Here's the latest chapter of "Love Lasts Forever"!

Weeks: 10

"Ko-chan, from now on you'll be living with Grandpa."

Five-year old Chiba Kosuke used the back of his hand to wipe away his large tears. "Why, Mama?"

The kind-looking woman smiled and ruffled the black hair of her son, her blue eyes twinkling with love. "I need to take care of your papa in America. He's very sick right now, so he needs me, baby."

Kosuke clung onto his mother's leg. "Please don't leave me with Grandpa! He's scary."

His mother bent down and gave kisses all over his cheeks. "I'll be back soon, Ko-chan. I promise."

Kosuke nodded and patted his mother's brown hair, just as his father always had. His mother smiled and gave her son one last hug. "Be good, Ko-chan!"

She hurried over to the waiting taxi with her luggage and got in. She waved and smiled through the window.

Before the boy could wave back, the car raced off into the distance, disappearing before his eyes. He felt a large hand on his shoulder.

"Kosuke," said the deep voice. "Let's go inside. I made your favorite dish."

Kosuke sniffled. "Okay, Grandpa."

Months had passed since Kosuke started living with his grandfather. He had to admit he liked living here. Grandpa always had something fun planned and was a great cook. But, one day, Grandpa wasn't fun anymore.

"Kosuke! Get in here!"

The startled boy stumbled over into his grandfather's room. He found his grandfather sitting in the middle of the room, sobbing. It reeked of alcohol. The old man was slow in his movements and dragged himself over to Kosuke. He cupped the little boy's face, looking into the boy's onyx pools.

"You look just like your dead father," mumbled his drunken grandfather, who inspected the boy's face with watery eyes.

Kosuke stared at his grandfather innocently. "My papa's not dead. He's sick."

The grandfather wheezed, attempting to laugh. "He's dead. That bastard died and dragged my daughter along with him."

"Dragged Mama where?"

"To her grave." The old man laughed again, tears falling with each shake of his chest. "I told her not to marry that son of a bitch."

Kosuke felt his grandfather's grip get stronger on his face. Then, his grandfather let go. Suddenly, he swung his large hand and struck Kosuke's face with such an impact that the little boy flew a few feet to the right.

"If it weren't for you... my daughter could have lived. She could've met a better man."

Kosuke clutched his cheek in shock. I want Mama. "M-Mama! Mama, help!"

"She's dead! She took her own damn life!"

The little boy ran and lodged himself in the corner of the room, bringing his knees to his chest. He covered his ears and shut his eyes tightly as his grandfather stumbled around the room. "You're a liar! Grandpa's a liar!"

What young Kosuke had thought to be a one-time outburst from his grandfather turned out to be a repetitive nightmare that would last years before dying out with his grandpa.

18-year old Kosuke played with his pack of cigarettes as he walked down the hall, each step emanating his bad-boy style. His crinkled up white button down shirt flowed freely over his black school uniform trousers, much to his teacher's disapproval. As for his jacket, he was simply too cool to be wearing around that lousy old thing.

He scanned each door for her name. "Honda Tohru," he muttered to himself, his onyx eyes searching. His face lit up into a small smirk as he reached the door he was looking for. He knocked once and entered before he could hear a response.

Upon his entrance, he was met by the eyes of a scared brunette. Beside her were the two Sohma boys. Their eyes narrowed into slits upon seeing him.

He gave them a cool smile and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Hey, kids."

Yuki stood up and walked towards the delinquent. "What business do you have here, Chiba-san?"

He shrugged. "I just want to talk to Tohru-chan alone."

The rice ball flinched at the exaggerated 'chan'. Fear consumed her at the thought of being alone with the scariest boy in school

Kyo crossed his arms. His amber eyes glared straight into the onyx eyes of Kosuke. "No. Get outta here."

Kosuke pouted and looked at Tohru, who was too stunned to even speak. But even Tohru couldn't resist the persuasive pout of the devilish Kosuke. She hesitantly nodded. "I-I'll speak to K-Kosuke-kun alone."

The Sohma boys both turned and stared at her, jaws dropped. How could they trust Kosuke with their precious rice ball? How could she agree? However, Tohru gave them a reassuring smile, so they left without a word, casting suspicious glances at Kosuke until they were out the door.

Kosuke made his way over to the edge of the brunette's bed and sat down. He looked at her up and down, his eyes eventually locking onto Tohru's deep blue pools.

Tohru shied her eyes away. "What do you want, Kosuke-kun?"

"Well, first I wanted to tell you to feel better," he said with no ounce of genuine feeling. "Second, I want to make you an offer."

Tohru looked up at him in surprise. She eyed him cautiously. "Please, go on."

The rebel smiled brightly, almost masking his dark nature. "You're a pretty girl, Tohru-chan."

The brunette blushed. "Thank y-you."

Kosuke ran his fingers through his already spiked up black locks. "How about you go out with me?"

Tohru jumped. "Wh-what?"

"Be my girlfriend. Don't worry, I have something to give in return, so consider it."

Tohru blinked a few times and stared at the boy in front of her. "Why me?"

Kosuke looked up in thought. "I've always been real honest about my feelings, so I'll be honest right now. I've liked you for a while now. You remind me a lot of someone I knew. And I know you won't go out with me 'cause you're scared, so I have information about you at my party to convince you."

The brunette was dazed at the bombardment of information. Eh? Kosuke-kun likes me? If I go out with him, he'll tell me what he knows about me at the party... This could be my chance to learn who the father is!

Kosuke smirked. "So, what do you say?"

Tohru furrowed her brows. But, I'm in a relationship with Yuki-kun, I think. And Kyo-kun might get the wrong idea. The rice ball bit her lips. I could learn more about who the daddy is, though...

"If what's holding you back is your fear of me, don't worry," said Kosuke. "I'm a nice guy."

Kyo and Yuki listened intently to the conversation inside. Kyo grew more and more agitated with each word from Kosuke. Yuki had a cool exterior, but was furious on the inside.

Kyo clenched his fists. "You don't think she'll agree, do you?"

Yuki frowned. "I hope not. But this is her chance to learn more about what happened, so I wouldn't blame her if she took it." I wonder what he would say.

"This is so freaking weird!" complained the cat. "How does Kosuke have a crush on Tohru of all people? They never even talk!"

"That's true... Do you think he might have an ulterior motive?"

Kyo pursed his lips in thought. "Maybe he wants to get on your nerves."

Yuki sighed. "Why would he want to do that?"

"He hates your guts. You two are total opposites."

The cold prince crossed his arms. "Well, it's not working."

The cat smirked. "Right. You have no problem with the worst person in school making moves on Tohru. The only guy who's managed to get suspended over twenty times in one semester. The guy who goes through two packs of cigarettes a day."

Yuki became visibly irritated. "Well, I'm not the only one who's upset. You're too obvious. You should learn control, as I have."

Kyo huffed and shut his mouth. This damn rat.

"You two seem to be getting along well," said a cheerful voice, getting closer.

"Get along, my ass," muttered Kyo.

Shigure laughed. "What's gotten you two so heated up?"

"A delinquent from our school is in there negotiating a deal with Tohru," explained the prince, a sour look on his face.

"I see... Tohru is a mature girl. She'll make a good decision. You two can't be worrying about her all the time."

"You don't understand. Chiba Kosuke is the worst of the worst," said the orange-haired boy. "That kid is a psychopath."

Yuki nodded. "He's a mysterious person. Not much is known about him except that he lives alone."

"Interesting," said Shigure. "but what does he have to do with my flower?"

The two boys shrugged. Silence filled the hallway as the three members of the Sohma clan listened to the unlikely pair in the room.

"Are you sure that the baby is Kyo's?" asked Kosuke, gazing into Tohru's dark blue orbs. "I think you might be forgetting someone..."

"Forgetting someone...?" Tohru scratched her head and stared at the boy cluelessly.

Kosuke smiled and clutched his chest, pretending to be hurt. "Damn, Honda. You're cold. How could you say that to my face?"

"The only other person I can think of is Yuki-kun..."

"Think harder. Why do you think I'm here?"

"I don't know what you mean," said the rice ball.

Kosuke sighed. "You're not that smart, are you? I guess that's better for me. If you want to know what I'm talking about, go out with me."

Tohru considered his offer carefully. Her memory of the party was a blur and Kosuke seemed to know more about it. Maybe I should go along with what he's asking. How else will I find out more about what happened?

Kosuke scooted himself closer to the brunette.

"What are y-you doing?" asked Tohru, pushing herself back. The boy moved even closer.

"Is this familiar?" he whispered, his lopsided smile emerging again.

"Please, stop," begged Tohru, her cheeks warming up.

The delinquent pouted, but abided by the brunette's wishes. He moved back to his original spot on the edge of the bed.

What does he mean by 'familiar'? We've never even had a chance to talk to each other alone! I want all these questions answered, but agreeing to go out with Kosuke-kun is too much... His reasoning seems to be a bit fishy.

"Are you sure you actually..." Tohru looked away from the intense black eyes that seemed to stare deep into her soul. "like me?"

Kyo groaned and slammed his fist against the wall. "Dammit. She's such an idiot! How can she actually be considering this?"

Yuki's face was as still as stone. "That's not the real question. The true question is why Chiba-san is telling Tohru that there could be one more person..."

Shigure's eyes lit up. "I read a plot like this in one of my favorite novels!"

"Probably just one of your ero-mangas," said Kyo, looking at Shigure with disgust.

The dog shrugged, but didn't deny it. "Perhaps that student is a possible father of the child?"

"NO!" yelled the boys at the same time.

"It seems to be the reason why he's doing this." Shigure flipped his bouncy black locks with a graceful motion of his hand. "I'm a genius in these kinds of things."

"How can you say that so calmly? Aren't you worried at all that the possible father of the baby is a maniac?" asked Yuki, his cold grey eyes piercing daggers into the dog zodiac.

"Of course I'm worried. I'm also worried about one of you two being the father. How are you guys any different from that maniac in there? You two are crazy."

Kyo clenched his jaw, ready to attack the dog.

Shigure clicked his tongue and shook his head disapprovingly at the cat. "See what I mean? Your violent nature is so dangerous!"

"Can you shut up for a second?" snapped the prince, losing his cool. "I'm trying to listen to their conversation."

Shigure chuckled. "Ah, young love. Jealousy is so prominent in the love lives of our youth."

The rebel licked his lips. "Yeah, I like you, or at least, I'll get to like you more as we date. Now, will you consider it?"

Tohru tilted her head to the side. "If you don't like me now, why would you try to like me?"

Kosuke laughed and shook his head in disbelief. "I'm a real responsible guy, let's leave it at that. Maybe not at school, but in other ways. Now, if you want anymore information, you gotta date me."

Tohru bit her lip. I want to know, but I might hurt Kyo-kun and Yuki-kun...

Kosuke saw the hesitation in her eyes. "Oh, right. I almost forgot about your two other boyfriends. But, don't worry. You won't need them anymore. You'll only need me."

Tohru took a deep breath and met his eyes. "I won't take your offer."

The sly grin on Kosuke's face disappeared. "Are you serious?"

The rice ball nodded.

"You might regret it, but fine. You can come around eventually." The rebel sprung up from the bed and gave the girl a wink. "See you, Tohru-chan."

As Kosuke entered the hallway, he was met by the stern looks of the rat and cat. He threw them a peace sign and a grin.

The orange-haired boy held back his fists and through gritted teeth muttered, "Don't play with her, you asshole."

Yuki took a more levelheaded approach. "What did you say to her?"

Kosuke pursed his lips and shrugged. "None of your business. I can't tell my competition my secrets, now can I?"

"How the hell are we your competition?!" burst Kyo, red-faced.

The rebel coolly ignored him and walked away, leaving the cat fuming and the rat in thought.

Yuki closed his eyes, trying to find a logical explanation as to why Kosuke was there in the first place. "Kyo, I know this is hard to accept, but Chiba-san is a definite possibility to be the father of Tohru's baby."

The orange cat slumped against the wall in defeat. "Shit."

"We should tell Tohru. I don't think she yet understands what he's implying."

Kyo sighed. "Not yet. She might get a shock from it and get worse."

"She worried about this a while ago. She came to me about Chiba-san, and we ruled him out because of something she remembered about the party."

Kyo frowned. "Let's just say that he is the dad. Why would he come back and actually acknowledge himself as the dad? He has no sense of responsibility, at all! The last thing he wants is a kid. It doesn't make sense."

Yuki narrowed his eyes at the thought. "Chiba-san seems to have an underlying motive."

"I wouldn't be surprised. I'm telling you, he's crazy. I heard he once beat his ex-girlfriend to a pulp... We can't let him near Tohru."

"Don't be stupid. Those are just rumors. However, we have to be careful, in case Chiba-san does try something."

Kyo furrowed his brow in determination. I'll kill him if he lays a finger on her.

The sound of loud classical music filled the air of the hospital-waiting lounge. Shigure jumped at the sudden noise and realized that it was his own ringtone. Sheesh, I should change this terrible tune. He checked the caller ID and smiled.

"Hatori~ what brings you to calling little old me?" greeted the dog zodiac over the phone, smiling widely.

There was a quiet groan from the other end, but it wasn't out of true annoyance.

"Shigure," said Hatori, his voice more serious than usual. "I have something urgent to pass along to you. Do not tell the kids."

Shigure straightened up, his expression becoming somber. "What's going on?"

"It's about Akito."

Shigure froze, but quickly recovered. He ran his fingers through his hair as if he weren't bothered by the mention of his former flame.

"What about her?"

There was a sigh on the other line. "She's sick."

The dog zodiac began to fidget, so he tucked his free hand under his other arm to hold himself still. This doesn't bother me...

"H-How..." Shigure cleared his throat. "How sick?"

"I've never seen her this bad before. I just thought I'd let you know."

"It doesn't concern me," said the dog in his best convincing tone.

"Okay. I'll be watching over her for a while. If you ever want to visit, just give me a call."

"Right. See you, Hatori." There was a click, ending the phone call.

Shigure slumped down in his chair, massaging his temples. Ha, visit? Never. I should forget about her, for my sake and Tohru's sake. He crossed his arms and closed his eyes. But, how did Akito get sick so suddenly? She was doing—Agh! I can't think about this! He shook his head back and forth, trying to get rid of those thoughts.

"I'll just go check up on Tohru," he mumbled to himself. At least when I'm with Tohru, I don't think about Akito.

Weeks: 11

It had been a week since Tohru's admittance to the hospital, and her body was stable enough to go home.

After thanking the staff, the Shigure household headed back home, where Tohru could relax comfortably. The hospital was clean and bright, but the rice ball longed for the warmth and familiarity of her home.

In the backseat of Shigure's car, Tohru looked out the window, taking in the sight of the trees and people that she had missed for the past week. Yuki, who sat next to her, watched the brunette as she immersed herself in the scenery. The cold prince felt himself melt away every time the girl smiled brightly at something she would see outside.

"Look, Yuki-kun! That lady is walking at least ten dogs at once!" exclaimed the rice ball excitedly. She looked back at Yuki, awaiting his reaction. He gave her a warm smile and placed his hand on top of hers. She glanced up at him with wide-eyes, but blinked and went back to looking outside the window.

"Where are the dogs?" asked Shigure as he drove, his head turned toward his side window. The car began to swerve a little, causing the people inside to lose balance. The brunette was flung forward, but barely avoided colliding with the seat in front of her, thanks to the large hand that caught her forehead. Kyo, with lightning fast reflexes, had managed to reach back from the front seat in time to protect the rice ball.

"You idiot! Pay attention to the road!" yelled Kyo, slinking back into his seat.

"Sorry, everyone!" sang Shigure, readjusting his eyes forward. "Tohru, are you hurt?"

"N-No, I'm okay," stuttered Tohru, her face crimson from Kyo's touch.

Yuki glowered at the back of the cat's head, his anger directed at Kyo. However, he was angrier with himself for being unable to protect the brunette first.

He looked at Tohru gloomily and made a promise to himself. I'll protect Tohru forever, even if it's the last thing I do. I will become worthy of being Tohru's man.

Hope you enjoyed! Now you guys know a bit more about the mysterious Kosuke, who maybe playing an important role in this fic... I guess you will find out soon. Please remember to favorite and review! The reviews and favorites encourage me a lot to continue writing. Thanks for reading!