Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket. I do own Volumes 1-17 of Fruits Basket, however.

A/N: Thanks for the reviews and favorites! Here's the second and last chapter of this story. This one is focused on Yuki and Machi and is also in honor of fall. I hope you like it and please REVIEW!!!!!

Red

-Machi-

Several miles away, under a maple tree on the grounds of Kalibara High lay a different couple, also admiring the beauties of autumn after having just finished a particularly dreary student council meeting.

Machi, who had her head and shoulders propped up against the tree, was staring distantly at the colorful leaves raining down upon her and her fellow companion. By chance, her companion happened to be the student body president: Yuki Sohma.

Machi, though fascinated by the beautiful leaves swirling around them, remained unsmiling. Yuki, however, apparently seemed either not to notice or care that Machi to be not enjoying herself. That's not to say she wasn't enjoying herself, it's merely to say that she appeared not to be.

Or maybe, Machi thought, Yuki Sohma somehow knew that she wasn't not enjoying herself, no matter how miserable she appeared to be. Maybe, he somehow understood what Machi was feeling; an annoying tendency, Machi noticed, that the named 'Prince' seemed to do quite regularly.

They made an odd sort of pair, sitting together silently under that large maple tree. Well, it was kinda unavoidable that they made an odd pair; they were rather strange individuals, after all.

Machi took this moment to glance over at Yuki's face. He had a serene, peaceful look on his face and a tiny, but authentic, smile playing at his lips. And for once, Machi thought maybe she could picture Yuki looking like a prince at this exact moment, if she tried really hard.

Yuki noticed her staring at him and he shifted his head to face her. His smile grew slightly at the sight of her, and act that did not go unnoticed by Machi. As a result, much to her dismay, Machi blushed and immediately became flustered.

'Damn him!' Machi thought, 'Why is it that even though I'm usually so indifferent, he can still make me flustered so easily?!'

"Hey Machi," Yuki said, bringing her out of her reverie, "You like read a lot, right? Why don't you take another leaf and make something out of it?" he picked up a gorgeous, deep red leaf and held it out to her.

Machi immediately blushed red (again) as she thought about what "liking red" could imply (which was that she "liked" Yuki as he was the "Red Ranger" of the "School Defense Force").

Machi uncertainly reached forward to take the leaf. She slowly pocketed the leaf, as if in a daze. Then after turning back to face Yuki, she suddenly snapped out of her daze and grabbed a fistful of fallen leaves from on the ground beside her and threw them in Yuki's face.

Yuki, who had been caught off his guard, was now sputtering and trying to spit the leaves out of his mouth. When he regained his composure, he retaliated by throwing a handful of leaves back at Machi.

Soon, the two of them were on their feet, throwing the leaves at each other as if they were snowballs. They ran around the tree shouting and laughing, (though the latter was mainly on Yuki's part).

Finally, the two became out of breath and they flopped back down to their positions under the tree. A few minutes of silence passed between them while they both regained their breath before Yuki finally spoke.

"Machi," he said, "I haven't laughed so hard—or so much—in a long time," he turned to face her, a wide, heart-felt smile gracing his features, (one of the smiles he usually saved only for Tohru), "Thanks."

Machi gave him a curt nod but otherwise said nothing. Instead, she took the red leaf Yuki had given her out of her pocket. She examined it long and carefully, twirling it slowly between her finger and thumb as she did so.

After her rather long inspection, Machi repocketed the leaf. She came to the conclusion that maybe, perhaps, "liking red" wasn't such a bad thing after all. She thought this, and she smiled. True, the smile was a small, tiny, miniscule, practically non-existent smile, but it was still there, and it was a smile all the same.