Strange as it seems

Feels as if I've been

Here before

It's beautiful

So simple

Like black and white

- KT Tunstall -

"Black and White"

-/-

Without You

By Ricchan

-/-

- Chapter 10 -

"Momiji and Haru are visiting tomorrow, are you okay with that?"
"Ehh?"

It was a calm Saturday night, and Yuki and Tohru were watching a movie together at the table, a bowl of popcorn between them.
"Oh! Well, I suppose I'm okay with that, I'll have to clean the house..." she replied. "When are they arriving?"
"Sometime around noon, we'll be having lunch with them," Yuki replied, helping himself to a little more popcorn. "They're very excited to spend some more time with you."
"Oh, I am too!" Tohru replied, happily. "I love being around Momiji-san and Haru-san, they're so cheerful and fun."
Yuki smiled. "I'm glad to hear that, and I suppose they will too," he said. "Oh, and are you enjoying the movie?"
Tohru nodded. "It's lovely! I think I remember when this came out, was it 2003?"
"I think so...let me find the DVD case..." Yuki said, and got up to find it. "Yup, Girl With A Pearl Earring, 2003."
"It's almost like a painting itself," Tohru noted, looking at the TV again. "The movie, I mean."
"I know what you mean, it's a favorite of mine," Yuki replied with a smile.

The next day, Tohru spent the morning cleaning and cooking while Yuki was at work, and he returned early with Haru and Momiji in his car.

"Hi, you two! Come in, come in! I just finished cleaning," Tohru said, waving at them when they arrived.
"Hi, Tohru!" Momiji replied, lifting a six-pack of beer above his head with a grin. "I brought some beer!"
Tohru began to laugh and told Momiji that she noticed he liked beer quite a lot, while Haru and Yuki entered the house and took off their shoes and coats.

"Welcome, Haru-san, it's nice to see you!" Tohru said. "How was work today, Yuki?"

"It was fine," he replied. "Is lunch ready?"

"Of course! Right this way, I'll set it out," she said, showing the way. Momiji pranced behind her with his beer, while Haru followed slowly behind with Yuki.

"Awfully happy to see him, isn't she?" he noted.
"What?" Yuki said, looking at Haru while pushing a bang behind his ear.
"Tohru-san; she looks really happy whenever Momiji's around, I've noticed. Remember when we went drinking a week or so ago?" he said, looking casually at the ceiling. "They couldn't stop talking to each other. And did you see the look on his face when she fell asleep and he had to carry her back to your car?"
Yuki closed his eyes and laughed very slightly, remembering the look of joy Momiji wore as he toted her on his back towards Yuki's car, after they had drunk themselves silly a previous Saturday; he and Haru were still cursed, after all, and couldn't provide any help once she had fallen asleep like a log.
"Come on, you two, I made sandwiches! Momiji's already set out the drinks!" Tohru called.

Haru took his spot at the table, but Yuki stopped slightly; she had left off the "-san" in Momiji's name...was this perhaps saying something?

"Come on, Yuki!" she called, and he joined them at the table.
"I hope you like lettuce and tomato sandwiches!" Tohru said, placing them on the table. "I also made some rice balls and a little bit of tempura for Yuki and me; I know that you and Momiji are vegetarians, Haru-san..."
"That's okay," Haru replied. "Why don't you try frying vegetables sometime? It tastes really good, Isuzu makes it all the time."
"Oh, Isuzu-chan? Your fiancee?" Tohru said, going back to the kitchen and fetching the plate of rice balls. "How is she, by the way?"
"Doing well, working on some new paintings," Haru replied with a smile. "She'd like to come visit sometime."
"I'd love that!" Tohru replied, putting the plate on the table and getting the tempura as Momiji opened a beer and handed it to Yuki. "I haven't seen her since the wedding! Well, everyone, let's eat!"

They spent the afternoon talking and having a good time, when Tohru excused herself to the kitchen to clean up the dishes once they were finished, which gave the boys some time to talk at the kotatsu in the living room.

"So, how is 'Operation: Bring Back Tohru's Memories' going?" Haru asked.

"...Can't quite say," Yuki replied, keeping his voice hushed, just in case the clanking of the dishes didn't muffle his voice. "I think there's some progress being made...I mean, Momiji, did you notice she didn't attach '-san' to the end of your name today?"
"Huh...I suppose she did," Momiji noted. "Familiarity?"

"Whatever it is," Yuki replied.
"Anything other than that?" said Haru.
"Er...no, I don't think so," said Yuki, thinking deeply and putting his head on the table. Then, he realized something.
"Ah! Here's something," he said, rather loudly on account of the alcohol, then hushed himself. "A while ago, I got sick and transformed, and she came up and saw me."
"Did she know it was you?" Momiji asked, and Yuki shook his head.

"No, she just thought I was an ordinary mouse," he replied.

"That's funny...because, knowing Tohru-san, I think she'd be scared of-" Haru began.
"Exactly," Yuki interrupted. "She seemed...comfortable around me. I mean...she even gave me a cracker!"
"That sounds like her," Haru said, chuckling a little. "Do you think some memories came back because of that?"
"No idea, and I don't want to ask her," Yuki replied, folding his arms on the table and resting his head there again. "I think...if she didn't remember, it would sound weird, and there's too much chance that she hasn't..."
"True, true," Haru replied, and Tohru returned to the room.
"How was everything?" she asked.
"Excellent," Haru said blithely, with a smile. "Anything you need help with?"

"Not at all," she replied. "If you wish, you could leave for home, now, but you really don't need to."
"That sounds real good," Momiji said, his face slightly pink from the beer. "I suppose Haru and I'll have to start walking back home, mm?"
"You sound tipsy, Momiji," Haru replied frankly.

"Ah, but not as bad as Yuki, he's fallen asleep," he said pointing to the person in question, and Tohru began to laugh; Yuki had indeed fallen asleep at the kotatsu, his head resting on the table, his long grey hair falling into his closed eyes.

"My goodness, I should get a blanket for him, shouldn't I?" she said, and Haru (who was the only one that was relatively sober) nodded in agreement. "Be careful, you've had quite a bit to drink as well."

Tohru laughed, her cheeks turning pink a little as Momiji's head nodded a little in tiredness, his eyes half-closed. Tohru noticed and giggled a little.

"Could you help me get some blankets? It looks like Momiji is falling asleep too," she said, and Haru shrugged.
"I think I could carry Momiji back home," he said. "Don't really think you'd like to have him sleeping here all day. I'll get one for Yuki."

As he took a small blanket out of the closet and laid it on Yuki, he began to talk.
"You know...Yuki's a very truthful person," he said softly, patting the blanket over Yuki's back, "but there are some things he may not tell you."
"Well, I suppose everyone does that, Haru-san," Tohru replied, with the usual smile.

"Yes, but...the secrets that Yuki keeps...the secrets that I keep, even...they may shock you," he said, still not looking at her. "Yuki...there's more to him than you think, so...just be careful. There...are some things that he perhaps...doesn't want you to know, or things...he doesn't want to tell you, not just yet."
"What? Haru-san, you're confusing me..." Tohru said.
"Ah, nevermind me," Haru said, picking Momiji up and slinging him over his shoulder. "You look like you'd enjoy a nap, too."

"Yes, well...I am a little sleepy..." Tohru replied, and yawned.

"Why don't you take a spot at the table? I can get our coats," Haru suggested.
"Oh, but I'd be a bad host if I did that..." Tohru protested, but Haru smiled as he got up.
"I insist, I don't mind," he said, and patted Momiji on the back. "Come on, up you go, Momiji, it's time to leave."
"Mm...already...? Okay..." he said sleepily, and rubbed his eyes. "See you later, Tohru..."
"Goodbye, you two," she said, waving at them. "I'll see you to the door.
"But I said you didn't need to," Haru replied, but she shook her head.
"I insist," she replied. "Here, I'll get your coats."
Retrieving them from the closet, she handed Haru his elaborate trenchcoat with many buckles and clasps on it, and Momiji's tan-colored peacoat, before smiling and waving.
"Hope to see you again, soon!" she said. Haru smiled and gave a short wave before he began to head off, but was stopped when Tohru called "Wait!"
"What is it?" he asked, turning around; Momiji didn't seem to hear it and continued onward.

"If you...see Kyo or Hatori again...tell them...I'm very sorry...for all the trouble..." she said, her voice somewhat monotonous and drained, her eyes blank.

"...what?" Haru said softly, and her eyes regained their light.
"Oh, what was I saying?" she asked, giving Haru a confused look. Haru shrugged.
"Nothing, I suppose. I'll be seeing you, then?"
Tohru smiled and nodded.
"Yes, goodbye!"

Haru went off down the drive, smiling secretly; what he heard...was it a lapse of the subconcious? Or was something just going on?
Either way, it was an important thing, he thought. Something he'd tell Yuki, the next time they had some time alone.
The next thing he knew, he was lost, and had to call Isuzu to come pick him and Momiji up (who was having a grand time singing songs from the Threepenny Opera in German).