A/N: Other than AkkiGure (obviously), this is probably my favorite couple. Hope this isn't too confusing or out of character.
Disclaimer: I don't own Furuba.
Lucky Girl
She really was such a lucky girl.
That's how Machi always saw her, anyhow. But wasn't she so lucky? She was with that boy nearly twenty-four hours a day – she cooked his meals, they slept under the same roof, they were in nearly all the same classes.
But the girl didn't seem to mind really. It wasn't a huge deal to her that she spent all the time in the world with the most perfect boy Machi had ever met. He would watch her, fascinated with every movement she was making, but she would merely smile kindly in return. Surely she had feelings for him, but they were obviously not strong. She was always too preoccupied with that other boy – what was his name? Kyo?
Understandable. He was kind, she supposed, and had a nice complexion.
But Yuki…he was something different. He was one of those people that could only be described as beautiful. She had never thought that about anyone before…everyone had always had sort of the same features, if you looked from a certain perspective. But there was something about his slender figure, his kind smile, his sad velvet eyes that made him stand out.
At least, to her there was.
Of course she really didn't understand the Yuki fanclub. What they loved was the superficial Yuki, the mask he always wore at school. Machi hated that. The stupid mask of fake confidence, false kindness, and forged happiness that must have made the real Yuki ashamed. It must have made him feel sick about himself, to lie to everyone everyday. It made her feel sick, watching him lie so bluntly and effortlessly. She imagined he was miserable. She was right.
Behind the mask he wore there was a real kindness. Behind the mask, Yuki had hopes and dreams for his own future – not just the futures of others. But mostly, behind the mask there was fear. He felt he was vulnerable, and Machi could tell that much. He felt no one could like someone so selfish and stupid and weak. So he hid behind his mask, slowly killing himself.
She knew. She had a mask of her own.
But at least her mask had something worth covering. She wanted people to just believe that she kept to herself and didn't open up. If they saw the real her…they'd hate her more than they already did. They'd insult her. They'd see that there was no real her; no personality and no feelings.
Well. There were a few feelings.
For instance, anger that Yuki would hide himself. What did he need to cover up? If Machi Kuragi, an impassive cold fish, could accept the real him, then why couldn't the rest of the world?
But, he did take off the mask with that girl. She was one of the few people that had the privilege of seeing the true Yuki. And she accepted him completely – so much that he would fall in love with her.
Did she return his feelings? Machi wasn't sure if even she knew.
But he really did deserve her. He deserved to have his feelings returned; damn the girl if she wouldn't do so. Yuki deserved to be loved by the girl that could make him happiest.
And hadn't he the right to want that? Didn't he deserve the best? Wasn't he perfect, even beneath the mask?
But still…she wished that…
…The girl could have been…
Her.
But it wasn't. It was Tohru Honda, and Machi knew she was such a lucky girl.
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A/N: I don't know if Machi really knows about the relationship between Yuki and Tohru, but I'm sure she'd be jealous as hell if she did. (Who wouldn't be?) Well, I hope that wasn't too confusing or OOC or anything. I know I'm not an uber great writer, but review anyway, 'kay?