That day started out like any other. Tohru sat squished between Haru and Kisa, her 'protectors'. She laughed at something Haru said and smiled. She was recovering from her little rendezvous with Akito rather quickly, or so it seemed. Part of it was due to her peppy personality, she didn't let many things keep her down, but most of it was because of Yuki.

When he had saved her from Akito, she knew he would be there to rescue her again and again in the future, regardless of whatever her problem might be. Even if he couldn't be there to save her, she had a hunch that he'd definitely help her get through any of her troubles. Since his visit with her, she had been acting a lot more normal. She was almost comfortable amongst men again, but the key word there was almost. She still jumped back when they got too close to her or whenever one touched her, and she was still shaky when she was in dark areas –she slept with the light on nowadays. Other than those minor tidbits, she was the same Tohru.

Without Yuki though, she'd probably still be hiding in her room. It made sense though, since what had really scared her was the thought of losing Yuki, not so much Akito. Of course, Akito was the one who made her wary around men, but he really did nothing more than make her avoid males. Yuki's sudden silence was what had slowly killed her inside. Perhaps, it was dangerous to be this attached to someone, but she had no doubt in her mind that if she tried to distance herself from him, she'd die. Maybe not instantly, but when one's heart was cruelly shredded into thousands of pieces, living just became impossible.

It was very difficult for her to fully trust him now, hard for her to go through a day without seeing him and still have faith in him, but he was trying unbelievably hard to keep her feeling secure. He came to see her every night with a flower or small trinket he had picked up at town to remind her of the outside world since she wasn't up to leaving the sanctuary of her room yet -she had a drawer full of little presents from him now. He'd stay for at least an hour and listen to her talk about her fears so he could comfort her, or he'd just come to keep her company. It didn't seem to bother him when she had nothing to say. Yuki still came, indifferently. He'd stay with her most nights until she was fast asleep.

"Hey, Tohru, I'm glad you're smiling again…" Haru commented.

Tohru grinned, about to reply when her aunt called her.

"Tohru!"

She turned around and gave her aunt a half-hearted smile. In response, her aunt waved her over impatiently with a quick flap of her hand. Tohru pushed herself up and told Haru and Kisa where she was going before she anxiously approached her aunt. She bowed respectfully to the queen, and then there was silence. Her aunt simply stared at her for a minute, making Tohru uncomfortable. Tohru shifted her weight from one foot to the other awkwardly, waiting for her aunt to speak.

"Tohru, go pack your belongings. You'll need enough clothes to last a week."

"Pack? Are we going somewhere?"

"You'llbe spending a week at Akito-sama's castle. He'll be overseas for some time, so he has graciously invited you over," Oubasan explained slowly.

Tohru's eyes shot wide open. She jumped backwards immediately and covered her chest with both of her arms. Shaking her head furiously, she took a few baby steps away from her aunt. Akito was the last person she wanted to see. She shuddered at the thought of him. He had done things to her that she'd rather not dwell upon. She didn't want to see him ever again. He terrified her! There was no way she could live under the same roof as him for seven whole days and nights! Tohru would die if she stayed there, yet she couldn't bring herself to tell her aunt about what had happened, though, knowing her aunt, she probably wouldn't even care.

"No… No… No, no, no!!! I don't want to go there! I can't!!!" Tohru squealed, clasping her hands over her ears in a frenzy.

The traumatized girl continued to shriek refusals until her aunt slapped her across her face. Tohru blinked in shock before beginning to cry. Her tears stung her eyes, and her body trembled as she wept. Hearing the strike, Haru and Kisa turned around and saw Tohru sobbing. Promptly, they darted to her side. Haru wrapped his arm around Tohru's shoulders, pulling her towards him. Kisa stood by her other side, asking what was wrong, but all Tohru did was shake her head in response.

"What did you do to her?" Haru demanded angrily.

"How dare you accuse me?! I didn't do a thing!" Oubasan hollered.

"I can't stay… I can't stay with him…" Tohru whispered before breaking out of Haru's hold and sprinting away. She ran past the gates before her aunt could order the guards to stop her or to close the gates. Tohru continued to run and run until she collapsed by the lake. She lied there, curled up in a ball, barely out of reach of the tide. Her breaths came out rapidly in attempt to regain her breath. The snow was cold, but it was strangely comforting. It helped her burning skin cool down. After a few minutes, she began to shiver. She had completely forgotten to wear a thicker coat. Tohru pulled her thin jacket closer around her body and sneezed.

"Tohru…"

Tohru lurched forward and tensed in terror. It was Akito coming to harass her again, wasn't it? Or was it a guard coming to bring her back home? She spun around fretfully and found herself staring into warm gray eyes hardly five inches from her own.

"Yuki-kun…" she breathed quietly. She gazed at him for a moment before tears slid down her face again. In an instant, he had her drawn into his warm embrace. Tohru pressed her face into his chest, sobbing. She let him hear her cry and comfort her. For once, she didn't try to choke back her tears at all. Yuki didn't question her for the cause of her tears, he just held her. He naturally assumed she was crying because of some passing thought about Akito. It took her a few minutes, but she finally stopped crying and apologized to Yuki.

"I'm sorry… I got your coat all wet…" Tohru whispered as she pulled away from Yuki. Her hands still shook as they gripped his jacket.

"You're the one who's cold, and if you don't mind a tear drenched coat…" Yuki trailed off as he removed the black jacket he was wearing and wrapped it around Tohru.

Tohru sat there, enjoying the warmth of his coat. She let his body heat that still clung to the coat seep into her body and chase away the coldness she had felt a second ago. Her kindhearted nature would only let her keep Yuki's coat a minute longer before she made an attempt to remove it. She couldn't take his coat away from him when she could see the clouds of air leave his mouth, but Yuki grabbed her wrists before she could even pull an arm out of a sleeve. Baffled and a bit alarmed, Tohru flinched.

"Don't you dare take it off. Your lips are practically blue," Yuki pointed out.

"But-"

Yuki cut her off before she could say anymore, "I'm fine. You're colder than I am. You're the one I'm worried about."

She hung her head in defeat. Tohru didn't feel right being the only person who got to be warm. She could tell he was cold as well by the pink edges of his ears and nose. Tohru leaned towards Yuki and wrapped her arms around his waist. She pressed her cheek against his shoulder, trying to cover as much of his body as possible. Bewildered, Yuki sat there, unable to comprehend her actions. He thought she'd be a lot more uncomfortable around him because of Akito, but here she was, hugging him. Tohru snuggled up against him before murmuring, "If you want me to wear your coat, then let me be yours…"

He blushed faintly, but he let her remain there. Yuki wrapped his arms around her and rested his head on top of hers. He'd choose this over his coat any day. He kissed her on top of her head and stroked her back, hoping to provide her with some comfort at least. Frankly, Yuki was a bit startled to find her outside. In over a month, she hadn't set foot out of her bedroom. He wasn't quite sure what compelled her to come here, but he could see something was bothering her. Akito had been what was troubling her, but her thoughts had startled analyzing the words that had drifted out of her mouth. Only now realizing exactly what she had said to Yuki, Tohru became flustered, "I can't believe I said that… I can't believe…"

Tohru pulled away from him, now downright humiliated to have said that out loud. She didn't get very far away from him though. Yuki kept his arms around her, giving her a bit of a confused look. She looked down, unable to meet his gaze. He smiled and latched himself to her with a tight embrace, "But that was adorable… You're so cute… I could hold you forever…"

He hugged her, slightly against her will until she relaxed. She timidly slipped her arms around him with a smile. They stayed there for a while until Yuki stood up and held his hand out to her, deciding that even with his coat around her shoulders, it was too cold for her to be outside for this long. Tohru stared blankly at his hand. He didn't wait for her to begin to comprehend. Yuki gently grabbed her wrists and pulled her to her feet.

"Come on… I'm sure you've been out long enough to make your family suspicious. We don't want to get caught. Now, do we?" Yuki smiled at her.

Tohru gasped, "Wait! Um… I don't want to go back!"

She yanked her hands out of his. Expecting much more of a fight from Yuki, she pulled too far back and lost her balance. Tohru fell backwards, hitting her head on a chunk of jagged ice. Her eyes shot open before shutting. Her falling body had just missed the tips of his outstretched hands by less than an inch. He cursed and immediately dropped down to her side, lifting her up and calling her name. Hearing no response, he moved her onto his lap and took her pulse. Feeling the steady beat, he let out a sigh of relief. Yuki called her name once more before checking the back of her head. He felt a small bump and a dribble of blood, but nothing too serious. Yuki picked her up as a groom would carry a bride through the threshold, not sure what to do. She should be examined by a doctor just in case, but the only doctor he knew was Hatori.

---

It was the middle of the night when Tohru finally regained consciousness. She awoke to a large dim room that she didn't recognize. An expensive looking lamp on a nightstand beside her was left on. Everything in the room looked fancy and pricey like the furniture in her room, but unlike her room, this one hardly looked civilized. There wasn't a thing in here that looked personal. Tohru pushed herself up into a sitting position, much to the dismay of her head. The back of her head throbbed painfully. Raising her hand, she found a bandage wrapped around her head. Attempting to raise her other hand, she found it restrained. Dumbfounded, she glanced down at her hand and found in enveloped by a different hand. Her eyes followed the hand to the arm, then to the soft silvery hair bushing over the shoulder, and then, finally to the man kneeling beside the bed she was in. His face was turned away from her, but she knew who it was.

"Yuki-kun…" she breathed, using her other hand to shake his shoulder.

Her prince turned his face towards her, but he was still fast asleep. She couldn't help but giggle at this. Tohru shook him again, a little harder and quicker this time. She had a pretty good idea about her location, but she still wanted a confirmation. Besides, she didn't know what had happened. The last thing she remembered was jerking her hand out of his. Tohru continued to shake him until his eyes fluttered open.

At this, Tohru stopped shaking him and opened her mouth to speak, but as soon as she stopped moving him, his eyes shut again. Tohru gaped at him before shaking him again. He pulled away from her and sank down onto the floor, still asleep. Determinedly, Tohru hopped off of the bed, kneeling beside him and shaking his whole body. Yuki groaned before locking his arms around her and trapping her down in a lying position. Tohru blinked, seeing as she was now unable to move. He had her hands pressed against his chest, and his arms were locked around her waist. He let out a sigh, obviously content with the tranquility.

"Yuki-kun… Yuki-kun, Yuki-kun! Yuki-kun!!!" Tohru called louder and louder.

After a few minutes of calling his name, Yuki finally opened his eyes and stared at her until the signs of sleep faded from his face. Abruptly, he released her and slid away with wide eyes. Tohru gazed innocently back at him and smiled. Yuki opened his mouth and shut it before rubbing his eyes in disbelief. When he opened his eyes once again and found her still in front of him, he extended a finger towards her, asking, "What are you doing here, Tohru?"

"B-but that's what I'm supposed to ask you! The last thing I remember is pulling my hand away from you by the lake…" Tohru pointed out as she put her finger on the bottom of her lip, a habit of hers when she thought over things.

Yuki thought over this for a second before he remembered what had happened several hours ago, "Oh… You're right. Sorry. You fell backwards and hit your head… By the way, does your head hurt a lot? I can go get you some painkillers if you want…"

"My head hurts a little, but you don't have to go do that Yuki-kun… Umm… Where are we?" Tohru murmured shyly.

He looked away from her before breathing, "My room… I'm sorry… I know it's a little awkward, but I couldn't take you down to the infirmary or leave you in a guest room because then someone might find you, and we'll both get in trouble. I didn't want to take you back to your place either, because well, you said you didn't want to go there, and I thought it'd be a bit odd… The only place I could think of was mine. I'm sorry if you're uncomfortable. I didn't do anything inappropriate to you if that's what you're thinking. I mean… I did change you out of your clothes because they got wet from the snow, but I promise I didn't do anything but switch your clothing."

"Yuki-kun… It's okay. Thank you. I'm glad you did all of that. If you didn't, I'd probably have a cold right now," Tohru smiled as she looked down at herself. She hadn't realized before, but she was dressed in loose black sweat pants and a blue button down shirt with sleeves that hung over the tips of her fingers instead of her light pink sweater and black skirt.

"Well I had my cousin, he's a doctor, look over you, and he said that your head should be completely healed in about two weeks," Yuki informed her, "And if you don't mind, may I ask why we're laying on the floor together? I thought I let you have my bed…?"

"Oh! You did! You see… I was trying to wake you up, and you fell over, then I tried to wake you again, and you hugged me," Tohru explained matter-of-factly.

Yuki simpered embarrassedly before examining her face for signs of offense but found none. Tohru just smiled at him. He reached forward, placing his hand on her cheek with complete admiration. Sometimes he hated being a zombie after sleeping, but he'd live with it as long as she had no problem with it. He knew his mother had an issue with him taking an hour or so to actually wake up, and she didn't try to hide it, but maybe that's because he accidentally walked into the room where she kept her collection of valuable vases and broke most of them five years ago. Oddly, he felt worse for dragging Tohru onto the ground than he did when he knocked about fifty vases over. Lucky for him, Tohru wasn't furious like his mother had been.

"You're amazing. Do you know that?" Yuki grinned at her.

"Eh? M-me?"

"Yes you. Who else might I be referring to?"

"B-but I didn't do anything amazing! You're the one who carried me here and took care of me. You're the one who always saves me when I'm in trouble… I never did… I never did a thing for you!" Tohru stammered embarrassedly.

"No. You'rethe one who saves me. Any guy can carry a girl and have a doctor look her over; any guy could punch a jerk, but not any girl can forgive a guy who did all the things I've done to you…" Yuki whispered to her.

He removed his hand from her cheek and flipped over onto his back. Glaring up at the ceiling, he combed through his hair with his fingers angrily, "I can't believe I actually ignored you for a week while you were crying…"

Tohru blinked back tears. She hated thinking back to those days. She understood his reasoning for ignoring her, and she didn't blame him for it. She didn't love him any less because of it. If anything, she loved him more since the day he returned to her. That week was like a painful reminder of how she should never take any moment she spent with him for granted, for it could end at any minute in any day, and she didn't want him to be sad or angry at himself for any of the seconds she got with him. Tohru scooted over by him, laid her head on his chest, and slid her arms around his neck. He stiffened for a moment, clearly not expecting her embrace, before encircling her midriff with his own pair of arms.

"I don't blame you Yuki… I still love you… I love you a lot… And… You should know that any guy can do those things, but not any guy would… Besides, everything you did that made me sad, I know you did because you wanted me to be happy… I know you kept your status from me because you didn't want me to worry, and I know you didn't answer my calls for a week because you thought that… that w-what happened to me was your fault… but it's n-not…"

"It's not your fault either…" Yuki breathed, caressing her long brown hair.

Tohru smiled faintly before craning her neck upwards and pressing her lips against his cheek. They were both a little stunned by her actions. Tohru's fingers drifted over her mouth, hovering there as her previous maneuver replayed in both of their heads. She had never been the type of person who initiated anything romantic, but what Yuki really found confounding was the fact that she had been able to kiss him –even though it was only on the cheek- with a smile. She had made it perfectly clear to him that physical affection wasn't something she was comfortable with yet over the past month with her unintentional shuddering and retreats when he came too close to her. She withdrew from his touch a lot less recently, but he hardly deemed her prepared for a peck. Though, as she backed away now, he could tell it was because her actions hadn't been thought through, not out of discomfort. He smiled, resting his hand on the back of her neck.

"I love you too Tohru… But maybe you shouldn't love someone so inferior…"

"I don't."

Her blatant answer caught him off guard. Not only was it highly unlike her to say those two words, but the tone was not of her character either. She had sounded so confident and firm, nowhere close to her usual timidity, not that he wanted her to feel insecure, he was just shocked, and his expression portrayed his emotions well. He looked startled with his silver eyes strained wide open and slightly frightened. Was it possible that she had fallen out of love with him since the last time he had gone to see her? Or had it started on New Years, and he had just interpreted her flinching incorrectly? His head whirled around with various assumptions as he stared at her incredulously, so honestly taken aback that she had to suppress a giggle.

She smiled and finished her statement, "I love someone superior…"

There was no hiding the flash of relief that filled Yuki's face. He pushed himself upwards, bringing her along with him and hugged her tightly, "My point exactly. You're amazing."

Yuki held her for a second longer before picking her up and standing up. Tohru's eyes bulged with bashfulness as she gripped his shirt tightly. She didn't say anything, but her eyes begged him to put her down before her whole body flared red with embarrassment. Yuki ignored her soundless plea until he reached his bed. There, he set her down, careful with her head as he tucked her in under the covers. He kissed her on the forehead and whispered a goodnight before he stood up. Tohru grabbed his hand before he could turn off the light and leave. In return, Yuki glanced at her questioningly.

"Um… Where are you going to sleep Yuki-kun?"

"The couch," Yuki answered nonchalantly.

"Eh?! That's not fair! I shouldn't stay in your bed-"

Yuki clasped his hand over her mouth before she could utter another word. His eyes darted to the door as he listened for any signs that someone had heard Tohru's squeals. After two minutes of complete silence, Yuki let out a relieved breath and looked back at Tohru. He removed his hand from her face apologetically and sheepishly fixed the strands of hair that he had been swept across her eyes due to his rashness. She blinked, still looking baffled. He covered her hand with his, checking to make sure that she wasn't irked at him before he spoke.

"Please don't yell… We'll get caught, understand?" Yuki murmured to her.

Tohru nodded regretfully. Yuki kissed her cheek this time before he turned the lamp off, "Well then, good night my princess… Sweet dreams. I'll see you in the morning…"

Tohru sat up and threw her hands forward in attempt to capture his arm again to stop him from leaving, but her fingers closed around air. She frowned. She wanted to argue more about her staying in his bed, but he was too far away to be able to hear her whispers, and she knew now that if she called him, they might get caught. She could walk over to him, but she was too tired. She vaguely saw Yuki drop down onto the couch in the corner of the room before she dozed off.

Morning came too soon. Tohru slowly opened her eyes and found a pair of golden eyes less than a foot from her face. The eyes went along with a wide open mouth that was grinning at her. It took her sleepy brain a minute to realize that someone she didn't know had been watching her while she slept. A scream left her mouth before she could hold it in. She fell off Yuki's bed before she knew it. Hearing the scream, Yuki was up in a second –a new personal record- and at Tohru's side. He quickly tossed his blanket over her head and whacked Ayame on top of his head just before his door swung open, and over ten guards charged into his room, armed with various weapons.

"My brother screams like a girl," Yuki made up quickly as he pointed lamely at Ayame.

The guards looked skeptical, but who were they to question the prince? They shuffled and muttered amongst themselves, unsure of what to do. Tohru was still a bit frightened and confused, but she kept silent. She had seen Yuki and knew he wouldn't let anything bad happen to her. She just hoped nothing bad would happen to him. Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried her best not to make any movements that would draw anyone's attention to the blanket she was under. Yuki stood uncomfortably in front of Tohru, wishing the guards would just leave already. If they stood there any longer, they just might realize that a blanket couldn't possibly make a pile as high as Tohru's kneeling form.

"You may all go. None of you are needed. I apologize for making you all run up here," Yuki told them as he eyed the door.

They exchanged uneasy looks before bowing to both Yuki and Ayame and leaving. Yuki followed them to the door and watched them all march down the hallway then down the stairs. When Yuki was sure they were out of hearing range, Yuki shut his bedroom door and locked it. Taking a deep breath, he lingered there a second longer before he strode over to Ayame and whacked him on the head again. Without another word, he kneeled down beside the bundle on the floor and peeled the blanket off of Tohru, searching for any injury other than the one on her head. Tohru peered back at him and smiled weakly.

"Are you hurt at all?" he asked her worriedly.

"No… I'm fine… But I'm sorry. I got us caught, didn't I?" Tohru whispered nervously.

"Oh, him? Don't worry about him. He's just an idiot. He wouldn't tell a soul or I'd kill him," Yuki said in a warning tone as he glanced back at Ayame, "By the way, what are you doing in my room? If you don't have a good reason, I'm going to throw you out."

"Me? Why I was just strolling in here for my regular midnight visit when I found a lovely lady in your bed instead of you. So, my dearest little brother, were you making children?" Ayame asked seriously.

"No! You idiot!" Yuki fumed in an irked manner before adding, "She hit her head. Go ask Hatori if you don't believe me."

Ayame gasped, "You told Haa-san Tohru-kun is here before me, your dear brother?"

Yuki was about to retort when Tohru stuttered in a small voice, "How do y-you know my n-name?"

Both men turned their attention back to the small brunette who was cowering beside the bed. She gripped the blanket tightly in her fists, keeping the blanket locked around her body. Ayame smiled and bounced over to her, bending over until his face was only a couple of inches away from hers. Tohru backed away slightly, still uncomfortable around men thanks to Akito. The only males who she allowed to touch her were Yuki and Haru. Either Ayame wasn't aware of the rape or he just simply didn't care because he grabbed her wrist and plopped a kiss directly on top of her hand.

"Yuki talks about you all the time," Ayame answered.

Tohru yanked her hand away from Ayame in a frightened manner. She scooted away from him until her back hit Yuki's nightstand. The lamp wobbled, about to fall off and give Tohru another head injury, but Yuki steadied it in time. Tohru didn't even glance up at Yuki. She couldn't look away from Ayame, afraid that if she took her eyes off of him for a second, he'd attack her. She didn't really trust or like this Ayame character yet. Ayame glanced back at Yuki, not understanding why Tohru would be so scared of him. The Tohru he remembered was trusting of everybody. Yuki didn't explain why. He just grabbed Ayame by the elbow and dragged him away from Tohru.

"You talking about me talking to you does not count as me telling you about Tohru. So leave already," Yuki demanded.

"Bu-but I cannot leave!" Ayame protested.

"Yes, you can, and you will," Yuki muttered as he shoved Ayame out the door and bolted it shut.

With everyone finally out of the way, Yuki went back to comfort Tohru. As soon as he saw her, he could tell she was thinking about Akito –something he'd rather not have her even remember. Silently, he sat down beside her and pressed her face into his chest, letting her cry. He wrapped his arms around her thin shaking shoulders, trying to calm her down. Yuki hated to see her in so much pain. He despised this man who tried to rape his angel. Akito had left scars that damaged Tohru inside and out. He even loathed Ayame at the moment for reminding her of New Years. Tohru wept for a few minutes before Yuki's warm arms and soothing words calmed her down. She looked up at him with teary eyes before slipping her arms around his waist and hugging him tightly. Yuki stroked her long brown hair, grateful that she still let him touch her. If she was frightened of his touch, he didn't know what he'd do.

---

Yuki reluctantly left Tohru an hour later. He would have stayed with her the whole day, but if he never left his room, someone would come here looking for him sooner or later and find Tohru with him. Besides, he needed to bring her back something to eat. As soon as Yuki left his room, Ayame was at his side. They both walked in silence for a few minutes. Ayame was in a serious mood, and because of this rare attitude of his, Yuki knew exactly what was on his brother's mind. He wanted to know what was wrong with Tohru.

"She's been through… She's been through some tough things, alright? You could say she has a pretty bad perspective on the male gender at the moment… She's scared of men," Yuki told him before Ayame could even ask.

Ayame was quiet for a minute, digesting what Yuki had just said before commenting, "I'm glad she's not scared of you."

"Yeah… Me too…" Yuki replied, "Nii-san, can you do me a favor and watch over her so no one finds her until I come back?"

Ayame nodded before scurrying back to Yuki's room. Yuki hurried down the stairs to the kitchen. He grabbed a tray and took more breakfast than usual, heaped it onto his plate, hid a second plate under his, and took an extra fork. Yuki muttered something about eating in his room and refused any offers of help before rushing back upstairs. He wasn't sure that Tohru would be very comfortable being alone in a room with Ayame. There was no time in his life that he had cursed the long stretches of hallways more than he did now.

---

"Please forgive me Tohru-kun. It was never my intention to scare you," Ayame apologized to the brunette who was still huddled under Yuki's covers in Yuki's bed. Tohru shifted awkwardly underneath the soft, blue blanket and pulled the comforter up to her chin. Ayame bowed to her, and Tohru couldn't help but inch away from him.

"It's okay…" she breathed quietly.

Neither of them could get in another word before Yuki's door opened. Tohru's face lit up, obviously believing the person to be Yuki, but instead of her silver haired lover, a dark haired man in a dark green kimono came in calling for Yuki. His jaw dropped when he spotted Tohru where he expected Yuki to be. Tohru gasped, hoping this man wasn't someone who would tell everyone of her presence here. To her surprise, the man ran over to her and threw his arms around her neck. Her eyes shot wide open out of shock, discomfort, and fear. He continued to embrace her tightly until Ayame pulled him off.

Shigure gave Ayame a quizzical look but shrugged it off as he went back to looking at Tohru. She was practically hiding under the covers now. The two men exchanged looks, unsure of what to do with the now crying girl. Shigure made an attempt to console her, but she only cried harder. Ayame -knowing that since they were men, they would provide no comfort to the girl- pulled Shigure away from her, hoping that would help her feel at ease, but she continued to sob.

"W-Where's Yuki-kun? I want Yuki-kun!" Tohru choked out. She balled her hands into fists and wiped at her tears, wishing Yuki would come and make the strange men go away already. She knew she was acting like a child, but she couldn't stop her tears. It was her body's natural instinct to shed tears if a man besides Yuki or Haru made any physical contact with her. Tohru kept weeping, hiding her blotchy face with both of her hands.

Ayame and Shigure muttered amongst themselves, trying to pick on of them to go get Yuki before the poor brunette wore herself out. Shigure was more curious to learn why Tohru was here in the first place and what had caused her tears though. Seeing as Ayame seemed to know the answers, Shigure constantly pestered the long haired man to explain while Tohru continued to whimper and ask for Yuki. Shigure and Ayame were making no progress. This scene of Tohru crying and Shigure and Ayame bickering was what Yuki walked in on. He nearly dropped the tray he was holding onto. Practically tossing the food onto a nearby table, Yuki shoved past Ayame and Shigure. He sat down by Tohru, and she immediately latched herself onto him.

"What the hell did you two do to her?" Yuki demanded in an irritated voice.

"Nothing at all!" Shigure responded.

"Then why is she crying?" Yuki interrogated them.

Ayame shook his head slowly and dragged Shigure out the door with him, hoping that without them there, the princess would feel better. Yuki glared at the two of them as they left, but he didn't try to make them stay and answer his questions. Cheering Tohru up was more important to him than that. Tohru tugged at Yuki's shirt, burying her face into his chest. Yuki sighed, deciding to let his brother and cousin get away with making Tohru cry this one time. He looked down at Tohru and hugged the girl seated upon his lap. She sniffled a couple of times before glancing up at Yuki. Yuki smiled at her and brushed her bangs back.

She beamed weakly back at him. Yuki gestured to the tray on the table, "How about some breakfast?"

Tohru didn't say anything. She just wrapped both of her arms around his. Yuki peered down at her, awaiting an answer, but he got none. He shifted a bit, and Tohru moved with him. Laughing uneasily, he stood up and Tohru got up with him, still holding onto his arm. Yuki awkwardly took a step forward, and Tohru followed clumsily, seeming to have as much trouble with walking like this as he was. She refused to let go though. Strangely enough, they made it to the table without falling. Once they got there, Yuki attempted to coax her into a chair, but she just clung to him tighter, burying her face into his shoulder. Yuki sighed and pulled the two chairs together and got her to sit down right beside him. He could hear her stomach growl, yet she kept her arms locked around him, making no move to get any food.

"Aren't you hungry?" he asked though he already had the answer.

In response, Tohru shook her head, scooting her body closer to his. She was holding him tightly and closely enough that he could feel her heart beating against his arm. He chewed the inside of his mouth, trying to come up with a response to this. He knew she was hungry, but she denied it just to keep herself attached to his side. Yuki didn't mind if she held onto him, but he didn't want her to stop eating. He had already seen the horrendous results of that a few weeks ago. He didn't want to see death staring at him whenever he glanced at her ever again.

There had to be some way to get her to feel safe even if she wasn't glued to his side. He couldn't possibly tell her to 'shape up'. She had been forcibly kissed and abused. That was an experience he hadn't lived through yet. He had no idea what images were burned into her mind; he had no clue how much fear coursed through her veins; he didn't even know how he could touch her. One simple touch could end up making her cry and relive her little situation with Akito, and he didn't want that. A week ago, she had seemed a lot better than how she was now. He didn't understand what could shove all that terror back inside her. He would have asked her, but she looked like she'd crack if he brought it up. Yuki wrapped his free arm around her, stroking her arm in a comforting gesture.

He touched her chin, lifting her face upwards, staring into her eyes for a moment before asking, "If I feed you, would you eat then?"

"I-I don't need you to do that! I'm not hungry!" Tohru insisted.

"Yes you are. How about I hold you, would you eat then?" Yuki suggested.

"Ah… U-um…" Tohru stammered embarrassedly. Seeing as Tohru was unable to refuse this offer of his, Yuki gently pried her hands off of his arm and slipped his arms around her thing waist, pulling her on top of his legs. He laid his chin on her shoulder. Tohru stared blankly ahead with a red face. He had moved so quickly that she was still trying to figure out what had just happened and what she was supposed to do. Sensing how baffled she was, Yuki reached toward the tray and picked up a slice of toast. He pressed the bread into her hands with one word, "Eat."

After Yuki was satisfied with the amount of food Tohru had eaten, she shyly climbed off of his lap and went back to clinging to his arm so he could eat. She clung to him the rest of the morning, barely releasing him when he needed to use the restroom, but as soon as he came out, she'd reattach herself to him. She didn't say much to him, only answering his questions. Yuki had tried to keep a conversation flowing between them, but it was difficult when she would only nod and rarely put in a few words. He gave up on talking less than half an hour ago. He simply sat on the couch with Tohru snuggled up against him. Both more than content with this, but he was still worried.

"Tohru, can you stay here by yourself for a little while?" Yuki asked her.

"N-No! I don't want you to go…" she admitted before stuttering, "I mean… Yes. I can sta-stay here by m-myself."

Even after she sat that, she still held onto him. She didn't want him to go and leave her here all alone, but she didn't want to trouble him more than she already was. Yuki gazed down at her uneasily. He wanted to leave as much as she wanted him to. Tohru peeked up at him and reluctantly released her hold on him. She glanced up at him and gave him a genuine smile to let him know that she was alright as she moved a few inches away from him. He kissed her forehead and patted her head before standing up.

"You should take a bath or shower while I'm gone… I'll be back soon. I just have to tell a few people that I'm sick so that no one will look for me…" Yuki told her.

"Okay… Come back safely…" Tohru whispered to him.

"I will. I'm just going around my home. Nothing bad will happen. You can pick anything of mine to wear, okay?" Yuki informed her before he touched her shoulder and left.

Tohru sat there for a minute after he left. She raised her shaking hands to her face and laughed awkwardly, "Look at me… I'm acting like an obsessed baby… He'll hate me for sure if I keep acting like this…"

Tohru shook her head. There was no reason for her to be scared without him here. She would be perfectly safe inside his room. No one would come here to hurt her. Nobody even knew that she was here. She walked over to his dresser and pulled open the bottom drawer. Finding it do be full of neatly folded underwear, Tohru's face turned a bright red. She immediately shoved it closed and leaned against the drawers embarrassedly. It took her a moment and several deep breaths before she gathered enough courage to look through the rest of the drawers. Tohru browsed through all of his clothing before selecting a pair of dark blue trousers and a loose white t-shirt. She brought the articles of clothing to her face and inhaled his sweet scent before heading to the bathroom.

Inside the bathroom that was large enough to be a living room, she found a bathtub large enough to fit ten people, a shower big enough for four to shower at once, a smaller room with a toilet and sink, a closet filled with white towels, and a vanity that looked like it had never been used. She set his clothes on the smooth top of the vanity and turned the water on to fill the tub. She quickly undressed and hopped in. She laid there, scrubbing her body until she heard Yuki return.

Rapidly, Tohru rinsed the soap out of her hair and body and stepped out of the tub. She yanked the plug and wrapped a soft towel around her thin frame. Forgetting about the clothes she had picked out due to her excitement, Tohru opened the door and rushed into the surprised arms of Yuki who was seated on the bed, waiting for her. Tohru climbed onto his lap and pressed her face into his chest, leaving a wet imprint, oblivious to the red blush blooming on Yuki's face.

"Welcome back Yuki-kun…" she murmured.

Yuki was too stunned to respond to her words or actions. The woman he loved was sitting on his lap with only a towel on around her. He wasn't sure whether he should point out what she was wearing or not. After a couple of minutes of hearing no response from Yuki, Tohru looked up at him. She blinked innocently and titled her head to the side. Pulling out of the embrace, she stared at his pink stained face. He almost looked deranged. Tohru covered his forehead with her hand worriedly.

"You're not really sick, are you? You don't feel warm, but your face is red," Tohru pointed out.

Yuki shook his head. He timidly hooked his arms under her bare arms and lifted her off his lap. He set her back on the floor and turned her around towards the bathroom. He gave her a slight shove, "Get dressed please…"

The fact that she had just latched herself to him in nothing but a towel slowly dawned on her. Her face turned a bright scarlet as she scurried back to the bathroom. Tohru shut the door behind her and squatted down on the tiled floor as she buried her face in her hands out of pure embarrassment. She lost track of time and just sat against the door, repeatedly scolding herself for acting so foolishly. Tohru only became of aware of how long she had been in there when Yuki knocked on the door, "Tohru, are you okay in there?"

"Y-Yes!" Tohru exclaimed.

She quickly jumped up and scrambled into the shirt and pants. Tohru reopened the door shyly and slowly stepped out of the bathroom. Her eyes were glued on the floor, unable to meet his gaze. There was a minute of awkward silence, neither of them could think of anything to say to ease the level of discomfort edging around them. Tohru chewed on the bottom of her lip, ready for what she had in store for her. She could live with whatever he was going to say to her for waltzing into a room half naked as long as he didn't think she was a prostitute or someone like that. She cringed at the thought, and her expression bewildered him. Humiliation shouldn't pain anyone. Eager to put an end to her suffering, Yuki placed his hand on top of her head –an action she hadn't anticipated. Not quite sure what to make of his actions, Tohru glanced up at him uneasily.

"Feel free to do whatever you like as long as you don't leave my room… I have to finish some assignments since being sick doesn't excuse me from my studies," Yuki told her with a roll of his eyes.

"Oh! What are you learning about?" Tohru asked curiously.

Yuki took her hand and led her to the table which was covered with numerous packets. He lifted the first one which was filled with various complex problems, "Calculus."

He lifted another with various words and numbers, "Chemistry… Though I want to switch to botany or herbology, and I'm studying English."

The last packet he held up was full of foreign letters that Tohru didn't recognize. Tohru took this packet from him and ran her fingers over the curves and lines with amazement. She flipped through the pages, taking her time to stare at every phrase. Yuki watched her actions with a smile. Originally, he hadn't wanted to study this foreign language along with the many others he was forced to know fluently, but if Tohru was interested in it, he was glad he had agreed. This was the most joyful he had seen her in quite a while.

"Say something in English!" Tohru exclaimed, hugging the papers to her chest.

Yuki gazed at her excited eyes blankly before blurting out the phrase that always popped into his head whenever he saw her, "I love you."

Tohru's mouth dropped open into a half grin and part gape of amazement, "What's that mean Yuki-kun? It sounded beautiful!"

"I love you," he smiled wryly at her embarrassed reaction.

Tohru's cheeks darkened as she shoved the packet back at him.

Yuki laughed as he took the papers from her and set them down on the table. He picked up his calculus packet and began working through the problems he was given at an incredibly fast rate. He hardly looked up as his hand flew across the pages. He never stopped to think or even erase a mistake. Tohru sat herself down across from him and stared at him in complete shock. She had always known that he was smart, but to be able to do this work at such a pace made the calculator seem to be a stupid invention. Nonetheless, the calculator was still her best friend when she worked on her algebra problems. Yuki turned the last page and set down his pencil and let out a sigh of relief. He smiled at her and handed her the packet.

"Would you do me a favor?" he asked her.

She nodded without even asking what the favor was.

"Would you check the answers for me?"

"Eh?" she took the papers hesitantly, "I'm not good at math though! Actually, I'm pretty stupid… I'm not sure I'd be much help…"

He chuckled, "First off, you're not stupid… And, even if you are bad at math, there are answers in the back."

Tohru simpered embarrassedly as she began checking over the answers for him. Immediately, Yuki went to work on his chemistry packet, working at the same pace as before. Tohru scanned over the answers and compared them to what Yuki had written down. She couldn't find a single difference between them. It was incredible to her that he could have gotten them all right while rushing through the problems like that. She double checked just to make sure she hadn't made a mistake before she slid the packet back to him.

"They're all correct…" Tohru breathed.

"Thanks for your help," Yuki told her with a simple smile before getting back to work. He obviously wasn't as interested or shocked by getting them all correct as she was. Tohru stared at him with surprise. If she had gotten a perfect score, she would be jumping up and down with joy. Heck, if she had gotten half of them right, she would be dancing. Haru and Kisa would have even rewarded her, but of course, she had never gotten everything correct, so she would never understand what it was like to be so intelligent.

"Aren't you proud… or happy?" Tohru asked him.

"About what?"

He looked up at her after pushing away his now completed chemistry packet. He gave her his full attention, but she said nothing. Dumbstruck, she just peered back at him, not understanding how he didn't know what she was talking about. Yuki raised his eyebrows at her and cocked his head to the side in attempt to coax her into explaining, but all he really got her to do was shift awkwardly in her seat and lower her gaze. She wavered, feeling no desire to go on and wind up sounding like an idiot. She ended up choosing to just tell him and get it over with. She was in no position to start making things up –not that she could ever even pull it off. He was letting her stay here after all.

"Well… I mean, aren't you happy since you got all of the problems right?" Tohru stammered.

"Erm… Not really… Why?"

"I think it's a great accomplishment! I mean- I'm sorry… It's not my place to speak," Tohru muttered, regretting saying anything at all now.

"I guess I should say 'thank you'… So thank you Tohru," Yuki smiled at her.

Tohru blushed and looked down. Yuki placed his hand over hers, squeezing her fingers gently before getting back to work. The sooner he finished, the sooner he'd be able to spend time with Tohru. That, simply, was enough motivation for him. After a minute, Tohru glanced up at him and smiled when she saw him working on English. Foreign languages had always fascinated her, but never in her life could she manage to speak or understand anything but Japanese. The vocabulary was always too much to handle.

She scooted her chair over until she was right beside Yuki and leaned over curiously watching him write the strange letters. Yuki faced her with a perplexed look that made Tohru look down embarrassedly.

He smiled and put a finger under her chin. He lifted her face and couldn't help but stare at the lips he had refrained from kissing since New Years. Yuki released her abruptly before he did anything she wasn't comfortable with. He wasn't sure whether she was ready for an intimate relationship again. Sure, she let him hold her hand and embrace her, but how she had cried when Ayame kissed her hand was enough to make him cautious. After contemplating over his problem for a moment longer, he decided to respect Tohru's fear of men and shoved his desire away. All the while, Tohru stared blankly at him.

"Ah… Um… Yuki-kun," Tohru stuttered nervously trying to break the silence, "Say something else in English for me, please?"

"Can I kiss you?" the words slipped out of his mouth before he could stop him. He flinched slightly when he realized what he had said exactly.

"What does that mean?" Tohru asked with an oblivious grin.

He mentally kicked himself a few times and considered lying to her about what he had just said, but he couldn't, not when she trusted him so much. He knew she was still in a fragile state, more delicate than a thin sheet of glass. It scared him to think that a small error, even something with good intentions, might send her over the edge. Loving someone who was androphobic was a bit difficult, especially since he was of the male gender. Yuki slowly shut his eyes, praying now that she wouldn't take it badly. He didn't want to tell her and make her feel obligated to follow through with what he had said, which he knew she would feel anyways, since she always put others before her. He wasn't going to push her around and try to rush her though, but he couldn't lie to her either.

"Can I kiss you…" Yuki confessed in a voice barely above a whisper.

Tohru's eyes widened when she heard that. Taking her surprise as a refusal and confirmation that she was still terrified with any contact with men, Yuki pulled away from her and straightened himself up. Tohru peeked up at him, "You may…"

"Wha-what…?" Yuki choked out as he stared at her.

Tohru jumped up, frantically waving her hands about in a flustered manner. Her cheeks were a bright red as she exclaimed, "Sorry! I-I must have interpreted you wrong! I'm sorry! Of course you wouldn't want to kiss me or-"

Yuki slipped his arms around her back and yanked her back over to him as he pressed her lips to his gently, ravishing her mouth with the softest chaste kisses. Tohru's eyes remained jolted open for most of the kiss. Strangely enough, the kiss wasn't as awkward as either of them had anticipated. Tohru was positive that she might slap him if he touched her out of the new protective instinct she had acquired, but she felt no urge to do so. His kiss didn't remind her of Akito's at all. It was just a kiss, just like the hundreds of others she had received from him before New Years, and it filled her with the same warm feeling like before, not fear.

She felt his hands wander to her lower back and to the nape of her neck. The one in the latter position inched up to the back of her head. When his fingers accidentally brushed across her bandages, Tohru felt a surge of pain fly through her body, and she pulled away from Yuki instantly. Yuki peered at her questioningly until he remembered that she had just hit her head recently.

"I'm sorry," he apologized.

"Ah no! I'm sorry!" Tohru squeaked with a blush tinting her face.

"You have no reason to be," he laughed before kissing her forehead.

---

Tohru wandered aimlessly around his room. It was her sixth day staying in Yuki's room already, and nobody had found out yet, but she was bored. Yuki had been out for over an hour already. He was at his lessons for the day at the library. If she had done her calculations correctly, he should be back in half an hour. She sighed, still extremely bored. She had already explored his room ten times already. She knew his room better than he did by now. Tohru had even cleaned and organized his room for him twice. It had basically been a disaster area when she was first here with clothes strewn under his bed. Tohru walked over to his drawer where he kept everything she had given him. Fingering the navy scarf, she pondered over whether she should destroy the get well card or not. He had already forbidden her to do so, but what she wrote was so embarrassing.

She clenched both of them in her hands, still undecided. She was about to put them back and take a short nap when she heard a few knocks on the door. Her eyes lit up at the thought of an early return by Yuki, but when she ran over to the door and still didn't hear him speak, she knew it couldn't be him. Tohru ran back to his bed and hid under his covers, doing as he told her to if someone came looking for him: remain silent. Most of the time, they just left at this point, but this time, she heard a key get inserted into the lock. Beginning to panic, Tohru jolted upwards, trying to find somewhere to hide. Dumbly, she ran into the bathroom and silently shut the door behind her. She leaned against the door with a frightened expression. She could hear people talking though she couldn't make out any words. Footsteps grew louder along with voices, telling her that they were coming towards the bathroom.

Not thinking rationally, Tohru slid into the hamper full of clothes. Only a prince would have a hamper big enough to fit someone inside. She buried herself at the very bottom and lay there perfectly still. Tohru heard the door open, and she started to pray that it wasn't some maid coming to get Yuki's laundry. That would be bad. That would be very bad. She bit her lip and squeezed the scarf she had made him tightly in her hands. She didn't even know she was still holding the scarf and letter until now.

The opening and closing of cabinets could be heard. They were obviously looking for something. Tohru squeezed the two items in her arms tighter, glad she had taken them with her. If she hadn't, Yuki and she would definitely be in deep trouble by now. Tohru held her breath and didn't breathe until she heard the door shut. Tohru waited until she heard the other door shut before she tried to get out.

Scrambling to get out of the hot box of clothes, Tohru squirmed around and made an attempt to get out, but all her moving did was flip the hamper over. She toppled out of the crate, but she smacked her forehead against the bathtub. The tiled walls began spinning around, the colors darkening. Her eyelids fluttered shut. The next thing she knew, she had lost conscious and the hamper fell on top of her, covering her with a pile of thick clothes.

---

She awoke to something cool on her forehead. Tohru opened her eyes slowly and looked around the dark room. A lamp in the corner of the room had been turned on, but otherwise, the entire room was black. She could vaguely make out the figure of a hunched over man seated at the desk. Tohru sat up, the ice pack dropping onto her lap. She stared at the man, unable to see who it was.

"Yuki?" Tohru called out in a weak voice.

The man turned around, but it wasn't Yuki. This person had jet black hair that covered his left eye. He wore a stern expression across his tired face as he walked over to her. Tohru's eyes dilated and she partially hid herself under the thin blanket that had been draped over her. She didn't know this man, but he looked scary and angry. He could be a bad guy who was going to send her back home, away from Yuki, to her aunt and uncle who would ship her off to Akito. Tohru trembled. She could see his arm out of the corner of her eye. He came nearer and nearer. She could hear him breathing now, and he held out the ice pack she had dropped earlier and pressed it to her forehead. Tohru blinked and stared up at him.

"Yuki is in the shower. I'm Hatori Sohma, the doctor who bandaged your previous wound and treated your new one. You have a bruise on your forehead; it'll be tender for a few days. When Yuki found you, you were unconscious in the bathroom floor, under laundry," he looked at her worried face before he added, "Don't worry. Yuki has already convinced me not to tell anyone of your being here."

"I'm sorry to have inconvenienced you…" Tohru whispered. Only now did she hear the shower running.

"Don't apologize to me. Apologize to Yuki if you want to say 'I'm sorry'. He's the one you trouble most by staying here. He may not tell you that, but it's true. He has to work hard to sneak you back food and things to keep you occupied, not to mention that he also has to push himself harder to finish his lessons and practices earlier so he can keep you company. Don't even ask me how many times he has lied to keep them from finding you. And after I treated you, I forced him to go to his horseback riding training by promising to look over you. He got thrown off because he was too preoccupied over worrying about you to concentrate. If he didn't have such quick reflexes, he'd have at least one broken rib by now instead of just a bruise," Hatori told her.

Tohru frowned and looked up at Hatori. She had no idea her staying in his room was causing him so many problems. She felt guilty and knew she should leave, but she didn't want to leave him or go back to her house. Tohru could feel tears push their way out. Hatori stared at her, showing no sympathy towards her.

He said goodbye and left the minute the shower stopped. She sat there, half dreading the moment when Yuki would come out. She didn't want him to yell at her and blame her for his injury. Tohru hated it when he was angry, especially if she was the cause. When the door creaked open, Tohru bit her lip in attempt to ready herself if Yuki was as angry as she expected him to be. A second later, Tohru saw him step out of the bathroom with sopping dark hair and a bare chest. Blushing like the inexperienced virgin she was, she gasped and hid her face behind the blanket. She wasn't used to seeing half naked men. She hadn't focused on him, but she still saw the dark purple splotch across his ribs.

Yuki blinked, facing in her direction.

"Oh! I'm sorry… I thought you would still be asleep… I forgot to bring a shirt…" Yuki explained as he walked over to his wardrobe and slipped on the first shirt he saw.

She slowly lowered the blanket she was clutching in front of her face when she felt him sit down on the bed. Tohru gazed at him, her face still bright red. She was glad to see he was fully clothed now, if not people might start using a picture of her face to define the word 'blush'. Her lips didn't curve up as they usually did when she saw him. They remained pressed together in an uncharacteristically straight line. She wasn't sure how to act or greet someone who was supposedly mad at her, but he simply smiled at her before covering her forehead with the icepack that she had been holding in her hand.

"Does your head feel better?" he asked.

Tohru nodded, partially shocked to not be hearing him yell at her, "I'm sorry…"

"Sorry? For what?"

Yuki blinked incredulously at her, not understanding what would make her apologize to him. He stared at her and watched her nod again. She squeezed her eyes shut as if she was in pain and threw her arms around his waist.

"I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble! Please don't hate me! I-I real-really love you! I didn't mean to give you so many extra things to do… I really didn't want to make you lie or get hurt!" Yuki stared down at her in disbelief as she continued, "I'm sorry! I don't deserve a b-boyfriend like you! I'm probably the worst gi-girlfriend… You have to believe me… I didn't want him to kiss me… I didn't want to be there with him… I'm sorry… I really do only want you to kiss me… Not anyone else… Please believe me…"

Her babbling was cut off when he peeled her arms off of himself and pressed his lips to hers. Tohru gaped, her eyes widening in shock. The kiss ended as quickly as it began. He pulled back and wiped the tears off her face. Her jaw hung open as she peered at him, still completely shocked. He smiled and drew her back into a tight embrace.

"What are you talking about? Silly girl… I don't mind doing all of these things. I love having you here. I work harder and faster because I have something to look forward to waiting for me in my room. You're the best girlfriend I could ever ask for… I know you didn't want him to kiss you… I saw you crying… I know that… I love you too, and I won't stop. Please believe that," Yuki told her.

Tohru burrowed her face into his chest, clutching herself to him. She was crying again, but this time, she was crying out of appreciation. There was only one word she could describe him with at the moment: amazing. He was utterly extraordinary. She didn't deserve this angel at all. He deserved a girl nobody else had kissed or at least someone relatively smart, but what could she do? She was head over heels for the guy. Even if she didn't deserve him, she couldn't let such a perfect man get away. She was going to be selfish and keep him to herself, regardless of what anyone else thought.

"Thank you…" Tohru breathed gratefully.

"No, thank you… You helped me a lot… I didn't expect them to search through my belongings. They haven't done that in years. If you hadn't taken the scarf and card with you, I would have been in huge trouble," Yuki commented, "Though I don't really like where you had been hiding… You should have hid somewhere with less potential as something dangerous…"

"I'm sorry… I didn't mean to make it fall over…" Tohru murmured embarrassedly.

"Nothing you have to apologize for. Are you okay though?"

Tohru nodded. She paused before asking, "So you're not mad at me?"

"Why would I be mad at you?"

"Because of New Year's eve… I promised I would spend it with you… I didn't even see you on New Year's Day… All I did w-was get k-kissed…" Tohru choked out.

Yuki released her, giving her the impression that he was indeed mad. Tohru kept her face down. She couldn't bring herself to look at him if he was angry at her. Tohru clenched her teeth together nervously until he placed his forefinger under her chin, tilting her face upwards until she was looking him in the eye. Before he said anything to her, he kissed away the new tears that were sliding down her cheeks. Tohru blushed, but she was unable to look away with him. His face was merely five inches from hers, and he was holding her head in place. For a brief moment, Yuki just stared into her eyes.

"Didn't we have this conversation already? …There's nothing to be angry about. I just wish I had gotten there sooner so you wouldn't have gotten hurt. That's the only thing I'm mad about. The more I think about it, the more irritated at myself I get… I just love you. I never want to see you in pain, understand?"

"Really?" she waited for him to nod before adding, "It isn't your fault either… I mean, I was too weak to push him off… I'm sorry… I wish I was stronger…" Tohru confessed.

"Why would you wish for that? Then I wouldn't be able to save you," Yuki playfully frowned.

Her eyes lit up with joy. Tohru smiled at him and rested her forehead on his shoulder, locking her hands around his back. Yuki ran his fingers through her hair as a comforting gesture. She didn't say anything, but he could sense that she wasn't as happy as she was a second ago. He wasn't quite sure why though, so he waited for her to say something, tacitly encouraging her to do so. She clung to him in complete silence before hesitantly admitting, "You know… Sometimes… I'm scared of you too…"

"I guess that's what I get for being a man," Yuki replied, unfazed as he continued to pat her back calmly.

"I'm sorry… I don't want to be afraid…When we kiss, and even now, I'm scared… Please don't get mad. I still love you a lot… Just as much as before if not more…" Tohru murmured.

Yuki released her, pulling away, "You're scared now? We don't have to hug and kiss you know…"

She rewound her arms around his neck and tightened her grip around his shoulders, not letting him pull out of the embrace again.

"I knew you'd say that, but I want to. I don't want you to stop… I'm already a bad girlfriend… We've been seeing each other for a year, and the most I've let you do is kiss me. I know most couples who've been together as long as we have have probably gone farther than us… So I'm sorry…" Tohru rambled.

"Tohru, I don't care about the other couples and whether they've done more than kiss or not. I care about us. I care about you and your feelings, and I understand that you're still scared because of him… I know you're trying extra hard for me, but you don't have to. I'll wait for you to be comfortable around me again. I can live without kissing you for a while as long as you're happy and continue to smile," Yuki told her.

He did want to kiss her and embrace her; he did want their relationship to be as intimate as it was before New Year's Eve, but he didn't want to rush her. His lust wasn't as important as her happiness. He was attracted to her; he couldn't deny that. He thought she was beautiful, gorgeous even, but her appearance wasn't the reason he loved her. He loved her for who she was. He adored the look of a blush on her face when she was embarrassed, he loved the way she put everyone before herself, he cherished her smiles, he liked hearing her laugh, he found her timidity adorable, and he thought her personality was downright amazing. To him, she was an angel descended from the heavens, and the only thing he wanted to do was please her and keep a smile blooming on her face. He didn't want to force her to do a thing she wasn't ready for. He didn't want to do anything that might make him lose her, no matter how slim that chance was.

"I just want you to be happy… I can't make you wait… I'm not saying you're impatient!" Tohru squeaked before continuing, "I still want to kiss you and be kissed too… Even if I'm scared…"

"You know what? I'm scared too when I kiss you…" Yuki confessed.

At this, Tohru lifted her head up with surprise, "Eh?"

Yuki placed his hand on her cheek, "I'm scared of hurting you… I'm scared of getting pushed away because I acted too soon. I'm terrified to think I might make you cry, as if I didn't make you do enough of that already…"

"Bu-but you're always so c-calm! You don't even blush or flinch like me!" Tohru exclaimed.

Yuki took one of her hands, placing it over his heart. She looked up quizzically at him, a blush seeping on to her face. He kept his hand over hers, securing it in place on his chest. He paused before leaning over and brushing his lips over hers gingerly. Tohru could feel the once steady beats quicken beneath her finger tips erratically. She wasn't sure whether the beats sped up because he was excited or if it was as he had said: out of fear. Yuki pulled away, letting his hand slide off of hers. Tohru kept her hand over his heart a moment longer before her face flushed, and she dropped her hand.

"You see how scared I am? So don't worry about it. We'll get over this together," Yuki murmured.

"Together?" Tohru repeated the word delicately.

He nodded, taking both of her hands in his, "I promise…"

Tohru smiled and hugged him tightly. She didn't know what to say to him. There were no words to express her gratitude to him. She was exuberant to know that he still loved her and still wanted her as his girlfriend even after all that had happened, she was ecstatic when she learned he wasn't mad at her for not fending for herself better, she was jumping up and down –mentally- when he wasn't offended when she told him she was scared of him too, but now that he had just offered to help her get over this, she was beginning to doubt her hearing ability. It seemed too good to be true. There had to be some sort of catch, something she had to do for some higher power to keep his heart, but for now, she just wanted to enjoy his company.

"I want to apologize to your brother… and that other man. I didn't mean to cry after meeting your brother or when his friend hugged me… I just can't help it." Tohru whispered.

"You don't have to apo-"

"I want to…" Tohru repeated firmly.

Yuki pulled out of her embrace and stared at her. He could see the determination in her eyes, but he could also see the terror and hesitation she was trying to hide. He didn't want her to face her fear too soon if she wasn't ready. He couldn't care less if Tohru had offended Ayame and Shigure, but if she wanted to apologize to them, he'd help her, as long as that was what she really wanted. Despite the terror shining in her eyes, he could tell that apologizing to Ayame and Shigure was her desire. Well, maybe not apologizing exactly, but confronting men was definitely her goal.

"Okay… I'll get them to come over tomorrow," Yuki told her.

"Thank you, Yuki-kun…" Tohru smiled broadly at him.

Yuki pecked her on the lips before standing, "Good night Tohru…"

"Um… Yuki-kun?" she waited for him to turn around before she whispered, "Can you stay h-here with me? I-I'm still a li-little scar-scared…"

Yuki peered at her red face for a moment before the surprise faded off his face, and he smiled at her. He stepped back towards her and the bed, hesitating a bit before he sat down on the corner of his bed. Tohru scooted over to one side of his bed, and he lay down beside her. Yuki turned towards her and took her hands in his, "I'll stay until you fall asleep."

Tohru nodded and snuggled up against him with a smile. Yuki blushed slightly but wrapped his arms around her back. She encircled his midriff, squeezing him for a minute, before flinching back. She threw up her hands, nearly smacking him in the face in a hurry to release his abdomen where she knew a bruise lay. Yuki stared at her, wide-eyed, not sure what to make of her actions. He was leaning towards the suspicion that he had just done something that made her uncomfortable and was about to apologize, but Tohru spoke first.

"Did I hurt you?!" she asked frantically.

"What?"

"Your bruise…" Tohru trailed off.

He laughed softly and shook his head. Tohru peered up at him, still holding her arms against her chest. She wasn't sure where was a safe place to put them to keep them from brushing against his injury. Yuki counted to ten in his head, giving her ten seconds to act before he did so himself. She was still wavering even though he gave her five more seconds than he intended to. His arms enclosed her tiny form, pressing her close to him once again. Tohru lurched a bit back out of shock, but his hold restrained her from making much movement. It took her a brief moment to convince herself of his response - that she wasn't hurting him at all- and settle against his chest. Truth be told, it did hurt, but it was more than worth it to comfort her.

He stroked her back until she fell asleep. He held her a minute longer before he released her and retreated to the couch. There, he lay awake for another hour, staring up at the ceiling with worry spinning around in his head. He didn't really want Ayame or Shigure to get near Tohru at all. He wasn't convinced that she was really ready to face them, but he couldn't refuse her. He flipped onto his side and stared at Tohru's sleeping form and the little opening in her mouth between her lips. He turned around abruptly, scolding himself for thinking about intimacy with Tohru like this. She trusted him –probably more than she should trust anyone. He couldn't do anything to her while she was in this state, regardless of her claims that she was all right with it and despite of his wants. Eventually, he fell asleep.

---

"I-I can't do it… Yuki-kun, I'm scared…" Tohru whimpered.

Tohru sniffled, clinging to Yuki. She was sitting on his lap, clutching his shirt in her hands. She pressed her teary face against his shirt, crying again. Yuki looked down at the trembling girl in his arms. He patted her back, muttering soothing things into her ear. He had been sitting here on his bed with Tohru for over an hour, trying to get her to calm down enough to apologize to Ayame and Shigure -something she wanted to do. Yuki looked at the door, behind which Ayame and Shigure were standing, waiting for him to tell them they could enter.

"You can… I believe in you…" he muttered to her.

She glanced up at him shakily before shaking her head again. She burrowed her face into his chest, seeming to seek a place to hide. Tohru remained there for a moment before taking a deep breath and lifting her face out of his tear-soaked shirt, apologizing before she began to nod. She swallowed nervously before she climbed off of his lap and seated herself beside him. He smiled and wrapped his arms around her. He knew she was still petrified. Tohru peered up at him. She squeezed her eyes shut and clutched him tightly for a minute before pulling away and recomposing herself. Yuki kissed her cheek, clasping one of her hands in his.
"Okay… Niisan… Shigure… You both can come in now…" Yuki called for the two men.

Shigure and Ayame opened the two doors and entered slowly. They didn't know why they were here. Yuki had simply told them to come to his room and ordered them to stand outside until he said otherwise. The two men came upon the scene of Tohru hiding her face in the crook of Yuki's arms, and Yuki kept his arms around her. They stopped in front of the bed. Yuki looked up at them then back down at Tohru. She was shaking all over again. She squeezed his shirt tight enough to turn her knuckles white. Yuki clasped his hand over her shoulder, trying to coax her into pulling away and looking at Ayame and Shigure, but he only got her to start apologizing.

"I'm sorry Ayame-san and Shigure-san for crying when you came near me… I didn't mean to offend you or anything! I'm sorry! Pl-please forgive me!" Tohru squeaked into Yuki's shirt.

Her apologies came out muffled, and only Yuki could understand what she was saying, but Ayame and Shigure didn't dare ask for clarification out of a fear of making her cry again. Tohru clung to Yuki for another minute before she lifted her face up. She kept her hands locked around Yuki's shirt, but she gathered enough courage to look up at Ayame and Shigure. She was blushing, embarrassed to be seen clinging to Yuki, ashamed to be acting so childishly, and still a bit scared of them. Yuki flashed her a smile. He was proud of her progress. She swallowed anxiously. It was getting harder for her to keep eye contact with Ayame and Shigure.

"I'm sorry…" Tohru repeated, "Ca-Can you forgive me?"

"Of course we can forgive you! How can I possibly retain anger towards the lady who shall bear the children of my little brother one day?" Ayame laughed to himself.

"Agreed! We want out nieces and nephews to like us!" Shigure grinned.

Tohru's face flushed. She may be extremely dense, but she knew how a baby was made. She looked down bashfully and scooted away from Yuki a bit subconsciously. Yuki glared at the snickering men while fighting off the blush that was starting to form on his own cheeks, but the only thing Ayame and Shigure paid attention to were the pink faces of the young couple. Nobody said a thing, and the discomfort hovered in the air, thick enough to suffocate someone. It didn't take long for Shigure to grow bored of this and change the topic for Yuki and Tohru.

"So Tohru-kun, how long are you going to stay here?" Shigure asked.

"Actually… Yuki-kun is taking me home today…" Tohru whispered.

"Oh, so soon? You should stay longer! We haven't hung out yet!" Shigure whined.

"Ah… Bu-but I ran away! I'm sure that N-Niisan and Kisa-chan are worried!" Tohru stammered.

Tohru fingered her long brown hair, staring idly at the wooden panels of the floor. She made sure her eyes didn't drift anywhere near Yuki's direction, not even at his feet. She hadn't thought about the implications she was giving other people about herself and her relationship with Yuki during her whole stay here until Ayame brought up children. Tohru didn't even want to think about what kind of impression she had given Ayame and Shigure with her overnight stays in Yuki's bedroom. By the looks of the goofy smiles she had seen on both of their faces a minute ago, she doubted she'd be able to convince them that nothing had happened between her and Yuki, even if that was the truth. She peered up at Shigure through her thick eyelashes, shocked to see a partly serious expression.

"Tohru ran out?" Shigure stated in disbelief before turning towards Yuki, "What did you do to make Tohru act like this?"

Yuki rolled his eyes and shook his head, "I didn't do anything, but even if I did, it wouldn't be any of your business."

Shigure raised his eyebrows skeptically, "You sure you didn't convince her to stay here for a week by offering to deflower her?"

"Get out Shigure, please, I'm begging you," Yuki said with a cold smile.

Shigure obeyed. He left but not without chuckling the whole way and muttering unintelligible things. Ayame pranced off behind him, most likely to report his findings to Hatori. Yuki shook his head and looked down at his lap. His breathing slowed down as he shut his eyes and rubbed his temples, repeating in his mind a couple of times that he shouldn't kill Shigure, no matter how tempting the idea was. He tried to convince himself that it'd do him no good to slaughter Shigure, but his imagination taunted him with images of a quiet future without Shigure's teasing. He sighed and dropped his hands to the side, figuring out that thinking just persuaded him to murder Shigure. He distracted himself by looking at Tohru.

He smiled, "I'm proud of you…"

Tohru flushed, "It was nothing…I mean… I was sitting on you, almost, the entire time…"

"Tohru, it is something. If anyone had gone through what you had and was speaking to men again, smiling, and even kissing a man, they'd be proud. So why aren't you?" he questioned softly.

Her eyes flickered with interest before she looked away again. Tohru was still too humiliated to face him. She didn't want to let him know how embarrassed she was, but she was sure her dark cheeks gave her away. Yuki grinned and traced her jaw line with the tips of his fingers, pausing and letting them linger under her chin. His actions got him exactly what he wanted. Tohru's eyes reconnected with his, and he held her gaze, knowing she wouldn't be able to look away now. He was right. Tohru's eyes were locked with his, not so much because he could easily hold her so she'd have to gaze in his direction, but because her will to do so vanished. She couldn't quite even recall her bashfulness.

"Tohru, you're strong, stronger than you think, and I love you. Never doubt that. We're getting through this together," he whispered.

Her lip quivered, tears daring to come out just from hearing him say that, "I-I know… It's because of you... If I… If I didn't have you, I'd be hiding in bed… I owe you a lot."

"You don't owe me a thing," he reassured her, but she wasn't convinced. How could she be? If she were him, she would have probably kicked herself out already. How could he not want to usher her out of his room already? She could think of more than enough reasons for him to, so either, he was secretly the god of patience or he wasn't telling her how he truly felt.

"You let me stay here… for seven days… I made you sleep on the couch and stole your bed… How can you tell me I don't owe you anything? I feel like I have to get down on my knees to thank you…" she admitted, staring at the floor, considering actually doing so.

Yuki laughed softly. He reached forward and swept the hair out of her face. Planting his hands on her shoulders, he leaned forward and joined their lips together, "Your love is more than enough…"