Yuki sat outside the hospital room, his hands clasped tightly in front of him and a small frown marring his features. He should be happy right? The stupid curse which had tainted his every waking moment from birth could finally be rid of. This was a good thing, wasn't it? But even with this knowledge, that he could one day hold Tohru close without, that he could hug her in public, that he could be free, he wasn't happy.

He had someone he loved, he could tell her and it would be all good. The perfect Miss Honda, with perfect manors and a perfect smile, he loved her and she had feelings for him too. But was it love? Or was it simply some imitation of the feeling provoked by some sense of hero worship.

It made his chest ache, and as he watched her she walked back from the bathroom, her very move graceful and elegant, he wondered if he could really say those three little words. He loved her, he really did. Without a doubt he loved her, but could he really say it. The only person he had ever spoken those three words to was his mother, he had shortly thereafter abandoned him.

And he wondered if he could deal with her freezing, her face going white and her mouth not working as she tried to say something that could pass as an excuse.

Or maybe she would just walk away from it all, say she was sorry but she didn't really love him.

The worst though, was if she said the words back, and nothing happened, and she it didn't break the curse. Because that would mean she didn't love him at all, but she stayed with him because she though that she did.

He felt the love of his life grab his hand and jumped, just a second ago she had been walking back hadn't she? When did she-?

"Stop it Yuki," she said through a smile, "don't worry about whatever it is you're worrying about. It's a day to be happy right? You can break the curse and Haruhi's alright."

And there it was, the curse again. His frowned deepened and he looked her straight in the eyes trying to say something, trying to let those three words push themselves out of his bloody useless mouth. But they wouldn't and he saw Tohru slowly deflate. Obviously she though he didn't love her. But that wasn't true, he did, he really did.

And then, for all the pushing, it happened with no prompting at all. "I love you," simple and sweat and all his fears came rushing back. Of abandonment or rejection, or both.

He closed his eyes in anticipation. Waiting.

Instead he felt his hand be squeezed tightly and a pair of lips closing over his own. As she pulled back he opened his eyes, just in time too, for she said those words. The three words sounding so perfect on her lips.

"I love you too." Pain and he fell into her arms, for once, not changing form. It was so refreshing, he passed out and Tohru just smiled.

They had been back home for a week, the hospital having cleared Haruhi surprisingly quickly and Shigure's house was unsurprising full of people. There was Haruhi herself, who was still on bed rest, and then Kyo who refused to leave her room until she could walk unaided.

Yuki was thankfully sleeping in his own room, not that it made much difference as he was either always in Haruhi's room or Tohru's. If you couldn't find him by his sister's bedside then he was curled up somewhere with his girlfriend, a smile on his face.

Hatori also insisted on staying, taking up Kyo's room since he wasn't using it and giving Haruhi a physical every day. It was a little weird but it's not as though it had never happened, and for all his joking the good doctor was ever a lady's man, and in fact, had, after much pressuring begun dating again.

And of course Ayame stayed all week, but they had run out of room and he found himself once more sharing a bed with Shigure. And unlike with Hatori, they had been together. For a while actually, and the dog zodiac, who still housed his curse, wondered what would happen if they broke it.

Even with all there playing, he was in love with the snake, and the snake loved him back, but it had never really been expressed in as many words. And even now he was hesitant to free them from there burden.

Because they had only gotten together as teens out of convenience. They could not feel the warmth of a female so they would seek love from each other, and it had morphed into a beautiful strange relationship before they even knew it. And Shigure feared that once the curse was gone he would be left as Ayame could now seek the pleasure from another. Perhaps more suitable gender.

He knew it was cruel to not free him, and it was hurting both of them the longer they waited to say it. But he just couldn't let this go, let the fear disappear. It was too hard and he knew one day it would come up, he wondered if he could do it.

He wondered if it would hurt more if Hatori walked away because he wouldn't.

He dropped his pen and raised a hand to run through his hair, why was this so difficult.

It was with that thought that the door behind him opened and the one who had been plaguing both his thoughts and his nights for so long now walked in.

The snake man was smiling, although his eyes held some type of hesitance, as he stood in front of Shigures desk. He took a deep breath and the dog knew was coming even before the words were uttered, because somehow he knew that the snake had been thinking the same thing all week.

"Shigure, I love you," it was quiet and said with a fragile smile that Shigure couldn't live without. But even though he had been expecting it he still felt tears run down his face from his fears. He still felt overwhelming worry.

Slowly he looked to his lap, closing his eyes.

"I love you too," a rush of pain filled his body, and he heard Ayame groan and his knees hit the floor.

In an instant it was gone and he felt like some part of him had been ripped from his soul, something was suddenly missing and yet he somehow felt whole, it was a strange feeling.

However, then the thoughts were back, now that he was free would Ayame leave him, would he find another to warm his bed. He knew he was crying but he refused to make a sound, he couldn't let the evil of fate hear his screams of anguish.

But then there were arms around him. Warm, pale, familiar arms that fit just right around his shoulders. "Ay-aya," he muttered, his body still shaking as his tears continued to fall.

"Shhh," he said and Shigure felt all his fears melt away. "It's okay Shigure I won't leave you."

They stayed like that for a while, Shigure silently crying and Ayame cuddling his worry's away