A/n: Sorry.
"Sissy!" Squeaked a familiar voice. Tohru felt two small arms wrap around her waist as Kisa Soma embraced her. "Hey."
"Hey, how are you two!?" Tohru squeaked.
"I'm good! Hiro's going to hug you." Hiro was behind Kisa. He looked bored.
"Can we just get this over with?" He said exasperatedly. Tohru hugged Hiro for the second time. This time the young boy didn't turn into a sheep, but he still remained as rigid in her arms, however Tohru could feel it… he was apologising for being so cold to her. He was trying to hate her, even though he secretly held some sort of appreciation for her. She whispered in his ear.
"You're too cute trying to be all grown up Hiro."
"Shut up, stupid girl." Hiro pulled away and wiped his clothes as though he'd touched something dirty. Kisa looked horrified, but Tohru smiled.
"I love February the 29th!" She declared brightly as Kisa and Hiro exchanged a look. Kyo rolled his eyes, but before he could make a sarcastic comment he was knocked over.
"TOHRU DARLING! IT'S SIMPLY WONDERFUL TO SEE YOU!" Ayame squeaked, but before he could dive on her Hatori grabbed his collar to stop him. Kyo grumbled and stood up.
"Can you control yourself?" Hatori asked. "Hello everyone. Sorry, Ayame's just a LITTLE excited. He and Mine got together."
"Ha'ri! You spoiled my surprise!" The silver haired bishonen said. "HI YUKI!"
"Ayame that's great!" Tohru grinned sharing his enthusiasm.
"Who gives a rat's a…" Started Kyo but was cut off by said rat.
"Shut up, cat." Yuki growled.
"Don't fight please." Tohru whimpered.
"Yes Yuki, you should be kind hearted towards misbegotten youths such as Kyo, like ME." Ayame smiled. "Ha'ri please let me go."
"When have you ever been kind to…. Wait, do you even know what misbegotten means?" Kyo demanded looking ticked off. Hatori released his grip on the 'snake' and he swooped down to hug Tohru. She smiled and returned the hug. It was… almost strangling, constricting and desperate, this was a man starved for attention, no wonder he was so over extravagant in all his gestures and habits. She stroked his back, like she would do with a small child.
"Aya, try not to cut off her air supply." Shigure said whilst Kagura tried to glomp Kyo again. There was a giggle, and then they noticed Ritsu, trying hard to stifle a laugh, and failing miserably.
"Sorry! I shouldn't laugh!" He apologised, bowing deeply, the sleeve of his kimono covering his mouth. "I wanted to see Tohru and… Ah I'll just go!" Ritsu said, Tohru giggled, and rushed out of Ayame's grasp into Ritsu's arms. To her surprise his hug was strong, he was not scared to hug her, and she felt very safe in his arms. He may not be the strongest of men but Ritsu was loyal, and that made Tohru feel very secure.
"Happy leap year Ritsu."
"I'm so happy." He said and they both started to cry. Kyo groaned, and Yuki smirked.
"She's certainly enjoying herself."
"Yes, I thought she might." Shigure smiled. "Ha'ri go hug her!" he ordered. Hatori looked at Shigure witheringly, and then at the cigarette in his hand, it would not do to set her hair on fire by accident. "Ah yes, well… after that." He added. Ritsu and Tohru were giggling like small girls now, and Kisa had to grin.
"I'm so glad sissy's happy!" She exclaimed in mirth, then she turned to Kyo. "You're going to tell her right?" Since Tohru was out of earshot she assumed it was okay to mention it.
"AGH! What is wrong with you people!" Demanded Kyo, a little too loudly. Tohru and Ritsu looked round. "I'm NOT proposing love to ANYONE y'hear me coz I'm not in freakin' love. Damnit you're all too mushy!" And with that the cat stormed off. Tohru cocked her head, and went to go after him but Hatori held her back, his hand on her shoulder.
"Let him think about it… he needs some time alone." He whispered, stubbing out his cigarette on the wall. (BAD HARI! (Hatori: It's my house, shut up)). Tohru wanted to cry… Kyo was upset, today was the one day she truly could comfort him but he didn't want to be comforted. Hatori kneeled in front of her, and raised his free hand to wipe away the lonely tear trailing down her cheek.
"I'm sure he didn't mean it." He whispered. "February 29th's the day we can disobey Akito… couples tend to get together today, so he's been under a lot of pressure…"
"To hook up with you!" Shigure said.
"Oh it's so tragically romantic!" Ayame grinned, leaning on his novelist cousin. "He had twenty four hours in which to confess to the one he loves, and he wastes it by acting macho! Could a last minute reprieve be on the agenda?"
"You can't rush things like that… plus Kyo… Kyo said he didn't love me." She said, shaking her head and lowering it to stare at her shoes. Two fingers pencil gripped her chin and forced her eyes upward.
"When the snow melts… It's spring right?" Hatori asked. Tohru blushed, understanding.
"Thanks Hatori." She whispered, and hugged him. It didn't last long, and was definitely more fatherly than Shigure's hug. Tohru felt great wisdom yet great suffrage from this hug, and knew that Hatori was willing her forwards. Willing her not to suffer the same fate as Kana.
"Go find him." He said, pulling back. Tohru nodded, and hurried out. She knew Kyo would not still be at Soma house, and instead she went home, on her own. She hurried as fast as her feet would take her, and true to her suspicions she found Kyo on the roof.
"Hey." She said sitting beside him.
"Oh hi look… about that… everyone being together just kind of gets on my nerves, and I get pissed off about everything and…" He apologised, determinedly avoiding her gaze. Her aqua eyes could see right through him.
"It's okay they told me about February 29th being 'for couples' and I want you to know there's no pressure." She smiled softly, placing her hand on his shoulder. "You shouldn't say you love someone just because everyone wants you to say it. If you don't love me then don't say it okay."
"And if I did?" Kyo muttered. "Y'know… love you." He glanced at her, still looking cheerful.
"Do you?" She asked. There was a silence that followed, a very still and awkward moment in which neither knew quite what to say, Tohru sighed and stood up, feeling idiotic. He'd said that he didn't. "I'm going to bake some brownies, want to help?"
"I do." He said softly. Tohru blinked. "I really do Tohru." He whispered, he lay his head on his knees. "I know I shouldn't but I can't help it." The brunette was completely bewildered.
"Kyo… it's just brownies. Don't feel guilty." Kyo groaned. Idiot girl! He followed her down to the kitchen where she began to get baking supplies ready. Kyo tried to help but just ended up bumping into her several times, so eventually just sat down and talked to her while she did the difficult stuff.
"They usually spend leap year at the main house, so they probably won't be back til late. Y'know… with their parents and stuff." He informed her as she stirred the batter.
"Yeah it must be nice… I mean I know you can't hug people normally so… when you can it must make it all the more special." She grinned.
"You hugged all the zodiac. That probably made them feel special and stuff..."
"I didn't hug you." She said. "Yet. You'll hug me later right?" She asked hopefully. If she couldn't get a love confession out of him today she wanted at least a hug. Kyo shrugged.
"I don't really go into the whole hugging thing." He said. Tohru looked very sad.
"Oh… okay then." She said softly. Before he could apologise, seeing how depressed she looked she had brightened up, and handed him a wooden spoon covered with batter. "Here you can lick the spoon." She grinned. He took it from her as she put the brownies in the oven. She sat at the kitchen table and played with her fingers while he licked thoughtfully at the icing. Eventually he put the spoon down, deciding he needed a knife instead, to cut the tension.
"If it's gonna upset you so much c'mere." He grumbled. When she didn't budge he decided to cheat, and he picked her up, sliding her onto his knee to hug her.
Tohru felt a rush of things unlike any other zodiac hug, this was warm, caring, soft, she felt safe yet equal, she felt needed but not smothered. His fingers brushed her back softly and she lay her head in the crook of his neck content with listening to his breathing. They just sat there like that for the twenty minutes it took the brownies to finish cooking, each enjoying the sound of the other's heart beat. Tohru reluctantly stood up and got them out of the oven, feeling vulnerable and sad to be out of Kyo's loving embrace. She cut the brownies and placed them onto a cooling tray when she felt two strong arms snake around her waist. She relaxed into it, placing the sharp knife down. Kyo kissed her cheek very gently.
"I do love you. But I didn't want to tell you today. I felt… it was too cliché." He whispered in her ear.
"I love cliché." She said, closing her eyes and laying the back of her head against his chest. "I love you. And I love February the 29th." She turned and wrapped her arms around him.
"Happy leap year." Kyo mumbled, speaking into her hair.
A/n: All together now Awwwwwwwwww!