Tohru tilted her head to the side to the sound of quick, sharp raps. Her feet led her towards the commotion, and as she got closer, she could make out the source as the shower. She blinked as she paused at the door. Suddenly, she was overcome with the intense desire to know who was showering at this time of day. Before she could stop herself, her hand had found the door knob and she had shoved the door open. The inside was foggy. She could hardly see anything at first, but soon she could make out a gray figure emerging from the hazy abyss.

She hadn't realized the shower had stopped until she could begin to spot facial features. Her eyes widened when she caught sight of a mop of wet, silver hair. Tohru gasped and was about to bolt before the fog cleared and she could see more than just his face and his bare chest, but he caught her wrist. Before she could blink, she was trapped in a tight embrace and his lips were ravishing hers. She could hardly breathe as his fingers weaved themselves into her hair. Hesitantly, her hands crept over his shoulders and around his damp neck. Meanwhile, his hands were just beginning to free themselves from the snares in her hair and tugging at the ribbon around the waist of her dress when a loud beep made him freeze.

Keeping her arms locked firmly around his neck and her lips against his, she prayed he'd continue, but another ring shattered the silence, and Yuki disappeared. She looked around in confusion, but a ceaseless succession of shrill rings sent her back into reality.

Tohru gasped as she shot up in bed. Snapping her head back and forth, she checked her surroundings in attempt to figure out what was going on as she clutched her blanket to her chest. As soon as she realized where she was and that she had been dreaming, Tohru blushed. She didn't have time to register much else as the ringing began again. Fully conscious now, she understood that it was the doorbell, and someone was waiting for her to answer it. At first, she thought it was a little early for someone to come over, but when she glanced at the clock, she learned it wasn't early at all. Yuki had turned off her alarm. Again.

She hopped out of bed quickly and ran a brush through her dark tresses before bolting to the door –falling down the stairs in her haste. Tohru was about to apologize for taking so long, but when she spotted her guest, she was left speechless. To say she was shocked to find the president of the Yuki fan club standing on the porch would be an understatement. A major one. For a moment, all Tohru could do was stare at the older student, too bewildered to do anything else until Motoko cleared her throat in annoyance. To that, Tohru stepped aside frantically and let her in with a polite smile, which Motoko ignored.

"Um… Good morning, Motoko-sempai," Tohru greeted her awkwardly.

She wasn't sure how she was supposed to act around Motoko anymore. Though her personality naturally made her treat everyone with respect and kindness, a part of her desperately wanted to slap Motoko across the face. Tohru didn't want Motoko to think she was free to kiss Yuki whenever she wanted to. Though she desired to, she couldn't even raise her hand for the strike. Her entire being seemed to reject any thought of violence, so she forced herself to continue to smile even as Motoko eyed her with a disapproving gaze.

"Did you come here for something?" Tohru inquired after another minute had passed without a word out of Motoko's mouth.

Motoko sighed, glancing down at her shoes as she fiddled with the bottom of her frilly shirt. She seemed reluctant to speak or to even meet Tohru's eyes. Tohru cocked her head to the left with a gentle smile, politely encouraging her to talk. She was anxious to get started on breakfast before Shigure and Yuki awoke and Kyo returned from his morning jog. She'd have to start soon if she wished to give them anything other than cereal and milk since Yuki had tampered with her alarm again. She was getting impatient, but one couldn't tell unless he knew where to look for the signs, like the faint creases across her forehead and the slightest downturn of her mouth. Motoko, however, was a mere acquaintance of Tohru, so she noticed nothing and took her sweet time to reconsider her words.

"I-I came to apologize," Motoko finally stammered, "So I'm sorry for what I did last week!"

Tohru blinked in bewilderment, obviously shocked by this. That was the last thing Tohru would have suspected to be the reason for Motoko's visit. She couldn't even find words to respond with. Actually, she wasn't even sure how she felt about the apology. All she could do was stare at Motoko, unable to even conceal the surprise glazed over her eyes. Motoko gazed back at her, but Tohru couldn't figure out what emotion lay in the depths of her dark eyes. It was either deep shame for what she had done last week or mocking conceit. Tohru wasn't sure which, so she gave Motoko the benefit of the doubt, deciding to believe her apology was sincere.

"You didn't need to come over to do that," Tohru beamed, "I'm not mad at you anymore."

At first, Tohru wasn't even sure if she had meant what she had said, but after careful consideration, she realized she had said nothing but the truth. Grudges weren't something she was good at holding, regardless of what had happened to upset her. According to Yuki, she was too forgiving for her own good. Speaking of him, she had to wake him soon. If she didn't, he'd be in bed past dinner time.

"Tohru?" a voice suddenly called.

Before she could turn around, Tohru found an arm suddenly encircling her waist, pulling her against a warm chest. Slanting her head backwards, she found Yuki staring down at her. Tohru openly gaped at him, something he simply chuckled at. Not only was he awake before noon on the weekend, but he was fully conscious as well. She would have continued to gawk in disbelief if he hadn't planted a kiss on her eyelid and forced her to look away in embarrassment. He laughed at her reaction, but she managed to force herself to ignore that when she greeted him.

"Good morning, Yuki-kun! I thought you were still sleeping!" Tohru exclaimed.

"Actually, I got up at seven," Yuki informed her.

Tohru raised her eyebrows in disbelief, "But it's Saturday! What were you doing up so early?"

"That's what I wanted to show you. Come with me," Yuki grinned as he took her hand.

About to take Tohru away, he froze when he noticed Motoko standing a couple of feet from him. His grip around Tohru tightened, and he pulled her against his chest in an almost protective gesture, making Tohru blush a deeper red than before. She didn't need to look up to know what kind of expression would be across his face. He would practically be glaring at Motoko. Yuki had made his feelings towards Motoko clear every time someone would bring her up. Tohru didn't even need to hear the words that followed. The way his eyes would narrow darkened his face to a degree that even scared her.

"What are you doing here?" Yuki questioned suspiciously.
"I'm apologizing for what I did last week," Motoko whispered softly.

Yuki raised his eyebrows skeptically. After half a minute of speculation, he shrugged and took Tohru by the elbow. Tohru stumbled after him as he towed her along urgently, half out of the desire to show her some unknown object and half to get her as far from Motoko as he could. He wasn't up to dealing with Motoko today.

"I'm going to borrow Tohru for a moment," he called back towards Motoko.

"Where are we going?" Tohru asked.

"Just come," he urged impatiently.

He tugged her hand, pulling her deeper into the house. Tohru let him drag her towards the garage, where he stopped. She eyed the garage door quizzically, but he only grinned at her reaction that he had obviously been expecting. He paused for a moment before opening the door. Yuki pulled out of the garage before he turned any of the lights on and faced her. He glanced back inside the garage uncertainly, seeing something she couldn't in the darkness. Suddenly wishing he had thought to bring a blindfold, he gestured to her eyes with both of his hands.

"Close your eyes," he ordered quickly.

Tohru did so without a second of hesitation. Reaching forward, she let her hands find his before she dared to move from where she stood. Having fallen enough lately even with the aid of sight, she was frightened to know what she was capable of doing without looking. She could hear the click of the light switch and a chuckle from Yuki as he began to slowly lead her towards their destination. He all but carried her to where he wanted her to stand. Tohru didn't complain, too grateful for the support to even think about being embarrassed. She had tried to sneak a peek, but he had covered her eyes with his hands before she saw anything other than his fingers.

"Okay, open them," he breathed after what seemed like an eternity to her.

As soon as he lifted his palm from her face, she snapped her eyes open quickly, her breath catching when she spotted the crib inches from her. Her jaw dropped at the beautiful cradle. She couldn't believe it when she noticed the designs engraved into the wood. Little rice balls and mice had been craved into the bars of wood, dancing around vines of flowers. Incredulously, Tohru ran her hands over the smooth, white wood, and her fingers traced the patterns slowly. She peered back at Yuki with her eyebrows almost reaching her hairline.

"It's beautiful… When did you get it?" she inquired in a voice barely above a whisper.

"I made it," he answered bluntly.

"Made it?" she repeated, her eyes wider than before.

"Yes. You know with wood, nails, paint, and sandpaper."

Taking another look at the intricately designed cradle, Tohru gasped. She shifted her gaze back and forth from the crib to Yuki for a whole minute before her eyes finally settled on the bucket of white paint, stacks of wood, pieces of sandpaper, and various tools scattered about in the corner of the nearly empty garage. She was too excited to even take note of the other forms hidden under large white sheets on the other end of wall. Gratefully, she hopped up onto the tips of her toes and gave Yuki a quick peck on the lips.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I love you!" Tohru cried ecstatically.

He laughed, "It's not exactly for you. You don't have to thank me. But I love you too."

Hardly satisfied with the brief kiss she had offered, Yuki bent his head down and captured her lips with his. Tohru was unresponsive at first, too embarrassed as he reminded her of her dream. Her humiliation was furthered when she heard someone impatiently tap his foot. Immediately, she shoved him away shyly, facing her bare feet when she caught sight of Motoko's malice-filled eyes. Yuki eyed her strangely before he glanced over his shoulder. He found Motoko scowling at their intimacy. She was just short of shaking with rage.

"I don't see why you like her! There's nothing appealing about her! She's not that pretty, and her breasts are only big because she's pregnant!" Motoko shouted as she glared at Yuki.

"She's pregnant with my child though. And on the contrary, I find my girlfriend to be beautiful. Besides, how can anyone not love Tohru? Have you ever spoken to her before? If you haven't, you truly don't know what kindness, selflessness, respect, and acceptance are. She doesn't mind if you're mean or ugly or have numerous bad traits. She'll still care about you. She's amazing, really. To find someone so gorgeous inside and out is a miracle. I'm still surprised that she actually loves me back," Yuki admitted.

Seconds after a silence had fallen among them, Tohru yanked on Yuki's sleeve three times. Assuming she was upset with how harshly he had put that, he didn't turn around to face her as he responded, "Sorry, Tohru. That can't be put in a nicer way-"

"Yuki-kun… It hurts…" Tohru interrupted him.

As soon as the words left her mouth, Yuki spun around frantically and swept her into his arms. His eyes widened in alarm when he noticed the blood that was trickling down her legs and staining the ground. Her once pink skirt was now darkened with the sticky, red liquid. Tohru had her arms locked tightly around her large abdomen as her face twisted with pain. Her breathing turned hoarse as the color drained from her face. If she could focus on something other than the agony rocketing through her midriff, she may have been concerned about the blood gathering in a puddle beneath her. He could hear her heart pound loudly, and he was almost afraid it'd leap out of her chest.

"What does?" he asked in a frightened tone.
"Everything!" Tohru wailed, covering her face.

Yuki brushed past Motoko coldly, "If you're not going to be useful, just leave, please."

He carried Tohru back into the house hurriedly, and laid her down on the ground. Afraid she was going into shock, he tore off his sweater and draped it over her body. He then cleared her forehead of the droplets of sweat, using the edge of his sleeves. Yuki was struggling to keep his terror under control in attempt to keep Tohru as placid as possible, but it had little to no effect at all. Tears were trailing down her cheeks now, though he couldn't decide whether the cause was fear or pain. For once, she wasn't worried about ruining Shigure's flooring.

"My baby!" Tohru screeched.

"She'll be fine. Shh…" he soothed her uneasily.

Watching the pool of blood grow, Yuki grimaced.

"I'll be right back!" he exclaimed before standing and rushing off.

He grabbed the nearest phone and called for an ambulance, explaining the situation and giving the woman his address as calmly as he could manage to. When he returned, Tohru instantly clasped her hands around his shirt, clinging to him with a petrified expression. Yuki covered her clammy hands with his warmer ones, trying to transfer heat into them. His fingers encircled her thin wrists, and his concern tripled at the feeble pulse he felt. She didn't try to speak anymore, but her panic was easily conveyed through her frenzied actions and bitter sobs.

"Don't worry…. Everything will be all right," he murmured.

Yuki stroked her back reassuringly, holding her tightly against his chest. Tohru was weeping and praying as her ears strained to hear the screech of the ambulance alarm. She urged it on impatiently, but when it finally arrived, she was suddenly unsure. Tohru clung to Yuki frightfully when she heard the vehicle pull up to the house. The unlocked door was shoved open, and neither of the two paramedics dared to try to separate Tohru from Yuki as they helped her onto the stretcher. Nobody even noticed that Motoko had followed them as they boarded the ambulance.

"What happened?" the male paramedic asked, facing Yuki since Tohru seemed too hysterical to think coherently, let alone talk.

"Something's wrong with her pregnancy. She's bleeding and in pain," Yuki explained.

They nodded, fumbling around with equipment as the inserted an IV into her arm and covered her mouth with the oxygen mask. The paramedics could hardly question further over Tohru's blubbering. Her wails were all they heard, despite how the mask doubled as a muffler, until they arrived at the hospital and were wheeling her off to the emergency room. Tohru was instantly quieted when she realized she was going to get torn away from Yuki. The lock her hands had formed around his shirt was suddenly ruptured as a nearby nurse pried her fingers loose.

"Yuki… Yuki! Yuki-kun!" Tohru shrieked.

Nobody bothered to acknowledge her protests, pushing her through the double doors that signaled the end of Yuki's journey. Yuki stopped at the entrance to the emergency room, standing there perfectly still as he waited for news of Tohru. He stayed there until a nurse ushered him into the waiting room when he started to get in the way of new patients. Noticing Motoko was in there, Yuki frowned and chose the seat furthest from her. His efforts went to waste, however. Motoko jumped up immediately and claimed the seat directly to his right. Yuki inched to his left, tempted to just stand, but knowing she'd follow him regardless, he remained in the plastic seat stiffly.

"I don't see why you came. You don't even like Tohru," Yuki muttered in her direction.

"I like you," she responded in what sounded like a hopeful tone.

"I love Tohru," Yuki told her firmly.

"I've loved you longer than she has. I've loved you since your first day at high school. She's not even in your fan club! I love you so much more than she does!" Motoko cried furiously.

Yuki sighed, "How can you say you love me when you know nothing about me? I'll be honest. I'm not too fond of you at the moment either. Actually, I haven't been quite fond of you since last week. Would you just leave?"

A hurt look crossed Motoko's face, but Yuki was in no mood to apologize. The looks he received from the few people around them that had overheard what he had said didn't bother him either. He just ignored them as he peered at the emergency room doors. Yuki could think of little else other than the safety of Tohru and their child. Motoko would have said more in her attempt to persuade him to leave Tohru and date her, but the appearance of a breathless orange haired teenager interrupted her. Kyo, on the other hand, didn't even seem to notice her as he stomped over to Yuki.

"Where is she?" Kyo snapped.

"In there," Yuki replied with a gesture towards the emergency room.

"For how long?"

"She's been in there for almost an hour," Yuki answered.

"Is she going to be okay?"

Yuki shrugged, "Physically, I assume yes. But not mentally if she loses the baby."

"What happened?" Kyo questioned.

"I don't know… She just cried out in pain suddenly and started to bleed."

Kyo went silent after that and leaned against the wall across from Yuki. The three waited in a delicate silence, periodically broken by sobs from nearby people, for another ten minutes before a doctor came through the pair of doors they were all staring at. All eyes rose to him hopefully, but most turned back downwards when he called for the family of someone Yuki didn't bother to remember. All he knew was that the doctor didn't have news of Tohru. Yuki frowned, but he could hardly sulk before the next doctor called for him. He shot up instantly and rushed up, followed closely by Kyo.

"Is Tohru going to be okay?" they demanded in unison.

The doctor nodded, "She's fine. We believe she has a case of placenta abruptio, also known as placental abruption, meaning her placenta has begun to separate from the uterine lining too early."

"How bad is it?" Yuki inquired worriedly.

"We can't be sure until she gives birth."

"Will the baby be all right as well?" Yuki asked.

"We assume so. The child is stable at the moment, and so is the mother. The blood flow has hindered, so everything should be all right, but we're going to keep her here for a few days at least for observation and in case she needs an emergency delivery."

"But it's too soon-"
"We're making her take corticosteroids to speed up the child's lung development, and she's on bed rest, so it'll be fine."

Kyo stepped forward, tired of this conversation he couldn't understand. All he could pick out between strings of medical vocabulary he didn't know was that Tohru and the baby were fine, but that's all he truly cared about. He shoved Yuki aside before he could ask another question about Tohru's condition and turned to the doctor. Yuki could bother the guy later with the rest of his endless questions when Kyo wouldn't be forced to listen. Yuki seemed irked, but he didn't comment or retaliate.

"Can we see her?" Kyo finally interjected.

"She's a bit tired, but yes, you may. She can have visitors as soon as we get her into a room."

Yuki's eyes flickered over to the swinging doors of the emergency room just as Tohru was getting wheeled out. Her eyes lit up, and she shot up in the stretcher, ignoring the nurse who tried to get her to lie back down. Her hands reached out towards him, and if someone weren't trying to keep her on the stretcher, she would have jumped off by now and leapt into his arms. Yuki instantly darted over to her, taking her hands into his. He wanted to wrap his arms around her, but the staff there to transport Tohru didn't seem willing to stop for their reunion.

"Yuki!" Tohru exclaimed.

"Are you okay?" he questioned frantically.

"Yes! They told me that the baby would be fine too!" Tohru chirped happily.

"That's wonderful," he grinned.

Kyo followed them uneasily as they were led to an empty room down the hall. Tohru was laid on the bed as the medical equipment was arranged around her. He watched her eyes follow the two stands to her left, one with a bag of blood and the other filled with a semitransparent liquid. Before she could even lay her eyes on the tips of the needles taped to her arms, Yuki took her chin in his hands and turned her face away, unintentionally bringing her attention to where Kyo was partially hiding in the corner of the room.

"Kyo-kun! You came…" Tohru smiled.

"Uh… yeah. I was worried. 'Cause you know, all that damn rat would say was that you were in the emergency room!" Kyo told her with an annoyed glare at Yuki.

"I'm sorry! I made you and Yuki-kun worry, didn't I? You don't have to stay! I made you skip out on a lesson, right?" she asked, noting the martial arts uniform that still adorned his body.

Kyo looked away embarrassedly, "It's okay. The lesson's over now. There's no point in going back."

"I made you miss your lesson?" Tohru inquired fretfully.

Yuki smiled at her and stroked her arm, "Don't worry about the dumb cat. It's fine. He goes there almost everyday now. It doesn't matter if he misses just one."

"Yeah," Kyo agreed.

Despite their assurances, Tohru still seemed to be fussing over the accidental consequences of her trip to the hospital. Before she could apologize to either of them again, Yuki ran his fingers through her hair and pulled her to his chest, temporarily distracting her as he pressed his lips to the top of her head. Though he managed to make Tohru flustered enough that she couldn't think coherently enough to continue speaking, he was more successful in making Kyo feel more uncomfortable. Kyo was already inching towards the door, eager to retreat now that he knew Tohru was safe.

Yuki changed the subject before Tohru brought it up again, "You're hungry, aren't you? You haven't eaten all day. Should I go get someone to bring you lunch?"

"You don't have to. I can wait," Tohru replied.

He just patted her shoulder, "Don't worry. It doesn't bother me at all."

Managing to slip out of Tohru's iron grasp, Yuki headed for the door, despite Tohru's mild protests. She called him back, insisting that she was content for the moment, but he all but ignored her. He could see through her pitiful façade, spotting the guilt in her brown orbs. Yuki knew her well enough to know she wouldn't want him to search for food for her, regardless of how short that trip may be. Besides, he could hear the low grumble of her stomach she had tried to hide. He paused at the doorway, turning around before he stepped out.

"Kyo, can you tell everyone about Tohru?" Yuki requested.

Kyo was about to agree when Tohru interrupted, "Wait! Don't! I don't want to worry everyone! Don't tell them!"

"Tohru, they're going to figure out something's wrong when you don't show up at school on Monday," Yuki pointed out.

"I'll call them then. Tomorrow."

"Call Shigure at least. He knows about Tohru," Yuki told them.

Kyo briefly nodded as Yuki raced from the room. He glanced at Tohru's concerned gaze before picking up the phone beside her. He frowned before dialing their home phone number and listening to the phone ring five times. Kyo tossed it back onto the receiver as soon as he heard the machine begin to play Shigure's prerecorded voice asking for a message. Tohru stared at him in confusion, clearly not understanding Kyo's irritated actions.

"He's not there," Kyo muttered.

"Oh no! He's probably worried sick!" Tohru exclaimed.

"He's probably at the main house blabbing to Hatori. I'll go over and tell him," Kyo offered.

"I don't want to make you do that!" she squeaked.

"I have to tell Shishou anyways and get my old clothes. Don't worry. You probably want to be alone anyways," Kyo mumbled.

He awkwardly patted her head twice as a farewell. Tohru responded with a wide grin, taking his hand into hers and squeezing it lightly. Unsure of how to react to her gesture, he looked away, trying to keep her from spotting the faint red tint to his tan cheeks. Tohru was too oblivious to make much of his shyness. Kyo tugged his fingers out of his with a slight upturn of his lips before he trotted away. Tohru waved cheerfully, even though he didn't turn around –where she could see, at least.

A minute after the sound of Kyo's footsteps had died away, the door to Tohru's room creaked open. She looked up with a smile, believing it to be Yuki returning with her lunch, but Motoko's arrival startled her yet again. Motoko didn't say a word as she stepped towards Tohru and took a seat in the chair by her bed. She peered up at Tohru with agony filled eyes that made Tohru pull back in surprise. Motoko bowed her head sadly, hesitating before she grasped onto one of Tohru's hands. Believing Motoko had been worried about her, Tohru patted Motoko's pale hand with her free one. Motoko finally met her gaze again, and Tohru could have sworn her anguish had doubled.

"Motoko-sempai! You didn't have to stay here! I didn't mean to bother you!" Tohru cried.

"Please… Tohru, please give me Yuki. I need him. I've loved him for so long. I-I don't know what to do without him. Tohru, please. As a woman, you must understand how I feel," Motoko breathed.

Tohru stared at her, almost too flabbergasted to respond.

"But I need Yuki-kun too. I- I'm in love with him. I c-can't do that!" Tohru exclaimed.

"Tohru…." Motoko started helplessly.

"I can't! I can't give him away like that! You say you love him, but I do too! I need him too! And our baby… She needs her father too… I- I can't give him away… I love him," Tohru sniffled, shaking her head in a frenzy of refusals.

Tohru covered her mouth with her hand as tears began to pour out. How could she even consider letting Yuki go, let alone be the one to end their relationship? He had been the one thing that had allowed her to get this far in her pregnancy or more generally, her life. She couldn't even picture what her life would have been like if he hadn't found her living in that tent and allowed her to stay with him and Shigure. Tohru doubted she would be the person she was today. Though they never spoke of it, it was Yuki and the rest of the Sohmas who had managed to get her to truly smile after her mother had died. But most of all, he had taught her what true love was. She flushed at that thought but said no more.

Stepping around the door, Yuki finally announced his presence with the soft clamor the tray of food made as it hit the table by Tohru.

"Motoko-sempai, I'm in love with Tohru. I love her with all my heart, and that won't change even if she were to give me to you. If she did that, it wouldn't make me love you or stop loving her. Whether you believe she's using black magic or blackmailing me is no concern of mine, but let me tell you this, if you dare make Tohru cry again, you'll surely regret it. I love Tohru, and you –or anything else for that matter- can't change that," Yuki told Motoko seriously.

Dejected, Motoko stood up and left the room wordlessly. Tohru lifted her hand towards her, about to call out, but Yuki shook his head at her. He sat down on the edge of her bed and leaned forward to trap her in an embrace. Yuki only pulled away for a quick second to kiss away the tears that had begun to leak down her face. Embarrassedly, she ducked her head under his shoulder. Suppressing laughter, he plopped his chin on top of her head. He caressed her cheeks with the tips of his fingers, relieved she was too embarrassed to be feeling guilty over Motoko's unrequited love.

"Thank you, Tohru… Thank you for loving me enough to not have agreed with her. I was afraid you would agree with her, not that that would have changed anything…. I'm just glad you didn't…" Yuki muttered.

"I do love you," Tohru beamed.

"I love you more…" he replied with a smile, "You worried me back there. Are you sure you're all right? Nothing hurts anymore?"

"Nope! I'm fine!" Tohru assured him.

He could have held her for the rest of the day, but he broke away when he remembered her lunch sitting inches from them. Although she did insist that an early lunch was unnecessary, he was glad to find that he didn't need to force feed her, but she did make him share her lunch -she was aware that he hadn't eaten yet since there had been no leftovers in the refrigerator, and she was familiar with his 'culinary skills'.

Yuki stayed there, keeping her company until night fall, and visiting hours started to come to a close. The moon had replaced the sun in the now dark sky, and they had just finished a short dinner. They could both hear chatter and footsteps as other visitors nearby shuffled into their jackets and started to leave. Tohru's grip around his fingers tightened after she glanced at the clock. Yuki peered at the sturdy clasp she had formed around him and then at her distressed expression. Calmly, he brushed her hair from her face with his other hand, sliding his hand over her cheek when he finished.

"They're going to kick me out pretty soon," Yuki frowned.

"No! Don't leave! I don't want to stay here alone!" Tohru squealed, clinging to his arm.

He chuckled as he freed himself and laid her back down.

"Shall I sneak back in through the window?" he offered.

She was about to nod but then remembered that she was on the sixth floor. There was a tree inches from the window with a thick sturdy branch though… Tohru dismissed the idea as soon as it came. She refused to endanger him over some silly hospital policies and her fear of staying here alone, even though she was positive he was physically capable of climbing up the tree and jumping to her window. Her gaze shifted back towards her door where streams of people were passing by on their way to the elevator, and her apprehension grew.

"No, no, no! Just don't leave! Stay with me! Please?" Tohru stammered.

"What are we going to do when a nurse comes?" Yuki questioned.

"I won't let them take you! I'll beg!" Tohru cried.

He laughed, and they spent the next half hour plotting plans to convince the hospital staff to let him to stay. When someone did arrive to remind them that visiting hours were over, their plans were deemed unnecessary as the nurses turned out to be very reasonable and even offered to get him a cot to sleep in. Though taken aback, they both accepted, and so, after shoving the bed beside Tohru's, Yuki slept with his hand interlaced with Tohru's.