Chapter 2 – The First Secret
"Well, go ahead." Tohru said, offering Yuki a seat next to her on the bed. Yuki nodded slightly and sat down, but refused to look at her. "Do you promise… that you won't think… less of me?" he asked. Tohru turned and placed her hand on Yuki's knee. "Of course I won't. I already told you that you could tell me anything that was troubling you, and I'd never think less of you for any reason." Yuki looked up at his friend, but still waited a little bit to speak. Despite the delayed reaction, Tohru still smiled and sat, waiting patiently, content to even let silence exchange between them.
"Miss Honda… I think… I think…"
Yuki placed his hand on top of the one Tohru had placed on his knee, holding it tightly.
"I really… I like you, a lot."
Tohru simply stared at the gray-haired boy's purple eyes, or rather, right through them, because… nothing else happened. Almost a minute passed before Yuki used his free hand to wave in front of Tohru's face to try and wake her up from her state of apparent shock. "Miss Honda…?" He snapped his fingers, finally waking the girl. Blinking a couple times, she tried to speak, but this time it was she who found it difficult. "Oh, I'm here! Um… well… you… like me? You mean as a friend, right? Right?" Yuki smiled at the brown-haired girl, shaking his head. 'Her innocence… that's what pushed me over the edge about her.' "Well… the key word there was 'falling,' but, either way…" He paused, his courage somewhat renewed, ergo beginning to speak more easily.
"That is what I had first thought. However… recently, I've started thinking about you much more… well, dearly. Thoughts have entered my head that made me question my feelings, and since… yesterday… when Akito told you to leave… I felt broken." Tohru gasped softly, bringing her free hand to her lips. "I didn't want you to leave, and the more I thought about it, the more… I realized that it was… more than a friend's feelings." He used his free hand and let it flow through Tohru's brown locks, letting it rest on her shoulder.
"I suppose… I just want to say that… I'll always be your friend, and I'll be there… if you need me. I never technically promised that too you… did I? Even after a year…" Yuki chuckled as he remembered the day Tohru found out about the Zodiac Curse, when he told her that her memories might be erased, and she simply told him to do what was comfortable for the Sohma's. That was when she asked the fateful question that Yuki never answered. (Partly because he transformed two seconds after it was asked.)
"You can erase my memory, but afterwards, promise you'll still be my friend?"
Tohru remained silent for a little while, attempting to put two and two together in her head… with little luck. 'Is this actually happening! This couldn't be happening to me, could it? And from Yuki!' she screamed in her head, which at this point was an emotional maelstrom.
'Out of all of boys in high school to have feelings for me, it had to be Yuki? Not that that's bad, but is he serious! He can't find that much to like about me, someone who used to live in a tent, and who learned of his family's curse…'
"Y-Yuki…" she began, stammering. "I… I don't know what to say, this is all… so quick, and… of all people... you." Tears began to form in her ocean-blue eyes. "I mean, I've never even imagined about having a relationship yet… with anyone and now… you, one of my closest friends… I don't know what to do to help…" Yuki's enthusiasm didn't change; he simply brushed a few strands of hair away from her face and grinned.
"You don't have to do anything yet. I just felt like… I had to… you know, get it off my chest. We can… sort it out later." He said in an assuring voice as he began to lean closer toward his unofficial girlfriend. "This'll be our secret?" he whispered into Tohru's ear. Tohru could no longer hold back her tears and fell into Yuki's comforting arms, sobbing.
Big mistake.
After a soft 'boom,' Yuki vanished and was replaced by the familiar white rat. Tohru fell a little farther than she intended, her sobs becoming a panicked cry as she landed face-first on the bed, clutching the tiny teenage rodent, through instinct, close to her heart, or in a more physical sense, her breast. The both of them stunned from this little incident, Yuki blushed as he began to squirm against Tohru's chest, trying to get some breathing room. 'Even though I'd never picture us 'in bed' together… this still isn't exactly… what a fantasy of mine would include!' he thought as he inched his way out of Tohru's grip. "Miss Honda, I can't breathe!" Tohru immediately reacted and let the rat loose. "I'm sorry… I wasn't thinking, I guess." She quickly proclaimed, also blushing.
"Don't be. It is kind of what I'd picture you doing anyway." The rat consoled its friend as he waddled up to her. Tohru wiped away her tears and smiled at the cute little zodiac as she picked him up in the palm of her hand. "Thanks. Anyway, I guess we can keep this a secret, although I don't know for how long. I guess, what I was trying to say was that I'm flattered that someone like you would have those kinds of feelings for me. Don't get me wrong, of all things; I don't think less of you. It's just new to me. Let's just take things slow, OK?" Tohru then placed a finger to her lips, and then tapped the rat standing on her other hand on the top of his head, forcing Yuki to blush a deeper shade of crimson.
"Of course, whatever you want, Miss Honda."
"Heh, funny that I seem more comfortable talking to you as a rat than as a human." Tohru said, chuckling before setting the rat down and getting up to leave. She took a few steps toward the door, but then stopped and looked back at him. "Oh, you know, Yuki…" she said. The rat was walking toward the bed carrying its human-sized pair of jeans in its mouth. He spat them out and gave her his attention.
"Call me Tohru."
Yuki's violet eyes widened, and he waved his paw in front of him as a gesture, saying 'no.' "No, really Miss Honda, there's no need for me to…" Tohru tapped the head of the rat once more, silencing him. "Yes, there is. I've known you for more than a year now; you don't need to be so formal with me, especially after sharing your feelings with me like that. I think we should probably be on a first-name basis by now." She said, smiling. Yuki hesitated, but soon gave in to her wishes.
"All right… thank you… Tohru."
Tohru blushed a little, hearing him say her first name sounded so much better.
Fast-Forward to 1:55 PM – Sohma Shigure Residence Exterior
'The electric signals… from the Sohma house… they seem more in harmony with Tohru's… but is this a good thing, or bad…?'
'Only one way to find out…' Hana thought as she knocked on the door.
