--Snail's Pace--

Thus by chance should I stumble upon a way to find you

Chapter Sixteen

Tohru woke up suddenly and flung the sheets from her body. They dripped to the floor of the apartment softly like feathers, she took that moment to regain her bearings and figure out where she was. She'd had a frightful dream, a confronting one, but no matter how hard she tried she simply couldn't remember what it had been about. All she knew was that she had been there; and perhaps Yuki… but she couldn't remember.

It didn't matter; a bad dream was just that – a dream.

She turned to her side in bed, and looked down at Yuki who slept shirtless next to her. The smooth curve of his shoulders made her lay back down so that she could run the tip of her finger along them. She smiled to herself, remembering the night that they had spent together. Well, she partly remembered it, for she'd been slightly drunk that night after they had stayed indoors to play a variety of different card games and watch game shows on TV. She hadn't forgotten that earlier that week she'd seen Yuki naked, and by the time nightfall came they were both drunk enough to do whatever they wanted. Tohru had ended up sleeping with Yuki; and although it had seemed like a very sober idea at the time; she was beginning to regret what she had done. There was a dull thump in her head, hinting that she had a hangover.

'Why did I do it?' Tohru asked herself as she watched Yuki's sleeping face. The touch against his shoulder's caused him to turn over in his sleep, dragging the remaining sheet from around them, revealing his naked torso and her exposed hips. The image of them both lying there suddenly made Tohru feel quite guilty, and she got up softly to go and have a shower.

As she stood under the warm water she couldn't help but think of Kyou. What was he doing back in Japan? She'd left him on such a bad note the night that she'd run away from the Premiere, that she couldn't remember anything of that day except seeing Kyou's eyes looking at her through the mirror. The intense feeling, the heaviness of the atmosphere around them, the strong smell of her perfume, the touch of his hands, the fluttering emotion in her stomach that had stayed with her for hours afterwards. Just remembering that scene caused the butterflies to return. Kyou hadn't said anything back then; but Tohru was sure that he had been feeling the exact same way as her.

'Kyou,' Tohru said softly, 'I have so many fond memories with you… please give me a sign, Mom. I don't know what to do… or even what I've done!'

When Tohru got out of the shower and dressed Yuki was still asleep. She couldn't help but smile at him, and feel obliged to pull the sheets back up over his body, before deciding that she would go for a morning walk. She left him a note, took her purse and the apartment key; then made her way downstairs into the foyer. A bit of fresh air and a walk would do her hangover some good; and perhaps Yuki would be awake by the time she got back.

'Now Kyou; calm down sweetie!' Kagura yelled as she and the orange haired man darted out of the airport to immediately hail a taxi. She had barely got down into the backseat with him before the driver was ordered to directly follow Kyou's instructions. Shigure had previously written down what hotel Yuki was staying in, and had, in turn, passed the details on to Kyou – whom he knew would give good use to them.

'I AM CALM! I'VE NEVER BEEN MORE CALM IN MY LIFE!' Kyou snapped at her; but he immediately retracted from what he had said and apologized.

'It's okay,' Kagura replied, looking out the window at all the tall Tokyo buildings, 'you're just nervous.'

Kyou stared at her for a moment, blinking, and then blushed lightly for everything that Kagura was putting herself through to try and make him happy. He knew that she couldn't stop loving him with just the click of her fingers, but he appreciated her gesture all the same. She had insisted on coming to Tokyo with him; to aggravate him if nothing else. 'I hate you for knowing so much about me,' he said casually. Kagura turned to him confused, but then she simply laughed. She seemed a lot happier now than Kyou had ever seen her.

The truth was that carrying around such intense love for Kyou had been a burden for Kagura. It took so much of her energy, emotionally and physically, to continually convince herself that one day Kyou would return her feelings. In a way it was somewhat of a relief to finally be free from her intense physiological infatuation; but that wasn't to say it hurt any less. She had many habits that she would need to break, if Kyou were to be with Tohru.

'What will you do when you see them?' Kagura asked, looking at her hands, for she couldn't think of anything that didn't seem like a stupid way to confront such an issue.

Kyou paused, and starred at the blue dress that was sat on the seat between himself and Kagura. He'd brought it along for reasons he didn't know; but he definitely knew that he wanted Tohru to have the dress. It was supposed to be the Yuki Sohma Dress, in Tohru's words, but Yuki had never once seen Tohru in it. The dress belonged to Kyou more than it did to Yuki. He was protective of it, and wanted nothing more than to see Tohru wear it again.

'I guess I'll just say it,' Kyou replied, 'whether that damn rat wants to hear it or not.'

'I reckon you'll do really well, Kyou. You'll be fine!' Kagura reassured. The taxi suddenly stopped with a jerk in front of Kyou's desired hotel and both of them quickly piled out of the backseat onto the footpath and stared up at the large building. 'Well, we're here…' Kagura announced.

'We're here for Tohru!' Kyou beamed, a genuine, and very rare smile, appearing on his face.

It didn't take them long to figure out which room Yuki was in; and the front desk was more than happy to tell them which room number that he had. As Kyou and Kagura made their way upstairs the lady at the front desk assured them that she would call up to tell Mr Sohma that they were coming. Kyou simply nodded and followed her directions up to the fortieth story, to room 12-4.

'This is it…' Kyou said quietly, staring for a while at the door. He put his hand on the handle and pulled slightly, surprised to see that it was slightly ajar. Kagura took a step back, the blue dress held neatly in her hands, her concentration focused on the features and emotions changing on Kyou's face. He seemed to settle with looking angry, for whatever he was thinking about upset him, and then he swung the door open and stepped into the apartment.

'WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE!'

Yuki's eyes snapped open and he sat up quickly, blinking a few times in the sudden light that threatened to blind him. Someone was shouting at him, shrieking and hissing at him like an animal, and it took the zodiac rat a moment to realize where he was and what was happening. Kyou stood at the edge of his bed, a threatening death glare directed at him, and Kagura was trembling and hiding, with her face over her hands, behind the bedroom door so that she didn't have to look at him.

'Kyou?'

'WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING? WHERE'S TOHRU! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HER! YOU PERVERT! GET UP AND TELL ME WHERE SHE IS!'

Front desk hadn't been able to get through.

Before Yuki could remember any of the previous events that had taken place before he'd woken up, Kyou had strode towards him and punched him square in the jaw. His body rocketed sideways; exposing more of himself to the flustered Kagura and fuming Kyou.

'PUT SOME CLOTHES ON!' Kyou roared, 'I DON'T BELIEVE THIS!' His blood was boiling, and he thought he might burst. Yuki simply pulled the sheet around him as he stood up and wrapped it at his waist.

'What are you doing here, stupid cat?' Yuki glared venomously.

'I DON'T THINK THAT EVEN MATTERS AT THE MOMENT! LOOK AT YOU! WHERE'S TOHRU?'

'So you came for Tohru?' Yuki asked, and then he grinned mockingly at the zodiac cat, 'don't tell me that you've fallen in love with her?'

'Why else would he be here?' came a dejected quivering voice from the door. Yuki hadn't paid much attention to Kagura until this point, and now he turned to her curiously, and concerned, for he had never suspected Kagura of all people to suddenly speak of such a thing. She was after all, in love with Kyou.

'Wha-? Kagura?' Yuki said, 'I am so confused...'

Kyou, having kept his anger bottled up long enough, and feeling betrayed, sickened, outraged and bewildered by what Yuki had done, launched himself at the zodiac rat, swinging a kick towards his exposed chest. Yuki reacted quickly just as Kyou had thought he would and blocked the attack. Kyou wasn't going to lose this time though, he wasn't going to lose. His fist came around for Yuki's face, but that was blocked as well.

'You bastard!' was all Kyou could shout as he launched himself at his rival, completely overcome by fury, yet also consumed by sadness.

'I don't see what your problem is… Miss Honda is free to do whatever she likes, with or without your…' he was cut off by Kyou kicking him in the face.

'I've waited a long time to do that, you damn rat!'

Yuki stumbled backwards for a moment, but just as he was about to send his fist slamming into Kyou's face, a figure appeared in the door.

Tohru stood before all three of them, surveying the scene through curious and completely confused eyes. She knew though, that this was the end. Her little 'affair' between Yuki and Kyou would finally be exposed and there was nothing that she could do about it. A painful sense of grief suddenly washed over her; and although the faces looking at her were full of concern and love, she could see nothing but the faces of their reactions when she told them that she had been in love with them both. She'd been cruel to them, and used them, and thrown them around as though they were something that she could play with. She should have never run away with Yuki when he greeted her at the airport; she should have never stepped down from the curb to follow Kyou when he came to see her at the University. She shouldn't have made herself welcome in their lives.

'Please…' she said softly, 'I am so sorry. I am so sorry for making you fight… I am so sorry about everything that I've done. I am so sorry!' Her face began to flush red and she became hot and dizzy. She leaned against the door frame. 'I didn't mean…to fall in love… with you…' yet it wasn't apparent who she was talking about, because her legs suddenly gave way and she collapsed to one side. Kagura managed to catch her before she hit the floor; and a terrible silence fell across the room.

Yuki's features hardened, and he looked at the floor to avoid Kyou and Kagura's gaze. Each of them was feeling utterly depressed, and was in no mood to do anything other than sought through their own thoughts. It seemed in favour to all though, to get back to New York as soon as possible.

'Guys…' Kagura cried, 'a little help here!' She was struggling to hold both Tohru and the dress, which was threatening to suffocate her.

Not wholy satisfied with the structure of this chapter; but it's close none the less and I was happy to find a medium with it. Ehehe... thanks for your reviews. You're getting into this arent you? Excited yet? Awesome... I plan to end this story at Chapter 20, maybe even 19. Not long now Cherubs
I really enjoyed writing dialogue between Yuki and Tohru in chpt's 13 and 14. It's so cute! I hope you could all see the difference in Tohru's personality when she is around each boy. With Yuki she's more care free, but it's hard to be like that when you're around Kyou! So which boy do you think is better for her?
Ah well...we'll see.