Blissful Ignorance

Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own Fruits Basket.

A/N: This is my first fanfiction ever, so please be nice and R&R. The story is set after the anime and the latest manga. I will try not to let anyone get OOC or forget details from the manga set after the anime. I am going on the fact that the Tohru/ Akito scene at the end of the anime never happened. Also, although the first chapter is happy and fun, it will get much more dramatic later, so keep reading. Oh, and the pairing is Tohru x Kyou, Tohru x Yuki, but I'm leaning Kyouru right now for the outcome. Enjoy!
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Chapter 1:

Tohru was finishing setting the table when Shigure came in the house. "Oh, good," she exclaimed, beaming. "Shigure-san, you?re just in time for dinner. How was your visit with Hatori-san?"

"Fine, fine. Actually, I have some excellent news for you. Apparently, in an effort to make sure Kyou and Yuki show up this year to the New Year?s celebration, Akito-san has agreed to let you accompany us to the main house."

Tohru immediately blushed and put up her hands defensively. "No, no, no. I don?t want to trouble anyone. I?ll be fine this year, I promise."

"Tohru, you know you?re no trouble at all," began Shigure, when Yuki and Kyou entered the room.

"Is there a problem, Honda-san?"

"What did that Dog say this time?"

Before Tohru could answer, Shigure turned to face the boys. His serious expression seemed out of place. "I was discussing our plans to go to the Honke on New Years."

"I?m not going," the boys said in unison.

"I?m afraid that?s going to be impossible. Akito-san made it clear that there
would be?harsh?consequences if you two failed to show up a third year in a row. Tohru-kun has been invited, as well. Akito-san would really be upset if she didn?t show up," Shigure responded, flicking his eyes towards Tohru meaningfully.

Both Yuki and Kyou had received serious reprimand from Akito after the second missed New Years. The thought of such a beating made the boys wary of skipping again, but thinking of Tohru alone was worse. However, the indication that something might happen to Tohru if she didn?t go with them to Sohma house made up their minds.

"Fine, I?ll go," in unison again.

"Excellent. Then it?s settled," said Shigure, dropping into his seat at the table.

Tohru stood dumbfounded for a minute before realizing there was no food on the table. "Gomen," she blurted out, running to the kitchen. Her mind was going in a hundred different directions at once. ?Why did Akito-san suddenly change his mind? What would happen to Kyo and Yuki if they didn?t go? What would happen to me?? Her thoughts got bleaker and more confused as she set the rice on the table.

Yuki noticed her distracted expression and smiled. "Don?t worry, Honda-san, we won?t allow anything to happen to you."

"Yeah. I?ll make sure Akito doesn?t get anywhere near you," added Kyou. His tone was angry, but Tohru could hear the concern. She giggled when she realized that he was so worried that he actually agreed with Yuki.

"Oi, what are you laughing at?" yelled Kyou, frowning.

"Gomen, Kyou-kun. You just agreed with Sohma-kun, that?s all. Please, don?t worry about me. I?m sure I?ll be fine." Tohru looked back and forth between the two boys, who were scowling at each other.

"Baka neko."

"Kuso nezumi."

Tohru giggled again and went to get the rest of dinner.
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"New Years arrived in no time," Tohru thought aloud. She took the teapot off the stove and poured a cup for herself. "I?m so excited to see the wonderful Sohma decorations."

"I don?t think they?re as great as you think they are." Kyou?s voice made Tohru start. Turning around, she found the Cat standing next to the refrigerator, milk carton in hand.

"Kyou-kun! I didn?t know you were there. Aren?t you happy for New Years?" questioned Tohru.

"Not really. Lots of loud music and obnoxious brats like Momiji and Hiro. Not exactly my idea of a good time."

Tohru just smiled. "Well, I think it sounds like fun."

"Whatever. Just typical junk like anybody else?s party. Except for the Zodiac Banquet, of course," he added with scorn.

Tohru?s look changed from giddy to quizzical. "Kyou-kun?what exactly happens during the Zodiac Banquet?" She abruptly realized that was a bad topic to bring up in front of the excluded Cat. "I mean, what does everyone else do meanwhile?"

"I really have no idea what goes on during the stupid thing. Shigure said something about the year?s animal dancing. I guess that means it?s Ayame?s turn. Probably Akito lectures them all for hours about how much they should worship him. As for everyone else, they either don?t know about it or pretend not to. Usually, it happens during the End-of-the-Year-Bells and fireworks, so no one really notices that they?re gone."

Tohru?s expression was positively ecstatic. "You mean there is a fireworks display!? How delightful! I can?t wait!"

"Uh, yeah." Kyou brightened. "Actually, I like to watch the fireworks from the roof of my old house. Um?since you?um?can?t go to the Banquet, either, maybe you could, you know, watch them with me," Kyou mumbled, face downcast.

Tohru?s excitement reached a boiling point. She forgot herself completely and threw her arms around Kyou. "Kyou-kun, I?d love to!" she got out before he transformed in her embrace. Kyou looked up at Tohru?s grin and was thankful that she couldn?t tell how much he was blushing in his cat form. She picked up her tea and hummed her way out of the kitchen, allowing him privacy for when he changed back.
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Yuki headed down the stairs and found himself facing Tohru, who was still humming, tea in hand. He smiled. "Good afternoon, Honda-san. Getting ready for New Years?"

"Oh, yes," answered Tohru. "I was just going to finish cleaning up so I could go get some New Years soba noodles at the store for lunch."

"Mmm. That sounds delicious. Let me help you carry your groceries."
"It?s okay, Sohma-kun. I don?t want to bother you. It?s only soba. Not heavy!"

Yuki?s smile broadened. "No, please. I have nothing else to do and besides, I want to go with you. Maybe we can check on the secret base on the way to the store, since we?ll be away for three days."

"Well in that case, all right. I don?t want the strawberries to die while we?re gone." Tohru raised an arm in triumph. "We must secure the base!" She smiled happily as she went to finish her cleaning. After laundry, dishes, and mopping, she went to find Yuki in his room. "All ready," she called to him.
Yuki put down his book and headed to the base with Tohru. The two sat down and carefully checked on all the plants.

"Well, everything looks okay. The radishes could use some water, maybe." Yuki sat back on his heels and sighed, brushing dirt off his hands.

"Right," Tohru said, jumping to her feet. She grabbed the watering can and handed it to Yuki, who had a much greener thumb than she did. After drowning two sets of cucumber and some daikon, she pretty much let him do all the watering. Yuki watered the radishes and stood up.

"Well, I guess that?s it. Hopefully it won?t get too cold before we come back." Yuki shrugged his shoulders and the pair left to go to the store.
On the way back to the house, Yuki started to tell Tohru about the Sohma New Years. "First, there?ll be lots of feasting and dancing, then kites. It?s actually quite fun. The best part is the fireworks. During the Jyuunishi Banquet we watch them from the window."

"Yes, Kyou-kun invited me to watch them with him," Tohru responded. "I can?t wait!"

?Baka neko,? thought Yuki. His smile faltered for a second but he forced himself to replace it. "Yes, well, I would have liked that if not for the Banquet. Your company is much preferable to listening to Akito?s lectures about how much we should respect him."

Tohru laughed to herself, thinking of Kyou?s earlier comment. The two rivals were much different, and yet so similar. She still had hope that they could be friends someday. Of course, the image of them standing face to face in the sunset, pledging to be best friends, was still pretty scary? Maybe something in between?.

Tohru snapped out of her daydream and looked up at Yuki. "Gomen, Sohma-kun. I was being spacey. What was that again?"

"That?s okay, Honda-san. I invited you to go on a walk around my favorite garden tomorrow."

"Yes, that would be nice!" Tohru exclaimed.

"Okay, it?s a date. We?ll make sure and go when everyone is at the main house mingling. That way it will be just you and me."
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After finishing the soba and locking up the house, the small group was on its way to the Honke. Shigure?s voice began to grate on Kyou and Yuki?s nerves after a short time, but Tohru seemed to enjoy his prattling, so they kept quiet.

"?. Anyway, so last week I actually convinced Mii-chan that I had changed my non-fiction work about the life of a high school girl into a hot romance novel. I think I almost gave her a heart attack, poor thing. She should know by now that I live to terrify her." He guffawed at his own cunning.
Tohru just responded with her "uneasy laugh." ?Shigure-san should really be more careful with Mii-san?s health. I?m not sure if she can handle much more of that,? she thought.

"Shigure, you should really be kinder to Mii-san. I don?t know how you found someone who tolerates your behavior," Yuki interjected, voicing Tohru?s concerns.

"Have you seen her?" muttered Kyou. "She?s as insane as he is."
Shigure sweatdropped. "Ah, we?re here," he said, changing the subject.
Tohru walked through the kudomatsu-adorned gate and into the grandest festivity she had ever seen. ?There are so many Sohma?s,? she thought. ?I didn?t realize before.? People filled every square foot of the immense plaza. Tohru stood in awe of the activity: Music, dancing, feasting, and kite-flying. Suddenly, a blonde boy popped up in front of her face.

"Tohru-chan!!!" shouted Momiji. "I?m so glad to see you. Isn?t this great? I can?t wait to show you around and introduce you to everyone."

"Happy New Years, Momiji-kun!" grinned Tohru. "This is so overwhelming."
"Sissy!" Kisa ran up and hugged Tohru. Hiro appeared behind her. His arms were crossed and he faced away with a sneer. "Dumb chick," he grumbled.
Kyou grabbed his collar and hoisted him into the air. "Hey, you little brat. Watch your mouth."

Hiro wriggled out of Kyou?s grip and smirked. "Did I insult your idiot girlfriend?" Kyou raised his fist threateningly and was going to show Hiro who was in charge when he someone grabbed his wrist from behind.

"Hiro, shut your mouth," said Hatsuharu. "And Kyou, are you really going to beat up a little kid?" Kyou relaxed in Haru?s grasp, so he let go. "I wasn?t sure you guys were going to show up."

"Akito-san invited Tohru-chan to come along," Shigure answered.

"I see," the Cow said, looking at Tohru. "I guess you can?t refuse that offer."

"Haru," Yuki interrupted. "I heard Rin-chan was doing better. Is she around?"

"Yeah, I?m going to find her before the Banquet. Wanna come?"

Yuki nodded. "Honda-san, if I don?t see you later on tonight, I?ll find you in the morning."

Tohru smiled in response. "Okay, have fun!"

Kyou glared after Yuki. ?What was that about?? he wondered. His thought were cut off by an excruciatingly loud "Gure-san!!!"

"Aya!" Shigure called back. "My, my. What a wonderful costume." Ayame had left no holds barred in designing his special attire for the dance.

"Mine-chan helped me. Isn?t it spectacular? I made it with you in mind, Gure-san." His voiced slipped into the flirtatious tone the others knew too well. "I may need your help getting out of it later."

"Aya-san, not in front of the children," Shigure answered in the same tone.

"Perverts!" yelled Kyou, furious.

"Good evening, Kyou-kun. Would you like to sleep in my bed tonight, to repay your generosity last time I stayed over?" Ayame winked.

"I?d rather eat leeks!" Kyou responded.

Ayame just laughed in his haughty manner. "Where is my dear younger brother?"

"He went with Hatsuharu-san to find Rin-san," Tohru piped up.

"Oh, well. I?ll talk to him at the Banquet. Come, Gure-san, let?s go find Ha?ri-san." Ayame skipped off laughing, pulling Shigure along. Shigure just waved back at them.

"Geez! I thought my ears were gonna start bleeding," complained Kyou. He looked over at Tohru. "Wanna go find some food?"

"Oh, yes, Kyou-kun," Tohru said, smiling.

"I guess we should go to the Banquet," Momiji told Tohru. "We?ll see you later." Kisa hugged Tohru again and ran after Momiji, Hiro silently following.

"C?mon," Kyou said. He and Tohru wove their way through the crowd to the food table. "Let?s hurry and get to the roof," he said. "I think the bells and fireworks are about to start."
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They each piled plates with food of every sort and Kyou grabbed cups and sake, as well. He led Tohru away from the plaza to a house not too far off, set up on a small rise. The surroundings seemed twice as empty when contrasted with the bustling plaza. The roof came down very close to the ground right on the top of the hill, so the only difficult maneuver was jumping over the gap between. Kyou handed his plate and the sake to Tohru and then jumped. Tohru handed all the items to him and waited for him to set them down. Then, he reached out and grabbed her hands, easing her over the gap.

Once on the roof, they climbed to the peak and settled in, leaning up against the chimney. "So this is the house where you grew up?" Tohru asked, stuffing some sushi into her mouth.

"Yeah. I used to live here before my mom died." Kyou?s expression darkened as he remembered his parents. Tohru realized her mistake.

"Um, Kyou-kun, I?m very sorry. I didn?t mean to talk about hurtful things, especially on such a happy holiday." She lowered her head, hair falling in her eyes.

"Oi, no, it?s not your fault. Hey, um, I made you something." Kyou felt his face redden as he pulled the paper object from his cargo-pants pocket. "It?s kinda wrinkled," he apologized, flattening it on his leg.

"A kite? How beautiful! Thank you, Kyou-kun! I used to fly kites every New Years with my mom." She put her hand to the pocket in her dress, where she had placed a small photo of Kyouko. "Let?s make a toast!" Tohru poured two cups of sake. "To New Years with Kyou-kun and all of the Sohmas," Tohru announced, tapping the tiny cup with Kyou?s. She quickly drank down the intoxicating liquid.

Kyou was a little surprised at her drinking and gave her a questioning look. "Careful, Tohru. I don?t want to have to carry you off the roof."

"Don?t be silly, Kyou-kun. My mom also let me have sake on New Years." She picked up the kite and examined it. Although the kite itself was simple white paper, the streamers were lovely red ribbons and a detailed drawing of a cat adorned the front. "How cute!" Tohru exclaimed, throwing it into the breeze. It fluttered as it caught the wind and soared higher. Tohru layed down on her back and sighed, staring up at the stars.

Just then, the first bell sounded and cheering could be heard from the plaza. "You up for more sake?" Kyou asked, half joking.

"That sounds good." Tohru sat up, still holding the kite. They toasted again and emptied the cups.

"The fireworks should start soon. Want me to hold the kite for you?" Tohru obliged and handed Kyou the string. Hands free, she finished her food and set the plate next to Kyou?s empty one.

Indeed, the fireworks did start. Tohru was mesmerized by the vibrant colors and booming sounds. Kyou smiled and rolled his eyes as she pointed at every one and shouted, "Look at that one, Kyou-kun! That one was my favorite. Wait, no, that one is!" Eventually, the wind died and he reeled in the kite, putting it back into his pocket.

They chatted about the fireworks and had a few more cups of sake. Kyou felt emboldened and scooted closer to Tohru. ?She doesn?t seem to be affected by the alcohol at all,? he thought miserably as his vision blurred for a second. He noticed that he was smiling more than usual and even laughing occasionally.

"Only five bells to go," Tohru sighed. "I?ve counted 103 already." Sure enough, the 108th bell cam soon afterward, accompanied by the grand finale of fireworks. The twinkling sparkles died out and they could see the crowd breaking up below.

Kyou collected the plates and cups and helped Tohru off the roof. Or rather, she helped him off the roof. She stumbled once but seemed to be in better shape than Kyou, who had to focus to get the world to stop spinning. "I?ve never acshually had shake before," he explained a bit loudly.

Tohru giggled. "That?s okay, Kyou-kun. You?re kind of fun like this."

"Okay, Tohru-chan," he said, sitting down hard on the hill. "I jusht wanted to tell you how great you are. Too good for that ramn dat ? er ? yeah, you know what I mean. Oh yeah, here?sh your kite back," he said, handing it to her.

Tohru sat down next to him and kept giggling. "You?re being silly, Kyou-kun. Thank you for such a great night and such a wonderful present!" She leaned over and planted a kiss on his cheek, then got up and helped him back to the plaza.

As Tohru walked into the emptying area, she saw Hatori from afar and headed in his direction. Apparently the Banquet had ended. Tohru left Kyou in Hatori?s care and after a smile and a "Happy New Year!" wa??off to bed.
Kyou looked after her, his face beet-red from the alcohol and the kiss. Hatori was berating him for being drunk, but he wasn?t listening. ?I can?t believe she kissed me. I just hope it wasn?t because of the sake?."
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Chapter 2:

Tohru awoke to a faint knocking on her door. Groggily, she rubbed her eyes and yawned. "Yes!" she called. "Come in."

"Sorry to disturb you, Honda-san," the maid said, head bowed. "Sohma Yuki-san asked me to deliver this to you at once. He said he would be waiting for you downstairs to go to breakfast."

Tohru crawled out of bed and bowed to the maid. "Thank you very much. I?ll be right down." The maid nodded and bowed her way out of the guest room, shutting the door behind her.

With another yawn and a quick stretch, Tohru examined the object the maid had left on the dresser. It was a large box with a blue bow on top. The card attache?to the front read, "Honda-san, I thought this was fit for a princess. ?Yuki," in his elegant script.

Blushing, Tohru opened the lid only to find the most exquisite dress she had ever seen. The material was fine white silk with lace accents on the sleeves and neckline, and the skirt was several layers, making it flare out slightly. A wide red satin sash that tied in the back separated bodice and skirt. The same red satin was used to gather the sleeves at the cuff, which would be right above her elbows. Actually, it was rather similar to the dress she had tried on in Ayame?s shop.

The first reaction Tohru had to the extravagant gift was, "This is way too much! I could never accept such an expensive dress. Oh, but Yuki-kun will think I don?t like it if I don?t wear it. Oh, mom! I really do feel spoiled like a princess sometimes." Resigning to her decision, Tohru put the dress on and brushed her hair. As an afterthought, she took two of the red ribbon streamers from her new kite and tied them in her hair. Then she quickly ran out of the room and down the stairs.

Yuki turned around to face Tohru as he heard her approaching. He had seen Tohru in a dress like that before, but that didn?t take his breath away any less. "Good morning, Honda-san. I was right. That dress is very cute on you. And it suits you, too: white for innocence with a little bit of red for the bright sunshine you bring into our lives. It seems that they picked the New Years colors with you in mind."

The thought crossed Tohru?s mind that if she blushed any harder she might burst into flames. "Thank you so much, Yuki-kun. The dress is beautiful, but I?m sorry if I made you think that you had to buy me anything for New Years."

Yuki chuckled at her apology. "Really, Honda-san, there?s nothing to apologize for. A girl like you should have a new dress on New Years. Shall we go to breakfast?" He offered his arm to Tohru, who shyly took it, and they headed to the dining hall.
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Hatori saw Kyou drop his head into his hands with a pained look. Sitting down next to him at the table, he suppressed a smile. "So, now you know what a hangover feels like. Here, drink this. I put a little something in it to take away your headache," he said, pushing some tea in front of Kyou.

The orange-haired boy opened his eyes to glance over at Hatori. "Feeling guilty about dunking my head in cold water last night?" Kyou picked up the cup and sipped from it, grimacing at the bitter taste of whatever it was the doctor had added.

"That was for your own good. And not just for being inebriated. I?ve never seen you blush so hard."

Kyou winced, recalling himself telling Hatori all about Tohru kissing his cheek and how much fun he had with her watching the fireworks.

Hatori had expected to be the target of Kyou?s temper after that comment, but was instead greeted with a humiliated Kyou, eyes and mouth closed tight in a regretful expression. "It?s okay, Kyou. Your feelings for Tohru aren?t exactly secret. Even so, you must be careful; you can imagine what Akito would do if he knew that he could use her to hurt you. He suspects as it is, but blurting out your fondness for her isn't helping the situation." He sighed. "Look, just be mindful of the consequences of your actions."

Kyou let out the breath he had been holding. "Hey, Ha'ri?thanks." With that, Hatori rose, patted Kyou on the shoulder, and walked into the breakfast crowd.

Kyou downed the rest of his tea and looked around. All of the Sohmas who lived in the main house- those that were part of the curse or knew of it- were gathering for breakfast. The tables in the huge room were filling up fast, but no one except Hatori had come to sit by Kyou in his corner table. 'Always shunned,' he thought. 'I wonder where Tohru and that damn rat are.' As if summoned, the two walked arm-and-arm into the room. Kyou's heart dropped when he saw Tohru's dress. 'Where did she get that? I suppose the kuso nezumi pulled it out of his sleeve.' Kyou sank into depression thinking about how Yuki's expensive gift to her made his insignificant. To make matters worse, he spotted Kagura heading in his direction, looking like a hawk coming in for the kill.
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Yuki and Tohru made their way to the food. "Yuki-kun, doesn?t the ozoni look delicious? Mmm, and I love otoso on New Years!" She gazed around for a minute at the unbelievable selection.

"Yes, Honda-san, it looks very good. Try anything you want." And so they did, filling their plates to the brim with all the freshly made victuals. As they turned to look for a place to sit, Tohru caught site of Kyou and Kagura alone at a table in the back corner of the room.

"Maybe we should go sit by Kyou-kun. I'm not sure he's very happy about sitting alone with Kagura-kun." In fact, Kyou was in every way the personification of a bristling cat.

"Wherever you want to sit, Honda-san, although I would really prefer to not eat with the baka neko." Yuki saw that Tohru's face clearly showed her torn feelings in wanting to please him and save Kyou at the same time. He just couldn't stand to make her look like that. "It's all right, Honda-san. He appears to be pretty quiet this morning, anyway." Tohru's face was content once again, and they went to sit with the Cat and Boar.

"Good morning, Kagura-kun, Kyou-kun!" chimed Tohru. "Would it be okay if we sat with you?"

"Yeah, anything to get her attention off of me. It's way, way too early for this much talking." Kyou rubbed his temples with his fingers. He couldn't quite bring himself to make eye contact with Tohru, not after how he acted the night before.

"But Kyou-kun! I didn't get to see you last night, and I missed you so much! Where were you? Aren't you happy to see me?" Kagura tried to pull the resisting Kyou into her arms, lips puckered for a kiss.

"Ugh! Get off of me! I was avoiding you last night because you drive me crazy!" He realized that was the wrong thing to say, but he couldn't help himself. As Kagura pummeled him repeatedly, he only thought about how hard his head was pounding and that she wasn't helping any. Finally, she stopped and immediately fawned over his bruises. Kyou could only roll his eyes and try to block the sound of her screeching voice. The throbbing in his brain was unreal.

"?and I promise to take care of you forever, Kyou-kun. I love you!!! Let me go find you some ice," Kagura said, finishing her rant. Kyou felt the tension in his body release as she ran off. 'I hope the nearest ice is in Siberia,' he thought wistfully. Putting her out of his mind, he moved his attention back to the new arrivals at his table.

"You look pretty terrible this morning," teased Yuki. "I guess Kagura must have hurt you more than usual."

Kyou quickly glanced at Tohru, but by the look on her face he could tell that she was oblivious to the cause of his headache. "Uh, shut up, kuso nezumi. You don't like being attacked in the morning, either." He hoped that retort would satisfy Yuki. Kyou really didn't want him to know the reason for his pain, because the last thing the Rat needed was more ammunition against him. Luckily, it appeared to have worked.

"Yes, but at least I'm able to fight back in the morning. You didn?t even defend yourself." Yuki was speaking in the taunting voice he reserved for Kyou.

"I really don't need to hear about it from you!" Kyou replied, shouting. "Did you come over here just to talk about that?"

"No. Actually, it was Honda-san's idea to join you. I would be happy if I never saw you again." Yuki calmed himself down and smiled at Tohru. "I'm sorry, Honda-san. I'll try not to ruin the holiday for you."

Kyou felt like a pot that was about to boil over, but he forced himself to cool off a little, to a simmer. "Sorry," he said in a tight voice.

Tohru looked about to panic, and both boys knew what would come out of her mouth. "No! Don't be sorry! I should be sorry! I know you don't want to be around each other, and it was my fault we came to sit here, and I should have known better. Please say you'll forgive me!"

After reassuring her that it wasn't her fault, they all settled into eating breakfast. Hatsuharu joined them, also. He was looking even more upset than Kyou.

"Is everything okay, Hatsuharu-san?" questioned Tohru.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just a little worried about Rin, is all. I think that last night she was trying to prove that she's fine, and now she's lying in bed ill. I told her to take it easy, but she has about as much sense as Yuki when it comes to that." His tone was strained with a frantic concern that Tohru had never heard from the normally laid-back White Haru. Since the day when Tohru had comforted Rin at Shigure's house, she had seemed to get a little better. With some typical catalyst actions from Tohru, Rin and Haru had become close again. His friendship and love had helped her overcome some of her inner turmoil regarding her family's abuse and neglect. Even so, her health was still quite frail and Hatsuharu watched over her almost excessively.

"Tell Rin-san that I hope she feels better," said Tohru, trying to comfort Hatsuharu.

"I will. I'm going to bring her something to eat once I'm done. You know, Tohru-kun, she values your friendship a lot. I think you've been a good influence on her attitude." Haru flashed his debonair grin at her.

"Glad to know I can help! Rin-san has been a great friend to me, too," Tohru said back, her smile so large that her eyes seemed closed.
Hatsuharu finished quickly and left to make a plate for Rin. The rest of the meal went by quietly, and after some introductions to various Sohmas that wandered over to their table and a short but stressful chat with the Hot Springs Lady and Ritsu, Yuki was ready to take Tohru to the garden. As they left, Kyou rested his head on his arms and tried not to think either about his headache or Tohru and Yuki's "date."

"Kyou, my love, I'm back with some ice!"

Kyou groaned.
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Yuki and Tohru strolled through the empty grounds to a far-off section of the Honke. Situated in the crux of two houses was a secluded garden. Although it wasn't large, it was the most gorgeous garden Tohru had ever seen. Bamboo lined the egdes and willowy flowering trees that Tohru couldn't identify dotted the area. Everywhere else seemed to be hibernating for the winter, but this garden was alive with color. "I didn't know that a garden could look like this at this time of year," Tohru said in awe.

"Actually, Honda-san, this is a winter garden. The plants were chosen because they blossom at this time, and the rocks were specially chosen and placed to enhance the beauty. I spent many hours here when I was younger, because few people came here. And because this was my house." Yuki pointed to the larger of the two houses that encroached on the garden.

"How exciting!" said Tohru. "I got to see Kyou-kun's house last night, and now I get to see yours, too. I always wondered what they looked like." Tohru gazed at the cold house. Although it was very large, it had a stark quality that Tohru had imagined it would. Yuki's family didn't seem like it would be the warm and joyous type.

"Come with me, Honda-san. There is a place I want to show you." Tohru nodded, still entranced by her surroundings, and let Yuki lead her into the trees. They stopped next to the largest in the garden, a twisted tree that had a thick branch that grew horizontally, close to the ground. Yuki sat down on the natural bench and motioned Tohru to join him. "I often came to sit here when I was younger. It was a place I could be alone and pretend not to be in Sohma House." Yuki seemed to drift off to another world, absorbed in his mysterious shell.

Tohru explored her surroundings with her eyes. She noticed that no part of the Honke was visible from this point. It was almost like they were in the middle of a fantastical dream. Now she understood why this was Yuki's favorite place. He could escape from his invisible cage and imagine that he was far away from this cursed life. "Thank you, Yuki-kun," she said quietly. "It means a lot to me that you would share your special place with me."

Yuki smiled down at Tohru and gently laid his hand on hers. "This was my 'secret base' when I lived here. Even though I felt free being in this spot, it was a lonesome feeling, having no one to share my freedom with. There's no one that I could share this place with except for you, Honda-san. Thank you for taking away the solitude."

Tohru's face turned every shade of pink. She grasped Yuki's hand in her own. Sometimes he seemed so abandoned and helpless like a child. She just sat there with him in silence for a long time, breathing in the crisp winter air. The sun was past its peak when they finally stood to leave. They had skipped lunch and both noticed a grumbling in their stomachs that they couldn't ignore. Slowly, they strolled out of the secluded trees and into the garden entrance. Yuki and Tohru stopped dead in their tracks at the sight of someone standing before them, a severe expression on his face.

"Good afternoon, Kureno-san," greeted Yuki warily. Tohru hadn't recognized the Bird immediately. It had been several months since she had seen him, and she really hadn't had too many interactions with him. At the time, she had tried to convince him to make contact with Uo, but that never happened. Tohru felt sorry for Kureno for being Akito's prisoner, but she couldn't help but feel a chill up her spine at his presence.

"Good afternoon,Yuki-san. Honda Tohru, you will accompany me to Akito-san's residence, now. He would like to speak with you." He promptly turned on his heel and started walking away, an air about him that said he knew she would follow. Tohru's eyes grew as big as saucers as she timidly followed Kureno's retreating back.

Yuki felt rooted to the ground. An ominous fear had consumed him at the sight of Kureno. Kureno meant Akito, because the Bird lived under his control. Now, watching Tohru leave to face that monster, he began shaking. Only the idea of Tohru hurt by Akito cured his paralysis. He had to find Shigure. Damnit! He might even need that baka neko for this?
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Chapter 3:

Yuki ran through the compound, weaving his way among the buildings. His heart was beating at an alarming pace, making him feel a bit dizzy, but he couldn't slow down. Emerging onto the plaza, he was forced to walk because of the mass of people feasting and enjoying the day. People saw him and tried to engage him in conversation, but he seemed to look right through them. His only thought was to find Shigure. The Dog might be an immature lecher, but he could be depended on when it came to Tohru, and Akito for that matter. Shigure would understand his urgency. And he would know where Hatori was. Hatori might like Tohru as much as the rest, but he was a willing slave to Akito and would obey him if the order came to erase Tohru's memory.

After what seemed like hours, Yuki spotted Shigure and ran straight towards him, rudely pushing through the partygoers. "Shigure! Where's Hatori?" he panted, out of breath. His vision was skewed from lack of oxygen and he had to force himself to breathe slowly.

Shigure looked worried for once in his life. "It's all right, Yuki. Calm down. What happened?"

Yuki eyed the people around him. "Not here." He led Shigure a little ways off so that no one could overhear their conversation. In the Honke, Akito had too many eyes and ears for people to be trusted. "Kureno came and took Honda-san to see Akito. We have to make sure he doesn't harm her. Where's Hatori?" he asked again.

Shigure's eyebrows came together in a frown as Yuki spoke. "This is serious. I don't know what we can do, though. If we try to help her, it might make him angry and cause him to act out. We just have to hope that he doesn't hurt her, at least not physically. Don't worry; Ha-san is checking on Rin right now. He's not erasing Tohru-kun's memory."

Those words didn't comfort Yuki at all. "Damn you, Shigure," he began in a soft yet menacing voice. "You know as well as I do that his words are far more dangerous than his fists. If you won't help Honda-san, than I guess I'll have to do it myself." Without waiting for his cousin's response, he turned and ran off.

Shigure leaned against the side of the building he was standing next to and lit a cigarette. "Don't you understand yet, Yuki? She's going to be broken either way," he whispered.
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Kyou sat in Kagura's house, trying to figure out a way to get the clinging girl off of him long enough that he could escape. His earlier headache had dissipated, only to be replaced with a new one from her voice. "Look, woman, I'm not going to marry you and that's final. We already talked about this. You told me yourself that you only liked me to make yourself feel better because my curse is worse than yours is. I thanked you for being my friend no matter what the reasons were, but I thought that meant you were going to stop nagging me!"

Kagura put on her pouty face. "But Kyou-kun, I've decided that I really do love you now. I won't ever give up on us. I can't ever share you."

Kyou exhaled loudly. "Please, Kagura, just stop. I-I appreciate you caring?but I don't want anything else from you. You know what's going to happen to me when I graduate. It's only six months away, and?I really just need you to be a friend?please?"

Kagura held herself back from the fight she was about to start with him. Looking over at his face, she saw the anguish clearly and rage left her. She laid her hand on his arm and spoke in a soothing tone. "I know that, Kyou. Don't you think that I think about it all the time? I guess-I guess I'm just too mean and selfish. You're going to be locked away forever and all I can think about is myself. You deserve better than that?. I will always be your friend."

Hearing Kagura speak calmly still caught Kyou off guard. "Thank you, Kagura. Maybe one day the curse can be broken and we won't have to live these resentful lives." He gave her a resigned smile as she left the room to give him time alone. He was in shock at the conversation. He had never had such a nice talk with her.
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Yuki burst through the door to Kagura's house, where Rin was living. Kyou, sitting in the main room, was looking at him suspiciously. "Kyou, get up! Is Hatori still here?"

Kyou was taken aback. Yuki sounded upset, but wasn't even taking his anger out on him. The normally subdued Rat was panicked and frightened. Suddenly, Kyou remembered whom he was supposed to be with. "Where's Tohru?" he demanded, feeling a knot form in his chest.

"With Akito. Is Hatori still here, baka neko?!" Yuki yelled, now focusing his anger on Kyou. He looked like a cornered animal.

"With Akito? How did you let this happen, kuso nezumi? I'll kill you if she's not all right!" Kyou was losing himself to rage. "Answer me!"

But Yuki just ran past him to the stairs. Kyou followed him to Rin's room, where Yuki threw open the door and felt his heart beat again at the sight of Hatori. "Hatori, Honda-san is with Akito. We have to do something." Hatori didn't even look surprised. He slowly rose from sitting on the bed and stepped closer to Yuki. His apparent lack of concern was driving Yuki mad with fury.

"I knew that he would want to see her sometime during her stay here. In all honesty, there's not much you can do. Do you dare go against Akito? If he wants to see her, he will, and if you try to stop him you may not be the only one to be punished. The only thing we can do is wait for him to finish with her and take it from there. If she comes to bodily harm, you know I will do everything in my power to treat her, but if the damage is emotional, both you and Kyou will have to take care of her. Hopefully, he just wants to speak with her further. I have been given no order to erase her memory, if that's what you're thinking."

Hatori's words replaced the anger in Yuki with despair. He slumped down onto the edge of the bed. "I can't do that, Hatori. I just can't. I'll never forgive myself if anything happens to her. He could be doing anything to her right now. There's no one there to protect her."

Kyou was still furious. "Tohru's such an idiot! She's going to say something stupid and he'll snap. I won't leave her alone there, no matter what happens to me." He turned to leave but Hatsuharu caught his arm in an iron grip. The boys hadn't even noticed his presence in the room.

"No." His face was sorrowful. "Hatori's right. It will be better in the long run if you leave them alone. If Akito sees that the two of you are worried enough to challenge him then your cozy life at Shigure's will be over. You'll be forced to live here, probably as Akito's pets, and Tohru will have her memory erased. We can't let him think that she's a threat to his control."

Hatori spoke up again. "This might even be a test. I know that Akito realizes you care for her. It's possible that he called her to him this afternoon to see if you will run to her aid, or disobey him, or even work together for her sake."

Yuki was surprised at himself for even thinking that he would put aside his hatred for the baka neko to help Tohru. Nothing was more important to him than her safety. Nothing! Kyou, on the other hand, hadn't even thought of that. Cooperating with Yuki was a morbid idea, but he couldn't handle Akito alone and he knew it. Hatori and Hatsuharu were right.

Rin sat up in the bed and spoke for the first time. "Tohru is a powerful person, in her own way. Nothing will ever break her spirit, not even your true form, Kyou. Let's just be there for her when Akito is done. She's talked to him before, and she's been okay. If anything awful does happen, we'll find a way to ease her suffering. We all will." With that, the room fell silent. Neither Yuki nor Kyou made a move for the door, not because they didn't care but because they did.
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Kureno opened the door to the darkened room and led Tohru inside. Stopping in the middle, he pushed Tohru's shoulder down so that she was kneeling. Tohru was frightened out of her mind, but she promised herself that she would be strong and try not to make Akito angry again.

"Leave us," came a raspy voice from the shadows. Kureno squeezed Tohru's shoulder once to try and comfort the poor girl and left the room, shutting the door in his wake. "So," Akito said, stepping into the faint light. "How is your New Years going, Honda Tohru?"

Tohru was a little shocked at the normality of the question. "V-Very well." She wasn't sure what else to say.

"I see that you're having a good time with Kyou. You should be careful on roofs at night. If you fell and died, many would mourn your passing." Akito approached Tohru and hovered in front of her. "I see by your idiotic expression that you don't follow me, so let me explain; nothing goes on here that I don't know about. Don't you think I know where to look for Kyou on New Years Eve? That disgusting Cat is too predictable. What a romantic time that must have been, alone on the rooftop, watching the fireworks, flying your kite. Kyou seemed to have an especially good time, but he paid for it this morning.

"And let's not forget dear Yuki. You must be quite important for him to take you to that garden of his. He may feel free there, but then stepping out of that false freedom and back into the curse must seem twice as oppressive. When he was a child, he thought he could hide from me there. Once he even spent the night there, freezing from the cold. The asthma attack he got from that nearly killed him. You should have seen his face in the morning when I came to get him. He knew that I had left him there with false hope of escape just to prove that I alone have control over him.

"Are you wondering why I'm telling you this, you stupid wench? You may think your little life is carefree and perfect, but you're wrong. You're living a lie. The only reason I allow you to live with my cousins is because it tortures them. They are experiencing the affections of an outsider, but this is all to change soon. You know that in six months, Kyou will be locked away for the rest of his life. His imprisonment will be even bitterer if he has happiness to compare it to. Yuki will be forced to come back to me, and the confines of this house will be overbearing in contrast to the taste of freedom that you have given him. Don't you see? This is all only happening because I allow it to! They cannot defy me!"

Tohru sat in silence through Akito's tirade, not knowing if she should respond or nod or look at him or sit still. She could feel him next to her, as he had moved closer and closer to her as he spoke, his voice softer and seemingly more threatening. At his last remarks he had put his hand on her chin, cupping it in a fierce grip and forcing her to look at him. Tohru shivered.

"I see that my comments have taken hold. Their increased suffering will all be your fault, and there's nothing you can do about it now. You won't say a word to anyone about what I told you. We'll let them think that I inflicted another kind of pain. Let's see?last time I believe I scratched your face?. This time?" Akito let his sentence fade as an evil smile graced his lips. Using the hand that was on her chin, he pressed his fingers into either cheek and forcefully dragged her to her feet. Tohru flailed desperately, but Akito just gave her his mirthless laugh. Drawing her face close to his, he playfully let his hot breath tickle her lips. "What is it that they like about you? You don't seem very interesting to me. You certainly aren't anything to look at. Maybe I just need to see for myself."

Tohru was frozen with fear of what he was going to do. She was terrified that he was going to kiss her, but that didn't happen. Without warning, he flung her as hard as he could across the room, her shoulder slamming into the wall. All thought left her as the agony from her shoulder consumed her mind. Never had anything hurt like that before. Vaguely, Tohru was aware of Akito calling Kureno back into the room.
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Kureno gingerly helped Tohru to her feet and led her through the house to the entrance. Once outside, Tohru slipped from the supporting grip he had on her good arm and fell to the ground, sobbing unabashedly. Kureno knew that he couldn't get her to walk back to Hatori, so he decided to bring the doctor to her. "Honda-san, stay here. I'll be right back with help. You're going to be okay, I promise." Then he ran as fast as he could to Kagura's house, where he knew Hatori was staying with Rin.

Busting in through the door, he ran up to Rin's room. Hatori, Kagura, Rin, Hatsuharu, Yuki, and Kyou were all there, looking pretty surprised at his presence. Kyou came to life first. "What happened? Is Tohru all right? Where is she?" He was losing his temper, Kureno could see. Typical.

"Hatori-san, I need you to come to her. She's outside Akito-sama's and her shoulder is hurt. I believe it's dislocated." Hatori actually looked a little relieved. 'Perhaps they had been expecting the worst,' thought Kureno.

They all rose to their feet, including Rin even after a reproachful look from Haru, and followed Kureno as he ran back to Tohru. She was still wracked with sobs, but only she knew they were from more than her shoulder.

Hatori quickly examined her shoulder and nodded. "Yes, it is dislocated. It's a painful injury, but not too serious. Are you hurt anywhere else, Tohru-san?" Tohru shook her head and looked around through her tears. Yuki and Kyou had identical looks of sympathy and anger on their faces. They appeared to be mute from shock. The Cow had definitely turned into Black Haru; it was obvious from the ferocious glimmer in his eyes. Kagura and Rin were kneeling beside her and supporting her weight. She felt herself going weak from the pain.

Hatori interrupted her surveillance. "Kagura, wrap your arms around her and hold onto her with all of your strength. This is going to be excruciating, but if we do it right the first time, it'll be over. Rin, try to distract her." 'At least he girls have their heads on straight,' thought Hatori. 'Haru, Yuki, and Kyou look like bombs ready to go off.' After Kagura had positioned her arms around Tohru's torso and Rin was talking to her about her dress, Hatori lifted up Tohru's arm and firmly pulled. A few seconds later, a loud pop was heard and Tohru's scream died. She had fainted because of the procedure, but she was going to be fine.

Rin and Kagura carried Tohru back to her room in the guest house. It was quite an endeavor because they couldn't touch her tender arm and Rin was weak from being sick. Kagura was out of breath by the time they got Tohru up the stairs and into bed. Tohru was still passed out, and they didn't want to wake her. Hatori wrapped her arm in a sling he kept in his doctor's bag and told them that she wasn't to use it for at least two days, and it would probably be frail for a week. He ushered everyone out of the room and shut the door.

Back at Kagura's house, Yuki spoke for the first time. "I failed her. I should have gone there and protected her anyway." He couldn't stop picturing her crying form, lying hurt and alone on the ground. He would never forgive himself.

"The situation is the same. There was nothing you could have done. Her injury was minor, thankfully. Knowing that girl, she'll probably say it didn't hurt at all and be back to her normal self in no time," Hatori said.

Black Haru grinned at Kyou. "Hey, Kyou, maybe you can make her some leek stew."

Kyou had no idea how Haru had found out about that, but it pissed him off even more. "Bastard!" he yelled, slamming his fist into the wall. But he wasn't talking about Hatsuharu. He wasn't even talking about Akito, although he was a bastard, too. He really meant himself, for allowing Tohru to get hurt. He sat down on the floor, facing away from the others, brooding.

Rin had a thoughful expression. "I wonder though. Akito-san doesn't often strike someone without supplementing it with words. What do you think he said to her?"

Hatori answered. "Yes, Rin, I was thinking the same thing. We won't know until we talk to her. We'll all have to take care with her and watch for any damage he might have done. Especially you, Yuki and Kyou, and Shigure, as well. I think you should take her home tomorrow and get her away from Sohma house. I'll drive you in the afternoon once she's fully rested."

Shortly afterwards, they all departed. Rin went up to her room to go to bed, Haru in tow to keep her company. Kagura had some tea and then went to bed herself. Hatori stood outside his office, chain-smoking cigarettes and staring at nothing. Yuki sat at the desk in his guest room and silently gazed at a picture of himself and Tohru at the beachhouse last summer, laughing and running in the sand. Kyou crawled onto the roof, right over Tohru's room, and thought about her goofy smile. Tohru lay asleep, but her dreams were dark and foreboding.
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A/N: There are 6 more chapters after this that are already done. This is going to be very long, so please let me know if you would like me to continue posting it here or not. (The others are already on ff.net)