The sound of morning birds chirping awoke Tohru early in the morning. She stretched her arms before she opened her eyes and peered across at Yuki's peaceful looking face. Lazily, she watched the rise and fall of his chest for a moment before sitting up. He remained in a deep sleep, still the same distance away from her as he had been when she fell asleep. He hadn't inched a bit closer to her. That bothered her for some reason she couldn't figure out. It was like he was avoiding her. She tried her best to disregard it, but it was hard not to worry about it. Rubbing her eyes, she checked to see whether she had disturbed his slumber before sliding off the bed and tiptoeing out of the room.
Waiting for Yuki to awake, Tohru brushed her teeth and started to fix up some breakfast quietly. Knowing Yuki, it'd take quite a while for him to get up. Actually, it'd take a while for anyone to wake up. It was only five in the morning. To say Tohru was a morning person would be a bit of an understatement. She needed something to occupy her time until it was a reasonable hour to call up her prince, and cooking was the only chore she had a good grasp on. Growing up as a royal child limited her work experience. The only reason she even knew how to cook was from sneaking into the kitchen as a child and watching the chefs make her meals. Since then, she had always enjoyed preparing food, but she never had many opportunities to do so, which made living here twice as fun.
A couple of hours later, Yuki stirred in bed, awakening from the wonderful scent wafting over to him. Scarcely managing to avoid toppling off the bed, he sleepily stood up, nearly tripping over the blanket tangled around his legs as he wandered over to the kitchen. Noticing Tohru hovering over the stove busily making something that smelled delicious, he sauntered over to her silently and wrapped his arms around her from behind, unintentionally scaring her. Tohru jumped up, dropping the pan she was using back onto the stove nosily.
"Good morning…" Yuki muttered into her ear.
"A-Ah! Good morning, Yuki-kun! Breakfast is almost ready!" Tohru announced with a smile, relaxing instantly once she realized it was just Yuki.
Yuki nodded his head, dropping it to rest on her shoulder. Despite how scrumptious the scent was, sleepiness still overwhelmed him. He wasn't even completely sure that he was awake. This could have been another dream for all he knew, or maybe, this was one of those sleepwalking adventures he often found himself in. Either way, if he wasn't sleeping at the moment, he was positive he would be falling into a slumber again soon enough. Fingering his smooth silver locks that had spilled over her shoulder, Tohru smiled as he started to drift back to his dreams.
"You really aren't a morning person…" Tohru giggled, noting his shut eyes.
"Well, knowing I get to see your face makes it easier," he murmured, pressing his lips against her neck.
"…I remember when I found you sleeping outside by the tree. You looked so calm, and it was impossible to wake you," she laughed.
"And I remember that you gave me your first kiss then," Yuki teased her, his eyes snapping open.
Tohru's cheeks burned a bright red as she declared it was an accident. Yuki chuckled at her state of panic and embarrassment. Life was supposed to be like this, filled with laughs and love. Not how theirs were previously. Loneliness should never be the most vivid emotion a person remembered experiencing at home. He liked this living arrangement, even if the whole apartment was smaller than his old room. Tohru was all that was needed to make a place seem appealing to him. Even living in a cardboard box wouldn't seem so terrible if Tohru was there with him.
"How about breakfast?" Yuki asked, changing the subject for her sake.
"Y-Yes. Okay… Right away," she agreed, still embarrassed.
She quickly turned her attention back to the stove, grateful that the fire had been on low when Yuki distracted her. If not, their food would have been burnt black. He had a knack for making her forget about everything but him. It was hard for her to refocus on cooking with him standing right behind her and watching her every move. She didn't want to make a mistake, especially if he was watching. She had spent the last two hours preparing breakfast, and she didn't want to ruin it now. Luckily, he wandered over to the table before she wound up spilling the contents out of the pan. She quickly finished cooking and slid the cuisine onto a platter.
Skidding over to Yuki with plates and chopsticks in her other hand, she quickly plopped the dishes on the table and sat down. They ate their breakfast in a comfortable silence with a little bit of conversation here and there.
Yuki glanced at the clock once they finished, "It's about time we got going."
"For what?"
"You were the one who agreed that we'd help Uotani-san and Hanajima-san in order to stay here," Yuki reminded her.
"Oh…"
Tohru's smile slid down into a small frown. She had been looking forward to a day spent with Yuki since she awoke almost four hours ago. She didn't want to waste any of her time working, considering how many hours Yuki already spent sleeping or semiconscious, but if it's what she had to do to stay here with Yuki, she'd do it. She'd rather work until she could no longer move a muscle and live with Yuki rather than stay at her castle without him and never lift a finger. Yuki was her whole world, so living was a moot point if it didn't involve him. Besides, she was sure she'd do more harm than good trying to clean.
"Why so glum?"
"I-I don't think I'll do such a good job! I mean, I've never actually w-worked for anyone before," Tohru mumbled with a worried frown.
"Don't worry about it. You'll do fine… I've never had to work for anyone before either, but if we do get fired, we can always just stay somewhere else," Yuki reassured her.
"But I like this place…" Tohru murmured.
Yuki shook his head at her incredulously. He still couldn't figure out what she found so intriguing about this small place. After one night here, he liked the building less in general. He hardly got any sleep, but that probably had something to do with his trying to stay on the right side of the bed all night long. He hadn't wanted to disrupt her sleep at all, but in exchange for that, he had to sacrifice his own slumber. Yuki wouldn't complain though, as long as Tohru was content with the place. Her happiness mattered most to him.
He sighed, "And I have no idea why you do…. It's incredibly small."
"B-but that doesn't matter to me!" Tohru cried.
"I know… So let's go earn our stay," Yuki grinned.
He pulled her up from her seat, helping her stand up. Together, they headed out of their apartment after changing their clothes and washing the dishes. Arriving in the lobby, they were thrust with various cleaning tools. Yuki was holding a mop and a bucket of water with a white rag draped across his arm, and Tohru had a broom, dust pan, and a duster in her arms as soon as they got there. Uo shut the cleaning closet with a smile and waved her arms around the apartment. Yuki's and Tohru's eyes followed her hands across the front of the filth covered apartment building worriedly.
"I want this lobby clean, please."
Yuki and Tohru exchanged shocked expressions. They had a big task ahead of them if Uo expected the lobby to look spotless. What made it worse was that they had no idea whatsoever of what to do with these strange looking tools. One of them had some ragged strings attached to a long stick, and the other held a rod with some prickly bristles on one end. What good would those do? Luckily, Uo saw the bewilderment in their eyes, and assuming they weren't accustomed to this type of work since they were supposedly rich, she took the time to give them a short demonstration before retreating to her duty behind the counter.
Tohru, being more daring than Yuki at the moment, took the initiative and tested out the new equipment known as a broom. It took only a few sweeps before she got the hang of this. She giggled at Yuki's grimace, assuring him it was alright. Not very convinced that whirling stings attached to a pole around would do much cleaning, he started with the rag, wiping off the dusty surfaces after he set the mop and bucket to the side. The damp cloth revealed that the wood surface of the hotel was actually a dark brown, not the dull, gray brown Yuki and Tohru had been eluded to believe it was.
"Are you positive you want to do this? We can go back home where we have other people to do this stuff for us," Yuki reminded her.
"I don't want to go back. I want to stay here with you no matter what we have to do," Tohru insisted with a smile.
"All right… If you say so… But, if you want to go back… Just tell me, okay?"
Tohru nodded with a smile, knowing she wouldn't want to go back until their families were willing to let them be together.
Hours later, much longer than it should have taken, the hotel was notably cleaner. The chairs were still ruined and covered with holes and rips, but at least what surrounded them looked relatively new. The magazines had been stacked neatly into perfectly straight piles on dustless tables beside fresh, green plants. The floor no longer had layers of grime coating it, and the carpet didn't have crumbs of food and bits of other little miscellaneous things sticking to it any longer. Sadly, all the filth now seemed to be clinging to Tohru and Yuki. Not only had their lack of experience caused them to take twice as long as anyone else would have, but it also left the smut that was supposed to be clinging to the broom, mop, and rag smeared across their clothing and faces.
Giggling, Tohru beamed as she glanced up at Yuki. She stepped towards him with a smile, wiping the brown splotches off his face with the sleeves of her pink sweater. Yuki laughed and grabbed her wrists, lowering them before the fabric stained. He dragged her along with him to the supply closet, carrying all the cleaning supplies they had used with him. He shoved them all inside, not bothering to make sure it was neat and organized. Yuki shut the door quickly, positive that everything would come tumbling out onto the next person who tried opening it.
"Shall we go get permission to leave now?" Yuki asked Tohru.
She nodded, more than ready to return to their apartment. Yuki led her over to the counter, tapping on the wood top to get Uo's attention. She glanced up from the magazine she had been flipping through for the past hour, running her wide eyes across the lobby with shock. For a second, she doubted she was sitting in the same place. She was honestly more convinced that someone had moved her without her knowing than that this was actually the same apartment complex she had been in a few hours ago.
"Is this what you consider clean? Can we leave now?" Yuki questioned impatiently.
Uo's head bobbed up and down, and with that simple gesture, Yuki turned around and left, pulling Tohru along with him. Both of them walked away cautiously, careful not to let any of their soiled clothes leave any markings on the ground. Neither of them wanted to come back to clean some more. They did want, however, to shower and remove all the dirt from their bodies. Yuki, being a gentleman as usual, let Tohru use the bathroom first while he stood outside the door to keep himself from ruining any of the furniture by sitting on it.
After showering, Tohru headed over to prepare lunch as Yuki bathed himself. She was sure that if she was this hungry, Yuki must have been starving. Tohru was just beginning to add slices of fish to the stew she was making when Yuki came out of the shower.
"Yuki-ku-"
Tohru's greeting was cut off by three, short, raps against their door. He flashed her a smile before heading towards the door to answer it. To his surprise, an angry Uo stood outside the door. She didn't say a word, glaring malevolently at him instead. A malicious vibe seemed to spread through the room, eventually causing Tohru to peek around the doorframe to see who was there. She waved to Uo with a wide smile, but Uo seemed too furious to even return the gesture. The bottom of her ankle length skirt was sopped with murky water.
"Yes?" Yuki pressed, hesitating slightly.
Uo took a deep breath before hissing, "I honestly didn't really mind when a broom, mop, and rag fell out of the closet and hit me in the face, but I had to draw the line when the bucket, still filled with water, toppled onto the floor!"
Yuki grimaced. He must have forgotten to empty the dirty water with his hasty exit.
"I'll go clean that up for you…" he offered.
"You bet you are. You hear that, Tohru? I'm stealing your boyfriend for a bit!" Uo announced to Tohru.
"Umm… Okay," Tohru responded after the two left, too late for them to hear anything.
She stared at the closed door, feeling strangely alone. It was like he had just walked out of her life. Tohru was well aware that it was only a matter of time before he really did leave her, although not necessarily willingly. There was nothing she could do about that other than cherish every second she had left with the love of her life. Shaking her head, she decided it wasn't the right time to be upset over this. Surely, nobody would locate them too quickly. They had to have a month at least. Slightly cheered, she went back to cooking. Regardless, she couldn't help but let her mind wander as she let the soup simmer.
Lost in her fantasies, Tohru didn't hear Yuki return, but she did notice when some of the boiling soup splashed onto her hand. She jumped back with a yelp of pain as Yuki crept up behind her, grabbing her by the wrist and pressing his lips on top of her hand, where the soup had scorched her. Her eyes widened as she felt his tongue lick the burning liquid off her skin, but even with the blazing soup off her hand, the heat she felt didn't disappear. Only now, it was because of Yuki. Tohru nearly screamed out of shock, falling backwards into his arms. She blushed, humiliated as she stared up at his face.
"It tastes real good so far," Yuki commented with a grin.
"Yuki-kun! I-It's not done cooking! What if you g-get food p-poisoning?!" she shrieked worriedly.
"Suck the poison out then," he murmured to her before brushing his lips against hers.
Before she fainted out of oxygen deprivation, he broke the kiss and helped her back onto her feet, letting her go back to tending to the food. Yuki wandered around the apartment aimlessly, stopping by the window. Brushing aside the curtains, he peered out at the cloudy sky. Tohru watched him for a minute, wondering what he was thinking about at the moment. She couldn't figure out why his eyes seemed a little saddened. Was he disappointed? Did he regret coming here with her? Was she not worth it anymore? Her assumptions would have gone on if he hadn't peered back in her direction with a grin.
"Were you bored and lonely while I was gone?" he teased her.
"You were only gone for a few minutes!"
"So you didn't miss me at all?" he inquired, feigning sadness.
"Of course I did!" she insisted, missing the joke.
He laughed. She was bolder than she had been when they had first met but still just as gullible. This led him to wonder what she was like before they both forgot. Was she exactly the same? What did they used to do together? What did they say? How was their relationship any different? Most of all, he wondered if either of them would ever regain those scattered memories. Could they restore what was lost? Was it possible? Would it bring them closer or shove them farther apart? He only knew one thing for sure, and that was he had loved her enough to propose. Yuki doubted he could have loved her more than he did now though. He sat down on the armrest of the couch, deep in thought.
"-ki! Yuki?"
"Huh?" Yuki asked, getting shoved off his train of thoughts.
"I was just wondering if you were okay… You kept staring off into space with no signs of life! You weren't even answering my questions!" Tohru explained worriedly.
"I'm sorry… Just a little sidetracked, I guess…" Yuki replied apologetically.
Tohru stared at him, wishing he'd talk to her about whatever was bothering him instead of apologizing and keeping it to himself. Maybe, to him, he felt like he was protecting her, but she felt like he didn't trust her enough to confide in her. It hurt, especially since she trusted him with her life. He had rescued her so many times. How could she not trust him? But how many times had she saved him? Zero. She never got the chance to gain his trust and that upset her, but regardless, she thought he knew she wouldn't judge him for whatever it was that he was thinking about. They were past trying to impress one another, weren't they? At least, she thought he was. It seemed quite obvious that he was everything she wanted, and she was positive that there was nothing he could say that would change her mind about that.
"Tohru, is something wrong?"
She looked straight into his concerned eyes and shook her head with a fake smile. If he could pretend that nothing was wrong to keep her from worrying, than she could do the same for him. He fretted over nothing enough as it was. Even the tiniest thing that happened to her made him distress unnecessarily. Besides, he seemed like he had enough on his mind already. He didn't need to start fussing over her trivial affairs. Yuki didn't seem to believe her though, shooting her a disbelieving look that made her avert her eyes.
"Tohru, I know something is bothering you. It's all right if you'd rather not tell me. I understand, just as long as you're okay," he told her.
Why did he make her feel so guilty? She didn't have it in her to keep anything from him. Tohru gave up and walked over to him, plopping down in front of him. Silently, she rested her head on his lap. He looked down at her intently. For a moment, they just stayed like that, hopelessly lost in their own world. Yuki ran his fingers through her silky strands of hair. He pushed her brown locks away from her face, securing them behind her ear. Tohru covered his hand with hers, keeping his hand above her ear.
"I just want you to talk to me…" she murmured in a quiet voice.
"What do you mean?" he asked for clarification, not quite understanding her request. He was speaking with her at the moment, wasn't he?
"You still don't tell me what's wrong. You keep everything to yourself. I don't like that… It makes me feel l-like I'm j-just a tagalong in y-your life. I don't want to be pushed aside when you get bored of me…" Tohru whispered.
"Tohru, I'm not going to cast you aside, ever. You're everything to me, my life, my whole reason for living. Why would you even think that? I love you more than you'll ever know," Yuki responded gently.
"B-but I don't feel like you love me. You're here, but you're not. I just want you to talk to me… I'm sorry if I sound selfish, but you'll feel better if you let these things out, s-so please, tell someone whatever is bothering you, even if that person isn't me," Tohru pleaded.
She wrapped her arms around his legs, clenching them tightly. Tohru sniffled, trying her hardest not to cry without avail. The tears started to slide down her cheeks despite her efforts to keep them in. Burying her face in his pants, she tried to hide her cries from him, but yet again, she failed. Yuki leaned over her body, wrapping his arms around her. He laid his head down on the top of her shoulders in an awkward embrace. He was silent for a moment before he spoke to her gently in attempt to sooth her agony.
"I'm sorry if I made you feel that way… There's nothing to say. Nothing's bothering me, Tohru… I'm so sorry I upset you…" he whispered into her ear.
Tohru didn't say anything. Once again, he had avoided opening up to her. Realizing his words hadn't raised her spirits at all, Yuki frowned. He hooked his arms under her armpits, breaking her hold on his legs as he pulled her up higher to be able to see her face. He set her down on his lap. Gingerly, he touched her chin, lifting it ever so slightly, just enough so he was looking into her eyes, but she glanced down immediately, not meeting his gaze as she furiously wiped at her wet eyes. He looked hurt when she pulled her head away from him.
"Tohru, forgive me, please?" Yuki begged her.
This had only been their second day here. It was too soon for her to be mad at him. He had to fix this now. Yuki hated the silence hanging in the air. It only meant that she was too upset with him to even find words to express her frustration. He watched her sniffle and fiddle with her hands, keeping her face downcast. Placing his hand on her head, he pressed her head against his chest. She didn't resist, but by her stiff posture, he could tell she didn't exactly want to be there, so it caught him off guard when Tohru knocked him over onto the couch with a tight embrace. He fell onto the cushions with a weeping girl on top of him.
"No. I can't forgive you! Not until you talk to me!" she sobbed, clenching his shirt between her hands.
Yuki held her, trying his hardest to comfort Tohru. It seemed like the only thing he did now was make her cry. He stroked her back, muttering soothing words to her. Was it love that made his heart throb so much when she cried? Every time she felt down, he was brought down with her. Yet, when she grinned, he found a smile across his face as well. Whatever scared her or upset her he found himself wishing it away from the earth. This one woman affected him from head to toe. She was the center of his life, making this whole situation that had made her cry inexcusable.
Tohru stole a glance up at Yuki as she blinked back tears. He wiped away the rest of the droplets that covered her cheeks, hoping new ones wouldn't come to take their place
"I'm sorry… I'm really stupid… How many times do I have to make you cry until I learn? I still need to learn how to really be in a relationship. You're my first and only love, you know that? So I don't have much experience in this area. I don't know what to tell you, but if you'll be my teacher, I just may be able to become worthy of you…" Yuki breathed.
A muffled sound escaped Tohru's lips. Yuki's face contorted with worry. He wasn't sure if it was a cry or a laugh. He hoped it was the latter. He wasn't sure he could handle any more sadness from her. Frowns and tears didn't suit her face at all. He stroked her back, praying she'd speak soon. It seemed to take an eternity before Tohru pushed herself off of his chest with a smile etched across her face. He instantly relaxed, relieved to find she was beaming. Although she was the type of girl who sometimes grinned for no apparent reason, he was sure this time she was smiling because she had forgiven him.
"I don't know much either! I've never had a boyfriend before you! I wouldn't be a very good teacher!" Tohru giggled.
It was impossible to stay mad at him. She just couldn't. Tohru couldn't even help but feel giddy whenever she was with him. She loved him and knew she couldn't force him to do anything he didn't want to. How could she when he gave her anything she wanted from him? More than jubilant, Yuki pulled her back down into an embrace, holding her there closely. He kissed her above her ear as Tohru hugged him back, still grinning. Yuki sat up, still squishing her against his chest.
"Of course you'd be a good teacher. You've already taught me so much…" Yuki reassured her.
Tohru let him lift her up in his arms and bring her to the table, setting her in one of the chairs. He pushed her in towards the table, leaving her as he went to go fetch their food. Since serving food had nothing to do with cooking something, he was sure he could do this just fine. With a smile, he returned with two bowls of food in his hands. Setting one in front of her, he slid his over to the other end of the table before bowing to her like a waiter from an exquisite restaurant. She laughed. Locking her arms around his neck, she pulled him near her to plant a kiss on his cheek.
"So you forgive me and aren't going to give up on me and leave?" he questioned her seriously.
She nodded timidly and grabbed his hands, squeezing them tightly. Butterflies still fluttered in her stomach when she was around him. What was it about him that could make her shiver on a hot day, feel like she was burning in the middle of winter, and feel safe in the midst of danger? Once in a while, she'd find herself believing she was trapped in some fairytale. She could never believe such a perfect guy existed. He was inhumanly kind and surreally gorgeous, yet he claimed to love her while she was just another regular girl, not extraordinarily beautiful or even remarkably interesting.
"Of course…. I love you!" Tohru exclaimed with a wide smile.
"Yay…" he laughed.
"But… I want you to talk to me more," Tohru added softly.
Yuki readily agreed as Tohru released him and let him retreat back to his seat across from her. He'd tell her anything she wanted to know. He knew she wasn't very fond of secrets, not after the Machi situation and his not telling her about being a prince. He would have told her everything he had ever thought if only she had let him know how she felt about this. He had no idea that she had felt excluded and even unwanted. It was just natural for him to keep everything to himself. Nobody had ever cared to hear his thoughts and opinions before Tohru.
"What would you like to know?"
"Umm…" she stuttered, unsure of what she actually wanted to hear. Randomly picking a subject, she responded, "What's your family like?"
He groaned, "My family? There's nothing to say about them…"
She knew she had asked the wrong question. His whole body appeared tense, and an aura of anger, fear, and frustration seemed to build around him. Nonetheless, she was curious. Having grown up in a happy family, she didn't understand how there was no love between the members of his family. From the brief interlude she had with his brother and cousin Shigure, they didn't seem too bad, but then again, she hadn't spent enough time with them to know them at all. She did have a little experience with sinister relatives due to her aunt and uncle, but she was still under the impression that they didn't hate her, so she still loved them.
"Oh! I'm sorry! I shouldn't have asked," Tohru frantically apologized.
Yuki looked down, stabbing at a piece of meat with his chopsticks. There was no reason for her to apologize. It wasn't her fault his family was beyond cruel. He glanced up at her distraught expression. She was seriously concerned that she had offended him. He was glad to see that she was back to normal and not even the least bit irked at him anymore, but he also felt guilty now for making her fuss over his reaction towards a silly question about his family. His expression softened a bit as he steered his thoughts away from his parents and back to Tohru.
"It's okay…. I asked you what you wanted to hear about without warning you," Yuki replied, "Actually, I don't mind telling you a little. My mother, she's quite an interesting character. She's very demanding and controlling. If something doesn't go her way, she gets mad, but then again, she's always angry. You could probably guess she's the one who set up my engagement to Machi… Then there's my father, who I was starting to like… But…"
Yuki began telling her about each of his family members little by little. Tohru stared at him. How could such a sweet guy emerge from such a horrible household? Nobody was ever there for him or seriously loved him, yet he still managed to smile and laugh. That was amazing to her, although she was baffled by the fact that he even knew what love was. All she knew now was that she desired to fix his wounded heart and give him the love he'd been lacking. She'd try. She'd give it her all. He deserved to be loved and feel cherished.
"And then Kyo, who just hates me for no apparent reason. I believe you saw him before, orange hair… Remember?" he waited for her to nod before continuing, "Well I hate him too, so it doesn't matter. Oh, and my idiotic brother, Ayame. You met him when you stayed with me. He's not too bad, I guess. Then there's Shigure… Unfortunately, you had to meet him as well. He's a pervert. Please, don't stay in a room with him alone again. Try to avoid him at all costs next time? And finally, there's Hatori, the doctor. He treated you… He's not that bad. He seems cold, but he's nice underneath."
Her head was spinning around. He was giving her so much to take in, not to mention her mind was analyzing everything he was saying and hurling new thoughts for her to ponder over. Was he hinting that she'd see the rest of them one day? At the end, it almost seemed like he was hinting that she'd move in with him eventually. Tohru had always dreamed about marrying him sometime in the future and living with him, but after hearing these lovely depictions of his parents, she wasn't looking forward to living under the same roof as them. She flinched, suddenly feeling his eyes on her.
"Tohru, are you all right?"
Had he told her too much? He was trying his best to tell her everything. It was hard for him to seriously trust anyone with all the rejection he had faced in his life, yet she broke through his walls so easily. The stone barricades he had once built around him crumbled to dust whenever she was near. She shattered his barriers twice. Both times he was sure he had fallen in love with her. She had changed him. That's why he loved her so much, not for her looks or to get back at his parents, but because she had accepted him and loved him for himself, never asking for anymore despite his numerous flaws. Her love for him was just another reason he wanted to grant her wish so desperately.
"Yes! I'm okay! Just a little taken aback by all of that. You're telling me so much now! I'm not used to it," Tohru laughed.
"Well, I don't want you to think I don't love you… Because I love you so much that I can't even bear it sometimes," Yuki replied honestly.
Tohru fidgeted in her seat, ashamed now to have told him that she felt like he was neglecting her. That couldn't be further from the truth. He cared more for her than anyone ever had before. He was her best friend and her lover, the most valuable person to her. He listened to everything she had to say without judging her in any way. He took care of her, insisting on doing everything for her besides cook. He even tucked her into bed at night. Yuki couldn't have made his love for her much more obvious.
"I'm sorry… I didn't mean that… I know you love me… and I can tell too… I was just a bit mad at you…" Tohru confessed.
"I know."
Startled, Tohru peered at him with bewildered eyes. He didn't sound very furious. She had thought for sure he'd be irritated by the fact that she had lied to him, but he seemed perfectly at ease as he continued to eat, flashing her a serene smile. She couldn't figure out what he was thinking. She couldn't even get a vague idea of his thoughts. Lies were bad, so she didn't understand why he was smiling. Tohru wanted to be able to read his mind more than anything at the moment.
"You knew?"
"Of course. I love you. You'd think I'd know the one I love really well, wouldn't you? I can tell how you really feel, even if you act happy," Yuki told her.
Tohru grinned, "I can too, so don't hide anything from me, okay?"
Yuki nodded. He hadn't meant to hide anything from her. It was just something he was accustomed to doing. He was more of an introvert by nature and tended to keep things to himself. Back at home, it was safer not to confide in anyone. Traitors and eavesdroppers loomed around the castle, ready to report anything to his parents at every moment. He knew no one was here but Tohru, and he trusted her more than anyone else, but old habits were hard to break, especially ones formed to keep one safe.
"I'll try my best… It's a hard jump from hiding everything from my family to telling it all to you," Yuki admitted.
"I'll wait as long as it takes…." Tohru whispered.
"You're patient," Yuki mused, "But you're also stubborn and persistent."
"Eh?"
Tohru chewed the bottom of her lip worriedly. Stubborn and persistent weren't exactly good traits to have, but he only seemed entertained as he spoke, not the least bit annoyed. He reached across the table for her hand, covering it with his fingers. Yuki didn't want her forlorn again. He was aware of the fact that she considered herself unworthy of him and constantly fussed over her flaws, both in character and appearance, but he didn't understand how she could constantly find new faults with herself when he noticed nothing but perfection.
"Don't worry. I like that. This way, I know you won't give up on me… or on us," Yuki added with a smile.
"I won't give up! I'll be with you forever! Giving up is not an option!" Tohru exclaimed.
This journey was going to be a hard one. If anything, he knew that for sure, but he wouldn't give in. He wasn't ready to let her go, nor would he ever be. Why couldn't anyone else see that? She was his everything, and he was hers. Nothing could ever change that. Ever. Love was the chains that bounded him to Tohru and her to him, and there was no key to free them from that bond, nor did they want to be freed. They truly loved each other, and there was no such thing as forgetting one another. Even if they were forced apart, they'd never leave each other's heart. True love never fades.
"So has your mom ever spoken of me?" Tohru inquired curiously.
He was silent as he stiffened in his seat, lying through his teeth, "No."
Tohru gazed at him skeptically.
"Yes she did. What did she say?"
Yuki sighed, glancing up at her with raised eyebrows. There was no need to tell her about it, yet she was insisting he did. Telling her what his mother thought of her was a sure way to upset her and make her think even less of herself. He didn't want to do either of those things to her. As much as he hated not giving her what she desired, he hardly wanted to discuss what his mother said about her. Why was it that she seemed only to want to hear about negative things? First his family and now this? By the determination in her eyes, he doubted he could avoid this discussion. There'd be no escaping without telling her. After all, he had just agreed to tell her everything.
"Tohru…" he whispered, trying to warn her that this was not something she wanted to hear.
"I know she doesn't like me… I just want to know… I won't get mad, please?" Tohru pleaded.
"She doesn't talk about you much…" Yuki told her.
Tohru folded her arms across her chest. He'd only try this hard to get her to drop this subject if his mother had said something about her that he didn't want her to know. Sometimes, she hated how he treated her like a child. She could take a few insults without crying, as long as those slanders weren't something Yuki had said. She only cared about his opinions anyways. A couple of tirades from someone she wasn't even acquainted with wouldn't matter. She was just merely curious.
"Yuki…"
"Okay… She called you a bitch," Yuki admitted.
"And…?"
"And I threw a tantrum?"
Tohru
stared wide-eyed at Yuki. She couldn't imagine him doing anything
of that sort. He always seemed calm and collected. Yuki hadn't even
been angry at her since she met him. He was never anything other than
sweet and kind. She had seen him irritated before though but never
enough to throw a fit, especially not over something as frivolous as
a couple of words his mother had said about her. It was kind of him
to defend her, but he didn't need to get so enraged. Regardless, it
made her happy to hear he cared enough to stand up for her.
"You
did?" Tohru giggled.
"Yes? I couldn't just sit there and let her make up crap like that."
"Thank you for defending me," Tohru smiled.
She stood up and walked over to him and sweetly pressed her lips to his. She felt his hands slide to the back of her head and her waist, pulling her closer to him as he returned her kisses. Desperate for air, Tohru broke the kiss with a wide grin. He smiled back at her, rubbing his nose against hers. Tohru fought down a fit of hysterics. She could tell he was bewildered by this unexpected treat although he didn't vocalize his confusion.
"Thank you for opening up to me…" she whispered, not taking her eyes from his for a second.
"I get a reward now? So what else do you want to hear?" he teased her, pulling her into his arms. She couldn't resist laughing now as she hugged him affectionately.
The rest of the day passed without event. It was night time before either one of them knew it.
Tohru let him lift her up in his arms and bring her to bed after turning off the television they had been watching in the living room. Gingerly, he set her down, and Tohru smiled brightly, grabbing his shirt tightly in her hands. Yuki laughed lightly as she tried to pull him down without success. He tossed the bed coverings on her playfully. She squeaked, fumbling around to dig herself out of the pile of sheets and pillows that buried her. He watched her pop her head out with a grin. Yuki leaned forward and kissed the tip of her nose. Tohru reached out and touched his face, letting her hands explore his well-known skin. She traced his mouth with the tips of her finger as Yuki pressed his lips against her fingers, kissing them lovingly. A giggle left her mouth before she shyly pulled back. She scooted over, inviting Yuki to join her.
He did, but he kept to his side as he had done last night.
She stared at Yuki, laying two feet away from her on the bed. He was close enough to the edge to fall off if he moved even an inch. She felt guilty for making him stay here with her. He didn't look very comfortable there. The couch might have been cozier for him. She scooted closer to him under the covers, crawling over and slipping her arms around his waist. She didn't see a reason for the boundaries he had drawn between them.
"Tohru?"
"Just for a little bit… I want you to hold me, please? It's lonely when you avoid me like this…" Tohru breathed.
Yuki rested his arms over hers. He couldn't say no to his angel. She was too cute in his eyes. It was impossible to refuse her. Even if she asked him to run across the world ten times, he'd do it. That's what true love did to a person. He sighed, not saying anything, afraid to break the fragile silence. Yuki turned around, encircling her in his arms. Tohru smiled and snuggled against his chest, feeling warmer than she would beneath fifty covers.
"I love you, Yuki-kun…" she murmured with a yawn.
"I'll love you whenever… wherever… forever…" he responded slowly.
Yay for Pointless Fluff!
