Author's Note: Hello! So, here is the next chapter, which starts with Tohru's letter :). I hope you all like it, and there is only one more real chapter to go before the epilogue. Thank you for all of your kind responses and feedback and I hope everyone is doing well!

Chapter 16

"We'll leave behind a life and time we'll never know again"—Leann Rimes.

To my Yuki-kun,

I hope you're smiling and laughing and happy; you deserve to be. You are one of the best people I have ever known, and one day, you'll know this without someone else having to tell you. You are a wonderful, beautiful person inside and out; please continue to let others see the real you. Never let what anyone else says cause you to hide who you are or who you want to be ever again.

You and Machi should get married when it is warm, though you should have the wedding inside because of your allergies. You don't want to have red eyes in your wedding pictures. I know from experience, because I did. I cried so much you would have thought it was a funeral, but I was so happy. Who knew happiness would make for such ugly pictures! But Kyo-chan hung several of them over the mantle, so that all of our company can see what a blissful mess I was in my white dress. Kyo-chan looked so handsome though; he was glowing. He always glows when he's content, when he's enjoying himself, when he's being himself.

Make sure he keeps glowing, Yuki-kun. He doesn't think he can shine without me, but he can. He can do anything. He still hurts inside from his mom and his dad and the way he was treated. He won't say anything, but he gets quiet sometimes and sometimes he thinks he's not good enough for me or anyone. Don't let him sink into that hole, Yuki-kun. Help him figure out that he doesn't need me; help him move on. I don't want him to forget me and "us", but I want him to be happy.

Yuki-kun, you are the best for wanting to look after my Kyo for me. When it comes down to it, the only person I really trust to do it is you. You and he have always had a special connection. You were born to be friends. I wish I could have done more to bring you two together. I had planned to do so much with you and Machi. I wanted to go on couples vacations and have dinners and parties. I wanted to see your wedding and to wish you luck.

I'm wishing you luck now. You are a force to be reckoned with Yuki Sohma, believe that. You always go on about how I changed your life, but it's time for you to know how you changed mine. I was in a dark place before I met you, Yuki-kun. My mother was gone and I had no family but my grandfather who was too old to really be what I needed. You, and Shigure-san and Kyo-chan became my new family. YOU filled me. I suddenly had a new purpose and a place to belong. If you and Kyo-chan were near, I was home.

If I hadn't met you that day in the woods, in my silly tent, I don't know what would have happened to me. If I hadn't stumbled upon your family secret and you hadn't let me in as you did, things might have turned out so differently; I know that the life I would have had would not have been as magical as the life I did. Isn't it wonderful how kind Fate can be sometimes?

If only I didn't have to leave you so soon. If only I didn't have to leave Kyo so soon. Here is a secret that I never told Kyo or anyone. I wanted to have a baby, Yuki-kun. I went to the doctor for my examination and I was going to ask about getting pregnant this year. Instead, my doctor asked me about the lump in my left breast and how long it had been there. I never got to talk about a baby after that. I cringe even now thinking what if I'd told Kyo about wanting a baby before this happened? He didn't say anything to me, but I know he would have loved to have a baby. He likes kids. He's wonderful with his young students, and I have seen him watching mothers pushing strollers and fathers buying diapers in the store.

I wanted to give him that. We wanted to raise a child and do everything right. The second guest room would have been for the baby. Kyo talked about building an addition onto the house, an extra bedroom. He didn't just want one baby. Oh, Yuki-kun, please take care of my baby, my Kyo. I know you can't be with him every moment of every day; you have your own life. But for a while, for a little while, can you be there? Don't let him forget to eat, or sleep. Don't let him quit what he loves.

Make sure he sells the house. He can't live in a shrine, and that is what the house will become. He'll wander around thinking of me, and nothing and no one else. When I'm in heaven, I know I'll miss my Kyo, but not so much that I'd want him to join me too soon. There was a time in his life when he thought he wanted to die, Yuki-kun. That time wasn't so long ago, not really. He says I'm the reason why he doesn't feel that way anymore, and I'm afraid. I'm so afraid. I can't ask you to save him from himself, but I know you'll try and not just for me. I know you love him, too.

I'm sorry to make this letter so serious. It's supposed to be a note to remind you of what a prince you truly are, but you don't need a note from me. I'm sure Machi tells you every day. She's such a lovely girl, Yuki. You have lots of kids, okay. They'll be so beautiful and wise and kind, and so good at math. Oh Yuki-kun, you are so brilliant with numbers and figures. The Rice Ball wouldn't have thrived as much as it has without your help. Do your best with my little bakery. Why don't you open a second location, like you suggested and I never got the chance to do? What fun you'll have, you, and Kyo-chan, and Machi.

I'm smiling as I write this because I see you all smiling at me through this page. I can see the future and you'll be together. It puts me at ease, and when I finally fall asleep at night it's because I'm thinking of that. You'll hurt, Kyo will hurt, but you'll get better; you'll help each other.

Yuki-kun I know that my Kyo will not be the only one in mourning. I don't want you to forget about yourself while trying to help him. Let Ayame-san and Hatori-san help you. Let Machi and your friend Kakeru comfort you. Talk to Hana-chan and Uo-chan and hug Kisa and Momiji. Be nice to Akito, too!

But most importantly, I want you smile. I want you to smile and to remind everyone else around you to smile when you think about me, because I love smiles—and I love you!

Hugs and Kisses and Rice Balls, and Kittens,

Eternally Yours,

Tohru Sohma

P.S. This is the end of my letter. The pages to follow are recipes for Kyo's favorite foods. I've written out how to make everything step-by-step. I know you can't cook, Yuki, but with cooking it's the thoughts and feelings that count most. Though the end product might be burned and yucky, you and Kyo-chan will have a good laugh during the process. Just don't burn down the house.

XO XO

Yuki read the letter three times, tears rolling down his face as he giggled. Oh, Tohru. If I'm a prince, you were a princess; a queen. He kissed the pages, inhaling the scent of her jasmine hand lotion. Of course he'd smile. Everyone should smile when remembering Tohru, the girl who thought Jason was a bear, and who would invite a burglar in for tea, and who could love free-loading customers who never bought anything.

The Rice Ball would become his priority. Hatori had been doing the work with hiring the general manager. Yuki would have to make himself part of that process. He'd also have to look into business real estate. How would opening a second Rice Ball in Tokyo work out, or perhaps The Rice Ball worked because it was in a tourist center with a loyal local crowd. He was going to make The Rice Ball the next big thing. He knew he could do it, because Tohru thought he could do it.

He took in a large breath and let it out with a sigh. He peered at the pages of recipes, and chuckled at the crude doodles Tohru had made to demonstrate how things needed to look and be done. He was going to cook for Kyo and maybe the reality that Yuki really just might burn down the house could bring Kyo back to them. Tohru said the feeling was what counted, and she was right in saying that Yuki loved Kyo. He'd never said it before and no one had ever mentioned it until now, but he did feel a connection, a bond with Kyo he didn't feel with Kakeru or anyone else. Even when he'd thought he hated Kyo, he'd felt connected. It had hurt to hate him as badly as it hurt to love him now.

Yuki was going to save his friend. He'd write a grocery list on the white board in the kitchen. Tomorrow morning at 6:00 am, he was going to the market with Kyo's cloth sack, and he'd pick out fresh ingredients.

Lead the way, Tohru. Lead the way.

(~*~)

"Yuki-dearest, what in the world are you doing? What is that?" Ayame kept one arm over his nose as he entered the kitchen and crept close to the stove.

Yuki stood over a steel pot stirring a concoction of coconut milk, whole milk, sugar and butter. The frothy white goo threatened to bubble over the pot and Yuki was quick to snatch it off the fire and hold it over the sink. "Yah!" The froth burned his bare fingers. He should have put on Tohru's chicken-shaped oven mitts.

Ayame rushed over. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine!" Yuki sucked at his burned thumb and index finger and glared down at the offending mix. "Can you get the spoon next to stove so I can stir it again?"

"Sure." Ayame moved away from him and returned, holding the large metal spoon Yuki had used to mix the ingredients. Yuki stuck it into the vat and stirred, frowning at the clumps at the bottom of the pan. He spooned a little of the mix out and scowled to find that it was brown. He'd burned it—again! And this was supposed to be the easiest recipe.

One more Indian-style rice pudding down the drain. Yuki ran water into the pot and moved away in disgust. It was a good thing he'd bought an abundance of all of the ingredients he was going to use.

"Yuki, what are you doing?" Ayame asked a second time. He sat on the counter watching Yuki measuring coconut milk and whole milk to pour into a well-used mixing bowl.

"What does it look like Ayame? I'm cooking," Yuki said. He opened the rabbit-shaped sugar bowl and scooped out three heaping tablespoons of white sugar. Tohru said to really load the spoonfuls up with sugar, meaning what Yuki was putting into the bowl wasn't really three tablespoons of sugar, but probably five or six. Why couldn't Tohru have just called for five or six spoons of sugar? The art of cooking still eluded him.

"But why? I mean no offense Little Brother, but you can burn water," Ayame said. "In fact, I believe I've seen you do it. Why don't you let Hatori cook this? He should be back soon."

"No," Yuki said firmly. "Tohru left the recipe to me, so that I could cook it." He nodded to the folder with brads that he kept Tohru's recipes in now. It sat on a small stand on the counter, away from the stove. "It's one of Kyo's favorite things to eat."

"Oh," Ayame said with a beam. "Oh, aren't you sweet? I would like to help!"

Yuki dumped the sugar in the bowl and added a fourth stick of butter. "You can help me try to make Tom Kha soup tonight. I think coconut milk hates me, and I'm hopeless with rice."

"And I make wonderful rice!" Ayame cheered. "And I'm sure coconut milk and I will make lovely friends. So, that's where you went so early this morning; you went to the market. I've never known you to rise before 7. Did you take Machi to the train station as well?"

"Yes, I dropped Machi off. She has an early class this morning. And as for the market, Kyo and Tohru insisted that the best produce comes out before 7," Yuki said, "and you beat the crowds and get to talk to the people who put out the goods. They're really nice. They asked after Kyo, you know? They saw his car pulling up and thought I was him until I went inside."

"Oh?"

"And I must admit I cheated. I don't know how to pick out fruit and vegetables and meat. The store manager walked around with me and my list and helped me pick everything. We even talked about The Rice Ball. Tohru and Kyo get a discount there and at a few other stores, too, but this guy, Mr. Mouri, is willing to sweeten the deal if The Rice Ball buys primarily from his store and advertises the fact. I'm going to meet with him again to go over some proposed sales figures."

Ayame nodded his head, remaining silent and smiling at him in a way that made Yuki stop stirring. "What, Nisan?"

"Nothing," Ayame said. "It's just… you're sparkling, my dear. It's like life has been injected back into you and it's positively infecting this kitchen and me too. What's happened, Yuki?"

Yuki grinned. "Tohru wrote me a letter and I finally read it. It's like she thought I hung the moon, and I can't let her down." Yuki peered into the bowl of white mix. "Okay, let's try this again." He got out another steel pot. He was running out of them and would have to do the wash soon. He buttered the base as Tohru advised and poured in the coconut milk goo and turned the flame on low.

"Nisan, you can shell the nuts and help me slice the fruit later," Yuki said. He glanced at the clock, 8:07 AM. Kyo might be up soon. He slept more than Yuki was used to him sleeping, but he still couldn't sleep past 8:30. Yuki had hoped to be done before Kyo entered the kitchen. Now he simply hoped to have a decent attempt started before Kyo came in.

As if knowing Yuki was thinking about him, Kyo padded into the room, his hair a spiky mess around his gaunt face. "My nose is completely blocked, but I can still smell that from my room. What the hell, Rat?"

Yuki smiled at him, wondering if his eyes could mimic a Tohru twinkle. "Kheer," he said, hoping he hadn't butchered the pronunciation too badly.

Kyo looked at him cross-eyed. "Kheer? Rice pudding? Wh—why are you making rice pudding, much less Indian rice pudding? Why are you using flames at all?" Kyo came closer, eyes going wide at the mess of used bowls and pots in the sink and the spilled sugar and coconut milk on the counter. His eyes fell on the grocery list Yuki had written out, lips moving over the ingredients. "You're going to make Tom Kha, too?"

"Yeah," Yuki said. "I thought it'd be fun."

"You thought cooking would be fun? You wrote that list and you went to the market?" Kyo stared. He looked at the clock. "You had to have gotten up at…."

"Five," Yuki said. "That's right. That's when the best stuff is out. Um… this should be ready in 35 minutes, if I don't burn it again."

Kyo shook his head, still looking incredulous. His mouth opened and closed. Then he bit his lip. "Why are you doing this Yuki?"

"Well, Tohru gave me a list of your favorite dishes, along with the recipes. I thought I'd try a few. This kitchen doesn't feel right unless someone's doing cooking experiments in it. Oh darn… it just keeps sticking to the bottom of the pot." Yuki growled as he tried to stir and was met with resistance.

"Because you're not stirring often enough," Kyo said. "How are you messing up the easy part? Here…." Kyo came to Yuki and butted him out of the way with his hip. "Look." He stirred roughly; then lightened his hand. "You're just trying to let this boil. You got the rice ready?"

"Yeah, it's been ready for an hour, when I first started doing this," Yuki said.

Kyo shook his head; then covered his mouth with the crook of his arm, stifling a cough. "Hopeless."

"Hey, I'm trying. I want to learn how to cook, Kyo," Yuki said. "It's time."

Kyo stirred and peered at Yuki with one brow raised. "You want to learn?"

Yuki nodded. "I've got plenty of time for you to teach me. I want to learn all of these recipes." Yuki nodded to the folder on the counter.

Kyo gazed at it and frowned. "What's that?"

"I told you, Tohru left me recipes. She wanted me to learn to cook," Yuki said.

"And you want me to teach you?" Kyo asked.

"Well, who better?" Yuki said. "It—it'll be fun. Come on. Show me how to get this pudding right, and then I want to taste it. I've never had it before."
A very faint smile curved Kyo's lips and a dull glimmer of amusement showed in his eyes. "What a little schemer my silly Rice Ball was."

Yuki's smile wavered a bit. Was Kyo going to close himself off, or grow melancholy? Yuki's shoulders slumped in relief as Kyo chuckled lightly. "All right, Rat. I'll teach you to cook… but first, yuck. What did you put in this?"

"Two cups of coconut milk, two cups of whole milk and three big tablespoons of sugar, and butter; that's what the recipe asked for," Yuki said. "Did I miss something?"

"How did you mix them, and did you melt the friggin' butter first, I feel a big glob of gunk in here…." Kyo pulled out the spoon and stared at the pat of yellow butter stuck to it.

Yuki blinked. Ayame covered his mouth, corners of his mouth quirking in spasms.

Kyo looked at Yuki then back at the spoon and started to laugh. Ayame soon joined him; then Yuki. It really wasn't that funny, but Yuki laughed until he hurt, until his cheeks were wet. Kyo turned the fire off under the pot and set the spoon down, leaning on the counter as he laughed.

"Oh man, what did I get myself into?" Kyo asked. He shook his head and went to the counter. "Geez, you buy the store?" He gazed at the cans of coconut milk, sticks of butter, jugs of milk, and piles of pistachios and almonds.

"Just about. I knew I'd mess up a lot, so I prepared," Yuki said. "I'm going to get it right."

Kyo looked at him for a long time, as if he was seeing someone else. "All right. Well, just watch what I do, and then you do it, too. We'll make two rice puddings."

Yuki felt giddy. Tohru was right; this was fun, and Kyo was so focused. He didn't have time to think about being sad as he worked with his hands. His cousin needed activity. Yuki followed Kyo's directions, watching his cousin skillfully mix ingredients and melt butter and use a whisk to fluff the mixture. It did not resemble Yuki's previous white sludge. When he tried, under Kyo's guidance, his didn't either.

All the while they worked, Kyo kept stealing strange glances at Yuki.

"What is it, Kyo?" Was he noticing the same difference Ayame had in him?

"Nothing, you just… remind me of… you know." Kyo went back to whisking. His face was a mask of concentration as he transferred mix to pot and turned on the fire. He stirred and tastes and added more sugar or more milk. He even went to the fridge and dropped in a bit of cream.

"The directions don't say that!" Yuki objected.

"Directions change," Kyo said. "You gotta taste it and adapt. If you wanna learn to cook, you gotta know that. Okay, now I'm gonna add the rice. See how I move the pot back and forth by just shaking my wrist real slow? That's gonna keep the bottom from scorching right now."

Yuki nodded, not sure if he could be that precise. He was going to make an unholy mess.

Kyo added his rice and let the pot sit on the stove. He reduced the fire until it was barely visible and set the baby chick timer for 20 minutes. "Okay, your turn."

"Yay," Yuki said without enthusiasm and Kyo snorted.

"Go for it Little Brother! Bonzai!" Ayame cheered.

In five minutes, Yuki's rice simmered alongside Kyo's. They took seats on the counter near the stove top, watching their rice. Ayame left the kitchen, nibbling on a pear and babbling about needing to call Mine about skirt measurements and fabric.

"Can I see your recipes?" Kyo asked in a soft voice and Yuki slid from his perch to bring Kyo Tohru's notes. He watched his cousin thumb through the blue pages. Kyo swallowed and nodded at what he read. "She simplified them all, for you." He grinned. "You're not gonna be able to make half this, though."

"I can!" Yuki said.

Kyo shook his head. "Not without my help. She knows—knew that. She's still taking care of me, isn't she?"

Yuki pulled himself back onto the counter, hip brushing Kyo's. "If anyone could figure out a way to do it, she could."

Kyo's mouth trembled and he passed Yuki's folder back to him. He covered his face with his hands. "I feel evil for laughing when she's not here. I feel wrong for having a good time."

"You're not evil or wrong. She wanted you to smile and be happy," Yuki said.

"She wanted everyone to smile and be happy. She can't—couldn't except that some people just can't. I can't—no, I don't want to. I'm too angry for that. I saw—I saw…." He trailed off.

"You saw what?" Yuki touched Kyo's shoulder, rubbing it. His cousin's breathing was rough and uneven.

"Behind her clothes, on a shelf, in a box, she had a scrapbook. It's pink and blue with a stork on the cover. It says: "Our Baby". The receipt was in it. She bought it a week before she went into testing."

Oh no. Tohru hadn't wanted Kyo to know.

"Our Baby," Kyo said. "What that must have been like for her, and she didn't tell me so I could help her. I could have… we could have come up with something. She couldn't have had a baby, but maybe we could have gotten a puppy or a kitten or something. I should have known. I just should have known and I didn't do enough. I keep finding things that tell me I didn't do enough."

"Kyo, you did more than enough. You were amazing, are amazing," Yuki said. "Tohru…"

"Would say the mail man was amazing," Kyo said with a snort. "I failed."

"You didn't…."

"She died, I failed," Kyo repeated. His tone was matter-of-fact. Yuki kept his hand on Kyo's shoulder. What would Tohru say to something like that; what would she do?

Yuki sighed as the answer came to him. He pulled Kyo toward him, feeling his cousin's balance shift, and guided Kyo's head to his shoulder. "So, you think you failed; then I guess you'd better make up for it then. What do you think would make her happy?"

Kyo moaned. "I don't know."

"Yes you do," Yuki said.

"I can't do that, Yuki. I told you I feel wrong."

"It won't always feel that way, Kyo," Yuki said. "Tohru would want you to try. What did her letter say to you?"

Kyo pushed away from Yuki and slipped off the counter and went to the sink. He sneezed violently three times in a row and rubbed his chest when he was done. He glared into the stainless steel sink bowl. "That's none of your business." He was hoarse.

"She asked you to try, didn't she?"

"It's none of your business!" He sneezed several more times. It sounded painful.

"Kyo, you need to take some medicine," Yuki said gently.

"I'm fine," Kyo said. The baby chick began to cluck and Kyo washed his hands.

"Turn the fire off under my pot. Yours still has 10 more minutes."

Yuki reached over the turn the knob. Kyo went to the counter, gathering other

ingredients. He took the metal tray out of the toaster oven and covered it with foil. He poured almonds onto the tray and slipped the tray back into the toaster oven and started the machine. Ayame had kindly shelled the pistachios. Kyo rolled them in sprinkled cinnamon. He seemed to forget he was supposed to be demonstrating all of this for Yuki, lost in making pudding.

Yuki didn't interrupt him. He watched the clock on his own rice as it bubbled. Kyo glanced at him after a few moments. "Did Machi leave today?"

Yuki nodded. "She caught a very early train. I dropped her off on my way to the market."

"You should have gone with her. It's not good for you to stay here."

"You're not kicking me out."

"I'm not trying to, I'm just saying," Kyo said. A second timer went off and Yuki turned the fire off under this rice.

"Well how about you say something useful, like how the hell you just did all of that with those pistachios and what you're doing with the rose water? I'll never learn to cook like this. You'll have to start over!"

Kyo cocked his head to one side; the incredulous look returned. "Damn Rat. Come over to the counter. I'm only gonna do this one more time."

Yuki joined Kyo, nudging him with his elbow. "Fine. Stupid Cat."

(~*~)

Blueberry coffee cake ala Tohru was evil and Kyo wasn't helping. He let Yuki make disaster after disaster. His first cake was soupy in the middle and when he put it back into the oven it dried out. His second cake was hard as a rock. His third cake tasted like eggs, and his fourth had no taste at all. Kyo sat on the kitchen counter, sipping hot tea from a large mug and watching Yuki blunder along. "You'll never learn if you don't fly solo every now and again. Figure out why your cake didn't come out right on your own. Play around with stuff," he'd said.

Yuki gazed at Kyo with narrowed eyes; the tone of his gaze lightened as he took in Kyo's heavy sweatshirt and Tohru's afghan around his shoulders. The redhead shivered and blew his nose while swallowing back rattling coughs that went on for minutes at a time. He'd finally agreed to take cold medicine, but it didn't seem to be helping him. He trudged about the house with a box of tissue, only brightening when it was time for a cooking lesson.

Hatori came into the kitchen, followed by Ayame, pulling suitcases. Yuki felt a tug in his chest. Ayame was going home tonight.

"Oh dear, and here I thought I was going to have a lovely coffee cake to see me off," Ayame said. "Haha! I shall simply have to take a mental picture of my dear brother trying his hardest."

Kyo shook his head. "There's some flan in the fridge. He didn't have as much trouble making that, and you like egg gook."

Ayame beamed and clapped his hands. "You taught my Yuki how to make flan?"

"I remember how much you ate the last time you got it," Yuki said. "And it really wasn't that hard… though Kyo made the sauce, and he set them."

Ayame looked to Kyo with a grin. "Thank you, Kyo."

Kyo shrugged. "No problem. I just—I wanted to say thanks. You didn't have to come or be here so long or anything, and it meant a lot to Rice Ball and—and me, too." He looked at his feet as he talked which made Yuki laugh and Ayame rush forward to envelope Kyo in a great hug.

Kyo choked a bit in his grasp, startled. Ayame pulled back, holding onto Kyo's shoulders. "You are my role model now, Kyo-chan. If I'm to be a husband, I need to know how to do it right. You'll teach me won't you?"

Kyo blinked at him. "Me? I don't know how to…."

"It is simple. I will learn by the examples you set," Ayame said. "Oh, and…and if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to come back for a while and have you teach me to cook, like Yuki."

Kyo was speechless. He cleared his throat and nodded quickly, blushing slightly and Ayame laughed. "Haha! Why you are almost as cute as my little brother! How did I miss this?" He ruffled Kyo's hair, pulling at the length and studying it. "You won't cut it, will you?"

Kyo shook his head.

"Good." Ayame pressed a kiss to his brow. "May I call you to see how you're doing from time to time?"

Kyo nodded. Ayame squeezed Kyo's shoulders and rubbed at one of his eyes hastily. "Well, well it seems… it seems that it's time for me to go. Come and give me a kiss Yuki, since your hands are covered with flour I can't expect a hug."

Yuki rolled his eyes and came left his batter to send Ayame off. He gazed at Kyo, who looked flustered and embarrassed and gave him a smile. Ayame had returned to his suitcases. Yuki held his arms out so that Ayame could hug him without getting dirty. "Goodbye Nisan. Will you call me, too?"

Ayame looked pleased. "Of course."

"Thank you for being kind to Kyo," Yuki said.

"You don't have to thank me for that. I'm kind to Kyo because I want to be. He's my family, too, though I may not have treated him so well in the past. That was my mistake. I have a lot of mistakes to atone for. I should tell you all thank you for letting me."

Yuki snorted and bowed his head so that Ayame could kiss the top of it. "I love you Nisan."

If Ayame had wings he would have flown. Yuki had never seen his brother so elated. "I love you, too."

Hatori was the one to go to the fridge and get the blue and white lunch box Kyo had packed Ayame's flan inside, and he was also the one to open the back door. He gazed at Yuki and Kyo. "Kazuma will be back before we return. He called me earlier. Don't burn down the house." He was looking at Yuki.

Yuki huffed and Kyo smirked.

The two older men left in a flurry of suitcases and chatter from Ayame. Yuki gazed at his floury hands. "Fifth time's the charm?"

Kyo saluted Yuki with his tea mug. "You shouldn't screw it up this time, Rat. I think you know what you did." He surrendered to a coughing fit, covering his mouth with a baggy sleeve. Yuki counted the seconds before he finished: 84.

"Maybe we should take a break?" Yuki suggested. Hatori was worried about Kyo, but not that worried. He'd told Yuki that Kyo's immune system was compromised by grief; it was just going to take longer for him to get better.

Kyo sipped his tea. "Nah, you're hot now. If we break, you'll be back where you started." He took another sip and cleared his throat. He studied the picture on the mug; it was one of Tohru's; a cat and a mouse played in the sun together. "I think…."

Yuki waited.

"… by the end of this I'll make a competent cook out of you yet; even if it takes years," Kyo said. "You're so hopeless Rice Ball knew it would take years." He let his head fall back as he snickered. "How did you mess up four cakes—four? Honestly, I'm not helping because I'm so fascinated by you."

Yuki mock-glared, but inside he soared. He was doing it.

Kyo's snickers faded and Yuki went back to his batter, trying to recall his prior miscalculations. "Hey Yuki?"

"Mmhm?" No, no, last time he added that much milk his cake was soup.

"Do you want to visit Tohru's grave with me?"

Yuki almost spilled the milk he was measuring. "Huh? Her grave… oh—yeah. Next week?"

"Right now," Kyo said. "I just—I want to see it."

"But Kyo, it's dark, and it's cold out and you're sick," Yuki started and stopped. Kyo looked so small and defeated as if Yuki's negative words were cutting him down to size. "Ah…"

What would Tohru do?

"Sure, let's go. Let me wash my hands and we'll grab some coats."

Kyo grinned. "Thank you."

Yuki grinned back. "You never have to say that to me." He went to the sink to wash baking evidence off his hands, while watching Kyo out of the corner of his eye. His cousin was studying that mug again. He finished off his tea and clutched the handle.

"I'll be back and ready to go in a bit." Kyo pushed himself off the counter and wandered out of the kitchen toward the back hallway and his room.

Yuki wondered if going to the graveyard was a good idea, and shivered as a cool soft feeling seemed to brush his cheek. Was he imagining that scent or was it really there?—jasmine lotion. The scent of his recipe book was strong, though its pages sat on the kitchen table, far away from him.

Tohru?

Yuki touched his own cheek. It was cool, but the lingering impression of tiny fingers tingled under his skin.

Perhaps going to see Tohru's grave right then was a good idea after all. He went to the hall closet to get his and Kyo's coats and waited by the back door for his cousin to return.

Rimes, Leann. "Please Remember." Coyote Ugly. Curb Records, 2001. CD.

Author's Note: So, what's the verdict? Like it? Hate it? Don't care either way? Well, any way you liked it, let me know! Please review.