Tohru danced around her room twirling around in pure bliss. He had kissed her. He had kissed her! Yuki, the handsomest guy she had ever laid eyes on, had kissed her, Tohru Honda! She still couldn't believe it. Tohru hoped onto her bed flopping down face first onto her pillow screaming her heart out the loud sound being muffled completely by her pillow.

She jumped out of bed filled with energy unable to remain in one spot for a minute. Swinging open her door she ran around the castle like an overly happy maniac but she didn't care. Tohru continued to race herself around until she crashed into her aunt. Her eyes widened in horror from her spot on the ground as she stared at her aunt who stood up with an angry expression across her face. Still Tohru couldn't completely wipe the grin from her face. A faint smile still lingered on her face though it went by unnoticed by the infuriated woman.

"Tohru! What is the meaning of this?! Proper princesses do not run around like idiots!" She snapped grazing her fingers over the top of her head to make sure nothing had been messed up from the collision.

"I'm sorry Oubasan… I won't do it again," Tohru murmured breathlessly.

The furious woman made an hmph sound before storming away not even bothering with a lecture. Tohru smiled again and hopped back to her feet dusting off her clothes. At least she hadn't gotten in trouble. She shrugged lightly about to continue down the hall when she heard an excited voice cry her name and felt someone latch himself to her side. Tohru nearly screamed from shock but glanced down at the blonde head and pair of honey eyes staring up at her. A breath of relief left of mouth as the color returned to her face, relieved to see that it was Momiji.

"Tohru! You seem happy today! Did something good happen?" Momiji asked in a peppy voice.

"No… Not really!" Tohru tried to lie adverting her eyes away from Momiji's.

He blinked peering up at the brunette before releasing her from the one-sided embrace. It was obvious that Tohru wasn't telling the truth. Her looking away from him was his first clue and her facial expression was his next. This was the first time he had seen Tohru look so happy in all the years he knew the girl. Tohru swallowed nervously seeing that Momiji was growing persistent.

"C'mon! You can tell meeeeeeeeeee right Tohru???" Momiji urged.

Momiji bounce around her trying to get her to look at him. She continued to look away, avoiding his looks. This was the point when Momiji started to guess, "Did someone give you a jumbo slice of cake? Maybe you got a lollipop?"

Tohru shook her head in response. He didn't seem remotely close to the reason she was so giddy. After his two guesses she became more calm letting herself believe that Momiji was too young to understand what she was going through even though he was only a year younger then him. Letting her guard down was her mistake, this signaled to Momiji that he could state his guess that she was in love.

"Then… Did you meet a guy? Are you in love?!" Momiji exclaimed clutching both of his hands together by his cheeks.

This was something Tohru couldn't deny no matter how hard she tried. She gritted her teeth trying to contain her smile and shake her head but she couldn't. Despite her efforts a warm smile spread across her face, her cheeks becoming flushed. Momiji's eyes lit up with cheer skipping around in a circle around Tohru glad that he was correct. That was his original guess after all, he just didn't want to say a guy first and scare Tohru off. He just wanted to be positive of this.

"Yay! I was right! You are in love! Yay!" Momiji cried.

"No! Er… I mean I wouldn't say lo-love! I haven't even kno-known him for that long…" Tohru breathed her face turning darker by the second after she realized what she had told Momiji.

The short boy was struck silent. He hadn't expected her to confirm his guess with words. She stared at the floor uncomfortably wishing a hole would appear underneath her feet and take her away from Momiji or better yet she desired all of this conversation with Momiji to be a dream. Tohru pinched her hand out of Momiji's sight wanting to wake up and go back to the world where she hadn't told anyone about Yuki.

"So it was love at first sight! Wow! Tell me about him Tohru!" Momiji whined.

Tohru glanced up at him shocked by his response. She hadn't thought about that before. To her love at first sight seemed to only appear in fairytales but it was what she experienced with Yuki, wasn't it? That was probably what drove her insane when she had to leave him for the first time, what made her feel compelled to find him again. Love was most likely the cause of her happiness at this moment.

"…He seemed very mysterious yet so sweet and caring… He isn't like other guys… I don't know… When I'm around him I just want to smile. He's very thoughtful, when we're together he makes me feel special, like nothing else in the world matters… But I don't know if that's love…" Tohru replied honestly beaming.

"He's your first love, isn't he?" Momiji asked innocently.

"How can it be love Momiji? I haven't known him long enough!"

"You don't have to know someone for long to fall in love…. Ah never mind! What's his name? What does he look like? When did you meet? Does anyone else know?" Momiji rambled on enthusiastically.

She stuttered bewildered by thee amount of questions not sure what to answer first. Tohru had a hard time even trying to remember what he had asked in the first place. She didn't feel secure about talking about Yuki with Momiji. Telling him that she loved someone was enough! He didn't have to know the man's name and what he looked like! Spotting Haru walking down the hall Tohru gasped. Together the two of them might tell her to stop seeing Yuki, that was something she couldn't risk.

"Um… I have to go Momiji! Don't tell anyone please…" Tohru choked out before running in the opposite direction from where she had seen Haru.

Momiji watched her run tilting his head to the side confound by her actions. Maybe he had pushed too far but she hadn't seemed to unwilling to answer his questions before. He didn't even know Haru was there until the white haired man tapped on his shoulder making him turn around. Haru had only been close enough to hear the last few lines which left him eager to hear more.

"Haru!" Momiji greeted him in an upbeat voice.

"Momiji… What was that about? Were you just talking to Tohru about a guy?" Haru questioned the blonde boy slowly wanting the truth.

"…It's a secret," Momiji whispered putting his finger to his lips before trotting off to the kitchen for more desserts.

Haru groaned angry at himself for even expecting a straight out answer from Momiji. It wasn't hard to piece together the parts of their conversation he had heard and figure out who they were talking about. There was no doubt the man Tohru described was Yuki. At least now he was sure that she was indeed sneaking out to be with someone. If he was the same Yuki he knew before then he had nothing to be worried about; Tohru would be safe as long as she was with him.

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Yuki spotted Tohru sitting in front of the lake hugging her knees. She was staring off into the distance in a trance like state. He stood there for a minute trying to figure out what to do, he knew she didn't like to be scared and it didn't look like she heard him arrive. Tohru sighed, from his perspective looking at her back she didn't look as overjoyed as the last time he had seen her. He couldn't help but wonder if she really didn't want to be kissed by him or something like that. It didn't seem that way last week but maybe he was just too blinded by his jubilance that he hadn't noticed her anguish. Yuki crept up behind her, choosing not to overreact until he was sure of her own feelings, whispering into her ear, "I'm glad you like my ribbon…"

Tohru flinched, his voice bringing her back to reality. She giggled remembering that the pink ribbon from Yuki was indeed holding her hair back in place. He smiled, she wasn't mad at him. If she wasn't angry with him then what was with the depressed aura that surrounded her? Yuki's eye brows furrowed a little full of confusion as he moved to take a seat beside her. Her eyes never left his; a blush coated her cheeks as she thought about the kiss they shared. He didn't seem embarrassed by it; she wished she was as collected as he was.

"Of course I like it!" exclaimed Tohru wiping her sweaty palms on her dress in attempt to hide how nervous she was.

He surprised her by planting a warm kiss on her lips. Her eyes shot open at first but closed as she relaxed returning his kiss, her arms making their way to his neck. They stayed like that her lips parting for him, kissing each other for another minute or two before they broke apart desperate for air. Tohru slowly opened her eyes gazing at him feeling butterflies return to her stomach. She withdrew from him shyly wrapping her arms around her knees.

"Now that you're back on earth do you want to tell me what you were thinking about?" Yuki suggested peering at her.

"I was just thinking about mom and how she would love a place like this," Tohru smiled.

Yuki extended his legs out in front of him lazily. His mother would kill him for his improperness if she saw him sitting in this manner. That didn't matter around Tohru, she didn't seem to mind. It just showed how much more comfortable he was around her then he was with his own family, a sad fact actually. She seemed to love her family though, unlike him. Family love was still a mystery to him, he didn't really understand it but at least once in his life he'd like to experience it, whether it'd be in a year or two or even ten.

"I wonder sometimes… if she and dad are happy…" Tohru added, a hint of sadness in her voice, a small tear rolling down her cheek. Yuki glanced over at her shocked to see her start to cry. Her parents were dead, but wasn't it better to have parents who loved you and died rather then his parents? He got the feeling that that wouldn't comfort her at all and came up with something better to say.

"I bet… Right now they are smiling because they are proud of you. Watching over you, your quiet guardians will always be there to help you. So, I'm positive that as long as you smile and are happy they'll be glad," Yuki told her using his thumb to wipe away the tear.

Tohru hadn't even known she was crying until he brushed away the tear. She scolded herself for letting it fall. All day she had contained herself from sobbing so why now and in front of Yuki of all people? Most of the guys she heard about didn't like teary girls and he was the last person she wanted to get fed up with her. He didn't appear bothered by it though, he was different; maybe Momiji was right, Yuki was her first love. That's why she didn't want to cry and ruin her time with him with her weeping.

"Sorry… I didn't mean to cry, it's just that today is the anniversary of their deaths…" Tohru said with a faint smile.

"No… I'm sorry; I shouldn't have taken you away from your family on a day like this…" Yuki apologized.

"You don't have to apologize. We didn't have anything planned for today. We weren't going to their graves or anything. When I tried to bring it up Oubasan said she couldn't bear to remember her sister's death so they were buried far from here. I don't even know where. All their belongings were burned… The only thing I have left of mom is this necklace…" Tohru explained sadly.

He had never had anyone close to him die. Not once in his life had he gone to a funeral either. Because of this, he didn't really know what he could say to her to make her feel better. Yuki didn't really know what you would do at someone's graves, put flowers? Nonetheless, it still seemed rather wrong for her aunt to keep her from going if that was what she wanted. All he wanted was for her to cheer up. Her sadness disturbed him; he had trouble trying to smile to comfort her when she was on the verge of crying again. Yuki sat there thinking about what she had just told him before responding.

"But you don't need those things… Graves… Old belongings… They're worthless. All that matters is that you remember them… That deep down their memories rest in your heart. That's what's important…" Yuki replied gesturing to her chest.

"I know… But I never got to say goodbye to them… There wasn't a funeral or anything… We didn't even get to see them get buried… All I want now is to say good bye," Tohru whispered pausing before adding, "You know, is doesn't even feel like they were dead for a year. The only reason I know this is the anniversary is because Kisa and Haru told me. I don't remember much about when they died. It was like one day I woke up and they told me they died… I must sound crazy now…"

"Not at all…" He breathed wrapping his arms around her in a comforting hug. Tohru smiled gently leaning against him, her arms locked around his back squeezing him tightly to keep more tears from sprouting, in return his grip on her tightened in attempt to comfort her.

She wished they could stay like that forever. In his arms she felt safe, safer then she had ever felt in her life. Tohru stared up at him, he was too considerate. No other man she had ever known would have cared if her parents died. Or if they did show compassion it was a lie. Even she, being as dense as she was, saw through their acts. It was intentional for her to suspect them but they made it so blatant it was hard to think of their care genuine. Still she tried her best to act kind towards them not that she could help her naturally selfless personality.

Yuki sat there awkwardly holding onto her. Out of the corner of his eye he could see that she was staring at him. He peered at the lake not wanting to look at her in fear that his cheeks would grow darker then they already were. His mind went blank; nothing to say came to him but that didn't seem to matter. Together they sat in silence, equally comfortable with that. No words were needed to express their feelings to each other. Somewhere in the back of their minds they both knew what that feeling that overwhelmed their hearts was.

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"Yuki-kou! Did you need something?"
About twenty men were gathered in the grand hall bowing in front of Yuki. It was dark out the only light provided was from the moon. Yuki refused to turn on any lights and get the attention of his father or mother. This was supposed to be a secret, they couldn't learn of what he wanted. He was silent unsure of how to word his request without explaining his situation with Tohru.

"Yes, I would like you all to find something for me…"

Yuki briefly explained and tried to describe what he had in mind. It turned out more difficult then he had anticipated. No one dared to interrupt him or ask him any questions which he was thankful for. There was no chance that he would have the answers to the questions he imagined they'd have. He wanted them to find the graves of Tohru's parents. If they asked why he couldn't tell him it was because of Tohru, if they asked him for a more thorough description he wouldn't be able to provide it since he had never seen the graves. It seemed like a hopeless task but she had told him she didn't know where they were buried therefore finding the graves was something he wanted to do for her.

"Yuki-kou-!" The first guard was about to protest.

"No arguments. Get to it immediately. And not a word about this should be told to anyone or I'll deal with you personally," Yuki cut him off with a warning cracking his knuckles.

They all nodded in unison bowing again before leaving. Yuki closed his eyes crossing his fingers hoping that they'd be able to find these graves quickly. He wanted to be able to bring Tohru to them as soon as he could. It was late and dark out; it even looked like it was about to rain. Being the cruel prince he was he had told them to begin the search right away under these conditions. It'd be hard to find graves if there was no sun to help them see, it might have been more reasonable for them to start at day break tomorrow but at this moment Yuki didn't really care. As long as they found the graves their services would be paid off later. That was all he could guarantee.

Asan-chan is terribly sorry for the delay in an update but tis not her fault since wouldn't let me upload a chap! T.T And the other half was the fault of my english teacher for making me write a research paper on shakespeare... Bleh... 8pages... not including the bibliography... Fourteen precious fanfic writing hours wasted... Anyhoo love me and review!

asan-chan gets the feeling that she created way too many problems in this fanfic... for tying the loose ends up is taking a long time! XD the purple button LOVES you! review .