"I suppose everything really did turn out, didn't it?" asked Tohru suddenly. Yuki turned to her in surprise.
He, Kyo, Hatori, Shigure, and of course Tohru were walking back from Ayame's shop together. They'd all dropped by once again to see how he and Ritsu were doing. As it turned out, business was booming. No one could deny Ritsu's talent with needlework.
"Of course it did," said Kyo. "That shop is like one big stupid fairytale land. Everyone gets their happy ending, blah, blah, blah."
Yuki was surprised as Kyo's perceptiveness. The shop did have a certain strange aura of happiness and fulfillment about it. How the cat of the zodiac, of all people, would notice this was absolutely beyond him, though. Maybe Kyo did have more than two brain cells, after all. What a strange world they lived in!
"Ritsu seems a lot happier," said Hatori in his usual brisk Doctor-tone.
"I can count on two hands the amount of times he apologized while we were there," Shigure said in awe. For most, this wouldn't have been an improvement, but for Ritsu, it was a miracle.
"I'm glad we got to see him," said Tohru simply, with her usual benevolent smile. "His poor Mother's so sick. It's nice of Ritsu to go down most weekdays and help at the onsen."
"Ayame must get lonely, though," Shigure said matter-of-factly.
"I think he doesn't mind so much," said Tohru. Yuki's eyes widened a bit. Tohru was a sweet girl, but not the most noticing person on the face of the Earth. How had she pieced this together by herself? "He gets to cook big dinners and welcome Ritsu back. It's just another way he can display his affection. Besides, he wants Ritsu to be happy."
"How long do you think it will last?" asked Kyo cynically. Now THERE was the Kyo Yuki was used to.
"The Doctor said that Ritsu's Mother probably only has eleven months left," said Tohru, misunderstanding the question.
"As long as they both want it to," said Yuki certainly. "Ayame's not able to send Ritsu away, and Ritsu couldn't bear to leave. And if they did want to go their seperate ways, it would have to be a mutual decision, or else one person would be left with a horrible guilt."
Kyo let out a small 'hmph.' Hatori and Shigure both sent Yuki strange looks. He rarely revealed his empathetic side, and never when Ayame was involved. They exchanged a small glance and then shrugged. Maybe it was a hormone thing.
"They're very happy," said Tohru. Her eyes took on a dreamlike quality. "They're so very happy together. I'm so glad that they had this opportunity. It's absolutely wonderful for them."
Kyo let out a, 'meh', Hatori smiled a small but genuine smile, Shigure grinned, and Yuki just nodded.
Things work out in the weirdest ways.