"After my picture fades and darkness has
Turned to gray
Watching through windows
You're wondering If I'm OK"

All Pretend

"Talking"

'Thinking'

Stressed
Shigure happily hummed as he walked to his study. The screen connecting his hallway to the living room was shut. He glanced around the hallway making sure that nobody was around. His eyebrow raised and he lightly pressed his ear to the rice paper. He could hear Kyou talking and then her heard Tohru's voice. A sly smile made its way to his face as he bit his lower lip in excitement. He wanted to know why the shoji was shut. Shigure continued to listen as he heard them talking.

"I would defy anyone to be with you…I love you!" Kyou firmly said. Shigure's pupils widened.

"You can't…you are a god and I am but a mortal," Tohru whispered.

'She has a high opinion of him,' Shigure thought.

"You complete me. I would give everything for just one taste of you," Kyou huskily said.

'It's getting good,' Shigure thought as anxiously waited.

"What about the others?" Tohru questioned.

"I don't care about them! You're all I need!" Kyou seriously said.

"Will you be punished?" Tohru questioned.

"My greatest punishment would be going on without you," Kyou admitted.

"I love you," Tohru whispered.

"I will give you all of me," Kyou assured.

"I've loved you since I first met you," Tohru admitted.

"You must stop this!" Yuki growled.

Shigure's face blanked as he heard Yuki's voice. This was turning into a drama or one of those videos he kept hidden between the mattresses for inspiration.

"How dare you?" Kyou growled.

"What you are doing is wrong! How can you do this for just a taste of flesh?" Yuki calmly hissed.

"You will never understand the love I feel for her!" Kyou declared.

'I can't take it anymore,' Shigure thought as he slid open the shoji.

His sweat dropped when he saw the three of them. They were sitting in a circle and now gazing at him. Shigure looked at the script in their hands and slowly started to piece everything together.

"You're acting," Shigure calmly said.

"Get your mind out of the gutter," Yuki demanded with a glare.

"So it was all an act?" Shigure questioned.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Kyou questioned.

"I think he thought we were about to act out one of his books," Tohru mumbled as she slightly blushed.

"You've read my novels?" Shigure questioned with a smile.

"No," Tohru meekly said.

"Okay...so what were you doing with my little flower?" Shigure questioned with a smirk.

"We were practicing a play," Yuki calmly explained.

"Is it drama?" Shigure questioned as he placed the back of his hand to his forehead with a dramatic sigh.

"No," Yuki coldly said.

"Is it romance?" Shigure asked as he grabbed Tohru.

Kyou reached to grab her, but missed. Her eyes slammed shut as she was pulled into Shigure's arms. His chest touched hers and he raised an eyebrow at her actions.

Poof

Shigure coughed as smoke erupted in the room. He waived his hand in front of his face to clear the smoke away. Shigure stared down into his arms and noticed that he had Tohru's clothes draped over his arm. He held them out in front of him with a questioning look. Kyou's eyes frantically searched the floor for a tiger, cow, or rat. He growled when he couldn't find her. Yuki glanced under the table in confusion. He then looked back to Shigure who was looking at her clothes.

"She was so entranced by my charm that she got naked," Shigure concluded.

"Idiot!" Yuki growled as he snatched the clothes away.

"Pervert!" Kyou growled as he punched Shigure on the head.

"Where did she go?" Shigure questioned through his sobs.

"Kyou," Tohru whispered from underneath the table.

Yuki and Kyou both looked around the room and then their eyes went to the table. A fluffy white tail wiggled and Yuki raised an eyebrow. The animal turned around and they clearly saw that it was a brown rabbit with green eyes. It's nose twitched as it stared at them. Shigure reached over and grabbed Tohru's clothes from Yuki's hand.

"She'll be needing these," Shigure stated as he glanced around the table.

Kyou looked to the clothes and then her. Her nose twitched and her tail wiggled in determination. Kyou's eyebrows widened as he realized what she was about to do. She took off bouncing along the floor and hopped for her clothes. Shigure turned to the moving object and his eyes widened as he saw the rabbit.

Poof

Tohru stood there frozen as her hand reached out for the clothing. Shigure's eyes widened at the sight of the naked girl. Yuki covered his eyes with a deep colored blush. Kyou did the only thing possible. He quickly pulled Tohru to his chest and hugged her. Their eyes met before it happened.

Poof

She sighed from her spot in Kyou's arms. Shigure looked from the clothes and then to the rabbit. He did this three times before he cleared his throat.

"This explains the clothes and smoke," Shigure stated as he gazed at the rabbit.

Tohru groaned and buried her face into Kyou's chest. She didn't need anyone else finding out about this curse. Yuki finally looked and sighed in relief when he saw she was a rabbit. His pupils narrowed when he noticed that she was in Kyou's arms. It meant that Kyou had to touch her while she was naked. Shigure reached out to the rabbit and wiggled his finger in front of her nose. Tohru glared at him as kept up the action.

"Does she talk or bite?" Shigure questioned.

A quick chomp to the offending finger answered his question. Shigure yelped and pulled his finger away. Tohru glared at him and smiled sadly.

"I can talk," Tohru said as if she was offended.

"She's still a beautiful flower," Shigure sighed.

"Can you please leave the room?" Tohru questioned.

"Why would I do that?" Shigure questioned with a grin.

Yuki scowled and threw him through the shoji screen. Shigure quickly got up and began to mourn his house. Kyou set Tohru down and she raised her leg to scratch behind her floppy ear. Her green eyes rolled up to Kyou and he smirked at her.

"What?" Tohru questioned.

"Nothing," Kyou mumbled as he stood up and left the room with Yuki.

Tohru sighed and she changed back after a few minutes. She quickly slipped her uniform on in case there were any perverts. Tohru then walked into the hallway and decided that Shigure would want answers. Her eyebrows furrowed in thought. If she erased his memories then she would have to erase Kyou and Yuki's memories. That was something she really didn't want to do. Tohru stepped into the kitchen and noticed that they were all sitting around the table. Shigure raised his eyes to her and smiled. Tohru took a seat next to Kyou and across from Shigure. Yuki was sitting at the end of the table, which was next to her.

"I'm cursed," Tohru simply began with. She told him that she had received the curse from a close friend and thus began the conversation where she had to dodge trick questions. Her eyes were swirling at the end of the conversation.

"Yuki and Kyou, can you leave us alone for a few minutes," Shigure questioned.

"I can leave you alone, but not with her," Kyou growled.

"Do you think your dear cousin would hurt your love interest?" Shigure teased with a smile.

"YES!" Kyou growled. "I mean…I meant…make it quick."

"If I sense anything wrong then you will forfeit your life," Yuki calmly warned with a smile.

"I wouldn't dream of making the flower wilt," Shigure assured as they left the room and shut the shoji screen.

Tohru and Shigure's gazes met, as they both remained silent. Shigure wanted to make sure he had privacy and Tohru didn't know what to say. Shigure reclined a bit and stroked his chin in thought. Tohru watched the action and recognized it as his writer mood. He was seriously thinking about something.

"I know you have something to say," Tohru whispered as he stopped the action. His brown eyes sparked with something unknown.

"You've seemed familiar, since that day I first opened the door," Shigure admitted.

"Maybe you've seen me while visiting Yuki's school," Tohru supplied.

"I don't think so. You seem more familiar then a mere one time look," Shigure responded as he leaned forward and cross his arms on the table.

"You should be happy," Tohru whispered.

"Everyday I feel as if something was ripped out of my mind," Shigure seriously stated as he watched her features sadden.

"So you are not happy?" Tohru questioned.

"I am never happy when things are abruptly taken away from me," Shigure assured.

"Then stop searching for what was taken," Tohru suggested as her eyes met his.

"Were you the one that was suddenly taken away from us? Are you the reason that Yuki walks to his secret base without taking half of the items he needs? Maybe you're the reason why Kyou sits on the roof and waits for someone to visit," Shigure whispered.

"I've just met them," Tohru stoically said as she felt the pain of lying.

"So it seems," Shigure sighed with a raised eyebrow.

Tohru watched as he reached into his kimono sleeve and pulled out a yellow ribbon. He threw it on the table in front of her and she tried to remain calm. Tohru stared at it and then turned her gaze to his.

"You left something the last time you were here," Shigure calmly said.

"That's not mine," Tohru denied.

Shigure sighed and picked the ribbon up. He gazed at it before he stood up and walked to the trash. Shigure picked up the lid and held the ribbon over the trash.

"What a waste of your ribbon," Shigure sighed with a sad look.

"It would be a waste if it was mine," Tohru coldly said.

"I know you know us, I know because I wrote about you and the cursed family members," Shigure finally said.

"It's just a story that you made up," Tohru firmly said.

Shigure scowled and walked over to her. He kneeled down to her level and stared into her eyes.

"You're proof that my story is real. I know you even if I can't remember and I know you remember it all," Shigure whispered.

"You can't change the past," Tohru whispered.

"True, but you can shape the future," Shigure assured with a grin.

"If I tell you what happened will you promise not to tell them?" Tohru questioned as her vision blurred.

"I promise to never tell a soul," Shigure swore.

"If you tell anyone then I will erase your memories personally," Tohru promised.

The shoji slid open and Kyou glared at Shigure. He looked over at her and noticed that she was wiping her eyes. Kyou glared one final time at Shigure before he fully looked at Tohru.

"We still have to go over our lines," Kyou stated.

"That's right," she slowly said.

"Thanks for talking with me," Shigure said with a smile.

"Sure," Tohru calmly said before she stood up and walked out with Kyou.

Kyou slid the shoji shut and Tohru walked to the couch. Yuki looked at them both from his little seat in the corner. Tohru picked up the script that was on the table and sighed.

"What did he want?" Yuki calmly asked. Kyou glared at Yuki.

"He just wanted to know about the curse," Tohru admitted.

"He's up to something," Kyou mumbled as Yuki nodded his head in agreement.

Tohru sighed and flipped open her script. She came to a scene that made her blush. Kyou glanced over at her and noticed her pink cheeks. He raised an eyebrow and Yuki turned to Tohru. She shut the script and turned to another page.

"Why don't we practice this scene?" Tohru questioned as she gave him a page number.

"Why this one?" Kyou mumbled.

"This is where the girl dies," Yuki spoke as he gave Tohru a meaningful look.

"I like this scene," Tohru whispered.

"How will we do it without you transforming?" Kyou questioned.

"Just don't lean to close to my chest," Tohru suggested as he blushed.

"Okay," Kyou mumbled he and Tohru sat on the ground.

Kyou pulled Tohru to his lap so she was lying across him with her head cradled in his arm. Yuki glanced at the script and gave them a few tips. Kyou glanced at the script on the ground and memorized the first few lines. Tohru held hers in front of her. Yuki stepped up beside them and laughed.

"This is your curse," Yuki read. "You will never know the touch of the one you love. Her family will suffer the curse of the zodiac for your so called love!"

"Bastard!" Kyou hissed as he glared at Yuki.

"This will always be your fault," Yuki coldly reminded as he stepped back.

Tohru coughed and turned her head up to stare at Kyou. Their eyes met and Kyou tensed. Something passed between them and he let out a sorrowful smile. It seemed like it was more then acting.

"I'm sorry," Tohru whispered. Kyou ran his fingers along her chin.

"Don't be sorry, love is something we shouldn't apologize for," Kyou whispered as he cradled her.

"My family is cursed, you are mortal, and now I am dying," Tohru sadly said.

"I will follow you. Now that I have met you…loved you, I will never let you go," Kyou firmly said.

"Please, go on living," Tohru pleaded.

"I will live, but I will never truly rest until I find you again," Kyou whispered as his face lowered closer to hers.

"Don't, for we might never meet again," Tohru whispered back. Her breath tickled his lips.

"We will meet again, I will search eternity if I have too," Kyou promised.

"I don't regret this," Tohru assured as she pretended to cry. Her tears were real despite it all.

"I regret that you have to die," Kyou said as he rested his forehead against hers.

"If I die, I am happy to know that I have a part of within me," Tohru spoke with a smile.

"But my energy is killing you," Kyou protested.

"No, the betrayal of Kubira is causing my death," she whispered. "Not you."

Tohru closed her eyes and pretended to die in his arms. Kyou lifted his head and kissed her forehead. Tohru wondered if that was in the script.

"Then I will forever hate Kubira," Kyou assured.

Author's Note:
Kubira is the guardian of the spirit of the rat.
I'm still trying to think of where to take this...my mind has gone on strike(sighs)
Please leave a review!