I am so happy! It's chapter 15! This chapter is totally and completely dedicated to Lonleystar. Your review made me so happy. Ok, I just found something really weird. I just noticed that there was once a Chapter 12 that has nothing to do with the story. I must apologize for it! I was looking through the story and I came to the twelfth chapter and it was a poem that I once wrote and I was like, "What is that doing up there?" That little "chapter" was totally a goof and I really truly do apologize for it! I hope no one was too confused by its randomness. Anyways, I hope you like this chapter as much as the others.

CORRECTION IN THE LAST CHAPTER:
"I was wondering if Ritsu and I could stay here until the others came back from America." Aaya asked.

Tohru was now even more confused than she was before, "O--of course Ayame-san. You can sleep in Kyo's room and Ritsu-san can sleep in my room. I'll sleep in Shigure's room." Tohru could tell that if Ayame could hug her he would have.

Unfortunately for those who like slash, that part about Ayame sleeping in Kyo's room is a mistake. It should have read "You can sleep in Yuki's room..." I'm sorry if that disappoints anyone.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fruits Basket.

No one said anything for some time. It was impossible to know how much time passed but it felt like an hour. The look on Ayame's face was that of an overwhelmed person being constricted by an anaconda. Kyo's expression looked like someone had a sword pointed straight at his thought and if he moved he'd die.

Finally Ayame was able to break free of the imaginary anaconda and he was eventually able to speak, "K-k-Kyo? Uhhh... you're... your curse..."

The imaginary swordsman lowered the imaginary weapon held at Kyo's thought. "Um... w-... uh... yeah..." was all he could seem to stutter out.

Tohru started to say something when there was a knock at the door. "Wow" she thought, "perfect timing." She walked out of the room to open the door. "Hana?" she asked her friend.

"Hello Tohru. I just thought I'd check up on you. May I come in?" Hanajima asked Tohru.

It really wasn't the best time to have friends over. Wait... maybe if Hana did stay we could put off the conversation with Ayame about Kyo. "Of course you may! I was just making breakfast!" she said with a smile.

She led her friend into the kitchen. Kyo and Ayame were right where Tohru had left them. Kyo blushed and turned away when he saw Hana. She was the one that helped him get to Kazuma. He was grateful for her, but he always had trouble with thank-yous and the likelihood of them becoming easier anytime soon was low.

Hana could tell that she had walked in on some important realization but didn't ask questions. Instead she said, "Tohru, I can help you cook breakfast, but with all these extra people in here there isn't much room to work." She pushed Ayame and Kyo out of the room.

Before Ayame could slip in a few words Kyo avoided him. "I'm going to take a shower!" and hurried into the bathroom before Ayame could object or question.

With Kyo avoiding him, the girls cooking, and Ritsu not being awake yet, Ayame stood in the living room alone. "I need to talk to someone about this." he thought to himself. "I wish I could talk to Haa-san or Gure-san. What should I do?!"

"Ritsu! Wake up! Ritsu!" someone said in a frantic whisper.

Someone was nudging Ritsu. The sleeping monkey groaned and said, still asleep, "Uhhh... what."

"Ritsu, you need to wake up! Now!"

"Ah! I'm sorry! I'm awake!" Ritsu shot up out of the bed and was able to observe Ayame frantically paseing Tohru's room. "What's going on?"

Ayame seemed to be in a fit of frustration, worry, and disbelief. "I simply don't know how this could have happened!" he yelled, in whispers.

Ritsu got out of the bed and went to Ayame. "I'm sorry, I don't know what's going on." he said, matching Ayame's volume. "Tell me what's going on and I can maybe help you understand?" Ritsu said tentatively, trying to be helpful. He got a glimpse of Aaya's face in a look of anger and confusion. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to make you angry!" Ritsu said quickly and turned away, worried.

Ayame scoffed and flopped down on Tohru's bed in exasperation, facing towards the wall. The bed was still warm from when Ritsu was laying there. "Sit down Ritsu." Ritsu was confused, but sat without objecting. He was staring at Ayame's limp body and his long white hair drape over the bedding and Ayame said, "Let's say, hypothetically, there was a way to break the Sohma curse. What would you do?"

Nothing but silence filled the room. Ayame looked over at Ritsu who was still sitting on the chair who moved his eyes from Aaya to the floor, his eyes glazed with tears and his face in an expression of confused shock.

Ritsu brought his legs to his chest and covered his face with his hands. "Ritsu?" Ayame called to him. He left the warm bed and stood next to the chair holding the crumpled Ritsu. Aaya could see a tear escape the hands clasped to his face.

Ayame hesitated before he called to the sitting man again, "Ritsu?" He could hear his sniffles from behind his hands.

Finally, after perhaps seven minutes, Ritsu moved his hands to his knees and looked to the man standing over him, "You broke it?"

Ayame turned his back to the one sitting and frowned. After hesitation he said, "No." It was the truth, Aaya didn't break the curse, but from the reaction he got he was beginning to question whether or not he should tell Ritsu about Kyo.

Ritsu abruptly stood up and forced Ayame to look at him. "Then who?" Ritsu demanded in a sobbing voice.

All Aaya could do is stair at his family member. Of course he had seen Ritsu cry before. Hadn't they all? But the tears never fell like this. It was a side of Ritsu that was being scene for the first time.

Noises that would usually fill a home in the morning seemed to vanish. Sounds that are usually taken for granted, such as clothes rustling, feet walking, trees swaying, all were gone. The sound of Ritsu's tears ceased as Ayame uttered just one syllable "Kyo".

Crying can represent many different emotions. Ritsu walked over to the bed, sat down, and cried. People can deal with crying people many different ways. All Ayame did was sit next to Ritsu and offer him a box of tissues, which Ritsu took. After what felt like ten minutes of sitting and crying, Ayame still couldn't figure out if Ritsu was crying out of sadness, happiness, anger, disbelief, realization, or something else.

Ritsu let out a chuckle as the tears continues to fall, "I'm sorry."

Despite how many times Aaya has heard Ritsu say "sorry"; he innocently asked "What for?"

Ritsu let out a tearful laugh, "I don't know." A more serious stream of tears fell. "I don't know why I'm crying."

There was a long pause. "Me neither." Aaya mumbled to himself.

It was a few more minutes before Ritsu got complete control of himself. With a quiet, shaky voice he said "What do we do?"

Ayame sighed, "We don't tell the family, that's for sure." Ritsu nodded. "Also, we talk to Tohru. I'm sure she somehow played a part in the breaking of the curse. I- I just can't understand."

Ritsu kept nodding, "Should we reassure Kyo-kun? I'm sure he's worried."

"Not today. I need to think of a good way to... say it."

"I'm sorry, but do you mean we should avoid him?" Ritsu asked.

Ayame stuttered for a moment, not exactly sure what he meant when an idea hit him. He gasped and waved his hands up and down. "I got it! What if I pushed Kyo into Tohru and then you could be like, 'The curse! It's broken!' and then he'd have to explain himself!"

Ritsu crinkled up his eyebrows. "I'm sorry," he said, "I'm not so sure I like that plan."

The flamboyant Aaya bounded off the bed with his index finger pointing to the heavens, "It's foolproof I tell you!"

Ayame extended a graceful hand to Ritsu who was still sitting on the bed. Ritsu gently moved his hand towards Aaya's and Ayame quickly hoisted him off of the bed while saying "Come dearest Ritsu! The day began long ago and yet your pajamas are still on. Dress quickly and meet me downstairs for breakfast! The day's events are to begin soon and they wait for no one!" With that said and Ayame determined, he dramatically left the room, leaving Ritsu in Tohru's room alone with his thoughts.

I updated! Yay! I know that this story is taking a long time but I'd say it's worth it. I would say that I'll update soon, but it seems like I have a hard time keeping that promise. I know that this story began a long time ago so I realize that some of my writting in the first chapters are going to be out-dated. I realize this and hopefully you do too, but there's nothing we can do about it. So, a lot of questions arise in this chapter, I believe. Please ask them... or just review whether there is a question or not.

This is WHPIAR... signing off.