Kyo stood on the roof of the Main House, waiting anxiously. Mei had been in there for a long time, at least an hour, and he was worried.
What if something went wrong?
"But Akito... about why I'm really here..."
Akito stopped laughing, and his smile slowly faded and he looked at Mei with adoring eyes.
"Yes?"
"I wanted to tell you something..."
Akito scooted closer to her on the floor.
"What is it?"
"It's..."
"It's okay, you can tell me. Go on. I won't be upset. I promise."
He touched her cheek. Mei kissed his hand.
"I... Akito... I love Kyo."
Akito removed his hand and looked at her strangely.
"I'm in love with him. Really. He makes me feel... safe somehow."
Akito stared at her, in silence.
"When I'm with him, I don't think about the rest of the world. All the pain just goes away. And I'm filled with happiness... he makes me smile, he makes me laugh. When I'm in his arms, I just feel so warm inside."
Once again, Akito touched her cheek, brushing back the hair of the girl he viewed as a sister. One who he loved deeply, who he cared for.
"And I'll understand if you don't approve of it. After all, you're known for your intense hatred of Kyo... but I'm still going to see him. You can't do anything to change that. I promise you."
Akito brought Mei's eyes up to meet his. Then kissed her on the forehead.
"Mei. If you really love him..."
"I do."
"And if I really can't stop Mei Sohma, the tiger from loving Kyo Sohma, the cat... then... so be it."
Mei looked up at him, alarmed.
"I won't stop you."
Mei smiled, and embraced Akito.
"Thank you."
The door to the Main House opened, and Mei exited, not saying a word. Her head was held low, hands in her pockets, she looked even smaller than she was. Kyo jumped off the roof and ran to her.
"Mei... are you..."
She didn't look up at him.
"What happened?"
Silence. Kyo brushed back her hair, and brought her face up to his.
"Mei?"
Silence. Then Mei surprised him. She tackled him to the ground and kissed him.
"Is that a good tackle/kiss or a bad one?" Kyo asked
"Let's go home." Mei said, standing and walking away
"Wha--. Mei what happened? What'd he say?"
But Mei didn't answer, she only continued in silence all the way back to Shigure's house. She opened the door, and Yuki, who was standing there, looked at her.
"What happened?" Yuki asked anxiously
Mei only smiled, and went upstairs.
"She won't say." Kyo said, following
He followed Mei up to his room, and watched her as she stripped down into her underwear and walked over to his dresser, taking out one of Kyo's tee shirts that was way to big for her. She slid it on, and climbed in his bed.
"Mei." Kyo said
Mei shifted under the covers and closed her eyes, preparing to go to sleep. Kyo closed the door, took off his shirt and pants and slid under the covers next to her, wrapping his arms around her.
"Mei."
"Hmm?"
"Tell me." He said "What did Akito say?"
Mei turned to face him, her face looking very tired.
"Good news or bad news?"
Mei shrugged.
"Tell me."
"Okay, Kyonkichi..."
"MEI!"
"Fine. Kyo-kun... he's going to let it slide."
"What!"
"He's going to allow it. But, if you ever do anything to hurt me, he said he's going to kill you himself."
Kyo laughed.
"If you don't do it first right?"
"Oh, you know it."
Mei kissed him.
"Kyo?"
"Hmm?"
"I love you."
"What do you want?"
"You should buy a bigger bed. I can barely fit."
"Mei... you weigh like 98 pounds."
"99 to be exact."
Kyo chuckled.
"The point is, you could fit on a broom handle." He said "You don't need much space."
"Well excuse me for liking to have room when we..." Mei sighed and turned away from him "Nevermind. It was a stupid idea."
"Mei..." Kyo said "I'm sorry... maybe I'll get a bigger bed... maybe."
Mei turned and faced him, kissing him softly.
"I really do love you, you know that?"
Kyo nodded.
"I know. I love you too."
"Hold me?"
Kyo nodded, rolling onto his back. Mei laid on top of him, and Kyo wrapped his arms around her, and she sighed contently.
In his bedroom, Kaiba sighed. He missed Mei. Maybe he'd give her a call. He wasn't really sure why he missed her so much. She was crazy after all. But crazy in a good way, a funny way. She was probably the only person who could make him smile.
"Maybe I will call her." He muttered
"I can't believe you talked me into this." Kyo muttered
Mei squeezed his hand as they went up the escalator.
"I'm sorry. But Tohru, Hana and Uo were all busy, and I don't think you'd like it if I took Yuki swimsuit shopping with me right?"
Kyo shook his head.
"But still, you could've went alone." He said, stepping off onto the third floor.
"All by my lonesom in a big mall? With loads of big scary guys around?" Mei asked "I wanted you to keep me safe." She hugged his arm "Forgive me?"
Kyo reluctantly nodded.
"I guess." He said
Mei grinned.
"And besides, you get to see me model cute swimsuits..." Mei said, winking
"Wait a minuet." Kyo said "You didn't bring me just so you could do that cute grin and get me to buy it for you?"
"And what makes you think that?" Mei said, leading him over to the swimsuits
"Because you didn't bring any money."
Mei winked.
"Guilty as charged." Mei said "But, as a reward, you can pick out anyone you like."
"But I still have to pay for it!"
"But you'll get to see me in it!"
"NO!"
Mei grew sad. She lowered her head, stuck out her lip and whined. Then she began to cry.
"You're mean!" She said, storming away, ironically enough, she crashed right into Yuki.
"Mei?" He asked "Are you okay?"
Mei shook her head, wrapping her arms around Yuki.
"Kyo's being mean." She said
Kyo followed her.
"Yuki, what are you doing here?"
Yuki shrugged.
"I got bored." He said "Now, what'd you do to her, stupid cat?"
"Nothing!"
"Nothing?"
"She's upset because I won't pay for her swiming suit."
Yuki pulled Mei off of him.
"Mei-chan?"
"Hmm?"
"If you want, I'll buy you one."
Mei's face lit up.
"Really?"
Yuki nodded.
"Thank you!"
She hugged him. Kyo pulled her away.
"Okay, alright, I get it! I'll buy you your stupid swimsuit. Come on."
"No, Yuki's going to buy it for me." Mei said, starting to take Yuki's hand
"Alright, two. I'll buy you two."
"Three."
"Deal. Now come on."
Mei smiled at Yuki.
"You come too." She said "Make sure he doesn't pick out anything too sleazy. Nothing that'll make me look like an even bigger slut."
They both rolled their eyes.
"How about this?"
Yuki and Kyo looked up, at Mei, standing in front of the dressing room.
"No." Yuki said
"YES!" Kyo shouted
"Um... I'm gonna go with no." Mei said, going back into the dressing room
Kyo sighed.
"Do you have to ruin this for me?"
"Do you have to make Mei-chan look like a hooker?" Yuki asked
"No." Kyo said "I'm not."
"That last one covered like three percent of her body."
"And as tiny as Mei is, that's a lot."
"You're sick you know that?"
Kyo rolled his eyes.
"She's my girlfriend, I should be able to dress her up as I please."
"Sure, when it's just you two that are going to be seeing it. Did you think about that? A swimsuit is going to be worn in a public place. You aren't the only one who'll be seeing Mei-chan in it. Other men will to."
"Right..." Kyo said
"How about this one?" Mei asked, standing out
"I like it." Yuki said
"Me too.." Kyo reluctantly agreed.
"Good." Mei said
All in all, Mei ended up with five new swimsuits instead of the three that Kyo promised. But doing another pout and running to Yuki convinced him to buy them. Mei walked happily between the two, squeezing their hands.
"Let's go to the park." She said "You guys can push me on the swings."
"Okay." Kyo said, smiling at Mei
Mei smiled and turned her head up towards the sky. She hadn't been on the swings in years, and it brought back rather good memories. Yuki and Kyo continued to push her, together, oddly enough. They weren't fighting or argueing, but simply pushing in silence. Mei turned around and smiled at them, who smiled back.
"I remember when I was little..." Mei said "And I loved these swings. They used to make me feel so weightless."
"Like that's a hard job." Kyo muttered
Mei rolled her eyes.
"Anyways." Mei continued "I came here one night, I don't remember why, I think I had a bad dream or something... but I came here, I got on these swings, and just started swinging, even after it started raining, I just kept swinging, I felt safe somehow."
Kyo smiled.
"And the next morning... no one knew where I was... except you two."
Both Kyo and Yuki looked at each other, shocked. They stopped pushing Mei, who got off the swing and turned to face them.
"You probably don't remember."
They shook their heads.
"Well, I don't know how you two knew, but you found me... here... asleep right by this swing, soaking wet and covered in mud. And you took me home. I think that was the only time you two have ever really worked together."
Mei reached out and touched their cheeks.
"I never said thanks."
They both smiled.
"And quite frankly, I don't imagine I ever will."
Kyo could only laugh.
"Come on Mei, get back on so we can finish pushing you."
We?
"Okay." Mei said, getting back on, smiling as the warm breeze rushed past her, whiping through her hair, and she smiled and turned her head towards the sky.