Title: 22. potentiality knocks on the door of my heart

Pairing/Character/s: Yuki/Machi, Ayame/Mine

Word Count: 570 words

Summary: When Ayame spots Yuki so far away from Shigure's house, curiosity urges him to follow!

A/N: A fedora looks like a cowboy hat with a tinier brim. Google it if you can't imagine it. Ayame's hairstyle here is self-explanatory, but first appears in Ch. 21. It's when he treats Tohru to dumplings and explains why Yuki hates him. C'mon, you guys know what I'm talking about. 'Gure' is of course, Shigure. 'Nii-san' is Older Brother, blah blah blah.

One glance in the store window tells Ayame the worst: He's having a bad hair day. This is the second one he's suffered his entire life. Even an arsenal of hair care products cannot fix the frizz...

So he's wearing a hat.

And of course, it's not just any hat. This is still Ayame. He's sporting a chic black fedora with a leopard print trim. His messy hair threatens to take escape from its careful side braid. This is even though it has suffered through three coats of mousse, hairspray, and a funny smelling wax.

Ayame is adjusting his hat when he sees another flash of gray hair in the window. It's Yuki!

He spins around, easily spotting his brother across the street. Just as Ayame is about to wave and scream a greeting, he realizes where he is. These stores aren't near Gure's house or Yuki's apartment.

Curiosity piqued, Ayame decides to follow Yuki. His little brother seemed to be heading towards the apartments... without looking at the street signs! He'd been here before! He knew his way!

"Ayame, what are you doing?" He suddenly had to look up at Mine, which made him realize he was crouching behind a bush.

"Yuki."

She immediately dropped down, voice hushed and eyes glittering. "And I just bought a princess dress! It would look perfect on him! Where is he?"

Ayame caught Yuki turning at the corner. "Yuki has turned! See the way my wonderful brother glides down the jagged pathway of life with ease! He is glowing, he is sparkling in the setting sun amongst other humans-"

Mine took his hand and proceeded to pull him straight down the empty street in the drizzling rain. They hid behind a garbage bin, shocked to see Yuki enter a building.

Ignoring stealth they ran inside, and pushed several doorbells to get inside. Yuki was the only person walking around so it was easy to follow him up the stairs. Yuki finally stopped in front of a door, unlocking it himself. Ayame gasped. Yuki had a secret apartment!

Yuki turned at the sound to see his older brother and Mine hiding by the staircase.

"What are you two doing?" Yuki asked slowly, afraid of the answer.

Ayame walked over with confidence, meeting Yuki's confused eyes. "I wanted to know why my brother has a secret apartment." As he said this, he discreetly turned the doorknob and pushed open the door.

Yuki tried to close the door but Ayame was already inside. "Nii-san, get out." Ayame started picking up the random trash in the apartment with disgust.

"How could you, Yuki?! We swore that glorious day with burning passion i to never allow secrets into our brotherhood!"

"We never swore! Stop-" Yuki stops, eyes zeroed in somewhere else.

Meanwhile, Ayame has also noticed the scent of perfumed soaps and hot water. He turns to seee what Yuki is staring at.

Machi stands in the hallway like a glistening statue. One hand is in the middle of ruffling her wet hair, the other is gripping the very short towel wrapped around herself. Water droplets cling to her skin; she's just finished a shower.

Slowly Ayame smiles. "Mine owes me 10,000 yen. I knew there was a spark of passionate love growing within your fragile hearts that day-"

"Get. Out."

Yuki and Machi say this at the exact same time. It's enough for Ayame to predict marriage.

A/N: PM me or review with any questions, comments, criticisms... At least this one was funny?