*UPDATED CHAPTER* This chapter has been rewritten from its original chapter. Hope you enjoy.
It had been a two days since the incident with Akito. Tohru, who was still unconscious, was lying in her hospital bed. Kyo was asleep on one side of her bed and Yuki was asleep on the other. The sunlight came in from the hospital window, shining on Tohru's face. The two princes surrounded the sleeping princess.
Kyo was the first to wake up. He stretched out and yawned, unaware of his surroundings. He scanned the room, his eyes adjusting to the sunlit interior.
Oh, right. I'm at the hospital, thought Kyo. The rat and cat had spent the night at the hospital in hopes of the rice ball waking up from her slumber.
He turned to see Tohru. She even looks goofy when she's asleep. He then noticed the rat on the other side. His face immediately turned sour after seeing Prince Charming.
The princely boy was asleep on Tohru's left hand side and it made Kyo angry to see the rat zodiac even close to the rice ball.
He walked over to Yuki's side, examining the sleeping prince. Yuki's long eyelashes fluttered occasionally, his pale lips faintly mouthing something Kyo couldn't recognize. Then the cat heard a quiet whisper.
"Tohru," it said, the whisper coming from none other than the lips of Prince Yuki himself.
The cat's scowl seemed permanent. He swiftly kicked the rat in the side. Yuki curled up in pain and groaned from the rude awakening. The prince gave Kyo the deadliest glare he could possibly give. Kyo smiled, ready for a challenge.
"Did you just wake me up, you stupid cat?" asked Yuki, his clear grey eyes shooting daggers at Kyo.
"What's it look like, you bastard?" sneered Kyo, raising his fists. Yuki slowly started to stand up.
Yuki lunged at Kyo, knocking over a vase. Usually, Yuki wouldn't have caused such a ruckus, but he was in an exceptionally bad mood after Tohru had been hurt. Kyo threw some punches at Yuki, missing entirely. Yuki smiled.
"Is that all you got? Looks like you're not even worth my time." Kyo became enraged, grabbing the rat's shirt and positioning his fists to punch the prince.
"Kyo-kun? Yuki-kun? Where am I?" mumbled Tohru, confused and awake from her coma-like state.
The two Sohma boys froze. Kyo, with a guilty look on his face, let go of the rat's shirt and the rat, who looked equally as guilty, dusted himself off.
"Honda-san, you're awake!" exclaimed the relieved and grateful Yuki, giving the rice ball a genuine smile. "Are you feeling alright?"
"I'm feeling okay," said the rice ball, propping herself up as she answered. She winced at the sudden pain she felt in her entire body."Ow... what happened? This isn't the Sohma estate..."
"You're at the hospital, you idiot," replied the orange-haired boy, emitting a quiet sigh. Kyo noticed a brief look of hurt flashed through Tohru's eyes. "S-sorry, I didn't mean it that way... just... take better care of yourself is what I meant to say."
Yuki shot a stern look at his cousin, rolling his eyes at Kyo's inability to say anything polite.
Tohru smiled at Kyo sheepishly. "You're right. I'll take better care of myself from now on." The Onigiri brought her hand to her throbbing head. "Was my condition really bad?"
"If we hadn't gotten you here in time, the situation would've been critical," said Yuki. "But the doctor said that you'd be okay and that the wounds would heal without scarring."
"That's good," mumbled the Onigiri, feeling forgetful of something. Suddenly, the rice ball's eyes widened and her body stiffined. "I-Is the baby okay?!"
Yuki nodded, allowing Tohru to relax. "There was a high-risk chance for miscarriage, but the doctors said that you made it to the hospital just in time."
"Thank goodness," she whispered, her eyes tearing up. The brunette gently put her hand to her flat stomach, silently apologizing to her unborn child. I'm sorry for putting you in such a dangerous situation, Aka-chan! I'm a bad mama, aren't I? "Well, I guess we should go home now that I'm all better."
The rice ball proceeded to get up, but couldn't maintain her balance on the slippery floor. Kyo's quick reflexes allowed him to reach out and grab the rice ball's arm, preventing her from falling.
"Be careful! You could've gotten hurt!" yelled the upset cat, his heart racing nervously from the brunette's sudden fall.
Tohru gave the cat an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, Kyo-kun. I'll be more careful," said Tohru. Kyo released Tohru's arm, blushing.
"This hospital needs to get some better staff," grumbled the cat. "They can't even wipe the floors properly."
"You must be more careful with your body now that it's in a weakened state. We may not always be around you to catch you when you slip," said Yuki.
"I agree with the rat for once," admitted the cat. As much as he hated to agree with his enemy, his enemy was always right.
"You're right... I'm a failure as a mother... I'm always putting the baby in danger," said Tohru, wishing her own mother was there to help her. "Anyway, can I be discharged today? I want to be with you all, Yuki-kun, Kyo-kun, and Shigure-san, too."
"The doctor's say that you can leave today but they recommend another night," replied Yuki. "I'd feel more secure if you'd stay just one more night, Miss Honda. I don't want you to overwork yourself back at home."
"No, no, it's fine!" assured Tohru, hiding her discomfort. "I feel perfectly healthy now."
"Tohru, please," pleaded the cat quietly, gently pushing the girl back onto her bed. "Just stay here. The rat and I'll take care of the chores for you. You don't have to be selfless all the time."
Tohru sat on the bed, wondering what just happened. She was surprised to see such a soft side from Kyo. The rice ball felt her cheeks warm up and heart beat much faster.
"Honda-san, are you alright? You're face looks a bit flushed," said Yuki, using the back of his hand to feel the rice ball's forehead.
"I'm okay," assured Tohru, cupping her pink cheeks with her hands. Why is my face so warmed up? How embarrassing...
"Honda-san, you don't look well. Will you please agree to stay the night?"
"Sorry," apologized Tohru. "but I want to be home. I want to be with you guys and Shigure-san."
Yuki and Kyo sighed in sync.
"Alright, Miss Honda," said the rat after a moment of thinking. It was hard not to give in to Tohru's wishes.
"Fine," muttered the cat, secretly relieved that Tohru would be left in his protection.
Tohru beamed at the two zodiac members.
It's been a while since I've seen that goofy grin, thought the cat, unaware of the small smile that formed on his own face. The discreet smile quickly disappeared after the cat realized what he was doing. Jeez, what the hell am I doing? Get a grip of yourself, Kyo Sohma. Tohru... she's changing me. Argh, what's happening to me? I'm becoming a sap like that Yu-
The cat's thoughts were interrupted by a smack to the face from the handsome prince.
"You perverted cat...Honda-san asked us to leave so she can change," said Yuki, chuckling to himself after finding the cat caught off-guard.
"I AM NOT PERVERTED, YOU STUPID RAT!"
"I'm sorry, Miss Honda, for Kyo's stupidity," said the handsome prince, dragging the agitated cat out the door.
"Eheh..." Looks like they're really at each other's throats today, thought Tohru, exchanging her hospital clothes for her own familiar ones. As she changed, a vague and fuzzy memory came back to her...
A gentle voice reached the Onigiri's muffled ears. It was soft and sweet... she felt like she could trust that voice. It wasn't a female voice, she knew that for sure. The voice said something that made her cheeks warm up. Where was she? It was all so blurry. She felt a warm hand grab her own. A question was asked by the male figure and the rice ball felt herself nodding hesitantly.
The rice ball's memory faded. "What was that?" she whispered breathlessly. Who was the person in my memory? That voice is so familiar, but I can't tell who it is... could it be... Yuki-kun or Kyo-kun? Was that the memory of that night? "I remembered something, Aka-chan. That gentle voice reminds me of Yuki-kun... but the warmth of that person's hand reminds me of Kyo-kun... I hope my memories of that night will come back."
Yuki finished signing discharge papers for Tohru and handed them to the nurse. He sat next to his enemy, the cat. The orange-haired boy's head was leaned against the wall, his eyes closed.
"Are you sleeping?" asked Yuki, staring at an interesting tile in the floor.
"No," grunted Kyo, not moving a muscle. Yuki couldn't take the tension anymore.
"You like Miss Honda, don't you?" asked Yuki, turning to face his cousin.
The cat abruptly turned to the prince when hearing Tohru's name. "No! Why would I? I wouldn't like any girl who's as weak as she is," mumbled the blushing cat defensively.
Yuki knew better than to believe his cousin, but he complied with the cat's answer.
"Good. Then I guess you'll be okay with me being by Miss Honda's side from now on. It's easier for me without you in the picture."
Kyo grabbed the prince's shirt collar violently, causing some eyes to glance their way.
"What did you say, you stupid rat?!"
The rat didn't flinch. "You can't love her, you low-life cat. You won't make her happy."
"SHUT UP!" yelled the cat, causing some nurses to come over. Yuki grabbed Kyo's hands and pulled them off of his shirt effortlessly.
Kyo took a deep breath and turned away from the rat, his arms crossed as usual. Yuki stared blankly at the same tile on the floor intensely.
The tension was somewhat lifted after the rice ball entered the hallway.
"Yuki-kun! Kyo-kun! Let's go home!" exclaimed the happy rice ball.
Yuki stood up and smiled at the sight of Tohru. "Okay, Miss Honda. We have a taxi waiting outside."
The rat grasped the rice ball's small hands and led her to the door, leaving an envious cat to trudge behind them.
"Shigure-san! We're home!" exclaimed the rice ball. There was no response. Instead, Tohru found a note with Shigure's thin writing.
I'm going to be out for a couple days. Take good care of Tohru while I'm gone.
-Shigure
Kyo entered the room, standing beside Tohru. He looked over at the white sheet of paper, reading the scrawled letters.
"That dog probably left 'cause he was guilty as hell for letting you see Akito," said the cat after reading, a sigh escaping his lips. "If he were here, there's no telling what I would've done to that pretty-boy face of his."
"It wasn't Shigure-san's fault," assured Tohru. "There's no one to put the blame on but myself. I'm so senseless sometimes."
"Yeah, well at least you're alright. Don't do anything stupid like that ever again. I was worried about you... I mean both Yuki and I were worried... not just me."
The rice ball smiled at the cat. "Seems like I just cause trouble for you guys. I'm sorry, Kyo-kun."
"Uh, no, that's not what I meant!"
"What are you guys talking about?" interrupted Yuki as he came through the door. "Where's Shigure? I can't find him anywhere."
"He left a note saying he's gonna be gone for a while," responded the cat, relieved that the awkward conversation with the rice ball was over.
Yuki frowned. "Running away from us, huh? Well he's mistaken if he thinks I'm going to let this one go in a couple of days."
Tohru sighed at how stubborn the cat and the rat were. Looks like I'm going to have a hard time if Aka-chan turns out anything like Yuki-kun or Kyo-kun, thought the rice ball.
Tohru left the boys to plan their revenge and planned to do some house work. She was only gone for a couple days and the chores had piled up. The dishes needed washing and the floor was streaked with mud from who-knows-what.
The rice ball sighed, knowing that she had an overwhelming amount of work to do. Her optimism was drained from the headache she was suffering from. I guess I'll have to start with the dishes.
Tohru managed to make her way to the kitchen sink, despite how light headed she was feeling. She placed her hands on the edge of the sink for stability. Suddenly, she felt like she was going to throw up. The rice ball clumsily ran to the bathroom, doubling over the toilet upon arrival. As she was emptying the contents of her already empty stomach, she felt a hand hold her brown locks away from her face. The same person rubbed her back, comforting her.
"Are you okay, Honda-san?" asked the voice belonging to her helper. Tohru recognized the voice as Yuki's.
The rice ball flushed the toilet and stood up, giving the rat a nod. The brunette rinsed out her mouth with sink water absentmindedly.
"Thanks for helping me, Yuki-kun," said the grateful rice ball, heading back to the kitchen sink.
"Where are you going?" asked Yuki, following the rice ball.
"I just have to finish up the dishes."
"Please rest. I can do your chores for you," said the rat. However, he knew the brunette would never accept his offer.
"I'm fine, Yuki-kun," assured Tohru as she grabbed the first plate and began to scrub it clean.
"Then let me help you," said the rat, walking over to Tohru's side. She was too tired to resist the help. She passed him the clean plate for him to dry.
The two stood in silence for a while, but both of them felt comfortable. Tohru felt happy knowing that Yuki was beside her. She felt safe near him. As she handed the plate to Yuki, their hands brushed against each other. Tohru blushed as she quickly moved on to washing the next dish. The rat smiled at the blushing rice ball. He then started to deliberately brush up against her hand every once in a while, which reddened the rice ball's face each time.
As time passed, Yuki began to make gradual movements closer to Tohru without realizing it himself. By the end of the task, Yuki's arm was touching Tohru's shoulder.
"Looks like we're all done," said Tohru, wiping her hair away from her face.
Yuki felt a bit disappointed from the finished chore, wanting to spend more time with Tohru.
"Miss Honda, I think you should go take a rest now. Even washing the dishes will put strain on your body," said Yuki. Tohru yawned.
"I guess so," mumbled the sleepy rice ball. Yuki's delicate hands took Tohru's arm to support her weight. He led her up the stairs to her pink-themed bedroom.
Tohru sleepily followed Yuki to her room. The rat lifted the blankets of her frilly pink bed and laid her down onto her mattress. Yuki pulled the heavy blanket onto the sleeping girl.
"Sweet dreams, Miss Honda," whispered the handsome prince. She let out a content sigh and her breathing quieted, indicating that she was fast asleep. Yuki saw the peaceful look on the rice ball's face, something he hadn't seen for a while. He was worried about her health, as well as the health of her child, potentially their child.
Yuki leaned over the sleeping brunette and placed a soft kiss on her cheek, silently promising to keep her and the baby safe. He quietly left the room, leaving the sleeping mother to rest peacefully.
The sun soon retreated from the sky and was replaced by a crescent moon and jewel-like stars. The stars in the night sky shone light on the orange cat on the roof. He always had loved watching the stars and thinking to himself. It reminded him of the mountains he had trained on almost two years ago. He longed for those care-free days of solitude and peace, but at the same time, he couldn't stand the thought of leaving Tohru and her child in the care of the rat.
Ever since the cat was little, he had promised that he'd never abandon his own child like his father had to him. Of course, the thought of having a child came before Kyo knew that the curse would have an effect on it. But, now that the situation was real, he doubted his ability to make Tohru happy. He was Kyo Sohma, the extremely temperamental, impatient, impulsive, and rough cat of the zodiac. With all of those qualities, he was sure that he'd make a terrible father.
Despite all of his negative qualities, Kyo did want a family. With his father leaving him and his mother committing suicide, Kyo was lacking the love of his family members. As he thought to himself, he realized that he had a possibility of gaining a family through Tohru. He wanted someone who loved him unconditionally and looked up to him. It was hard to be ignored and looked-down upon. Of course, the cat became stronger emotionally as a result of the isolation, but he longed for familial love and care.
When the kid is born, I'll protect 'em. I'll do whatever it takes to keep Tohru and the kid safe. I'll become a better dad than Yuki will ever be!
His thoughts were interrupted by a certain brunette climbing onto the roof. She had awoken from her nap and had wanted to talk to Kyo.
"Kyo-kun," called Tohru, crawling to his side. "I was looking for you. I should've known that you'd be up here."
The cat sat up, still gazing at the stars. Tohru turned to see what the cat was staring at so intently.
"Wow, the stars sure are beautiful tonight," said Tohru, smiling as a memory came back to her. "My mom and I watched stars a lot, too. Neither of us knew any constellations, but it was nice to just sit out on the deck and look up at the night sky. If we were lucky, we'd see a shooting star, so we'd both make a wish."
The cat broke his silence and rolled his amber eyes. "That's ridiculous. Wishes on shooting stars don't work. It's stupid."
Tohru quietly laughed. "Yeah, maybe it was silly, but I miss that time with my mom. I hope one day this baby and I will be able to share moments like the ones I had with my mom."
The cat turned to the Onigiri. "Geez, do you really love your mom that much?"
Tohru smiled. "Yeah, I do. Even when my dad passed away, my mom tried to stay strong for me. I really look up to her. I'm sure she's watching from the stars right now, happy to be free of any burdens."
"I wonder if my mom is up there, too," whispered Kyo, unaware that he said anything aloud.
Tohru's eyes widened in surprise. She had never heard Kyo talk about his mother before and she never asked because she thought it was a sensitive topic.
"Kyo-kun..."
"Hm?" mumbled the cat, lost in the sea of thought.
Tohru hesitated asking about his mother. I don't want to make him mad, thought the rice ball.
"It's nothing. I should head down," said the brunette.
Kyo snapped out of his trance. "Wait, Tohru."
"Yes, Kyo-kun?"
"Do you... do you think I'd be a good dad?" asked the hesitant cat. Why'd I even ask that question? I know she'll lie to me to make me feel better about myself, thought Kyo, regretting his question.
Tohru remained silent, thinking about the answer she'd give.
"Well..." started Tohru, looking into the concentrated eyes of the orange-haired boy. "I think the answer to that is yes. You'd make a really good father, Kyo-kun. On the outside, you're a bit intimidating and tough, but I know that on the inside, you just need someone to talk to, to love you, and to encourage you. I'm sure that once you have a child, you'll protect them no matter what and you'll love them more than anything." The rice ball smiled at the cat, causing him to blush and turn away.
The cat cleared his throat, his face still crimson from the compliment. "T-thanks, Tohru... You'll be a good mother, too."
"Hehe, thanks, Kyo-kun! I'm sure that if Aka-chan's daddy is you, then he or she would be very happy, as well. We'll be good parents together!"
A small smile formed on the cat's face. "Yeah... together."
A/N: I actually went through a bit of writer's block as I wrote this... I know this chapter isn't as dramatic or interesting, but I've been focusing on building the relationships of Tohru and the guys... I'll try to make the next chapter more dramatic.