Title: 25. less remain in one place

Pairing/Character/s: Yuki/Machi

Word Count: 635 words

Summary: Machi chases down Yuki.

A/N: Random fluff from Chapter 100. After all my midterms, this is what I have. Does anyone know when Yuki started calling Machi by her first name?

Machi can't explain the dart of exhilaration when she sees the flash of silver hair going inside the school. All she knows is that fifteen seconds later, she's already outside the classroom, shoving aside random people. Wasting no time, she scans the hallways for him.

At once, the excitement is replaced with doubt. Why was she running to him? Why would he care if she said 'Good morning' anyway? Shamefaced, Machi lets herself imagine Yuki laughing in her face. Even so, her heartbeat is quickening, her eyes furtively straining to catch a glimpse of him. The world must be ending because all that doubt gets pushed away.

Her mind whirs madly as she strides down the hallways with purpose. He was probably still near the entrance. She could still catch him.

There's a tense pause before she enters the lobby. Then, impatiently, she rushes in. She scans the lobby carefully. He's not there.

Machi makes a face. Now she has a choice: abandon the insane search or keep going. She's just about to trudge back up the stairs when a shout breaks through the hallway rush.

"President!" "Sohma-kun!"

She takes off again before logic intervenes, following the shouts. People are swarming before her in a sick game of catch. They get shoved aside.

Machi pushes past them, desperately searching for the ridiculous, bright hair.

Lungs are heaving for breath and sweat is starting to collect on the back of her neck. Still she runs because this is something real and imperfect and something important to herself- Machi slows to a stop at this thought.

When had it become so dramatic? "I'm...just...saying...hi..." she gasps, ignoring strange looks.

Luckily, the hallways are filled with girls carrying finished paper flowers. The ones with hearts in their eyes are marking a neat 'Yuki Sohma was here' trail. The girl smiles, about to corner her prey.

Machi turns the corner and finally sees him. She's horribly aware of how she must look, panting, red in the face with an evil glare directed at him. She wants to turn back and hide behind the corner, but her pride forces her to stand there.

"Machi!" the surprise and delight in his demeanor warms her. "What are you doing here?"

Her mind goes blank for a second. "Unpredictable... you move unpredictably..."

His eyes widen in concern. "Oh, sorry! Did you need me for something?"

She looks up at Yuki Sohma's open face and all the words she imagined she'd say, all the topics bubbling in her head pop. She turns away, blushing red. "Nothing."

But he's too smart for that. "You're panting and sweating from the run and don't have anything to say?"

This turned out to be a lot harder than the scenario in her head made it appear. Machi studiously avoids his eyes. "I...just wanted to say hi." Then, as an afterthought to show how little this meant, she turned to him, adding, "That's all."

This time he doesn't try to pull her back when she walks away. Machi can almost hear the gears in Yuki's brain turning. She's about to turn the corner, hands fisting around her forgotten origami flower when she feels the hand, warm and soft, resting on her head. "Thank you."

Machi flushes in humiliation, wrenching her head away and tossing the convenient flower at him. He smiles in amusement, staring at the bundle of wrinkled paper. Yuki turns it this way and that, confused.

He turns kind eyes towards her. She silently dares him to comment. Yuki holds it up, letting the thin white paper catch the morning light. "What is it?" he teases.

"It's a flower!"

"Really? Are you sure?" She bitterly notes her lack of domesticity. But he is the only one who ignores it, turning to her with a brilliant smile.

"Hi, Machi."