Author's Note: Hello, again, my lovelies. Here is chapter the fifth of the revamped Moonlit Serenade. There is only one chapter after this one to update! Then, I hope to get a new chapter up to get the story back into circulation, so to speak. Much love! ~LM~

(Fruits Basket belongs to Takaya-san, the rest is mine.)

Chapter 5 - The Pain Never Subsides

Yuki awoke in a cold sweat from the recurring nightmare. Almost every night, it haunted him. He kept reliving when he had come home to see Tohru unconscious on the floor of the house, her despair because of him.

Dragging himself out of bed, he entered the little bathroom that was a part of his dormitory and splashed cold water on his face to clear his mind. His reflection in the mirror startled him again, he rarely recognized himself anymore. He was thinner than he used to be, and his hair had grown long enough to be queued back into a short ponytail. He needed to shave, as usual. The shadows beneath his eyes were practically permanent. He just didn't care anymore.

"So much for their precious Prince Yuki," he said bitterly to his reflection. Pushing away from the sink to try to get more sleep before classes, he noticed his bracelet. Not long after Kyo's imprisonment, a small group of Sohmas (with the addition of Tohru, who was pretty much one of them) had bracelets made to show their support to Kyo, as well as their opposition of Akito. Each one fit the personality of the wearer. Tohru's was made with large black and white pearls, Kagura and Rin had a matching pair of clear and black crystals, and Momiji and Hatsuharu sported metal discs that were colored with ivory and blood red enamel. Only Yuki made his identical to Kyo, with wooden beads of bone white and blood red. None of them removed their bracelets, not even for Akito. Eventually their Head of the family learned to ignore them, or have them turn their backs on the rest of the Zodiac.

Lying on his bed, he stared at the bracelet, turning the beads with his fingers. He knew what had to be done.

They will either free Kyo, or Yuki will take his place.

In the weeks that had passed since Tohru had made her initial secret visit to Kyo's cell, she was only able to return a handful of times, with Momiji as lookout. Some visits lasted only minutes, others hours, and one had luckily lasted until dawn. Most visits were spent in companionable silence, others were spent with Tohru recounting stories from the past three years, from the happenings of college life and other menial topics. She knew Kyo did not care for such topics, but he never complained, admitting that he was just happy to listen to her talk.

Another meeting had been arranged for that evening, and Momiji had planned to attempt to steal a key so she can let Kyo out-of-doors for a short time (she hated that she was to lock him back in, but they couldn't take the risk). Hopefully, Momiji will succeed, and they could have a copy made, then she could let Kyo out during every visit, instead of just reaching through the bars to hold his hand while they talked.

Tying an orange ribbon in her hair, she assessed herself in the small mirror on the back of her closet door. Satisfied with her appearance, she set out to meet with Momiji, mentally crossing her fingers that he was successful. She was so distracted, that she failed to notice the figure in the hall outside her door.

She ran right into him, falling to the floor with an "oomph!" She looked up and saw Yuki before her, his hand extended to assist her, which she happily accepted. At first, she was puzzled. Why didn't he transform? Then, she saw the books scattered about. Ah, he was carrying books in front of him. Got it… He looked disheveled, as usual (Tohru was unpleasantly used to it), but at least he had shaved.

Good, she thought, I was beginning to worry about him.

Together, they kneeled and collected the books from the floor. "Momiji said you were going to the Main House again tonight," said Yuki, his voice so low, she almost could not hear him.

Tohru nodded. "He's going to try to steal a key, so I can let Kyo out tonight." Yuki's eyes widened, and she sighed. "Unfortunately, not permanently. We are going to have the key copied, and let him out during my visits. Kyo needs fresh air and to be able to walk through the gardens. Hatori 'let slip'" (Tohru used her fingers to mime quotes) "that Akito will be traveling for the next few days. This is our only chance to get that key."

Yuki nodded and reached out to touch the satin ribbon in her hair, tied right above her ear like she used to (but only one side, Yuki recalled tying a yellow ribbon he gave her this way). It was a deep orange that matched Kyo's hair to perfection. Lightly tracing his fingers to the end, as to not muss the bow, he saw a small cat embroidered at the end. "Where did you get this?"

"Kisa. She is really coming along with her needlework. She wears one like it, too, whenever she is not near Akito. No one will let her risk wearing it more, nor will anyone allow her to wear a bracelet like we do. She is still too young."

"That she is. Hiro wanted us to let him wear a bracelet, but he is too young, as well. He resorted to a woven band that is bright orange that Kisa made him." Yuki motioned for Tohru to pass him in the hall. "Allow me to walk you to Momiji's room?"

Tohru smiled. On occasion, the old Yuki would come to the surface for a moment, like a fish breaking the surface of a pond. She treasured these little moments, since they assured her that Yuki was not completely gone from her. He took Kyo's imprisonment the hardest, still shouldering all the blame, no matter her assurances to the contrary. Yuki would not relent.

They made the short trip to Momiji's room in silence. Shifting the books to be better balanced in one hand, he reached out and knocked on the younger boy's door. When the little blond opened the door, a bright smile graced his features at his cousin's presence. "Yuki!" he cried, hugging him enthusiastically and nearly upsetting the pile of books again.

Momiji turned to Tohru. "I got the key, Tohru! I made a copy and everything. No one will know!" He held out the key (adorned with a orange ribbon like the one Tohru wore, only shorter) like a trophy. Tohru accepted it with a laugh.

"Thank you, Momiji. Since Akito won't be there, you can stay here tonight. I will be fine alone." Momiji nodded.

Yuki turned to his cousin. "Since you are staying, I would like to talk to you about a thought I had." Momiji assented, he would do anything for Yuki. Tohru smiled, happy that at least some of the family could stay together. At least they had each other.

Kissing each of them on the cheek, she excused herself to follow the now familiar back routes to the Sohma Main House.

It felt like an eternity since Kyo had seen Tohru, even though it had been a week. As he saw her emerge from the shadows, he noticed something was different immediately.

She was alone. Where was Momiji? Wasn't he supposed to be lookout? Useless rabbit!

"Where's Momiji?" he asked, startled that he was almost afraid to hear the answer.

"At his dorm. He's not coming tonight, Kyo. Akito's out of town, anyway. I have nothing to worry about," she assured him. Smiling, she held up something that was dangling off a string of some sort and glinted in the moonlight. After a moment, he realized it was a key. He threw a look over his shoulder at the door to his prison. When he looked as her again, she was walking closer, the key swinging like a pendulum. "Momiji stole the key and made me a copy."

"You can't! Akito will know it was you."

Tohru blinked against the tears in her eyes. "I wish I could say that it was permanent, but it isn't. Not yet, anyway. Just for tonight. You deserve it. I wanted a copy so I can let you out and put you back without Akito ever knowing." With that, she vanished from his view in the little barred window. Kyo practically leapt across the room to make it to the door when she did. With a silent click, the door opened, and there she was. No walls or bars between them, just him and Tohru.

She reached out and took his hand, guiding him into courtyard. The ground was soft beneath his bare feet. Tears formed in his eyes, a mixture of elation for his moment of freedom and sadness at its temporary nature. Usually, he would have hated the thought of crying in front of Tohru, but it didn't matter. For the moment, he was free, and he was with Tohru. No Akito. Nothing else mattered.

He turned her to face him and cupped her face in his hands, relishing in the softness of her skin, and he kissed her. He poured all his emotion into that single kiss, as though if he did not, he would lose the chance. He felt her tears mix with his own and he gently turned her head to try a different angle. Her hands snaked up to rest at his neck, and he ran his fingers through her hair. A ribbon came loose and caught around his hand.

As the kiss ended, he noticed the embroidery decorating the ribbon, and his eyes shot to hers in surprise. He smiled and lowered his mouth to hers again, stopping an inch before reaching her lips.

When he whispered something against her lips, she felt her heart flutter, and the muscles in her stomach tightened pleasantly.

"I love you."