So, my updates for this fic will slow down since I will begin working again. Ugh. I hope I have time to myself soon again.


Summary: If anyone had told him that Tohru's hands will be the death of him… well, even if someone did, he would be willing to face the reaper a thousand times.


"Your hair has gotten longer, Momiji-kun."

He looked over to his beautiful companion, watching her stare at his hair, which was admittedly, a mess after all the times he had frustratedly ran his hand through it as he pored over his books. He reached up and twisted a few of the blond locks, somewhat self-conscious all of a sudden.

"Ah. Well I haven't had the time to get a proper haircut lately… it just completely slipped off my mind." Tohru was right. His hair already reached mid-nape, making the soft waves even more pronounced now that they were longer. It still was at a normal length expected for the men of their school, well within the regulations that the disciplinary committee still lets him through after every inspection. He may have to find the time to get a haircut soon though.

"It's long enough for you to braid it." Tohru reached out, fingers curling through the strands which hang loose over his forehead, sending pleasant shivers down his spine, a tingling sensation shooting past the top of his head down to his fingers. "Tell you what. I think it's about time you take a break from studying. I'll braid your hair for you."

Momiji blanched. He hadn't even noticed the time already, and for the first time he remembered to glance at the clock. It read 4 pm.

That was how long he had spent bent over his books? Jesus.

He hadn't realized he had spoken his thoughts aloud until Tohru giggled as she stood up, raising her arms above her head in a delicate stretch. "Yes, that was how long you've been so focused on studying. You're working hard to be able to enter the uni, of course that's understandable. But," she went over to him, giving him a light massage on the shoulders, "it's time for a break. I'll get you some snacks and tea."

Even the slight massage she gave him already felt heavenly on his stiff shoulders. He rolled them, trying to get the muscles to loosen.

Tohru was visiting, having just finished her classes for the day. She surprised them when she mentioned that she went to enroll for culinary classes at the university he was currently applying to, and she was the one who told him that she wished for him to join her. He had known that she was originally planning to find a job after her graduation; but things seemed to have turned out differently and he had asked her about it one time that he had been the one to visit her.

"I just found something I wanted to do." She told him, smiling, eyes clear for the first time he had seen her as a university freshman. "My mother wouldn't have wanted me to be chained in the past. I'm sure she would have wanted me to slow down and enjoy my life as much as possible."

He couldn't have agreed more, and he just added this memory to the reasons why he was head over heels for Honda Tohru.

"Here." She placed a plate of cookies she had managed to procure from one of his cabinets and a cup of coffee. "You no longer have tea so coffee for now. I'll go out and buy some tea for you later."

"You know you're an angel right?" He asked, smiling at her playfully as he snagged a cookie and bit at it.

Tohru laughed. "Yes, you have just told me. So. Will you let me braid part of your hair?" Again her hand reached over and parted his blond locks, running her fingers over his scalp and pressing at some spots which made him close his eyes in delight at her touch. "I can braid this part right here and let some of your hair fall over it. I think you would look incredibly cool." She gushed, excited at the prospect of her new project.

Momiji shook his head at her infectious enthusiasm. "I'm not a fan of braids, but since you asked so nicely…" he trailed off, breaking into a chuckle at the wide, puppy-eyed look she was giving him, "as long as you continue what you were doing earlier… a light massage? Then we'll have a deal."

"Oh, Mr. Soma knows how to negotiate." She teased, grinning. "Okay, I'll even throw in an additional massage for the shoulders. I got a feel earlier and they're too stiff." She looked disapproving.

He grinned widely, looking almost like the cat that ate the canary. "Okay. I look forward to it."

Tohru began her project, telling him to just keep eating and not to mind her as she played around with his hair. He tried to continue eating, he really did, but the feel of her fingers against his scalp was too pleasurable for him to even manage to concentrate on what he was supposed to be eating.

If anyone had told him that Tohru's hands will be the death of him… well, even if someone did, he would be willing to face the reaper a thousand times. Maybe more.

"Tohru," he groaned, just as she just finished rubbing a spot somewhere on his scalp that he didn't even know existed. "What did you do with your hands? Did you apply some sort of magic on them?"

The brunette laughed. "Yes, the magic to take away your bodily pains. And I am just getting started."

After a few more minutes of her moving some of his locks this way and that, criss-crossing some gently to form the braid she promised him, she patted them back down, seemingly satisfied with her handiwork. She looked around, found what she was looking for and handed him a mirror. "See? You look incredibly good with it. Your hair is naturally gorgeous. Like an idol's."

He was half-asleep by then as he caught his reflection, and he was… well, awed. It felt like someone different was staring back at him in wonder but that was him. The right side of his scalp had his braid, which she secured with some pins he didn't even know where she got from. She let some of his hair down so it hid some of the last part of the braid, a look which wouldn't have worked if his hair hadn't been naturally wavy.

Momiji liked how he looked a little… rebellious. "I like it. Thanks, Princess."

Tohru gave him a little curtsy playfully. "Well, I'm glad that you do. Now then, I still have some work to do."

She then set to working on his shoulders, which made him let out another groan of delight embarrassingly.

"Tohru… I might fall asleep. Seriously, you're incredibly good at this."

She laughed, pressing down at a knot she felt somewhere on his left shoulder blade. "Then sleep, Momiji-kun. I'll wake you up when it's time for dinner."

Try as he might to fight off the drowsiness setting in, he couldn't help but doze off. He just awoke when Tohru gently shook his shoulders.

"I made us dinner. Come on, time for you to eat and recover your energy."

He smiled at her still half-asleep as he caught her hand in his. He lifted it up to his lips, brushing it with a barely-there kiss. He could see her blushing as he straightened up.

"You know that you're my angel, right?"

Tohru was still blushing as he gazed at her gently, not even bothering to conceal his emotions. "Yes. You just told me after all for the second time."

"Good. Let me make it up to you."

He didn't give her a chance to respond as he stood up, bent down to her level and gave her a kiss on the lips.

He wouldn't forget the moment when she raised her arms to wrap them around his neck as she responded and kissed him back.