Note: Thanks for all of the fast reviews everyone. This will be the last part of Kyoko's "fairy-tale". Hope you enjoy it!

Replies: I won't be replying to every review, only certain ones. Please don't be upset if I didn't respond to yours, but these were reviews that I felt needed responding to.

Otaku-Rehab: XD I love your idea so much that I had to rethink of this entire chapter, just to find a way to make Aya the fairy godmother! Thanks for the suggestion and the review!

Animelvr23: It's quite possible that one of her relatives could have told her this story... Anyway, thanks for reviewing every for single chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket.


How I Met Your Mother
Chapter Five: See You At Seven

Tohru blinked, now even more confused then before. She blinked once more, trying her hardest to process what this girl had just told her. It didn't fully sink in until moments later.

Kyo-kun's fiance...

The sinking feeling in her chest was getting worse every passing second. Time seemed to stand still as she watched this girl snuggle against Kyo's arm. Tohru was too flabbergasted to notice that Kyo was desperately trying to push her off. The pain in her chest intensified. It felt like a huge hole was forming inside her, threatening to tear her apart and that her stomach was tangling itself into multiple knots.

"Is something wrong?" The girl, Tohru couldn't remember her name no matter how hard she tried, asked without batting an eyelash.

Tohru tried to answer her question, but nothing came out. Her throat was too tight and her mouth was too dry to form any words. She simply shook her head no. The girl smiled, content with her answer and turned back to Kyo.

Tohru finally managed to find her voice, and masking any of the emotions that were churning inside her she said, "E-excuse me..."

She dashed out of the room as fast as her wobbly legs would take her. This earned her some questioning looks from some of the party guests, others didn't notice her leave, but she didn't care. She made her way up the steps and went into her room, slamming the door behind her. She slid down the door and tried to remember how to breath. Slowly but surely, air started to fill her lungs again and she felt less shaky. However, the gaping hole in her chest was still there. Tohru managed to get to her feet using the door for support. She hobbled over to her bed and sat down.

What's wrong with me? I feel like I'm going to be sick...She thought, letting her head fall into her hands. Her long brown hair fell around her in wispy strands. That girl and Sohma-kun are engaged. I should be happy for them...it's such a wonderful occasion...so why am I sad?

It's because your prince isn't yours anymore...A nagging voice in the back of her head answered.

Tohru lifted her head up, blinking back oncoming tears. Since when was he her prince? Sure, they had gotten close, but she was almost certain that she had managed to suppress that idea and her feelings for him. She had thought of a million reasons why they couldn't be together and she listed those reasons off almost everyday. None of that seemed to matter now, because she couldn't hold her feelings in anymore. Her body began to shake, and she drew her knees up against her chest. She squeezed her eyes shut in another pathetic attempt to fight off the tears, and that image of Kyo disappearing, from her dream, flashed in her head. Tohru opened her eyes finally allowing the tears to flow freely down her cheeks. She wiped her eyes, whimpering quietly.

I love him. I shouldn't, but I do. I wanted to be with him all along but it was wrong, so I denied it. Now I've lost my chance.

She rubbed her eyes, actually laughing a bit, "This isn't exactly what I thought my first love would be like."

Tohru felt better after crying. In fact, it felt good to have finally admitted it to herself. She knew she would just have to suck it up and deal with it. If this girl made Kyo happy then she was happy. If you really love someone, that's what you want the most right?

She gussied up in the mirror, trying to make it look like she hadn't been crying, and went back downstairs. She was surprised to see Yuki waiting for her at the bottom of the steps. She stopped on the last step and tried to put on her best smile, "Is something wrong, Sohma-kun?"

"I should be asking you that, Honda-san. You looked upset when you left." He said pointedly.

Tohru's mouth twitched in an attempt to keep smiling. She resisted the urge to spill her guts, "N-no! Everything's great, please don't worry about me...you should be enjoying your party.

Yuki looked unconvinced, so she was surprised by his answer, "All right. If you say so."

Tohru stared at his back as he retreated into the other room. She stood on the stairs for a minute longer, debating on whether or not to follow him. She took a deep breath and walked into the room. Her brown eyes immediately darted around, seeking out the pretty, young woman from before. Tohru wanted to apologize for her behavior and try to congratulate her and Kyo. No matter how much it would kill her to do so, she knew it was the right thing to do.

She stopped searching when her eyes landed on a head of familiar fiery orange hair. Tohru breathed in again and sauntered over beside him, "Sohma-kun?"

Kyo looked down in surprise, "Hey! Where the hell did you go?"

"U-upstairs..." Tohru replied in a hushed voice. This plan seemed a whole lot simpler in her head.

"What for?" He asked, his eyes drifting back to his plate.

She shifted uncomfortably, "Well...um..."

Tohru tried to block out the last twenty minutes of her sitting up in her room, crying to herself. She didn't need to relive that. Kyo turned to look at her when she didn't answer and he didn't miss the pained look in her eyes. He dropped his plate on the table and placed his free hand on her shoulder. Tohru realized her mistake and averted her gaze to the floor.

"What happened?" Kyo asked as gently as he could. It came out as more of a demand, but he was worried about her.

"N-nothing...I-I'm f-" Tohru winced when she felt another hand on her shoulder. It had been so much easier to lie to Yuki...

Tohru squeezed her eyes shut so she couldn't look at him. If she looked at him, it would have been over. He would look at her with his smoldering, crimson eyes and after that, she wouldn't be able to hide anymore. She felt the pressure on her shoulders lighten, and she breathed a sigh of relief. Kyo's hands slipped from her shoulders and he gently cupped her face in his hands. He tilted her chin up, forcing her to look at him.

"Explain."

Tohru stared at him, unsure of what to tell him. Those damn tears were threatening to resurface again, so she just went with the first thing that popped into her head, "I...I quit."

"Huh?" Kyo's face went blank. He wasn't sure what he had just heard.

"I quit." Tohru repeated, biting her bottom lip.

She didn't want to, but she couldn't go back now. It actually would be better this way, for the both of them. It would be a clean break. She wouldn't have to worry about seeing Kyo and his fiance and the Sohma's could get on with their lives. Kyo wouldn't have to worry about her all the time or pretend to be her friend. This is what he really wanted; he wouldn't have to worry about getting closer to her now. Yes, this would work out just fine, it would just take some time.

Kyo let go of her chin and took a step back, "I don't get it..."

"Um...I just don't think this job is working out..." She mumbled in an attempt to quickly explain herself.

"Please tell me you're joking, Tohru." His tone came across as angry but Tohru detected begging in his voice. Either he really didn't want her to leave or he was a good actor.

"I'm not...tomorrow's my last day..." She tried to mask her uncertainty.

Without saying another word, Kyo turned and stormed off. He pushed through the small crowd of family members, trying to locate the one person he thought could talk some sense into Tohru. He had to be able to get through to her. She was talking nonsense! Why, all of a sudden, would she want to quit? What could have happened in the last hour that would make her want to leave?

"Yuki," The name came out more like a disgruntled growl.

"What?" The silver haired prince turned around to face Kyo.

"She quit."

"What are you talking about? Who quit?" Yuki asked, befuddled.

"Tohru just quit." Kyo explained through grit teeth.

Yuki pushed past him and went to find their maid, or soon-to-be-ex-maid. He found her still standing near the food table and gently grabbed her arm, "Honda-san, can I talk to you in the kitchen?"

Before she could answer, Yuki led her out of the room by the arm and into the kitchen. He let go once they were out of everyone else's listening range, "You're quitting?"

Tohru's eyes widened. Kyo had sure gotten the word out fast. "Yes...I don't think this is working..."

"What do you want? A higher paycheck is no problem." Yuki prompted. She couldn't just up and leave them. Not after all she had done for them.

"No, but thanks for everything. I know this seems sudden, but I have to do this. I hope you understand." Tohru replied, bowing politely.

Yuki looked surprised but bowed back. He didn't want her to leave but he couldn't force her to stay. If she wanted to leave, then he had to let her go. It seemed like her mind was made up. He straightened up and then said, "Well then...good luck. You have no idea how much you'll be missed around here."

Tohru smiled, wishing she could believe him.

--

The next morning, Tohru woke up with butterflies in her stomach. She, for what felt like the tenth time, hadn't slept well last night. She was too worried about how today was going to pan out to even think about sleeping. She rubbed her eyes, threw the covers off her body, and went to get dressed. Tohru felt like being comfortable, so she chose to wear one of her mom's old house dresses. The dress was long and flowey, so it was comfy. Once she was dressed, she pulled her hair into a messy bun and made her way downstairs.

Tohru really wasn't looking forward to facing the Sohma family. She knew that they were all upset, some more upset then others, about her sudden decision to leave. Shigure had laughed it off and wished her the best. Yuki was very polite about the whole thing, also wishing her success. Kyo was a different story. Tohru gulped nervously. She hadn't seen Kyo since she told him she was quitting the night before, and if she had to guess, he was probably royally ticked off at her. After she told him, he seemed to try and avoid her for the rest of the night.

She slipped into the kitchen and started to make her last breakfast in the Sohma house.

Shouldn't he have been happy that I was quitting? He doesn't want me here anyway...She thought gloomily.

Tohru peered over her shoulder at the sound of footsteps. Her chocolate eyes widened when Kyo walked calmly into the room, and she quickly whipped back around. Tohru didn't hear anymore footsteps and began to feel her curiosity bubbling inside her. What was he doing? She slowly turned around to check and froze when she got all the way around.

Kyo was standing in the doorway, watching her make breakfast, but that wasn't what made her freeze. When she looked into his eyes, it caused her heart to thump widely in her chest. His crimson eyes were angry but they immediately softened when they made contact with her. This surprised Tohru; she was expecting him to look at her like he did on her first day.

"G-good morning, Sohma-kun..." She whispered, trying unsuccessfully to mask the shakiness in her voice.

"Morning," he replied curtly.

Tohru wasn't sure what to say to him, but she didn't want him to leave. She wanted to clear the air between the two of them before she left. She placed the food she had been preparing on the counter and then turned back to face him. He was leaning on the doorframe now.

"Um...Sohma-kun, I'm really sorry about last night," She squeaked.

Kyo closed his eyes, "Don't be sorry. If this is what you want..."

Tohru paused before asking, "Are you mad?"

Kyo opened one eye and pushed off the doorframe, "I have to go."

Tohru winced, wishing that she hadn't asked him. He had looked like he was going to explode and probably had to leave so he wouldn't yell. She wanted to follow him and explain herself but her feet wouldn't let her. Without another word, she turned around and went back to finishing her breakfast.

After making the meal, while silently hoping Kyo would come back, Tohru decided tidy up upstairs. She grabbed the duster from the supply closet and slowly climbed up the steps. She chose to clean the table at the top of the stairs first. Tohru began to remove picture frames, pots, and other various nick-knacks from the table so she could dust.

Just as the feathers hit the table, Tohru heard a noise from the room nearby.

"I don't like it." One voice from behind the door spoke firmly.

"And you think I do? But it's up to her..." Another voice responded, much more calm and collected then the first.

"I just wish she would tell us why..." The first voice said and let out a tiny sigh.

Tohru held one of the vases against her chest, her breath caught in her throat. Yuki and Kyo were in the other room and she was almost certain they were talking about her. She wasn't sure if she should leave or keep listening in. She knew it was rude to eavesdrop, but she couldn't bring herself to move out of earshot. She wanted to know what they were saying about her.

"That's also up to her." Yuki's voice was still monotone, obviously trying to keep Kyo's temper in check.

"You don't think something happened last night? Maybe that damn Shigure put his hands on her. I'll murder him if he did..." Kyo's voice faded into incoherent snarls.

Yuki finally couldn't take it anymore. Kyo was going to lose his temper if this kept up and he would probably end up taking it out on Tohru, who coincidentally, was the only person who could calm him down. Yuki knew that Kyo was the only person who could keep Tohru from leaving. He also knew why Tohru was leaving, but he wanted Kyo to figure that out for himself. He had seen Tohru's face when Kagura had announced that she was Kyo's fiance, but Kyo didn't seem to notice. He had been too busy trying to shove Kagura away.

Honda-san must, and I can't imagine why, love Kyo. She probably couldn't bear to see him with Kagura so she did the only thing she could think of and that was leave. Too bad she doesn't know Kagura always says that, even though there's no truth to it. I don't want to tell her because I'm not certain how either one of them feels for sure...even though I'm pretty sure this idiot loves her too. Honda-san doesn't realize how much she's caused him to open up...and how damaging her departure will be. She's the first outsider that Kyo has trusted and let into his life and if she abandons him like this...well who knows.

"Hey, Yuki I asked you a question."

Kyo jerked Yuki from his thoughts, "Oh sorry...what do you want now?"

"Where do you think she's going to go?"

"Why don't you ask her." Yuki replied. He was getting a little annoyed by Kyo's roundabout ways of handling the situation.

"I don't want to talk to her. I'll just end up yelling at her." Kyo muttered back.

Tohru gripped the vase even tighter. He didn't even want to speak to her.

Yuki let out a frustrated sigh and rubbed his temples, "Maybe if you explained your situation to her, she might reconsider."

She pressed her ear up against the door. She knew Kyo had a hard time trusting people, but she didn't know about his "situation". I wonder what it is...

Kyo snorted, "She doesn't need to know about it. You knowing is bad enough. Nobody else is finding out unless I say so."

Tohru's brows slanted in confusion. What on earth could Kyo be talking about?

"All I'm saying is that if she knew, she might not want to leave anymore." Yuki reasoned. He wanted to get this over with. Kyo was starting to give him a headache.

"She doesn't need to hear my sob-story, and I told you I'm never telling anyone," Kyo replied, his loud voice fading towards the end of his explanation.

"Then maybe it's better that the two of you are separating." Yuki leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes in an attempt to ease the pain in his head. Kyo was surprised by what he said and looked at him skeptically. "I mean...it seems like you love her so much that it's tearing you apart."

"W-what?" Kyo sputtered, turning a very deep shade of red. Was it that obvious?

Tohru was blushing on the other side of the door, and her breathing became labored. She leaned in closer to the door, eagerly waiting to hear what Kyo had to say.

"Your afraid to even be friends with people," Yuki smirked. "So even the idea of falling in love scares you to death. And because of that, you look for excuses to chase her away or to keep your feelings suppressed. Admit it, Kyo..."

Kyo stared at him, his mouth hanging open slightly. He slowly closed his mouth, his jaw tightening. His eyes avoided Yuki's and he glanced down at the floor, "I-I don't know what you're talking about..."

"Admit i-"

"THERE'S NOTHING TO ADMIT, SO STOP ASKING!"

Crash!

Yuki and Kyo stopped glaring at one another when they heard a loud, shattering sound from outside the door. They exchanged glances and quickly moved to see what it was. Yuki was the first to reach the door and he flung it open.

Tohru stood there, staring at the broken pieces of glass on the floor. She looked up when the door opened, "U-um..."

"Honda-san? What happened?" Yuki asked, his eyes focused on the shattered vase.

"I um...sorry. I didn't mean to. I'll clean it up and go..." She mumbled, her hands still shaking.

Tohru scurried away to get a broom and dustpan. Yuki watched her leave while Kyo simply gawked at the sharp objects scattered about on the floor. When she was out of sight, Yuki turned around to face the red-head, "Are you going to say something to Honda-san or not?"

Kyo scowled at him and that was as good as a 'no'.

Before Yuki could protest, Tohru returned with the cleaning supplies. She fumbled with the dustpan as she bent down to clean up the mess. She finished as fast as she could, all while avoiding Kyo's eyes. Kyo brushed past Yuki and Tohru, slowly descending the stairs. She watched him go down, but quickly turned away when she realized Yuki was watching her. She smiled awkwardly, trying to brush off the longing look in her eyes and the tightness in her chest. Yuki returned her smile and placed a hand on her shoulder, "I'm sorry about him, Honda-san. He's taking this pretty hard, as you can tell..."

"Yeah. I should probably get going, I wouldn't want to upset him anymore than I already have." Tohru glanced back at the now empty staircase.

In less then an hour Tohru was packed and said her goodbyes. She slipped out the door of the mansion, turning back to thank Yuki and Shigure one last time before stepping off the porch. When her feet were on the dirt path that lead to the house, she peeked over her shoulder and up at the sky. Her eyes slowly fell onto the roof and the strange shape perched on it. She squinted and recognized Kyo sitting up on the roof. He had been staring intently at her, watching her leave, and he promptly looked away when their eyes met. A clumsy smile tugged at the corner of her lips before she turned to leave, not looking back to see if Kyo was staring again.

Yuki ran a hand through his hair, "I didn't think she would end up leaving..."

Shigure shrugged, "It really is a shame. Now we'll have to order take-out again."

"That's not what I meant, but thank you for offering such sentimental opinion." Yuki muttered sarcastically, glaring at the older man.

Shigure grinned, "It was just a joke. I know there really are worse things then that. For one, we'll have to put up with Kyo's constant sulking again."

"Yeah," Yuki sighed. He really didn't want to have to deal with that again. "Unless I can fix this."

"What can you do?" Shigure asked as he headed towards the other room.

"I have a plan. Just leave this to me, Shigure."

--

Tohru cracked one eye open as the sunlight came peeking in through the windows. It had been almost two weeks since she had quit her job at the Sohma estate and she was still having a hard time flushing any lingering feelings of it away. She didn't think it would have taken this long, but she was starting to feel conflicted. She was tired of feeling pain from losing something she loved and that part of her wished she could forget and move on. Another part of her didn't want to lose what few memories of him that she had. She wanted to hold onto them, lock them away and preserve them.

She threw her legs over the side of the bed and walked over to her dresser. She pulled on some clothes, fixed her hair and headed out the door. She shuffled outside of her tiny house to get any mail that might have been dropped off. She picked up the newspaper laying on the side of the road and opened the tiny mailbox that stood beside it. Tohru was surprised to only find a tiny card sitting inside the box. She pulled it out with two fingers and flipped it over, her eyes scanning over the fancy design.

It had a light-blue background and the foreground was covered in a rainbow of swirls. The whirlpool of color twisted on the right side of the card to form a woman, who Tohru thought resembled a princess. On the left side of the card was some dark blue text surrounded by a white box.

Tohru read words on the card out loud, "Ayame's tailoring and costume shop. Come visit us on 106 West Street."

At first she thought that this must have been just some sort of advertising attempt, but then she flipped the card back over.

The back of the card was entirely white, except for something scrawled out in black ink. Tohru's eyes widened as she read the neatly scribbled message:

Please visit me at this shop at 1 o'clock on Friday

-Yuki

The card slowly slipped from her fingertips and fluttered to the ground. Tohru bit her lip, her knees starting to shake. Today was Friday. She scooped the card off the floor and tucked it into her pocket. She rushed back into the house, the conflicted feelings within her starting to bubble again.

She plopped down onto an old chair, pulling the card out again. She turned it back to the princess side, debating on whether she should go or not. Her tawny eyes wandered to a clock hanging on a wall on the other side of the room. It was almost 12:30. She had to make up her mind soon.

--

"Sohma-kun!" She called, breathless from running.

Yuki was standing outside of a tiny little shop, waiting for Tohru to arrive. He looked up when he heard her calling and greeted her with a dazzling smile, "I wasn't sure if you were coming."

Tohru stopped when she was a few feet in front of him, pausing to catch her breath. She looked up at him, her cheeks slightly flushed, "I wasn't sure either."

Tohru looked above his head to see the shop that was advertised on the card. A picture similar to the one on the card hung above the double doors. The sign read: Ayame's tailoring and costume shop, just like the card said. Her gaze fell back on Yuki, "So...what's this about?"

"Well...it's a couple of things really." He said, his smile slowly fading. "But before I tell you anything, I need you to tell me something."

"Okay..."

"And you have to tell me the truth." He gave her a suspicious look and Tohru stiffened. She promised not to lie, adding that she never really was a good liar anyway, and he proceeded with his questioning," Why did you really quit?"

Tohru stiffened even more, her cheeks turning even pinker. She began to fidget and was unsure if she could answer him truthfully, "Well...I don't really want to..."

"You promised." He reminded.

"I-I know but I-" She began and then stopped. She definitely couldn't tell him. It was too difficult and embarrassing.

"Was it because of something someone in the house did?" Yuki prompted.

"S-sort of." Tohru replied, staring down at her feet instead of his intimidating gaze.

"Was it me?"

Tohru shook her head.

"Shigure?"

"N-no..." She replied, shaking her head again.

"...Kyo?" Yuki asked, raising an eyebrow.

He watched as her blush increased tenfold, so that she was red to the roots of her hair. He nodded, looking away so she wouldn't be as embarrassed, "Okay, so it was Kyo. I figured that much."

"Y-you knew?" Tohru looked up, surprise plastered all over her still pink face.

"Just a lucky guess. What did he do that made you want to quit?" Yuki continued. His plan wouldn't work unless he officially knew what the problem was. He already had a pretty good idea as to what had happened, but he wanted to be sure.

Tohru realized that she couldn't hide anymore so she took a deep breath and whispered, "I um...I think I'm in love with him and...seeing him about to get married-"

She stopped when she heard a chortle from beside her. She turned to see Yuki covering his mouth with one hand, trying to keep himself from laughing out loud. Tohru looked alarmed, "Sohma-kun? Are you all right?"

Yuki waved her off, "I'm sorry, Honda-san. Please excuse me. I didn't mean to laugh at you but what you said was kind of funny."

"F-funny?"

"You said Kyo was getting married. To who?" Yuki smiled, trying to keep his laughter suppressed.

Tohru looked confused. Hadn't Yuki heard Kagura's announcement at the party?

"You know, that girl from the party, Kagura. She said she was Kyo-kun's fiance." Tohru tried to explain as best she could, but his expressions were throwing her off.

"I should probably explain, Honda-san." Yuki chuckled. "You see, Kagura has always had a serious crush on Kyo, but he's never returned her feelings. She likes to go around saying that they're going to be married, but it's not really happening. It's all in her imagination."

Tohru's mouth fell open. It had all been a joke? Kyo wasn't really getting married!

"If I would have known that was the problem I would've said something before you left..." Yuki mused, scratching his chin.

"I'm so sorry I didn't tell you before, but I was too embarrassed. Now I wish I had said something." Tohru sighed, her head hanging in shame.

Her head shot back up when she realized something, "Wait! H-how's Kyo-kun then? He must have something to do with why you called me here. Please tell me..."

Yuki took a deep breath and shoved his hands into the pockets of his coat, "All right, I suppose I should explain that too. Kyo's been a wreck since you left. Worse then before you came and worked for us."

Tohru gulped, her tiny hands curling into fists. She hadn't meant for this to happen and she didn't think things would turn out this bad.

"You have no idea how attached he was to you, Honda-san. You were his first real friend. As I told you before, Kyo has trust issues because of something from his past. Now, I don't know what exactly happened that made him that way. He never said what it was, but whatever it was, it made him have a hard time opening up and accepting others." Yuki said, but he stopped his explanation when he saw the look on Tohru's face.

Her fingertips were curled around her shirt, clutching the fabric. Her bottom lip stuck out and her brown eyes were glossy. She sniffled and Yuki looked alarmed, "Honda-san, I didn't mean to make you feel guilty. This isn't really your fault. It was just a misunderstanding."

Tohru wiped her eyes, "I just feel so...I don't even know. I can't believe that I did that to him. I didn't want to abandon him but-"

"It's okay," Yuki cut her off, "we'll fix this. You can bring him back."

"H-how?" Tohru looked up, the corners of her eyes soaked with tiny, glistening tears.

"Let's go inside. You'll see."

Tohru sniffled once more and followed him through the glass double-doors. The inside of the shop was just as bright and colorful as its' advertisement. Walls and walls of costumes and outfits lined shelves that seemed to go on forever. Tohru noticed that everything was organized by color and that there was a door in the back of the shop. She could feel plush and squishy carpet beneath her shoes. She stared in awe and the white walls where tons of photos of fashion models and clothes hung. Once she was done soaking it all in, she turned to look at Yuki, "What's all this for?"

"This is my brother's costume shop. We need to get you an outfit for our party tomorrow night." Yuki grinned.

"Party?" Tohru echoed, her eyes drifting back to the rows of color.

"Yes. I'm throwing a party at the estate tomorrow night and you're invited. This way, you can see Kyo and tell him everything."

Tohru could feel her cheeks burning, "I'm not sure about this..."

"The only way to get him to stop being such a grouch is to tell him everything. Then he'll see why you left and forgive you. Just trust me, Honda-san."

"O-okay." Tohru mumbled. What choice did she have?

She stumbled over to one of the shelves and began to look through the clothing. She gasped when she got a look at one of the price tags, "Sohma-kun, how am I going to afford these?"

"Just leave that to me. I told you my brother owns this shop." Yuki replied cooly.

"I couldn't do that. It wouldn't be right to let you spend this much money on me..." Tohru complained quietly.

"I won't. My brother offered to give me something for free." Yuki exhaled, "I kind of told him about our little problem, and he agreed to help."

"You told him?" Tohru's cheeks turned pink.

"Just the minor details. He seemed excited to help out. I think he just wanted to spend some time with me." Yuki's brilliant smile appeared, "Too bad I can't stand him."

"Why not?" Tohru inquired, setting down a purple blouse.

"He's a little too loud and flamboyant for me...well, you'll see. I'll go find him." Yuki put down whatever he was looking at and disappeared into the back of the store.

Tohru waited patiently, her fingers beginning to intertwine. Suddenly she whipped around at the sound of a loud noise.

The door in the back flung open, revealing a tall man. He glided out, his long white hair flowing behind him. He wore long violet colored robes that swished around when he walked. His yellow eyes gleamed with delight as he approached a very nervous Tohru. When he was closer, Tohru realized that he look like Yuki, except much older. She guessed that he was Yuki's big brother.

"You must be Tohru!" He said, his voice oozing with merriment.

"Y-yes!" She answered, feeling overwhelmed by the sight of him. He seemed less human, and more magical, then the rest of the Sohma family. Maybe it was because of the way he was dressed.

"You're the one who thinks that she is Cinderella-san! How refreshing!" He crowed and Tohru simply nodded. He planted one hand on his chest, still grinning at her, "Then allow me to be your fairy godmother! My name is Ayame, and, as you can see, I am Yuki's dear older brother!"

"Nice you meet you, Ayame-san..."

"Likewise," He bowed gracefully, "Now then...let's see if we can find something that captures your essence. Something that will have the room light up when you enter!"

"Okay!" Tohru smiled brightly. His enthusiasm was certainly contagious. "But why can't I just go in what I'm wearing?"

Tohru looked down at her clothes. She was wearing a floor-length, tan skirt and a button up white shirt. She thought that she looked quite nice and she didn't want Ayame to have to waste his money on her if he didn't have to.

"Impossible! Your fairy godmother will not allow it. You must-"

"Nii-san!" Yuki's outraged shouting came from the back of the store. He stomped up to the front and stopped beside his older brother. Now that they were standing side by side, Tohru could really see the resemblance. Yuki cooled down a little but was still glaring at Ayame, "I told you not to frighten her! You need to slow down."

"I wasn't frightened. Your brother is really nice."

"Of course I am!" Ayame's finger swirled through the air and he poked Yuki on the nose, "You have nothing to worry about, little brother. Your friend is in very capable hands. We'll find something that is the picture of innocence and purity. It will be nothing short of perfection!"

And with that, he was off. He darted around the store from shelf to shelf, rummaging through piles of clothes. Tohru had a hard time keeping up with him. She looked up when she heard a dejected sigh from beside her.

"See what I meant?" Yuki muttered.

"He's having fun." Tohru watched him grab something blue and hang it on his arm.

He returned moments later, his arms ready to burst from carrying all of the clothes. He hung them up on a hanger near the group and began to sort through them. At least he seemed to know what he was doing. Tohru was confident in whatever he would pick. When he was done organizing, Aya turned back to the teenagers, his arm outstretched to present his work, "There you have it! I have dresses, skirts, shirts, blouses, the list goes on. I believe that we shall find the perfect outfit for our Cinderella-san. No matter what I pick, she can't go wrong, for her beauty will be projected no matter what she was wearing."

"Thank you," Tohru smiled awkwardly. She was pretty sure that he was complementing her, but his language could be somewhat confusing.

Ayame pulled some of the clothes out, shoved them into Tohru's arms, and whisked her off to the dressing rooms.

He waited beside Yuki, occasionally looking down at his brother. "She must be a very good friend of yours."

Yuki shot his brother a death-glare, "What are you implying, nii-san?"

"Oh, nothing." Ayame whistled, looking up at the ceiling.

"It's not like what you're thinking," Yuki's glare softened. "But she really is a good friend. Kyo's an idiot if he doesn't forgive her...well he's still a moron either way."

Ayame smiled, patting his brother on the head, "You're doing a really good thing, Yuki."

Yuki rolled his eyes and looked up at his brother, "So are you. I wouldn't be able to do this without your help."

Ayame beamed at his praise, "Of course, little brother! But the real prize is being able to get to know you better! Wait until I tell Tori-san about our breakthrough at the party tomorrow!"

Yuki sighed.

"Um...I really like this one," A shy voice called from over by the dressing rooms. Tohru had emerged, fully dressed in one of Ayame's creations.

The dress was a sky blue color. It had flouncy sleeves that streamed out from a deep v-neck cut. The cut wasn't so deep that you saw anything, but it was still low. At the bottom of the knee-length dress was some intricate, dark-blue flower details. The flowers floated up, fading into the sky-blue background.

"Fabulous! I've done it again!" Ayame rushed over to her, examining his work of art. "I have indeed created a modern Cinderella-san. All we need to do is fix your hair up a bit and add some makeup and you'll be perfect!"

"Thank you, Ayame-san. It really is lovely," Tohru twirled around, admiring the way the fabric spun around her form.

"That's what fairy-god mothers are for!" Aya was still grinning from ear-to-ear over his success.

"Well, then," Yuki appeared behind her, "we'll see you at 7 o'clock tomorrow, Honda-san."

--

Tohru stood outside of the gates of the Sohma estate. She stared at the familiar fence, her eyes tracing the path that led to the huge house. Her breath was coming out in ragged gasps, so she was trying to calm herself before going inside. Once her heart had stopped jumping into her throat, she smoothed her dress out and pushed through the gates. She wobbled down the path as fast as she could, which wasn't very fast because she was wearing high heeled shoes.

After nearly stumbling over three times, she reached the porch. She clutched the railing and pulled herself up the steps. Then she hobbled over to the door and knocked on it twice, praying that Kyo wouldn't be the one to answer it. Tohru held her breath as the door creaked open, and she exhaled when she saw who it was.

A head of bright blonde hair poked out, followed by excited butterscotch eyes. Tohru breathed a sigh of relief and smiled politely, "Momiji-kun!"

"Hey, Tohru! I didn't know that you were coming!" He smiled back and opened the door. Tohru guessed that Yuki hadn't told anyone that she would be showing up. She thanked Momiji for holding the door open and stepped inside the house.

"Everyone's in the other room. Come on, this way!" The blonde boy grabbed her hand and led her through the halls of the house. Tohru could hear loud music and the sound of people talking in the other room. She supposed that was where the party was being held. Momiji burst into the room and pulled her along behind him.

"Honda-san!"

Tohru heard Yuki's voice over the sea of chatter. She could see him making his way through the crowd, towards her and Momiji. "Glad you could make it."

Tohru felt Momiji let go of her hand, and she watched him vanish into the crowd. She turned back to Yuki, her voice thick with anxiety, "Where is he?"

"Easy, calm down. We'll get to that in a minute." Yuki tried to calm her down, by placing a hand on her shoulder.

Tohru eventually relaxed. Yuki was right, if she rushed into it now, she would be to nervous and might say the wrong thing. She would find Kyo later.

She allowed her eyes to scan over the tiny groups of people scattered throughout the room. Each face was more beautiful then the last. She recognized a few people like, Kagura and Hatsuharu, but most of the faces were foreign to her. She assumed that they were all family members or friends of the family.

She noticed that their was a girl plastered to Haru's side, their fingers interlocked. She had long, black hair and was wearing a short purple dress. Tohru also saw Shigure standing beside the couple and another man next to him. He was about as tall as Shigure and had dark green hair. One side of his bangs were so long that they covered nearly half of his handsome face. A cigarette dangled from his lips.

"That's Hatori and the girl is Isuzu, but everyone calls her Rin." Yuki's voice startled her and she jumped a little.

"Oh..." Tohru whispered in awe, her eyes drifting through the rest of the crowd. She saw Momiji talking with two younger kids, one boy and one girl. The girl had short auburn hair and eyes that matched. She was wearing a cute little yellow dress and looked painfully shy. She clung to the boy beside her, who look annoyed about something. He had messy light brown hair and dark eyes. He would occasionally glance at the girl and blush.

"The boy is Hiro and the girl is Kisa," Yuki explained again, his arms folded across his chest. He knew who Tohru was really looking for.

Tohru finished looking at every single face, and not one single person was the one she was searching for. Seeing all of these people, especially couples holding hands or exchanging quick glances, made her heart throb. She was ready to find Kyo and fix this. She turned to Yuki, a determined look in her eye, "Can I see him now? I think I'm ready."

"Well, if you say so." Yuki answered. "He's up on the roof."

"T-the roof?!" Tohru exclaimed. How was she supposed to talk to him if he was all the way up there?

Yuki chuckled at her reaction, "Yes. That's where he's been most of the time these past few days. He goes up there when he's in a bad mood or wants to think things over. I think he went up there tonight to avoid Kagura."

"All right," Tohru breathed, when she remembered she'd seen Kyo up there on her last day. She dashed out of the room as fast as her feet would carry her.

She stepped out onto the porch, leaving the blaring music and laughter behind her. She fixed her dress and smoothed out her perfectly straight hair, which had a few strands pulled back and secured by a dark blue ribbon. She descended the porch steps and stopped right at the foot of them, staring up.

The sky was dark, a mixture of blues, blacks, and purples and was highlighted by a few creamy white stars and one round, white moon. Her chocolate eyes slowly fell on the roof of the estate and the familiar form that was perched on top of it. She tried to think of a way to get up there, but she didn't see any kind of ladder. She would have to get his attention.

She cleared her throat and called out, "S-sohma-kun?"

There was no reply or motion from his figure on the roof.

She tried again, "Sohma-kun!"

Still nothing.

Tohru's shoulders slumped, but she perked up when she thought of one last way to reach him. She inhaled, holding her breath for a moment before shouting as loud as she possibly could, "KYO-KUN!"

The outline on the roof shifted, sitting up. He crawled over to the edge of the roof, looking around for the source of the noise. Whatever it had been, it sounded very familiar and almost inviting to him. He froze when his gaze landed on the petite girl standing below him.

Kyo had never seen her fully made up before and she looked adorable. Her blue dress looked great against her skin tone, making her look like she was glowing. It also helped that the moon illuminated her features quite nicely. Her eye lids were covered with some sort of smokey color and her cheeks were pinker then usual. Kyo couldn't believe his eyes, so he blinked to make sure he wasn't dreaming, but she was still there when he opened his eyes.

She called out to him again, and hearing her say his name for the second time made him flush. He could feel his heart crashing repeatedly against his ribcage as he watched her. She was waiting for him to answer her, but he had no idea what to say.

It was funny that he was so tongue-tied, because he had pictured this event in his head for the last two weeks. She would magically show up on their doorstep and walk back into his life just like she did before. They would be together again. Things would go back to the way they were, which had its ups and downs. He would get to be near her again, but he would also have to work to suppress his feelings towards her. Now that it was really happening, all the rehearsed lines he had come up with vanished from his mind. He didn't know whether to be ecstatic that she was here or if he should be upset. A sane person would be upset. She left him when he needed her so badly. But she didn't know how badly he needed her around so that really wasn't an excuse.

Kyo decided to at least see what she wanted, even if that meant ripping open wounds that were just starting to sew themselves shut. He motioned towards a tall tree next to the house. Tohru's wide eyes followed his finger and she nodded when she understood what she meant. She walked over to the tree, gazing up at it's tall form and gulping. How was she going to climb up there?

She felt a little relieved when Kyo started to descend it's branches. He was coming down to meet her instead. With every step he took, Tohru could feel her nerves getting worse. She started fidgeting, playing with the hem of her dress and chewing on her bottom lip. By the time Kyo reached the bottom of the tree, Tohru wasn't sure of what she had planned to say to him.

"Hey," He said, jumping down from a lower branch. He landed on two feet and stood up, merely inches from her. Tohru felt her cheeks burn when she looked at him. He was dressed nicely for the party, just like everyone else. He was wearing a pair of black dress pants and a white button up shirt, with the sleeves rolled up past his elbows.

"H-hey," She replied, looking away so he couldn't see her blush.

Kyo shoved his hands into his pockets, trying not to turn as red as she was. She looked even prettier up close. He was making a futile attempt to not stare at her, especially at her lips, which were covered with some sort of sparkly gloss. He tried to think of something to say to her that didn't sound stupid, but he ended up saying the first thing that popped into his head, "What are you doing here?"

Tohru could hear the pounding of her heart in her ears and she gulped, "I-I wanted to talk to you. Can I?"

"I guess," He answered, trying to sound indifferent. If she was going to end up leaving again, he didn't want her to think he was still upset over it.

"Maybe we could go for a walk?" Tohru suggested, feeling her courage rising.

Kyo nodded and started walking on the path that led to the woods. She stumbled after him, and eventually fell into stride with the taller boy. She was quiet at first, unsure of how to start things off, but this did remind her of when they walked back to her house to retrieve her things. She hoped that it would end the same way.

"What did you want to talk about?" He asked, his voice still sounding detached.

"Well..." Tohru placed a slender finger on her chin thoughtfully, "I wanted to apologize..."

"For what?" Kyo couldn't stop himself from looking at her. "You didn't do anything wrong."

Tohru stopped in her tracks when he said that and Kyo turned around. He saw her fingers curl into fists, "Yes I did! Stop acting like you're not upset, Sohma-kun. You should be furious with me after what I did to you. I'm so sorry...I'll understand if you don't want to talk to me anymore, but I had to do it! I had to leave...I wouldn't have if I would've known about your situation..."

Kyo gawked at her, his jaw hanging open slightly. "I was upset, but I'm...I'm over it now, Tohru."

Liar. He thought with a tiny sneer.

"Y-you are?" Tohru lifted her head up, her chest heaving up and down. Did this mean that he was past their friendship now?

He nodded gravely, trying his hardest to keep a straight face.

Tohru's knees wobbled, "Then...I'm glad you're feeling better. Sohma-kun said you were having a hard time with it. I honestly didn't think that I meant that much to you, especially when I thought you were engaged." She managed a smile when she mentioned the last part. "But I'm happy for you. I just wish I could let go that easily."

Seeing the look on her face cracked his hold on his emotions. Kyo took a step towards her. He couldn't hold it anymore, "I don't feel any better. I'm not completely over it."

Tohru watched him turn his back to her, his muscles rippling under his white shirt. She thought he was going to punch something, so she took a step back. But he didn't and he slowly rolled his shoulders, took a few deep breathes, and calmed himself down. He turned around to face her, his eyes tight, "You said you knew about my situation? What did you mean by that?"

"Um...Sohma-kun told me that you have a hard time trusting people because of something from your past."

"My parents," Kyo sighed heavily, his shoulders drooping. "I guess I should tell you, huh? When I was younger, I stayed inside mostly. I never really wanted to be inside, but my mother seemed to like the company. My father was always away on business." He snorted when he said that last part, "I think my mom thought otherwise. Anyway, while my father was away, she got really sick. Nobody knew what was wrong with her, so she ended up passing away."

Tohru wanted to placed a hand on his shoulder, or comfort him in some way, but she forced herself to stand still.

"She was the person I was closest to, so having her taken away from me..." He paused, unsure of what to say. "When my dad found out, he blamed me. He said I was the one who made her sick. In just a matter of hours, I had lost the two most important people to me. After that, I promised myself that I wouldn't get close to anyone. That way, I couldn't get hurt like that again..."

She couldn't sit still anymore. Tohru walked over to him, reached out, and gently took his hand in hers. She whispered, "I lost both my parents too..."

Kyo gently squeezed her hand, "Sorry."

Tohru bit her bottom lip, debating on what to say. She opted to lean against him instead, causing his cheeks to turn bright red. He was thankful that she wasn't looking at his face. Tohru's fingers slipped from his and her arm wrapped around his, "But you ended up getting close to me and then I left, just like your parents did. I'm sorry, Sohma-kun."

Kyo could feel his arm tingling beneath her grasp. His blush intensified and he could barely get his words out, "But you came back at least."

Tohru pulled away, much to his dismay, "I couldn't leave things the way they were. I really didn't even want to leave in the first place, but-"

She stopped, her cheeks becoming sprinkled with a pinkish-red color. Kyo raised an eyebrow at her, "But what?"

"But I c-couldn't stand seeing you and Kagura like that..." She hurriedly tried to explain herself, "I thought you two were engaged but then Sohma-kun told me that you weren't and I felt silly so I-"

"Wait, wait...you thought that Kagura and I were engaged?" Kyo asked skeptically and tried his best not to burst out laughing. "You mean you didn't see me trying to get the hell away from her the whole time?"

Tohru shook her head, focusing on her shoes instead of his face. "N-no, I was trying to not look at you guys."

"And that's why you quit?" Kyo placed a hand on her head, causing her to glance up at him. She looked and felt like she was going to die of embarrassment.

"Y-yes. Sorry." She mumbled, wanting to just bury her face in his chest so he couldn't see her.

"So that means that you were..." He paused for effect, "jealous?"

Tohru squeaked out a yes and let her head fall against his chest. She latched onto his shirt and angled her head so Kyo couldn't see her face. He didn't know how to react at first so he just let her hang on him, but after a moment, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, "You really can be silly sometimes, Tohru."

"So you forgive me? I'm so sorry..." She murmured into his chest.

Kyo pulled her closer to him, "Yes... As long as you stop apologizing and come back to work for us."

"Okay, Sohma-kun..." She sighed happily, inhaling his sweet scent. He smelled like a mixture of earthy things. Tohru liked it, so she cuddled even closer to him. Kyo rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand, his cheeks reddening.

"Oh, one more thing," He said, and she pulled away to look at his face. He had a tiny smirk on his lips. Tohru could feel him beginning to press his body against hers, forcing her backwards. She stopped moving when she felt something solid against her back. She glanced over her shoulder and was greeted by the bark of a tree. She turned back, her cheeks glowing an odd shade of pink. Kyo had his arm propped up against the tree, pinning her against it. He leaned down closer to her face. Tohru could feel his hot breath on her neck and ear, "I told you I like being called Kyo. No more 'Sohma-kun'."

Tohru was starting to lose the feeling in her knees. The way his voice sounded in her ears made her weak, "O-okay, K-kyo-kun..."

"Good." He replied pulling away ever so slightly, but still keeping his face close to hers.

He leaned down again, this time brushing his lips very lightly against hers. He heard a sharp intake of breath and paused, waiting to see how she would react to his kiss. Tohru waited for a moment, their lips still touching, before she leaned into his kiss. That was all the sign that he needed and his lips captured her tiny mouth. She tasted sweeter then anything he had ever tasted before, better then any candy.

His hands slid down from their resting spot on the tree, twisted through her brown locks, and then stopped to cup her cheeks and deepen the kiss. Tohru's lifted her hands up and they glided across his shoulders, opting to rest on his chest. She could feel his heart pounding underneath her fingertips. Kyo released her face, grabbing her hips instead, and pulled her body against his.

He could feel himself getting dizzy and lightheaded. He wasn't sure if it was from the kiss or from a lack of air, so Kyo slowly pulled back, planting one tiny kiss on her swollen lips before standing up straight. He watched her, drinking in her frazzled expression. He leaned back against the tree, "You okay, Tohru?"

Tohru's face was beet red, "I t-think so..."

"Are you sure? I won't do it again if you don't want me to," He prompted.

Tohru's previous look was immediately replaced by a worried one. She grabbed onto his shirt, "No! I um..."

She blushed again when she realized that she may have spoken too soon. Kyo chuckled and ruffled her hair. There really was no turning back at this point. No matter how much he wanted to protect his own feelings, he couldn't do it if it meant hurting hers. He wanted to be with her, no matter what anyone said. There was just one thing left to do.

Kyo cupped her cheek with his free hand and whispered, "All right, but only because you want me to, Tohru."

"That's...I..." She placed her hand over the one on her cheek. "If it makes Kyo-kun happy, then okay."

Kyo's face flushed and he smiled gently, "I love you, Tohru."

He brushed her bangs back and kissed her forehead. Tohru giggled lightly, "I love you too, Kyo-kun."

"Then marry me."

"Huh?" Tohru blurted out. She wasn't sure if she had heard him correctly.

"Marry me," He repeated, this time trying to sound a bit more clear.

Tohru's brown eyes grew wide when he declared it a second time. She leaned back against the tree, so she wouldn't collapse, "Y-yes...but are you sure? I thought-"

Kyo pressed a finger to her parted lips, causing her cheeks to tinge. He shook his head, "If I wasn't sure then I wouldn't have asked. Believe me I'm scared about letting someone in...but I trust you, Tohru. What you did before wasn't really your fault. You didn't know, and I know that if you did, you wouldn't have left."

"But how would this work? You're... you're like a prince and I'm...I'm just me." Tohru wasn't sure how to adequately describe it.

He frowned, "You make it sound like there's something wrong with you."

"I'm not rich like you. Won't your family-"

"I don't care what my family says. We can leave if we have to," A wicked grin spread across his face, "Besides, Cinderella was poor and she ended up with the prince, right?"

"Well, then-" Tohru replied thoughtfully.

"Then you'll marry me?" He asked again, gently squeezing her hand.

"Yes," Tohru beamed at him, a pink flush spreading across her cheeks, "I'll marry you."

((End of Kyoko's Story))


"...And they all lived happily ever after!" Kyoko grinned at her two flabbergasted parents. They were all seated around the breakfast table as Kyoko finished up the rest of her fairy-tale. She flashed them a strange look, "What? You didn't like my story?"

Kyo's jaw slowly closed and whispered in his wife's ear, "No more princess story books."

((End of Chapter Five))


YAAAY! I finished my uber cheesy fairy-tale! It's amazing what the imagination of an 18 year old trapped in a four year olds body can come up with. That really was a just a bit out of character (no four year old is that mature) but I didn't really think about that until just now. Oh well.

If you guys review as quickly as you did before, that means a speedy update. Now, it won't be as fast, because I don't have the whole chapter mapped out, but I'll get on it ASAP. I'd like to get to at least 55 reviews before the next chapter. Expect to see some new characters popping up next time (Yuki and Machi) :D