After that chapter, I just need to comfort myself with this. Hope you guys like it.


Summary: So this is what people meant about falling in love, if she wasn't already.


When Tohru had enrolled in Kaibara High, she had been expecting a lot of unexpected things to happen to her. She knew that having her friends by her side will help her through it all, be it the good or the bad. Thankfully most of the unexpected events were mostly in the good side of things.

What she had most unexpected though, was befriending the music royalty of her high school – the one who the fawning girls (and probably boys) nicknamed the Violin Prince – Sohma Momiji. He was a year younger than her and is half German which his blond hair showed, and is so popular that he had a fan club, which he had told her he did not form, quite vehemently at that.

They had met when she fell on him… quite literally. She had attended an art class which they took outside in the school's grounds for a fresher perspective, and she was probably having a bad day, because a strong gust of wind blew her canvas up on a tree. Also unfortunately, Hana and Uo were both out that day sick, so she had to rely on her clumsy self to retrieve it.

As anyone with half a brain would've guessed… it was a recipe for disaster.

She had managed to get ahold of her canvas, but her foot slipped. Her scream was cut off when she landed hard on something rather softer and the resounding yelp next to her ear told her it was not the ground she had fallen into, but a human person. A male to be exact.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Tohru smiled at the memory. She could remember how she had apologized in a panic in landing on him and checked him over for injuries. Instead of being mad though, all she could hear was his hearty laughter and her embarrassment which made her so red she could feel her body temperature rise significantly.

Going back to her reality, she remembered that she had not been able to move for the past half hour.

The reason why laid asleep on her shoulder, thick blond hair tickling just the tip of her ear, already gone straight into dreamland after seemingly just fifteen seconds of dropping his head on her shoulder. It was their lunch break, and after nearly wolfing down his lunch, he immediately requested to borrow her shoulder to nap. It had become a habit of his to do so whenever they were able to eat together, sometimes even with Uo and Hana present (which didn't save her from their merciless but good-natured teasing at first), and she couldn't even remember how it had actually started.

Of course, she'd let him borrow her shoulder every single time. It gave her great pleasure to know that at least he was able to get some form of rest, even if that meant that she wouldn't be able to absolutely move for the next half hour or so.

This had increased in frequency during the last few weeks. She was worried, but Momiji had sworn up and down that he doesn't have any form of illness, he was just really exhausted. She knew it was true, what with the upcoming examinations and a violin competition on his part, he was probably more exhausted than any of them combined.

She glanced at him, well, as much as she could turn her head to at least get a good look on him. He was pretty much knocked out, evidenced by his slow, deep breathing. She doubted that he was truly comfortable with the way they were sitting in order to make up for the height difference, but all she could register was the warmth he was giving her, curled into her as he was, leg strung around her own, locking her in place with him. They were outside at the back of his practice room, sitting on an outdoor wooden bench which had two rows conveniently placed near the windows itself. It was probably left there by maintenance and they had most likely forgotten about it, and nobody comes out to this side of the school, so they were safe from prying eyes.

She was tired as well, and Momiji sleeping so comfortably on her shoulder was also making her want to indulge and close her eyes for a bit, but she was worried that they would both miss their classes if she did. So she forces herself to stay awake, once more allowing her thoughts to run freely.

Uo and Hana had asked her, in no uncertain terms, if Momiji had told her anything or confessed to her anything related to feelings. She had told them no, that Momiji probably doesn't see her in that way, but both girls were quick to point out that she was pretty much the only girl he was comfortable to be this close to physically, the only girl he would actually invite to watch his practice, or even volunteer to walk her home at short notice. She hadn't wanted to color those gestures as anything romantic, but when she thought about it more, she could understand where they were coming from.

If he does, I wouldn't be surprised. Hana had told her, quite seriously, at that. If anything, he's a good guy. I don't see any issue with you dating him.

D-dating? She had blushed so hard she thought steam would come out of her ears. I think it's too early to say that –

Don't you like him? Uo asked, humming to herself as she sipped on a juice box.

Does she like him? At the time she was unsure. Or probably afraid. Afraid to acknowledge the fluttering feeling in her chest whenever he called her name in the hallways, uncaring if girls would turn to look at them. Of when he would so unabashedly hold her hand as he excitedly told her about his day and how his violin practices was coming along as he walked her home. Or when he would call her 'Princess' when it was just the two of them, his voice all soft and deep.

If he missed a day in school she found herself thinking of him… missing him. She had reasoned out to herself that she was just not used to not seeing him around, but she realized, just now, that she actually misses him as soon as he leaves her company.

This is probably what people meant about falling in love, if she wasn't already in love with him.

His long eyelashes formed shadows across his cheeks, and she watches him, mesmerized. She brings up her other hand to carefully caress the blond locks standing up whichever way and he seems to like it, sighing in his sleep. Her heart begins drumming so earnestly in her chest she was afraid it would wake him up and cut his nap.

And yet, looking at him like this, she feels no fear at admitting to herself that she had feelings for her blond kouhai. She didn't know if he felt the same, but if she were to take her friends' thoughts seriously…

She was prevented from further concluding when the bell finally rang, signaling lunch time is over. She jumped in surprise though, jostling Momiji awake so crudely even if she hadn't meant to.

He groaned in protest, most probably, turning and trying to curl further into her, and she tried her best to remain as still as possible even as his nose brushed against her collarbone. She should have probably gently extricated herself from his grip, but he felt too good and she was too greedy for his physical touch.

She realized he had already opened his eyes and was peering up at her through the curtain of his eyelashes, and try as she might to control the blood rushing to her face, she knew it was impossible. She could feel her cheeks getting warm.

"Princess." He murmured, breath brushing against her neck, and she shivered pleasantly, in response. "I know I just woke up, but have I ever told you that you look so pretty when you're blushing?"

Her stomach did a somersault. "D-Do I?"

"Mm-hmm."

Thoughts of the fact that they might probably be late for their classes disappeared from her mind as he slowly straightened up from leaning against her, almost nose to nose with her, topaz eyes never leaving hers. If people could die because their heart was beating too fast and loud, Tohru was sure she would, but she couldn't bring herself to even move away from him.

Somehow she knew what would happen next. She had allowed herself the liberty of reading some of Shigure's novels (some of them giving her more knowledge than she was prepared for,) but she thought, as a senior in high school, she should probably have some knowledge of those things already.

Momiji raised a hand to caress her cheek, almost reverent in his touch. And then…

"May I kiss you… Tohru?"

There was just something in the way he said her name, every time, that made her heart flutter. She couldn't get enough of it.

"…Yes."

If it was him, it would be a yes. Always.