Just to clarify: I have only seen the 26 anime episodes of Fruits Basket. Except the one that has Hiro in it. So...yeah. That's it.

00

"Tohru..." Hatori didn't know what to say to her. She was denying everything. But why? Unless...

She must be psychologically damaged. That was it. He would take her to a psychiatrist and have her analyzed. No, even better. He would take some CAT scans of her brain and have a neurologist examine them. That way they could tell if it was because of that fall Yuki said she had or if it was something mentally wrong with her. So he took a couple, gave her a routine exam, and then they were done...Or so she thought.

"Tohru, I need to stop by the Main House and drop Momiji off." She nodded, holding the rabbit that was Momiji to her chest, stroking his fur softly. Hatori almost wished that he could trade places with the boy, but negated that thought instantly with images of where she had stroked him. And then he felt very guilty of what he was about to do...research or not.

He pulled up to the front gates, turning the car off and ushering Tohru out of the car and into the compound with her fuzzy load. They reached his house in no time, despite the winding walkways.

"Here, let me take him." Hatori relieved her of the now sleeping rabbit boy. "If you want to wait a moment, I'll have some lunch brought."

She nodded brightly and as he left, the Juunishi Dragon prayed for forgiveness for what he was about to do.

00

The car ride back to the villa consisted of Tohru singing softly along to the radio for the better part of a half hour. Surprising himself, Hatori found he didn't mind that much. He felt oddly at peace with himself, but conflicted at the same time. No matter. He did what had to be done, and there were to be no regrets. He had lived with another person's memories before, and he could carry the burden of what he had done for Tohru, even though it gave him a twinge of hatred for his own weaknesss at the same time. Hopefully it would always remain a fond, if tainted, recollection. He knew that keeping his residence at the Main House would remind him often enough. There was no part of his home he hadn't desecrated.

"Ok, Tohru," Hatori opened the car door for her. "I need to talk to Shigure and the boys, but remember: the Main House tomorrow at twelve for your appointment. I'm sorry I can't pick you up, but Akito is my priority."

"Of course Hatori-san!" she chirped, then a yawn interrupted her. "Ano...gomen. I am very tired."

The guilt. The pricking of self-hate.

"Don't worry. Just go to sleep and I'll see you tomorrow."

"Hai!"

And off she went. Hatori waited a moment, fiddling with something in the car, pretending to be occupied. He made his way around the lakehouse to the porch where Shigure and Yuki were. They looked surprised to see him, but Hatori made a motion with his hands to keep them silent.

"Kyo!" an orange-haired head poked out from the roof of the house. "Come here for a moment. I need to speak with all of you."

The cat jumped, landing with a thump next to the table before taking a seat. Hatori told them about his examination and that he would need someone to drop Tohru off at the Main House. He explained about the CAT scans and all agreed it would be the best course of action. In the middle of a discussion about the choice of psychiatrist, Ayame slide the door open and joined the others. He listened for a moment, surprising all but the doctor with his subdued attitude.

"Hatori, why don't you act as psychiatrist? You have done so for some of the moth...others in the family that have had problems," Yuki pointed out. Shigure nodded and Kyo let out a 'keh!'; Ayame didn't answer. It wasn't until after the others had left that Hatori found out why.

00

Ayame was silent, and Hatori himself didn't know how to start up a conversation without seeming contrite.

"I thought she chose to be with me," Ayame began. "When I had first met her, first had a conversation with her, I thought, 'She understands'. I had wanted her for myself then, but even more I knew she would be able to heal Yuki. But each time I am with her, the feeling of want for myself deepens, as the feeling of want for Yuki's happiness lessens."

Hatori said nothing and kept his eyes focused, unfocused on the shining lake.

"I know you've slept with her." There was malice in his voice, but then he smiled. "Call it 'snake's instinct'."

The irony of the statement was lost on the doctor, but waves of shame washed over him.

"You can't have her, you know. Even though you've been hurt, you don't deserve her. We don't deserve her. I realized that after you had gone. She'll go to Yuki and that's how it is."

There was a long silence again and then Hatori spoke.

"Or Kyo. She's closer to him than she is to Yuki anyway. To her, Yuki is still the untouchable Prince of her high school."

This time Ayame said nothing. Hatori had known that he could not keep Honda Tohru. But like his pale haired friend, he chose to at least taste the life he wished for. A life he thought was once attainable.

What do you think of when you see the melting snow?

Ermm, well...It'll be spring, right? No matter how cold it is now, Spring will come back for sure.

Still, he was trapped in his frozen prison. But he had happiness once. Shouldn't that be enough?

Amazing isn't it? Snow always melts away.

But then again, maybe someday...

Always.

00

Tohru was kneeling at the table, staring off into the distance. Yuki came up beside her, putting a palm on her forehead.

"I think you might be coming down with a fever, Tohru," he frowned. "It was too cold yesterday; we shouldn't have kept you out by the lake so late."

She smiled up at him. "It was beautiful out there. Even if I catch a little cold because of it, it would be worth it."

He wanted so badly to tell her that the lake was nothing compared to her. She was the most beautiful thing in the entire world, inside and out. One day, when he could offer her more than being married to a cursed half-rodent, Yuki would tell her everything he kept bottled up, everything he wanted to say to her.

"Go to sleep. Its nearly dark anyways."

"Hai."

00

They rounded the corner at the same time. An orange puff of smoke and then Kyo was one-eighth of the size of his human body.

"Watch where you're going!"

"Ah, gomen, Kyo. I should have watched where I was going."

"Hmph. Now I'll be stuck like this for half the..."

Poof!

"...uh, nevermind." He quickly slipped on his pants and was in the middle of buttoning his shirt when she stopped him

"Kyo," Tohru breathed. "Kiss me."

She half-stumbled into his arms, or as close as she could without changing him back into a cat. He grasped her shoulders, shock and nerves causing him to squeeze a bit more than was necessary.

"Wha..what?"

Tohru didn't wait for him to process her words, pressing her lips to his lower one. Kyo stood stick-straight, waiting to wake up from what he was sure was a dream, until the slight pain from Tohru biting down just barely on his captured lip forced him to realize that he was awake. He loosened his hold on her, getting as close as possible without touching chest-to-chest. It was thirty seconds of pure bliss until she slumped forward...all dead weight. Only his...cat-like reflexes saved him from possible squishing and definite transformation.

He turned her slightly, so he was able to look clearly at her face. She was asleep, breathing lightly through her mouth. A frown furrowed his brow (were his kisses really that boring?), but in the end he decided she must have just been worn out at Hatori's; Kyo knew those tests even put him to sleep sometimes.

00

Short, but I already updated both 'Obsession' and 'Second Chance' and this was next on my list. Sorry about the wait and hopefully I'll have the next chapter out in a week.