I wanted to have a little more interaction between Yuki and Tohru but it didn't work out that way. I don't know…I kind of like this too, because it shows some insight into Tohru and her father's relationship and also the basis for Tohru's attitude towards love: wary but hopeful. In the next chapter, I'm going to be writing from Yuki's point of view. By the way, I still haven't decided yet on a happy or sad ending. Keep reviewing and let me know what you think! I know sometimes it seems like it doesn't make much of a difference whether you review or not, but it really, really does. I appreciate all of the reviews I've received so much and it's what makes me crunch down to write another chapter. So...review, OK?