Shuddering, Tohru awoke in the middle of the night, partially due to the draft she felt against her skin and half because of some quiet shuffling around the room and hardly audible murmurs. She slowly opened her eyes, rubbing them as she scanned the room for the source of the noise and breeze. At first, she noticed the open balcony doors, letting in the chilly, night air. Funny. She didn't recall opening those doors. Next, she found a tall shadow standing several feet in front of her. It was too dark to make out any facial features, but besides the obscurity, she wasn't sure the person was even facing her.

"Yuki?" she whispered quietly.

No, it couldn't be Yuki. If that was Yuki, then whose arm was she holding onto? Was it a burglar? The type of people she had heard about who stole things from you? Tohru stared at the intruder, growing more frightened with each passing second. He held something out before his face, examining it satisfactorily. It appeared that he hadn't heard Tohru's call, to her relief. She squeezed Yuki's arm tightly, hoping they wouldn't get hurt.

Help.

That's what she needed to get. But how? What if the person was armed? Tohru cowered under the blanket, hoping the thief would leave until she noticed her bare wrist. Her bracelet! For the first time, she saw the diamonds glinting under the moonlight in the hands of the robber.

Tohru shrieked in a high pitched voice. The invader flinched and darted past her after a quick glance in her direction. He flew out the balcony door a few feet from the bed, and she heard the quick foot steps fade into the distance as the thief tried to escape. Yuki shot up, clutching her body to him and checking to see if she was okay instantly. She didn't seem harmed, and he was beginning to suspect she had had a nightmare, but she seemed too worked up to be fussing over a figment of her imagination. His eyes scanned her terror stricken face a second time, worriedly asking, "What's wrong?"

"Bad guy! Bracelet! Gone!" Tohru cried, struggling to form a complete sentence with no success.

"Where'd he go?" Yuki inquired, somehow managing to understand her rambling perfectly.

Tohru stuck a shaky finger out, pointing to her left. Yuki nodded once as he threw off the covers, jumping out of bed. Awestruck, Tohru reached for Yuki. She didn't understand what he was doing hopping out of bed like that. She grasped his hand in hers, shaking as she tried to ask what he was doing, but she never got the chance. He gently pried her fingers off of his and set them in a pile on her lap. Yuki leaned forward, briskly kissing her on her cheek, hoping to provide her with a small form of comfort before he left.

"Stay here, don't move," Yuki ordered her before taking off.

She sat there, trembling as she watched Yuki run out. It took less than a minute before she was joined by a frantic Uo and Hana. Having a key to every room in the apartment complex, it wasn't very difficult for them to make their way in. They both sat down beside Tohru, taking her hands in theirs and squeezing them without pressing her for an explanation. She seemed too petrified to speak, almost in tears. Besides, they could put the pieces together from the open door and blowing curtains that there had most likely been a break-in.

Tohru sat there anxiously, wishing Yuki would just come back already. She regretted telling him about the robber. She didn't care about a silly bracelet enough to make him risk his life to go retrieve it for her. If he came back injured, she'd never be able to forgive herself. Tohru swallowed nervously, wrestling with tears to keep them locked behind her eyes. Each passing second grew more difficult to bear, as if the air was thickening, making it harder to breathe. Worry ate away at her, tossing at her visions of one catastrophe after another, haunting her until she heard the front door open. Tohru jumped a little, clutching Uo's shoulder tightly.

Relief flooded her body when she saw the bedroom door swing open, and his silver hair shining under the beam of the moon caught her gaze. He entered with a smile. Tohru's tense posture instantly relaxed at his return. She had been apprehensively awaiting him. Not knowing where he was or what was happening to him was pure torture, and sitting around here and waiting for him to come back made her feel more helpless than she usually did. She had never experienced such fret at once before. Tohru was well aware of his physical capabilities, but she still hated the idea that he had just been around a potentially dangerous man, whom Yuki seemed to disregard as harmless, she noted as Yuki strode over to her, completely unfazed.

"Tohru, here," Yuki smiled, holding his hand out to her.

Tohru cupped her hands together to form a little bowl, extending them out to Yuki. With a grin, he dropped her bracelet into her hands and sat down before her, beaming as she threw her arms around his neck and squeezed him tightly against herself. Tohru grinned, whispering a thank you to him before she pressed her lips against his cheek firmly, letting her tears hit his face. Dumbfounded, Yuki hugged her back, not understanding the cause of her tears. She was smiling seconds ago, but now, she appeared to be overcome with sorrow.

"Never do that again, please… I don't care if someone steals my bracelet again," Tohru sniffled.

"So you don't care about my gift to you?" Yuki asked, playfully sulking.

"No, no! I do! B-But it's you I love and worry about losing…." she breathed.

Yuki turned his face slightly to his left, catching her lips in his. Tohru clung to him, pulling him closer as she returned his kiss, forgetting about her two friends sitting on either end of her until Uo cleared her throat. Tohru automatically pulled away with a blush, hiding her face against Yuki's chest. Yuki laughed. He could never figure out why an embrace seemed acceptable in front of others to her, and so did a kiss on the cheek, but as soon as he tried kissing her on the lips, she'd flush and break away if anyone was watching. He understood her preference of privacy for displays of affection, but he didn't get why she had to freak out on him like this. It was perfectly normal for a couple to engage in a kiss, but this was Tohru and her timidity, so he wouldn't complain.

Feeling as if they were intruding and seeing that they were unneeded as of now, Uo and Hana stood up.

"We're going to head back now. Later, Tohru, Yuki," Uo called with a yawn.

"Bye-bye, Uo-chan, Hana-chan!" Tohru responded, still partially hiding against Yuki's shirt.

"Goodbye. Thank you for taking care of Tohru for me," Yuki added.

"That was not a problem," Hana responded before following Uo out the door.

Tohru didn't lift her head until she heard the front door shut again. She glanced up at Yuki with a smile, wrapping her arms around his midriff and resting her cheek on his shoulder. Tohru held him tightly, unable to release him for a few minutes. She needed him in her arms for a moment before she could be assured that he was actually safe and intact. Yuki seemed amused by her actions as he lavished her cheek with kisses in a carefree manner. Tohru shied away from him, turning her head to the other side with a blush. Yuki grinned, pressing his lips against her hair instead.

"I was so worried.…" she whispered, trying her best not to pay any mind to where his lips were.

"Silly girl. I grew up doing things like that on a daily basis…. I wouldn't die that easily.… There was nothing to be worried about."

"Daily basis?" Tohru repeated in a bewildered voice.

Tohru pulled away, staring at him in awe. She didn't like the sound of Yuki encountering difficulties like a burglar every day. It terrified her to hear that. Tohru wasn't very fond of violence. She didn't want Yuki to be involved with anything that could jeopardize him in any way. If she could, she'd make him stay in her arms constantly, just to make sure he was always safe. Tohru was aware she wouldn't be able to protect him very well, ever, he'd probably be the one saving her, but she liked the fact that she'd always know that he was all right.

She could tell he wasn't bothered by this as he responded, "Yes…. My mother had this paranoid notion that'd I'd get kidnapped some day. I was taught every defense mechanism by the best instructors in the country for an hour everyday for ten years."

"And have you ever needed to put those skills to use?"

"Excluding today and various fights with Kyo, I've needed them a total of five times."

"You've almost been kidnapped five times?" Tohru asked in horror.

He nodded, "Who do you think I am?"

Her jaw dropped as she peered at Yuki with sad eyes. That was worse than she had expected. She couldn't remember ever getting kidnapped, not even nearly. Her parents were overprotective and never sent her out alone. Before meeting Yuki and her sneaks out to see him, she'd never actually left the castle without a guard before or at least letting someone know where she'd be. Even so, when she snuck out to be with Yuki, she never felt in peril. Yuki was always there to protect her. Nothing bad ever happened to her when she was with him. He didn't allow it.

"Poor Yuki-kun…" Tohru whimpered.

"You've been through worse. Nothing ever really happened to me those five times. I wasn't stupid enough to follow them along."

Yuki shook his head lightly at her. She was the one who had almost been hit by a car, was nearly attacked by some man in town, almost got raped by her fiancé, and was constantly ridiculed by her aunt and uncle. He couldn't figure out why she was fussing over a few kidnap attempts on him when he was a child. He obviously escaped unscathed. He was right here with her, wasn't he? That clearly wasn't enough of a reassurance for Tohru as her worried grip around his hand hadn't loosened one bit.

"I'm glad you're safe…." Tohru murmured.

"And I'm glad you're all right. He didn't hurt you or anything, right?"

"No… I'm fine. Did you get hurt?" Tohru asked frantically.

She had completely forgotten to ask that in the first place. Fretting over his past troubles had distracted her from the condition he was in now. Tohru thought back to his entrance, she hadn't noticed any limp or anything other than normality from him, which relieved her. Her eyes wandered over him, checking for an injury but finding none. She was temporarily comforted by this. Yuki watched her taut face relax into a small smile. He sighed, mentally arguing over which he preferred, ruining her mood or lying to her. He'd rather do neither, but he had no choice. Yuki chose the former, deciding he could always cheer her up again later.

"A little," he answered truthfully with a shrug.

"No, no, no, no, no! Where?!" Tohru squeaked worriedly.

"Shh…" he whispered to her, covering her lips with two of his fingers, "It's not serious. I'm fine. Calm down."

"Where?" Tohru repeated once he removed his hand from her mouth.

He sighed again and held his palm up to her face for inspection. There was a deep cut running across his palm. Tohru gasped in shock as she took his hand into both of hers. The color of her face drained as she noticed the blood starting to drip down his wrist. His blood was even sliding over her fingers. Her eyes showed ten different levels of worry as she looked up from the injury into his eyes in terror. She didn't understand his idea of wellbeing. This was not fine in her terms.

"This isn't serious?!" she shrieked.

"Tohru, relax."

"You're bleeding! How can I relax?!" Tohru squealed.

Tohru slid off the bed and made an attempt at pulling him up but found herself too weak to do so. She pouted, her eyebrows furrowing in anguish. Yuki rolled his eyes but stood up for her, letting her drag him toward the bathroom and fuss over his hand. She pushed his hand under the faucet along with hers, washing his blood off both of them. Without the sticky, red, liquid covering the cut, she could see it was a pretty thin incision but deep enough to make her a bit nauseous at the sight. She had never been especially talented at handling gashes and the sort, but she refused to let Yuki deal with his wound by himself.

"Yuki…" Tohru whined.

He smiled and shook his head, watching her squeeze soap onto her hands and scrub his wound gently. She kept glancing at him periodically, awaiting some signs of pain, but his face didn't change. His expression remained calm as she continued washing the cut. Tohru looked back down at the cut, slowing her actions as she found the bleeding hadn't stopped yet. Praying she hadn't already let too much blood drain out of his body, she started rinsing the suds off his skin. She didn't like the looks of the injury.

"Does it hurt?"

"No," Yuki answered.

Tohru turned off the water after a minute, wrapping his hand in a towel. She squeezed tightly, hoping the pressure would hinder some of the blood flow. To her dismay, blood still rushed to the surface of his skin after she removed the bloodstained towel. Tohru grimaced slightly as she rushed to go find other disinfectants, so she could finish the cleaning process already and dress the wound. She quickly pulled out a bottle of alcohol and poured some on a cotton ball.

"This is going to hurt a little!" Tohru warned.

Yuki smiled at her caring nature and nodded.

Tohru took a deep breath before swabbing it across his injury, hoping it didn't cause him too much additional pain, but he didn't even flinch or wince as she finished disinfecting the wounds. She almost began to wonder if he was immune to pain. She knew for a fact that if their positions were switched, she would have been begging him not to touch her with the sterilizing agent, or at least, she would have made him hold her hand as he did so. She felt like a wimp now as she tossed out the germ covered cotton. Tohru pulled out the bandages next, wrapping bands of gauze around his entire hand. With a satisfied smile, she tied a bow and muttered, "All done!"

"Thank you," he murmured, bringing her hand to his lips and gently brushing them against her soft skin.

"It was no problem!" she cried with a dark blush.

Yuki beamed at her, leading her out of the bathroom. Tohru trailed along side him, taking his unharmed hand in hers. He gave her a reassuring squeeze, wordlessly letting her know in vain not to worry. She'd be concerned regardless of what he told her. For such a gullible person, she was extremely difficult to pacify once she was worked up. Just another reason why he hated showing her his injuries. She'd freak over a paper cut. Anything that involved blood, even a droplet, made her distress unnecessarily. He didn't like seeing her like this, chewing her lip and furrowing her face in concern.

"Yuki-kun, did he hurt you?" Tohru inquired with a frown.

"Not really… It was really my fault. He had a knife… and I accidentally grabbed the blade. Pretty careless, nn?" Yuki explained, hoping this would placate her slightly.

"No… I'm just glad you're okay! I'm sorry! It's all my fault that you got hurt!" Tohru sniffled in a small voice, trying to contain her tears.

Yuki gazed at her incredulously, finding her words hard to believe. If she hadn't worn the jewelry, then the thief wouldn't have had any reason to rob them, leading her to believe that she was the cause of Yuki's harm. He didn't understand why she felt obligated to take the blame for every misfortune in the world. Yuki laughed, shaking his head as he took a seat on the bed. Tohru's face shined with confusion as she dropped down beside him. There was nothing funny about a burglar and his injury, but he was grinning as if she had told him some hilarious joke.

"Tohru, Tohru, Tohru. Don't be silly. This isn't your fault at all. Stop taking the blame for everything, please," he told her sweetly.

She rested his head on his shoulder, closing her eyes as she nodded.

"Ready to go back to sleep?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her waist and making her drop down on the bed with him.

"I don't think I can…." Tohru admitted.

She opened her eyes, staring at him with a worry filled expression. Yuki pulled her closer to him, stroking her back, trying to console her. His plan of cheering her up after ruining her spirits was failing at this rate. Tohru was a naturally cheerful person, making it quite an easy task to elevate her mood on those rare occasions where she felt down, but apparently, the usual hug and backrub wasn't doing its trick today. Her gloom was beyond his comprehension. He had gotten her bracelet back for her, and she had already dealt with his wound. What else was there upsetting her?

"Did the robber scare you? I promise he won't ever come near you again," Yuki reassured her.

"What did you do to him?" Tohru asked curiously.

"Nothing you need to know or want to know. Just believe that he won't be stealing ever again," Yuki whispered to her.

"Okay…" Tohru agreed willingly.

She got the point. It wasn't a happy, pleasant story where there was no harm done. She was positive Yuki taught the thief a lesson he would never forget, and she was also sure that Yuki was smart enough not to do anything that would send him to prison. Actually, she wasn't quite sure that what he did was legal, but at least she knew he would have been careful enough not to leave evidence. She didn't know what she'd do if he got in trouble with the law. His actions had probably been bordering illegal, so she'd rather not know what he did. She preferred to continue thinking her Yuki was perfectly harmless. Tohru could live without knowing the gory details.

"Feel better? Can you sleep now?" Yuki questioned.

"That wasn't what was bothering me," Tohru murmured.

"Then what is?"

"You."

Yuki held back any signs of shock, keeping his mouth in a straight line and the rest of his face expressionless. Had he done something to offend her? He didn't recollect doing anything hurtful to her. He had patiently let her play nurse with his wound without voicing a single complaint, and he hadn't kept the cut a secret from her. Yuki wasn't sure what he had done this time to upset her. Usually his secrecy was what bothered her, but he was sure he wasn't hiding anything from her, except for their past –which she had agreed to allow him to tell her about later. Regardless, the reason for her ill feelings toward him was less important than making her feel at ease.

"Would you like me to leave?" Yuki offered, trying his best not to sound hurt.

"No, that's not what I meant!" Tohru squealed, wrapping her arms tightly around his chest.

"Then what?"

Yuki was truly baffled now. At least she wasn't angered with him. That alleviated some of his fear, but he was not even a step closer to figuring out the source of Tohru's misery. He flipped onto his side, facing her, hoping to convey to her some of his desire for an explanation, but she seemed reluctant to tell him anything. Tohru kept her face buried in his chest, either ignoring his perplexed look or not noticing it. With two fingers, he tilted her face up, making her meet his eyes as he tacitly urged her to continue talking.

"I'm worried about the future…" Tohru finally confessed, trailing off shyly.

"About our future?" he asked.

Tohru nodded in affirmation. He crushed her against his chest, stroking her hair. That was the last thing he wanted her to worry about. There wasn't much he could think of to sooth her over the subject of their future. He was well aware of the shakiness of their future. About anything could crumble the miniscule chance that they'd end up together. Yuki would bet anything he had that their relationship was a well-known fact to both of their families now and that they were rummaging through every nook and cranny for them, ready to ruin their hope of staying together. He knew that, but he'd rather keep Tohru in the dark. Worrying would do them no good. He'd rather have her joyful if these days here were meant to be that last he ever shared with her.

"Oh Tohru… There's nothing to be worried about," Yuki reassured her, "We'll be together… I know it."

"I'm worried about before."

"What about before?"

"Before we're able to be together… I'm worried about what they're going to do when they find us…." Tohru told him.

Understanding finally reached Yuki. He could follow her worries now –or so he thought. When their families located them, there was sure to be a bout of violence, and he naturally assumed she was fretting over any potential injuries she might receive because of that. This would be a simple fix. He'd just have to explain to her how it was impossible for him to even let her get a single scratch. Too bad he didn't realize he had already diverged from the actual trail of her thoughts.

"I won't let them hurt you. I promise…." Yuki vowed.

"That's what I'm worried about! I don't want you to!" Tohru exclaimed.

Tohru pushed him away a bit, folding her arms across her chest with the most determined expression he had ever seen across her face. She almost appeared to be furious, but there was too much fret in her eyes to display the emotion of anger properly. Yuki was completely lost now. He didn't have any grasp of her words anymore. She was worried about what would happen if their families located them, but she didn't want him to help her out if someone was going to harm her?

"You don't want me to save you?"

Tohru nodded in confirmation to his utter bewilderment. Did she seriously expect him to allow anyone to lay a finger on her with malicious intents? He would have suspected her of joking if it weren't for the obvious expectant look in her eyes. She was really asking him not to do a thing if someone tried to hurt her. He shook his head in refusal. Yuki would normally give her anything she asked for, but this he could not bring himself to oblige with. He loved her too much and knew her too well to agree with such a plan when he knew she was the opposite of masochistic.

"You want me to let them hurt you? Is that what you're saying?"

"Yes! If they want to hurt me, let them. Don't come near. I don't want them to lay a finger on you…. If they take me back, I want you to stay here. Don't run after me, don't fight, don't try anything. Please. Don't do anything for me," she pleaded.

"I can't do that, Tohru…. How can you expect me to sit by and let someone harm you?" Yuki asked.

"You'll make me worry about you…. What if you get hurt again? What would I do then, Yuki-kun?" Tohru cried.

She had no idea she could worry this much until today's robbery. Tohru knew one thing for sure, and that was she never wanted to experience such concern and helplessness again. She didn't want him to get hurt again. It'd hurt her too much to know he was in pain when she was unable to help, and he was bound to get hurt if he tried fighting against gangs of guards. Regardless of how talented of a fighter he was, he'd never be able to defeat trained and armed guards, and then they'd take her away, preventing her from ever learning whether he got better or not. That fear and worry, she could only imagine, would swallow her whole. She wouldn't be able to handle it on her own. Wasn't he aware that he was the single most valuable thing to her in the whole world? Losing him would be unacceptable.

"I could ask you the same thing," he responded slowly.

"It's not the same! It doesn't matter if I die or get hurt! I don't care. I just want you to be all right!" Tohru blubbered to him.

"How can you say it doesn't matter if you die or get hurt? It matters to me, silly. I would never be able to live with myself if that were to happen."

"You don't love me as much as I love you."

She ran her face against her arms, drying her tears. Tohru peeked up at him, shocked to find a pained expression across his face. Her eyebrows knitted together in confusion, not understanding his expression. Tohru didn't understand why he was even looking at her like that now. She didn't like that look though. It almost made her worry as much as she did when she learned of his cut. If he was upset because she was, which was usually the reason he got upset, he could just agree with her demands, and she'd be happy again, but he didn't seem to be willing to do that.

"Oh really? I'd beg to differ," Yuki challenged her, "You honestly think you love me more than I love you?"

Tohru ignored his questions.

"Promise me you won't come after me if someone comes to take me back. Promise me that you won't fight anyone that's trying to take me back, please?" Tohru insisted, balling her hands into fists.

"No…. Even if I promised you now, I'd never follow through with it. I love you too much to do either of those," Yuki refused calmly.

"Fine," Tohru muttered, flipping over and turning away from him.

Yuki wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her back towards him. Tohru struggled in his arms, trying to get away in vain. She gave up after a minute but continued to squirm a little with occasional sounds of disapproval. Yuki slipped one arm out from under her, propping himself up a bit to catch a glimpse of her face. He stared at her forcibly unhappy expression, entertained by this. By the color creeping up her face, he could tell she'd forgive him soon enough if she truly was as angry as she tried to appear.

"Are you mad at me, Tohru?" he pried gently.

"No…." Tohru denied softly.

"Yes, you are. You're actually mad?" Yuki laughed in amazement.

"It's not amazing! You're the one who doesn't get upset!" Tohru shot back.

She pushed herself up, mimicking his sitting position. Seeing his own grin, she found it tempting to beam with him. Fighting a smile, she continued trying to be irked at him. Why couldn't he act reasonable for once? She was upset with him. He shouldn't be smiling at that and making it hard for her to remain infuriated. He gave her everything else she wanted, yet he wouldn't agree to this, the one thing she wanted most? Her lip quivered as she fought to uphold her composure. She wanted to cry. Tohru found herself pressed against his chest within a second, and she didn't even bother to break free. He was being cruel and unfair. He knew she wouldn't be able to resist his comforting arms.

"I'm sorry, Tohru…. Don't be mad at me… I love you. Don't do this to me…. I can't stand it when you're angry with me," Yuki breathed.

"Then promise me," Tohru mumbled.

"I can't, Tohru. I'd be lying to you."

"Then lie to me…." Tohru wept, "I'm so scared, Yuki-kun…."

"Don't be. Nothing bad is going to happen to me. I can defend myself just fine. It's you I'm worried about…. Everyone just loves to take you away from me," Yuki disagreed with a small smile.

Tohru squeezed him tightly, urging her tears to stop already. Yuki muttered appeasing words into her ear, alternating soothing sentences with gentle kisses on her cheek. His fingers traced comforting patterns across her arms as he attempted to hinder her tears. Yuki didn't understand why he was so much better at causing her tears rather than stop them, especially since he hated doing the first, but how could she expect him to cooperate with such an outrageous request? He was aware of the fact that she didn't believe he loved her, but he thought she, at least, knew he cared for her enough to never willingly go along with such a plea.

"Hush, Tohru. There's nothing to be afraid of…. I'll be with you forever. Don't you concern yourself with that changing."

"You can't guarantee that…" Tohru choked out.

He sighed, "You're right… I'm sorry… I really can't promise that I'll end up with you after all of this… I can't say for sure that we'll get married one day and have a big family, but that doesn't change the fact that I want that."

"I do too…"

Yuki leaned over and kissed her cheek, "I really have no right to tell you not to worry, but what good will wishing and dreading the future do? There's a chance that I'll never see you again after tonight, but why would I focus on that? It'd be like losing you more than once, and I don't think I can handle that. Once would probably be enough to kill…. But Tohru, do you see my point? Why are you focusing on the what ifs when you can think about now? Aren't you happy now? Wouldn't you rather focus on what we have now instead of what might happen later?"

"How can I be happy if I don't know what's going to happen to us?"

Uncertainty flowed through her body, coursing along with her blood and trailing behind her every thought. She hated it. Sometimes security was too much to ask for, a luxury too grand for even royalty. A future with Yuki wasn't something even a hundred guards could ensure for her. Only divinities had a role in that, but they were hardly generous with their distributions of happiness. Tohru knew she should be grateful for how long she had been able to see Yuki with their families being the worst of enemies, but it wasn't enough to sustain her. Yuki was her love, a necessity as vital as air to her at this point. She wouldn't be able to survive long without her prince.

"Nothing is going to happen to us. Nothing will change what we have. My heart will always be yours, and I'll never stop loving you, no matter what. Not in ten years, not in a hundred, regardless of where we end up. You'll always be in here," Yuki told her, placing his hand over his heart.

Tohru peered up at him, letting both of her hands join his. She was silent as she dragged her finger around his hand, tracing it on his chest. Leaning her forehead against the tower of their hands, she kept silent. Tohru wished she believed his words more than she did. She'd love to think that he'd remember her and love her until he died and possibly after that, but human memories weren't made to last that long. She'd continue to love him, of course. He wasn't very forgettable. He defied human logic. She doubted anyone could forget someone like him, no matter how brief the contact.

Their breathing was the only sound that rung in the air for a few minutes.

"Won't I always be in here?" he asked, moving his hand over to her heart.

She blushed instantly but nodded. She rested her hands over his hand, keeping it over her heart. She held it there gently, wary of the injury. For once, she wasn't bothered by the fact that he could tell how flustered she was at the moment by the sporadic beats of her erratic heart.

"Yes… Of course… But I don't think that's going to be enough. I know... You've given me more than enough memories, but it's not enough for me. I want more. I want you…" Tohru admitted softly, feeling a bit greedy.

"I am yours," he reassured her.

Tohru flashed him a weak smile, snuggling against him. He knew just the words that would ease her woes. She cocked her face upwards, letting him peck her lips quickly before she resumed her cuddling as he moved onto playing with her hair. Her wish for the day was forgotten as she accepted the fact that he'd never agree to it. There was no point in pushing it and driving them apart, and he did have a point. Assuming the worst for the future wasn't doing her any good. She beamed slightly, using his arm as a pillow as she shut her eyes, ready for slumber.

"I love you…"

His words had comforted her enough to let her sleep again, but in the morning, her thoughts of their separation returned almost instantly. She knew he was aware of what was whirling through her head as soon as he awoke, but his soothing statements ceased to be a source of relief any longer. She didn't understand how he could be so confident with the idea of them being together for the rest of their lives when she wasn't even positive that she'd see him again the next day. She loved him, and forever hardly sounded adequate enough for her, but she couldn't be guaranteed that she'd even get that eternity with him. Both their families were searching for the two of them, eager to bring them back to their future spouses.

She was too distracted to keep him much company through breakfast, but he didn't complain. Tohru didn't say much up until he led her to the lobby where they separated for their tasks. Tohru, still worried about his injury, refused to let him do anything but sit by Uo and help her sort papers. Yuki grudgingly agreed, seeing as there wasn't much else for Tohru to do after their cleaning from yesterday. She was only left to experiment with the vacuum today, something she had not had the honor of trying before.

It didn't take her more than an hour to shove the vacuum all around the hallways, and she was back by Yuki as soon as she had stuffed the device back into the closet. She immediately took a seat beside him resting her head on his shoulder as he continued placing different bills into neat piles. He didn't say anything to her, respecting her fondness for silence at the moment. Yuki simply wrapped one of his arms around her and kissed her on the forehead before going back to his sorting. Tohru felt a bit cheered by his gesture, but the end just seemed near, and she couldn't stop her depression.

She didn't know what she would do when he wasn't there with her anymore.

She could have cried at the moment, despite how fretful that would have made Yuki, but luckily, her distraction came in the form of the blonde woman seated at her left, who was aching for a better story than those printed in her magazine. Clearly expecting a long story, she set down the booklet she had been skimming and turned towards Tohru, propping her head up with her arm before starting her interrogations.

"So Tohru… How did you meet Yuki?" Uo started.

"Oh… That's a long story… We met a year ago when he saved my life," Tohru responded with a faint smile.

"So it was love at first sight?"

Tohru responded with a bright red face. She was too embarrassed to say anything. This was the second time someone had told her that. By now, she had been with Yuki long enough to know she did love him back then. Granted, it hardly compared to how much she loved him now, but the affection was definitely love. It baffled her. There was no such thing as falling in love with someone at first sight, but what could explain the instant attraction she felt? Tohru looked down timidly, making Yuki smile.

"Umm… Do you love someone, Uo-chan?" Tohru asked, switching the topic away from her and Yuki.

"I have a boyfriend. His name is Kureno. He owns this place. And he, by the way, would like to speak to you about the supposed break in last night," Uo added the last part to Yuki.

"Where is he?" Yuki asked.

"Somewhere in the back resolving some issue about a busted hot water pipe in someone's apartment. He should come here within half an hour. Feel free to wait here and finish sorting those bills, but I think I'm going to take Tohru along with me to the spa. She looks like she needs some relaxation," Uo grinned as she tugged Tohru away from Yuki.

"She does," Yuki agreed quickly.

"B-But!" Tohru began to protest, but no one was listening to her.

Yuki cheerfully waved to her after slipping a few bills from his pocket into Uo's palm to pay for Tohru. Tohru reluctantly allowed Uo to take her to the spa, although Uo was forced to drag the brunette along into the car and then into the building. As relaxing as a massage usually tended to be, it was no surprise to Uo that all of Tohru's woes seemed to have disappeared by the time they were exiting. With her anxiety carefully packed into the back of her mind, Tohru was grinning and bouncing into the car as they returned back, acting like her normal self.

When they got back to the apartment complex, Tohru got in just in time to see a man with brownish red hair exiting the lobby and clamoring down the corridor towards the back of the room. Tohru could only assume the man was Kureno, Uo's boyfriend, seeing as she caught a brief glimpse through the window of him talking to Yuki with a grave expression. She imagined Kureno would be the only person who had something to say to Yuki with that kind of face with them having to discuss the break-in.

She couldn't identify Yuki's emotions with his back turned to her, but as soon as she stepped through the entrance, he turned to face her, as if he knew it was her who was entering. Whatever he was feeling a minute ago was instantly concealed with a bright smile. Tohru couldn't tell if he was genuinely pleased with her return or if he was trying to hide something from her with one of those smiles that made her thoughts turn into mush. Either way, she was too cheerful to care to fuss over the motives behind the upward turn of his lips. Tohru just happily sank into his arms.

"How was your day?" he asked simply.

"It went really well! Thank you! Yuki-kun, you should have come! Talking about a break-in couldn't have been very fun," Tohru pointed out with a small frown.

"Well, someone had to do it."

His words hardly registered in her mind. Tohru placed her hand on his cheek, looking into his grey eyes worriedly. She cocked her head from side to side, examining his face. Her eyebrows furrowed with concern. She couldn't place her finger on it, but something didn't seem right to her. Yuki peered back at her innocently before finding a loose lock of her hair and gave it a gentle tug. Tohru swatted his hand away with a smile. He seemed to enjoy making her hair look like a disaster. Yuki beamed at her as he reached up to brush the side of her face with the tips of his fingers. His soft touch sent shivers down her back as he put both of his hands on her shoulders.

"What? Do I have something on my face?" he inquired.

"No… You just look pale. Is something wrong?" Tohru asked.

"Nothing is wrong. It was just a surprise to find out that Uotani-san's boyfriend, Kureno, is a Sohma."

"A Sohma? So he's part of your family?"

Tohru stared at him incredulously. That didn't sound like good news at all. She couldn't recall Yuki mentioning a Kureno from his family though, so she wasn't sure what to make of the fact that he now knew that she and Yuki were here. She hoped he was a good member of his family that Yuki had forgotten to mention to her yesterday. Tohru didn't want this Kureno to inform either of their families of where they were and ruin the little arrangement they had.

"Yes. He's a cousin of mine that I was not very close with. I only really recall him leaving a couple of years ago… Don't worry though. He won't tell anyone…" he reassured her before she could even ask.

Uo, not having run all the way from the car to the hotel like Tohru, just entered the apartment now. Already, she was used to the affection between the two. It didn't shock her in the least bit to find them embracing in the middle of the lobby, although her appearance did humiliate Tohru, who took a step away from Yuki to his displeasure. She slipped her hand into his, trying to make up for her retreat, but it didn't seem to have any effect other than making him use it as a means to tug her back towards him.

Uo casually strode over to them, "So how did you like Kureno?"

"Actually… I already knew him," Yuki shrugged indifferently, "He used to live by me."

"Really? Small world," Uo commented.

Yuki nodded in agreement, noting that Uo didn't seem to know where it was that Kureno used to live. He didn't feel obligated to inform her that where he and Kureno came from was a palace though, seeing as that was Kureno's business and not his, but he did feel a need to drag Tohru back to their apartment and actually spend some time with her today. He and Tohru were about to return to their own apartment, but they were stopped by the entrance of an all too familiar brunette man. It was none other than their friend from their train. Yuki groaned at the sight.

"Yoohoo!" Manabe called in an energetic voice, prancing over to Tohru and Yuki.

"Why are you here? What do you want?" Yuki demanded instantly, "Are you following us or something?"

"Yep. But I got lost," Manabe nodded matter-of-factly.

"May I ask why you are following us?"

"Sure. I'm doing it because those are my orders from the commander," Manabe answered.

"Commander?"

Yuki was growing more confused by the second. First, the guy admits to be stalking them, now he brings up a commander who's ordering him to do this? Did this guy even have a steady train of thought? He kept hopping from one subject to another, and Manabe now had his attention focused on Tohru. He had her tiny hand gripped in his, about to plant a kiss on her pale skin, but Yuki yanked Tohru away from Manabe before he could. He didn't like this Manabe creature from the beginning, but Yuki liked him less now that he had just tried to kiss Tohru.

"Don't touch her!" Yuki snapped, holding Tohru against his chest protectively.

Tohru flushed, clutching Yuki tightly as her feet dangled in the air.

"You're possessive, aren't you?" Manabe teased.

His words made Tohru cheeks darken further. She felt the blood rush to her face as Yuki moved her to his other side, keeping himself between her and Manabe. Tohru embraced Yuki tightly, hoping to calm him down in attempt to prevent a violent outbreak. She was positive that Yuki would willingly injure Manabe until he couldn't move at the moment. She could tell Yuki had already lost his patience with Manabe, but she found it odd how he could be glaring at Manabe with so malevolence, yet hold her so gingerly at the same time. Yuki brushed her actions off as fear, making her sigh.

"Who is the commander, and why did he send you here?" Yuki hissed through gritted teeth.

"The commander? He's Yun Yun's brother! Him and Tohru's brother told me to come here to help your relationship," Manabe replied.

"Niisan? He did this? Remind me to kill my brother later…." Yuki muttered in an offhand tone.

"Kill brother later. I'll be sure to remind you," Hana whispered, seemingly appearing out of nowhere.

Tohru squawked out of fright as Yuki flinched. Manabe seemed to jump a couple of feet with an expression of downright terror which made Yuki laugh despite his anger at the moment. Tohru was glad she wasn't the only one who had been evidently scared. She loosened her grip around Yuki's neck, stopping her chokehold. She wasn't sure she'd ever get used to Hana's mysterious appearances. She frowned apologetically at Yuki as she noticed the red ring around his neck. Yuki shook his head at Tohru with a smile before turning back towards Manabe.

"Whatever. We don't need your help. Our relationship is just fine," Yuki muttered as he walked off with Tohru still lifted in his arms.

Manabe chased after them, "But you do! I bet you two haven't even done it yet!"

"That's none of your business," Yuki retorted coolly.

The brunette man made a displeased face, grunting, "If you live in the same place, sleep in the same bed, and still haven't done anything, you do need my help!"

"Is that so? Well, I still don't think so," Yuki muttered as he stepped through the door, waving with a smile as he shut the door in Manabe's face.

Tohru's face was an unhealthy shade of red as Yuki set her down on the floor. She wasn't sure if she was more humiliated or fretful. She didn't like hearing that there was something wrong with the relationship she had with Yuki. Manabe hadn't even known them for more than a couple of days, and if he could already see something that wasn't right about her bond with Yuki, maybe there really was a problem. She personally liked what they had, but what about how Yuki felt?

"Yuki, is there really something wrong with our relationship?" Tohru whispered frantically.

"Of course not. Like I said, our relationship is just fine... Unless you think there is something wrong with it," Yuki raised his eyebrows questioningly.

Tohru shook her head, "No, no! I don't! But I-I just want it to be more than fine… I w-want you to l-like it too…"

"I do. Don't be ridiculous. I love what we have. I love being with you. I love you," he reminded her.

Tohru flushed, but she wasn't fully convinced by those words even if his voice was coated with genuine honesty. She peered up at him uneasily. There was nothing special about her. Why would Yuki cherish what they had so much? She was just another overly shy girl who blushed at every romantic gesture, but he loved her regardless, and for that, she'd be forever grateful to that driver who had almost killed her with his broken brakes. If it weren't for him, she would have never gotten the chance to meet Yuki, and a life without Yuki wouldn't be much of a life at all, so she was determined to keep Yuki content. She never wanted him to have a reason to break up with her.

"So you don't mind if we go slower than everyone else?" Tohru whispered.

"Not at all. I know you're still a bit afraid because of him," Yuki smiled at her.

"Th-That's not an excuse anymore! That was m-months ago!" Tohru stammered.

"You don't get over things like that so quickly, Tohru. Don't be absurd," Yuki muttered.

"I'm not being absurd. It wasn't that serious," Tohru insisted, folding her arms across her chest.

"So you wouldn't mind having another guy you hardly know kiss you right now?" Yuki questioned in an unintentionally sharp voice.

Tohru's mouth dropped open to respond, but she had no words to say. She vehemently shook her head back and forth for a minute, denying what he said. She hadn't meant to give him the impression that she wanted to share a kiss with another random man. She didn't want any other guy to kiss her. Only Yuki. Tohru only stopped shaking her head when she started to get dizzy and almost fell over. Tohru gazed up at him helplessly, begging him to understand, but he just stared back at her, waiting for her to say something.

"N-No! That's not what I meant!" Tohru squealed.

"Then what do you mean?"

"I'm s-sorry, Yuki-kun… I d-didn't mean to m-make you m-mad…. P-Please forgive me?" Tohru pled.

Five minutes ago, she would have admitted she wanted him to get angry with her. At least once. It wasn't normal to be this calm. She hated the fact that she was the only one who had ever felt ill feelings towards the other. She regretted having that desire now. It made her feel miserable to see his anger directed towards her. Her eyes were already misty with tears, blinding her with a watery veil, so she didn't see his arms shoot out and wrap around her, pulling her towards him.

"Shh… I'm not mad at you…." Yuki whispered to her.

"Y-You were…" Tohru whimpered.

"Never," he denied.

"B-But… Fighting… We were… I-I mean… We were fighting," Tohru stuttered.

Yuki shook his head with a smile, planting a kiss on the side of his head. He felt guilty about making her cry. In twenty four hours, he had made her weep a ridiculous amount. He wouldn't have pushed the issue if he knew it'd make her cry. He had only meant to convince her that there was nothing wrong with the pace of their physical relationship. He shouldn't have brought up her near rape situation. He could have perfectly reassured her by insulting Manabe's intelligence. Who was Manabe to say how their relationship should be anyways?

"No… We were disagreeing over how serious your situation with Akito was."

"It's the same thing."

"I wasn't mad at you," Yuki repeated firmly.

Tohru didn't say anything, simply clinging to him. She wasn't sure she liked this very much. They had never fought before. They had always agreed on almost everything before. The air of tranquility that surrounded them was never broken, not by him at least. She had yelled at him and slapped him before, of course, but never had he raised his voice towards her until now. She didn't like the sound. Regardless, she knew it'd be unfair to request that he never get angry with her if she allowed herself to snap at him and even hit him. He had yet to raise his hand against her, and even now, she could hardly consider his words shouting. If she hadn't known his voice so well, she wouldn't have even noticed it had been raised a decibel.

"I don't like arguing," Tohru murmured.

"It's perfectly normal to disagree every once in a while. You can't expect us to agree on everything, can you?"

"No… But-"

"No buts. If we fight, then we fight. Don't worry about it. We'll make up in the end, I guarantee it, or I'd just give in and agree with you," Yuki assured her.

"Why would you do that?" Tohru asked, baffled.

"Because I hate to see you upset," he stated simply with a shrug, "So smile for me."

He released her, placing both of his hands on her face and pushing the ends of her mouth upwards with his thumbs. Tohru grinned, giggling cheerfully. She threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. She knew he thought he was especially skilled at bringing about her tears, but she thought he was better at making her smile. He beamed back at her, letting his hands slide off her face. This is what he preferred. Her laugh. It was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard in his entire life. It made Beethoven's compositions sound like failures rather than great musical sympathies.

"I love you."

"I know, you remind me everyday, but you never seem to want to believe that I love you more," Yuki mused.

"That's because you don't," Tohru shook her head, still beaming.

"Looks like someone's in denial," Yuki laughed.

"I am not!"

"I love you, Tohru," Yuki smiled, bringing her face to his.

"D-Don't change the subject-"

The rest of her sentence was cut off by his lips crashing against hers. Their brief argument –if that's what it could even be considered as-over who loved the other more was immediately disregarded as she pressed her lips against his. Forget being good at making her cry or at cheering her up, he was especially gifted at distracting her. She got on the tips of her toes, completely consumed by the fiery kiss. He was cheating, making her thoughts jumble together like this. He chuckled after breaking the contact.

"What was that you were saying?" Yuki inquired politely.

She stared blankly at him, having forgotten even saying anything.

"What?"

He laughed to himself, "Never mind. Just know I really do love you more than you possibly could ever love me."

Tohru gasped and shook her head again, "Y-You do not!"