due to popular demand, i'm going to put this back up. the reason i had it down was so that i could turn it into a novel for publication but i'm busy with other stories right now so i dont see that happening for a few years. i'll leave it up temporarily till then but i do like the story. sorry its all together in one chapter. this is the only way its still saved in my computer.

chapter 1- the deal

Twenty-five years old... Yuki watched the celebration occurring in front of him with little interest. It was kind of like watching a dream. Even if this party was in celebration of his twenty-fifth birthday, somehow, he felt as though it were for someone else.

The party center his brother had rented was fairly large. Lined up against the walls were long tables covered in every appetizer and snack imaginable from finger sandwiches to cookies and cakes. They had also invited nearly every single person from his brother's company to come as well, not that Yuki particularly cared. He wasn't close to any of them anyway. As a matter of fact, he wasn't very close to anyone at all really. But he didn't mind. Sometimes, it was nice being alone.

At the front of the center was a small stage where a radio had been set up and music was playing. Yuki furrowed his brows as, out of nowhere, Yuki's older brother Ayame jumped onto it, grabbing hold of the microphone. "Greetings everyone!" he shouted cheerfully, the sudden noise screeching loudly in the mike's speakers and echoing obnoxiously in the room.

Cringing, everyone turned to listen and the ringing sound slowly disappeared. Yuki put a hand to his forehead and groaned. Please don't let him say anything stupid. Please don't let him say anything stupid. Please don't let him say anything stupid.

"As we all know," Ayame began loudly. "Today is my darling little brother Yuki's twenty fifth birthday and I have a little announcement to make as well." Yuki closed his eyes, praying his brother would shut up. "Our company, the Sohma Corporation, has grown massively since we began over fifty years ago! And we now own nearly a third of all the businesses in Japan. It's quite an accomplishment. We are also branching off to the south and opening up a major department down there which we've decided we want my darling little brother to run! Isn't that exciting Yuki?"

Yuki was awestruck. He had worked as a manager at the company for about five years and he hadn't heard anything about the new department they were opening in southern Japan. This really was quite an honor. Perhaps he had misjudged his brother after all. Yuki didn't know what to say.

"But..." Ayame added coyly, a small smile playing onto his lips. "I'm not so sure my brother is really deserving of this position."

The comment seemed to strike Yuki in the forehead like an arrow being shot right between his eyes. Glaring at Ayame, Yuki could feel his face heating up as hundreds of pairs of eyes fell on him. How dare his brother say something like that in front of all their fellow employees and co-workers! What the hell was he trying to do?

"You see, Yuki is, in fact, twenty-five now, and we feel the job should go to more of a family man. Many of our major partners and adjoining businesses are family oriented you know. Yet, our darling Yuki seems to have disregarded his love life completely!" A few people on the floor, nodded, chuckling in agreement.

Yuki could feel his eye twitch as he watched his brother on stage, rage boiling up inside him. That bastard! He knew damn well why Yuki couldn't bother with things like having a relationship. It was the same damn reason why the other members of their family couldn't! They were cursed! And they had been for generations.

"This being the case," Ayame continued with a grin. "We've decided that if Yuki can prove that he is indeed capable of starting a family, then he can have the job."

"What is that supposed to mean!" Yuki finally shouted, marching up onto the stage. Climbing up beside his brother, he grabbed him by the collar, yanking him closer. "Do tell me what you're getting at 'brother dear'." He glared menacingly at Ayame, ready to punch the man in the face in front of every damn person in there.

"Temper, temper," Ayame sighed. "Now this is exactly what I'm talking about Yuki. But I suppose its to be expected, what with you not even having a woman to let out your sexual frustrations with. You must be just about ready to burst, you poor boy."

Yuki's face went bright red and he pushed his brother back, stepping away. He couldn't let himself lose control of front of everyone. Perhaps he could hire someone to kill Ayame later. "Now tell me what you want," he demanded through gritted teeth.

"Simply for you... to get married," Ayame said happily. "Find yourself a wife and you get the job. That's not too much of a task is it? I mean, just think of it as a business arrangement. You do that kind of thing all the time, don't you? It won't be so bad!"

Yuki gaped at him in shock. How could he make it sound so easy? Was his brother completely out of his mind! Shaking his head, he decided there was nothing he could do but play along with his brother's little charade. That job was much too tempting of an offer to just throw away because of Ayame's stupidity. "Fine, I'll get a wife," he muttered.

"Very good Yuki!" Ayame exclaimed. "I knew you wouldn't let me down! You have one week."

"Fine..." Yuki stopped as the full weight of what Ayame had just said hit him over the head like a lead pipe. "Wait, what! Did you just say a week!"

Ayame nodded. "That's right. They expect to know who will be running the buildings by next week. And if you can't prove yourself by then, well, we'll just have to find someone else. Actually, I believe Shigure has been hoping for this job as well and he does have seniority over you, you know."

Yuki didn't know what to say. This was ridiculous! How was he supposed to find someone to marry in a week! His brother must have literally gone insane. Too much time alone in his office sniffing permanent markers and bottles of white-out or something. But then again, he really wanted this job. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity really... "All right, fine," Yuki muttered with a defeated sigh. "I'll do it." What on earth was he getting himself into.

Taking a deep breath, Tohru stepped into the restaurant, running a hand through her hair. Her hand shook slightly as she lifted her purse and pulled out a mirror, glancing quickly at her reflection. Hmm, hair and lipstick seemed to be in place... She stumbled forward a little as she felt a little push from behind.

"Come on Tohru," Uotani hissed softly. "Just act casual. You look like you're about to have a seizure."

"I'm... sorry," Tohru said, smiling sheepishly. "I'm really going to try and talk to him today though."

"It won't be so bad," Hana reassured her. "Just be yourself."

The host appeared and led them to their seats. Torhu paused, biting her lip as she followed him. "Umm, could we please sit over there by the window?" she asked meekly. The host nodded, picking up the menus he had set down on the round table and placing them on the booth beside the windows.

"Your waiter will be with you shortly," he said before turning to leave.

Letting a deep breath, Tohru collapsed in the booth, dropping her head in her arms on the table. "I sounded like a moron, didn't I."

"Well, yeah," Uo agreed, but at least you got the table you wanted. "Are you sure he always does this one."

"Uh-huh," Tohru replied lifting her head slightly. A small smile played on her lips. "I always see him everyday on my way to work." She froze as a man appeared in front of the table. He looked back and forth between the three girls with ruby colored eyes.

"All right, can I get you guys something to drink?" he asked, pulling out a notepad.

"Wh... what... what's your name?" Tohru blurted out, her face bright red.

"Huh?" the man asked in surprise. "Oh, I'm sorry. My name is Kyo, and I'll be your waiter for today. Now, what do you want to drink?"

After a long pause, Uo broke in, noticing that Tohru seemed to have lost her ability to speak. "We'll have three lemonades,"

"Okay," Kyo said jotting it down on the notepad, "And any appetizers?"

"No," Hana said softly with a wave of her hand. "I don't believe we'll be ordering any of these overpriced snacks. You may leave now."

Making a face, Kyo nodded, putting the notepad back in his apron. "All right, I'll be back with your drinks in a minute." He hurried away, leaving Tohru clutching a hand over her heart.

"He's so ... nice," she murmured dreamily. "I found out his name..."

"Snap out of it, girl," Uo said shaking her head. "You're never going to get anywhere that way."

"That's easy for you to say," Tohru mumbled sadly. "You're already married. I'm just not any good with this kind of thing."

"Eh, you're making it harder than it has to be," Uo shrugged. "Besides, I don't even like my husband. I'm thinking of divorcing the bastard. You should consider yourself lucky you can still look for someone you really want to be with."

"What's wrong with your husband, Uo-chan?" Tohru asked furrowing her brows. Even after her friend Arisa had married and taken on her husbands last name, she just hadn't been able to get out of the habit of calling her Uo-chan. "I thought you guys were getting along well."

"Eh, we were, yeah. But he's never home, damn it! Kureno works for that Sohma Corporation thingy... He works about fourteen freaking hours a day! I swear! Ugh, I feel like hitting him when he comes home."

Tohru frowned as she heard Uo say this. She had always thought of marriages as a special thing. If Uotani was married and wasn't happy... then why did anyone even bother in the first place?

"Yes, and that is why I'm quite happy I decided to never take a husband," Hana said with a smile. "I believe life will be much easier that way without a man to complicate matters."

"Hmm, yeah," Tohru murmured, her eyes turned to the table. "Maybe that would be easier."

Hurrying down the street, Yuki felt as though he were going to be sick. Ever since his brother's announcement last night, every single eligible woman in the company had been all over him. He had finally escaped during his lunch break hoping to get some fresh air. He closed his eyes and groaned. If Ayame was going to insist on being an idiot and wanted to ruin his life by forcing him to marry someone in a week, the least he could do was NOT TELL THE WHOLE WORLD!

But, it was too late for that now. Not only did their entire building know, but so did every other human being even slightly associated with the Sohma Corporation. So, it was only natural that power hungry gold diggers would be knocking down his door at four in the morning. The thing that disturbed him the most though, was that not only had several girls shown up at his apartment last night to "wish him a happy birthday", with flowers and poems and chocolates, but so had several males as well... and that was just plain scary.

He stopped in front of a small diner, deciding to grab a bite to eat before he had to go back. Pulling open the door, he walked inside and allowed the smell of fresh brewed coffee to fill his senses. The host seated him at a small table beside a group of three girls who were at a booth by the window. Glancing to the side, he couldn't help but notice them, seeing as they were all attractive, young women around his age. One in particular caught his eye, a shy looking girl with long brown hair and blue eyes. She smiled at her friends and covered her face with her hands laughing. Without realizing it, he found his gaze moving to her fingers... Hmm, no ring.

Yuki felt like slapping himself. What was he doing? He wasn't going to meet his wife-to-be in a diner like this. Besides, a pretty woman like her mostly likely already had a boyfriend. Turning his attention to the large menu laying on the table before him, he held it up in front of him, scanning down the list of lunch specials.

"Hello, have you decided what you'd like to drink?" a male's voice asked in a bored tone.

Lowering down his menu, Yuki gaped when he saw the familiar orange head looking down at a pad of paper. "Kyo?"

Kyo looked up, his jaw dropping open. "Agh, you damned rat!" he shouted. "What are you doing in my restaurant! Go away!"

"I came to get lunch," Yuki retorted. "And that's exactly what I'm going to do."

"Oh no you're not!"

"Sohma!" A man's voice yelled. Both Kyo and Yuki turned to look at the enraged overweight man that was marching toward them. He glared at Kyo, grabbing him by the ear. "How many times have I told you not to yell at the customers! Are you trying to put me out of business!"

"All right, I'm sorry," Kyo grumbled, knocking the man's thick fingers away.

"Good," the man huffed before turning away and disappearing in the kitchen.

Kyo narrowed his eyes at Yuki and gritted his teeth. "So, valued customer, what would you like to drink?"

"Coffee, dearest waiter," Yuki spat in return, matching Kyo's sarcasm. Without another word, Kyo left, shoving his notepad in his pocket. Yuki sighed. This was just not his day. He felt eyes on him and turned to see the three girls he had noticed earlier staring in his direction, odd expressions on their faces. But who could blame them, after that little public display he had just put on with his cousin.

Yuki could hear the girl with the brown hair excuse herself and pull herself out of the booth. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched her stop in front of his table and he wondered what she wanted. She bent down, and her hand brushed against his leg. A drop of sweat rolled down the side of his face as he tried to focus on the menu in front of him. What was she doing? He was afraid to even acknowledge her. Finally, with all the courage he could muster up, he turned his head to look at her.

"Here you go sir," Tohru said cheerfully, handing him a folded leather wallet, and pulling herself back up to her feet. "I think you dropped this."

"Oh," Yuki said in surprise as he took it. "Thank you... I didn't even realize..." He could feel his face heating up. What the hell had he thought she was doing? Maybe Ayame had been right about him. He was already twenty five and he really had no clue when it came to woman.

"You're welcome," she replied smiling. Then she left, making her way toward the restrooms.

Yuki rested his chin in his hand, watching her walk away. She'd be a nice person to go out with... except he wasn't exactly sure how people went about asking girls out in the first place. He'd pretty much spent his whole life devoting his entire body and soul to work. Other than that, he hadn't really given much thought to enhancing his personal life. Maybe this finding a wife thing was going to be even harder than he thought.

Pulling out her purse, Tohru placed a few crumpled dollars on the table for a tip. She sighed and put a head on Hana's shoulder. "Hana-chan, I couldn't do it. I couldn't ask him for his number or anything."

"Like I said earlier," Hanajima comforted, placing a hand on her friend's head. "I think living without taking a spouse is a much healthier way to be. Think of all the stress and hassle you'll save yourself."

"Yeah, having a guy isn't all its cracked up to be," Uo agreed. She took one last slurp of her drink before putting it down on the table and following Hana and Tohru out of the dining area. "But, its not so bad. Maybe you can try and ask Orange Top next time you're here."

"Orange Top?"

"Sure, he's got orange on top of his head, though I suppose its supposed to pass for hair."

Tohru laughed. "I guess so. Maybe I'll tell him I like him later." As they neared the door, they could see Kyo by the cash registar, talking to the owner.

"I'm taking my break," he said quickly, tossing his apron over the counter.

"Don't just leave this here," the owner complained as Kyo jogged outside. Tohru could feel her cheeks flushed as she watched him leave. Shaking the thoughts aside, she went to the cashier and paid for the lunch, handing her the receipt and money.

"Ready?" Tohru asked her friends. They nodded and left the restaurant together. As they were walking down the sidewalk, the alley between the restaurant and the next building came into view as they were passing by it.

Tohru noticed an orange head near the brick wall on the side of the building and turned her head for a better look. She gasped as she saw Kyo bending down over a girl with short dark hair, kissing her passionately on the lips. The sight took her by surprise and she froze, her eyes widening. So... it looked like... Kyo already had someone. She watched, unable to tear her gaze away from him as he ran a hand through the girl's hair, pulling her face closer. Tohru had never had a chance.

Uo grabbed Tohru's arm and pulled her forward. "Come on. Forget about it," she muttered.

"Tohru-kun," Hana asked softly, her voice filled with concern. "Are you all right?"

"Y...yeah, of course!" Tohru laughed as they walked, tears coming to her eyes. "I'm perfectly fine." The droplets of water spilled over her cheeks, running down her face. So he already had a girlfriend, Tohru supposed she should have been able to guess that. Although, she had to admit, it made her feel a little foolish now. "It... it was just a crush," she mumbled. "No big deal..." Covering her face with her hands, she began cried softly to herself, unable to stop. Wiping her at her eyes, she looked up at the sky as her friends tugged her forward. For some reason, it occurred to her that the sun was shining so very brightly today.

Yuki bit his lip trying to decide what to do. The girls had left a couple minutes earlier and he really wanted to try and talk to that girl with the long brown hair. Hmm, what to do. He thought of Ayame and the job that would be as good as his... and all he had to do accomplish this one little thing. All he had to do was get married. It... couldn't be that bad, right? And if he thought about it really hard, and went home and drowned himself with lots of alcohol to numb his brain, maybe he could bring himself to believe it wasn't really that big of a deal after all. It wasn't like he had to really love her or anything crazy like that. It was like a business proposition, and he made those all the time, right?

Deciding, Yuki stood up. He hadn't even finished the sandwich he ordered or the coffee either. Tossing down a twenty, he hurried out of the restaurant. Maybe he could still catch up with them. It has to be her, he decided finally. She's the one I want. Yuki smiled a little to himself. He'd been in this business a long time, and once he found something that interested him, it had to be his. She was going to be his. Business... it was all strictly business.

Up ahead of him on the sidewalk, he could make out the three girls walking. He stopped when he realized the girl with the long brown hair was crying. What had happened to her? Pushing the concern from his mind, he ran up to her, tapping her on the shoulder. She turned to look at him, her eyes red and puffy, but she smiled, wiping the dampness from her cheek. "Yes?"

"I... I was just wondering if you'd like to join me for dinner tonight," he said, flashing her his best winning smile, the one he used on his most important, not to mention wealthy clients. "To thank you for picking up my wallet for me."
"Oh, you don't have to do that," Tohru laughed, shaking her head. "I'm sure you would've noticed it eventually even if I hadn't given it to you." He noticed the blond girl as she gave her a little shove with her elbow.

"Tohru would love to go out with you tonight," Arisa said loudly, ignoring her friend's protests.

"I look forward to it then," Yuki grinned. Perfect. He was going to get that job no matter what, even if it killed him.

chapter 2 - day 1- first date

It was official. Tohru was going to go crazy. She ran to her closet for the fifth time that night, yanking out a plain blue dress. Hurrying to her mirror, she threw it on, staring at her reflection in disgust. "I look awful!" she cried. "Hana-chan! Save me!"

"Tohru-kun," Hanijima called calmly from the other side of Tohru's bedroom door. "I'm sure you'll find something. Don't fret."

Sighing, Tohru tossed the dress into the pile of outfit rejects on the floor. She sifted through the pile, pulling out a long black skirt and silver blouse she had tried on earlier. "I think I was better off with this," she murmured. Pulling it on, she looked in the full length mirror again, biting her lip. Turning to the side, she placed a hand over her flat stomach. "Hana-chan!" she whimpered. "I look fat in this blouse."

Finally unable to take it anymore, Saki burst into the room, grabbing Tohru by the wrist. She looked her up and down, giving a small nod. "Just as I thought, you look fine," Hana reassured. Pulling her out of the room, she gave her a push into the hallway. "Doesn't she look nice Arisa?"

Uotani looked up from the magazine she was reading. "Hey, you look cute Tohru. "Stop stressing out so much."

"But Uo-chan," Tohru stammered. "I... I don't even know this guy and he's taking me out and... and... he's so handsome... how am I supposed to act? Agh, why did you have to say I'd go to dinner with him?"

"You forgot to mention that he's rich," Uo grinned. "You know, my darling hubby who's never home? ... The bastard... Anyway, he works for that guy. That was the Yuki Sohma, manager of the Sohma Corporation's main building here. And his brother, Ayame Sohma actually owns the entire business! C 'mon, You should feel hella lucky he wants to take you out to dinner! You just don't pass up golden opportunities like this. And besides, its better than getting all weepy over Orange Top, don't you think?"

Tohru turned to her roommate Hanajima for help. "You agree with me don't you?" she pleaded. "I don't care about his money or position or whatever... I just don't know if I'll be able to do this. I.. I feel so nervous... and what if he doesn't like me?"

"You should have more faith in yourself Tohru-kun," Hanajima said softly with a smile. She ushered her friend into the bathroom and closed the door behind her. "Besides, if it were up to me, you'd follow in my lead and remain without a man to complicate things." She smoothed out her long black skirt, sighing quietly to herself. "But I suppose it can't be helped... I always knew you'd become a wife someday... You should probably hurry... That man will be here any minute now."

Uotani looked at her watch. "Hey Tohru," she called into the bathroom. "I hate to leave you now like this but I have to pick up something to make my dearest, workaholic of a husband for dinner."

"All right, I'll call you later!" Tohru replied from the bathroom. She pulled the hair curler from her hair, wondering what she had been thinking. It looked awful like this! Dunking her hands in the stream of water coming from the sink faucet, she ran it through her hair, trying to smooth out the crappy attempt she had made to curl it. Grabbing a brush and some gel she ran the bristles through, trying to straighten it again. Finally, she gave up, her hair falling in messy waves around her head and decided to just put on some makeup.

"Oh Tohru-kun," Hanajima said, knocking on the bathroom door. "Yuki Sohma is here."

Tohru's breath caught in her throat, the lipstick tube she was holding falling out of her hand. Picking up it, she quickly smeared some on, wiping the corners of her mouth and tumbling out of the bathroom. She saw Yuki sitting on the couch, looking absolutely breathtaking in a dark gray suit, his silvery hair slicked back with gel. He stood up as she came out, and Tohru wondered if she had lost the ability to breathe as well as her ability to speak. She could feel her self esteem dropping to a negative number as he approached her. He was... so amazingly attractive.

"Good evening," Yuki greeted with a warm smile. "I'm pleased to see you didn't give me the wrong address. That would have been quite embarrassing."

"It... I... uh... yeah," Tohru mumbled, her face turning bright red.

"Well, shall we go?" he asked offering his arm. Tohru nodded, acknowledging the gesture and linking her arm with his. She wondered if she would faint. It did seem as though all the blood was rushing out of her head and to her feet, and that was a cause of fainting, wasn't it?

"Bye Tohru-kun," Hanajima called softly. "Have fun you two."

"B...bye," Tohru murmured.

As they left the small apartment building, Yuki couldn't help but glance over at Tohru as they stepped outside. She looked extremely beautiful... and the funniest thing about it was that she didn't seem to realize how pretty she was. A small smile crossed his face as they approached the limousine he had rented for the night. This was sure to impress her. He waited eagerly for her reaction and was pleased to see her eyes widen in surprise.

"We... we're going in this?" she choked in shock. "I had no idea."

"Well, it's no big deal," Yuki shrugged, trying to sound nonchalant. Hehe, if she thought this was nice, wait till later. The real fun was going to start when he took her to dinner. She was going to be so awed she'd be begging him for an engagement ring. Top of the corporate ladder, here I come. Yuki mused.

The limo driver stepped out of the car, hurrying to the back door and pulling it open for them. Torhu seemed uncertain but climbed inside. "Thank you," she nodded. Yuki followed in after her and the limo driver swung the door shut, sliding back into the front seat in front of the wheel.

"To 'La Place'?" the driver asked looking over his shoulder.

"Yes, and be quick about it," he instructed. It was time to show off a little. "We need to get there in fifteen minutes. I have reservations."

"But, sir," the driver began nervously. "You know it takes at least a half hour to get there from here."

"I didn't ask you to speak," Yuki replied haughtily. "I have reservations. So be there in fifteen minutes."

The driver eyed him silently for a moment, an odd expression on his face before turning back to face the front. "Of course, sir." He flipped the darkened windows up, separating him from the large back seat.

Yuki smiled at Tohru, a bit disappointed that she didn't look as impressed by his display of leadership as he had hoped she would. "Now that that's out of the way, I hope you like french food."

"Oh, yes, I do," Tohru agreed quickly. "Ah, french fries are quite good... and french toast..."

Biting his lip, Yuki tried to suppress a chuckle. "Something like that," he said finally. "We'll be dining at La Place. I'm sure you've heard of it. Their food is absolutely fantastic. I find myself eating there at least once a week when I can." Yeah right. Like I would really eat someplace like that every week. It costs at least a hundred dollars for a glass of water there. I have better things to waste my money on. But Yuki decided it was best not to mention that right now. Above all, the point of this night was to impress.

Tohru's mouth dropped open and she looked down self consciously at her plain blouse and skirt. "We're eating at La Place?" she asked meekly. "I really wish you had mentioned it earlier. I... I would have dressed a little more formally."

"Don't worry, you look beautiful," Yuki reassured. And he meant it. Technically, this was a jacket and tie type of place but he had paid them so much in advance for this little night, that he doubted anyone would dare to comment on what his date came in wearing.

Besides, there was nothing wrong with wearing a skirt there, even if her outfit was most likely a little bland compared to what the other woman would be wearing. But then again, most of those women needed to wear extravagant outfits to make themselves appear slightly less... disgusting. Tohru on the other hand was attractive enough that she could pretty much get away with wearing anything.

"Um, Sohma-san," Tohru began nervously, looking down at her high heeled shoes. "Why are you doing all this for me? I mean, we only met this afternoon... and..."
Yuki was beginning to feel nervous. Didn't she like being near him? Wasn't he impressing her enough? "Do you not wish to eat dinner with me then?" he asked, trying to sound nonchalant, and therefore save his pride if she rejected him. However, he was aware that his voice came off as rather cold and rude instead, and he wanted to hit himself for it.

"N...no, it's not that at all," Tohru said quickly. "I just... don't want to feel as though I owe you. If... you really want to go then I have no problem with it."

"Fine," Yuki muttered. This wasn't going the way he planned. Not only did she look unbearably uncomfortable beside him but she sounded as though she wanted to just go home and forget about the whole thing. If she really wanted to leave so badly, he wasn't going to force her to enjoy his company. He could feel anger welling up inside him as he thought of all the hard work he had put into this.

Glancing over at her again, he saw her shifting nervously in her seat, her foot tapping against the floor as though it were trembling. No. He wasn't going to give up. Not yet. He didn't care if he was forcing her to come along. He'd never get that damned job if he couldn't find a wife. Putting on his best smile, he turned to look at her again, the scowl disappearing from his soft features. "We'll be there soon," he said brightly.

For perhaps the fifth time that night, Tohru's breath caught in her throat as they stepped into the restaurant. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling, reflecting soft beams of light and shadows on the walls. The lushly carpeted floor was a deep red color, and she could feel the heels of her shoes sinking into it, which was not a wholly unpleasant feeling, just an odd one. She wondered how it was possible for a carpet to be so thick and soft. You'd think that over time it would flatten out as more and more people stepped on it.

Tohru couldn't help but scold herself silently. Here she was at an expensive restaurant that she had never even dreamed of ever going to, escorted by an extremely charming and attractive man, and all she could do was fill her mind with fascinating thoughts about the carpeting. She blinked a few times, taking in the lace covered tables and deeply carved designs in the wood of the chairs. This place was practically gold plated... and she really didn't belong here.

"Why Yuki Sohma!" The hostess exclaimed hurrying up to them. "You have no idea how pleased we are to have you here at our ever so humble establishment!"

"It's always a pleasure eating here," Yuki said with a smile.

Tohru watched the two, beginning to feel self conscious once again. The hostess was a plump, elderly woman, with silver white hair pulled back into a tight, proper bun. She smiled broadly at them, though Tohru couldn't help but notice the condescending glances the woman was throwing at her.

"And who do we have here?" the woman implored, her wide smile beginning to look more and more forced. Tohru wondered if perhaps for the sake of this job, the woman had undergone some sort of cosmetic surgery that forced her to smile at all times, whether she really wanted to or not. "This must be the lovely lady that you told us you'd be bringing with you. How simply... darling."

Torhu could feel her stomach drop at the way the woman put exaggerated emphasis on the words lovely and darling. She knew what the woman was really thinking. She could see it in her eyes. The hostess was practically glaring at her in a way that said what's someone like you doing here. But Tohru decided to ignore it. After all, Sohma-san had really put a lot of trouble into this dinner and she didn't want to look ungrateful. Returning the woman's sunny disposition, she nodded in response. "My name is Tohru Honda," she said brightly, holding out her hand.

The woman looked down at it as though Tohru had just thrust a live (not to mention very poisonous) snake in her direction. "Charmed... I'm sure," she replied, turning around. Tohru bit her lip, letting her hand fall back to her side. Well, there went common courtesy right out the window. "Shall I show you to your tables?"

"Yes, please," Yuki nodded.

They approached a small, round table, set up in the middle of the room, standing on a raised floor, about three inches off the ground. Tohru hadn't thought it possible but this table was actually even more elaborately set up than the others. Rather than the plain lace table clothes, it was covered in a thick creamy velvet, trimmed with gold thread and frayed at the edges. Beside it was a shiny black piano, and to the other side, a large water fountain.

Tohru almost wanted to groan out loud. They were literally the center of attention right here. Was it really necessary to sit on a giant step to make them higher up than everyone else? Was it a metaphor for Yuki Sohma? Was he the kind of person who liked to look down on people? She really had no idea because... she really didn't know him at all.

As they came up to the table, Tohru felt as though all eyes in the room were on her. Which wasn't a production of paranoia... All eyes really were on her. She felt her face flush as she dropped into her seat, missing the edge slightly and crashing to the floor. Jumping back onto her feet, she tried again and succeeded in sitting down... in the chair this time.

Yuki furrowed his brows in concern as she brushed some dust from her skirt. "Are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine," she chirped, desperate to hide her embarrassment. "Guess I just fell." Wow, really? Did she really "just" fall? Tohru applauded herself sarcastically for putting that so eloquently. She just had such a way with words! She should become a public speaker! Or a novelist! Maybe even a poet! Or not. All she really wanted to do was go home.

They sat in silence for the next few minutes as they looked over the menus. Tohru had caught Yuki sending her several nervous glances and wondered what was the matter. Was he as nervous as she was? But... she was the one everyone was looking at as though she had just been dragged out of the gutter. It made her feel more sympathetic toward him and she sent him a warm smile. Maybe he wasn't so bad... he was just like anyone else really.

After staring at the menu for awhile, holding it close to her face, then a bit further, and then further still, she realized her eyes were indeed working. So then, 175 for a glass of iced tea... was normal? Ah yes... and this was exactly why she had never eaten here. They were most likely charging them this very second for all this expensive air they were breathing.

"May I get you two something to drink?" a waiter asked as he stopped at the table. Tohru waited for Yuki to order first. After watching him order a 650 bottle of wine and mentally imagining all the things she could do with 650... like pay her bills; gas, water, rent, groceries, and car payments included, she asked for a glass of water.

The waiter nodded and Tohru thought that was the end of the discussion, before he looked up at her and asked "Will that be mineral water, sparkling water, tonic, spring water..." and about a dozen other waters that Tohru had never even known existed.

She looked down at the table before shaking her head. "Umm, just tap water... please?" she asked, smiling weakly. "The one that doesn't cost anything?" This was just too much.

The waiter raised an eyebrow before hurrying off and once again leaving Tohru alone with Yuki. They both glanced up at each other, and Tohru could see his eyes roaming over her face, as if trying to figure out what she was thinking. "This place is very nice," she finally commented lamely, hoping to break the silence.

"It is," Yuki agreed before looking back down at the menu. "Please feel free to order anything you like."

"All right," Tohru said, turning her attention back to her own menu once more. The painful silence was settling in again, making Tohru feel nervous. She tapped her foot lightly against the soft carpet, a habit she had picked up when a customer at the store she worked at made her feel uncomfortable. She was practically shaking! She was going to have to calm down or she'd never be able to enjoy herself.

chapter 3- day 1- the trouble with puppies and gifts

When all the dinners on the menu cost anywhere from several hundred to over a thousand dollars, you do the most logical thing you can think of. You don't order anything. After all, you have a three dollar tv dinner that you splurged on the other day waiting for you at home in your freezer. However, this logic was obviously not shared by Tohru's date. Yuki simply insisted she order the same thing as him, even if it was the most expensive thing on the menu and probably consisted of some strange animal organs that she would rather remain ignorant of.

So the dinners were brought out, steaming and smelling of odd, unidentifiable smells, and Tohru was forced to eat it. Perhaps forced is a crude way of putting it. She was 'delighted' to partake of such an elegant meal... even if it did taste... bad. Well, lets not use the word bad... or terrible... or gross. Lets use the word different. Using this word is a marvelous idea because things can be different in a good way. It just so happened to be that this meal was different in a not so good way. But, for only a little over a thousand dollars, Tohru had to admit, she was going to love every bite of it, whether she wanted to or not.

"Do you like it?" Yuki asked finally, after what had seemed like an eternity of silence.

"Yes, of course," Tohru replied nervously. She just couldn't seem to feel comfortable around him. As a matter of fact, she was positive he didn't feel comfortable around her either, given the curiously desperate looks he was throwing her. Perhaps if they could at least hold some sort of conversation, it would help to clear the air a little. "So umm, what is it that you do?" she asked. "Could you tell me a little about where you work?"

"I'm the head manager of the Sohma corporation's main building in this area," he answered, popping a small, greenish round thing in his mouth. "And you?"

"I'm a cashier at a grocery store," Tohru said quietly.

"Oh."

And then that was it. The most words they had probably exchanged throughout the entire dinner. When one reaches a 'successful' point such as this, they realize that there's no point in trying anymore. Sighing, Tohru continued to poke at her food, while her food continued to look back up at her with glazed over black eyes. For a moment, she imagined her dinner was blinking at her and she shuddered, pushing the plate away.

"Don't you like it?" Yuki pressed again, leaning forward.

"Its fine," Tohru replied, feeling herself getting frustrated. So this was the greatest concern this man had? Whether or not she enjoyed eating weird, disgusting, god knows what the heck they are, creatures that kept staring back up at her accusingly from her plate? Feeling guilty, she shook the annoyance from her mind and tried to smile. "I'm sorry," she apologized, "I guess I'm just not used to eating this kind of food."

"It's all right," Yuki said, looking back down at his plate.

Why won't you talk to me! Tohru wanted to shout, to shake him, to find out what it was she was doing wrong to make him act like this toward her. Out of nowhere, a band of musicians closed in on their table, their eyes twinkling obnoxiously as they lifted their violins and began strumming away, playing unnaturally loud classical music. A celloist sang loudly while he held his large instrument, some love song Tohru had never heard before while another man appeared, presenting her with a giant bouquet of roses. And then a giant, colorfully wrapped gift, and then a pet poodle, and then the keys to a car, and then... That's it! This was crazy!
Tohru jumped up from her seat, surprising the pianist and making the pet poodle yip loudly at her feet. What was wrong with Yuki Sohma! What could he possibly be hoping to gain by showering her with roses and cars and cute little dogs... and the dog was quite cute... but that was beside the point! "I'm sorry," Tohru said, shaking her head frantically, her face bright red. "I really have to be going."

"Wait," Yuki called, running after her. "What's wrong? Don't you like the gifts?"

Ignoring him, Tohru ran outside of the restaurant as hundreds of eyes watched her escape. Fireworks began to boom in the sky, and Tohru looked up to see streams of red and blue, clearing away and leaving a smokey trail that read Tohru Honda. Okay, now this was just plain scary!

"Why are you leaving!" Yuki demanded, catching up with her and grabbing her by the shoulder.

"I just... I just don't understand what you're trying to do," Tohru said desperately. "I mean, just look at this!" she pointed to her name written in the sky and then at the poodle that had followed them out of the restaurant. "I just met you this afternoon... And I don't want to sound ungrateful... its just..."

Yuki narrowed his eyes at her, a pained look crossing his features that made her immediately regret saying anything. "I should have known," Yuki spat, crossing his arms in front of him. His voice shook with anger, making Tohru take a step back in surprise. "I should have known a someone like you wouldn't be able to appreciate what I tried to do for them. Do you have any idea how much effort I put into this night! Do you have any idea how much trouble I went through!" He glared at her, speaking through clenched teeth. "I should have known better than to just ask out someone I picked up off the street!"

Tohru could feel her eyes filling with tears as he spoke. "You know what," she choked, turning away from him. "You're a real jerk." Blindly, she ran towards the limo as it pulled up in front of her and climbed into the back seat, sobbing loudly.

"Fine then!" Yuki shouted after her. "See if I care!" Marching up to the front window of the vehicle, he rapped loudly on the glass. "Take her home," he hissed, before stalking away and disappearing in the darkness.

Yuki fumed in the back seat of the taxi, mentally kicking himself. This had to have been the worst night of his life! What the hell did he have to do to get married! He had even bought her a car and cute little poodle! A ridiculously cute little poodle for crying out loud! He had thought she would be thrilled, and instead, she had humiliated him by running out on him in the middle of their dinner.

So what if he had never had a girlfriend before. So what if he had no idea what he was doing. Who didn't like gifts? Didn't everyone like gifts? Was he really so out of touch with the world that he didn't know how to make people like him? He'd even taken her to that stupidly over priced restaurant just to make her happy... and did it? No! she had looked as though she wanted to puke every time she took a bite of that disgusting dinner they'd ordered. But how was he supposed to know what the hell it was. It was written in French, damn it!

The cab pulled in front of his apartment building and he stomped out, hurrying inside. Taking the elevator, he darted into his home, the entire top floor of the building and threw his shoes off. Damn her. Damn her for making him feel like this. It was all her fault!

Work! That was all he needed right now. It was all he had ever needed his entire life! Work was his best friend. It was always there for him and never rejected him.
And that was exactly what he was going to do right now. Work, work, work! Once again, he was reminded of why he had never had a girlfriend or anyone for that matter who he was particularly close to. People simply couldn't be counted on. No matter what you did for them, they'd leave you all alone in the end.

Throwing his office door open and flicking on the light, he sat down at his desk and turned on the computer. His business progress report was only a fourth of the way done. However, he could probably finish it tonight if he really put all his effort into it and could resign to the fact that he would most likely be working on this up until morning. Ah well, who needed sleep anyway. Who needed anything for that matter.

As of March 14, 20XX the company has brought in a profit of XXXXX with a margin of XXXXXX and...

Stopping suddenly, he opened up his email and made one out to Ayame.

Hello "Dearest Brother",

I'm just writing to let you know that you're a bastard and I hate you. This is all your fault. If it weren't for you and your stupid deal, I wouldn't have had to go through this hell tonight. I actually asked this woman out and did all this crap just to impress her. And did it! NO! She ran out on me and I even made her cry! Damn you! This is all because of you! Did I mention yet that I hate you? Yes, yes, I think I did.

Please die soon.

Best Wishes,

Yuki.

Yuki stopped and looked at the ramblings on his computer screen. He realized he had already pushed the send button and began to laugh out loud to himself. Granted, it felt good to let out his anger on the particularly idiotic bastard that was the cause of all this. However, he also knew complaining wasn't going to do any good. Knowing his brother, Ayame would probably just take even more joy in knowing that he was suffering. Ah well. Too late now. Groaning, Yuki pulled up his progress report again and began to work on it.

Tohru sniffed, rummaging through her purse in the back seat of the limo. The driver turned around and handed her a tissue. "Here."

"Thank you," she said quietly, wiping at her eyes and nose.

"Bad night?"

"I guess you could say that," Tohru replied, smiling wryly.

The man nodded, his bright eyes trained on the street. "Yup, Yuki was kind of a dork tonight. But I wouldn't take it too personally." He stole a glance back at her through the rearview mirror and Tohru blushed a little, looking away. He was an attractive man with blond hair, and looked to be only a few years younger. "He's really not so bad," he added, giving her a quick grin.

"Could have fooled me," Tohru mumbled, her voice coming off as more pathetic sounding than she would have liked it to. She was beginning to feel self conscious, having this conversation with her supposed date's driver. Smoothing down her messy hair, she turned to the window and began to stare out blankly, buildings and cars a blur as they sped past them. "It doesn't really matter though," she said quietly, "I'm never going to see him again anyway."

The driver shook his head in disapproval, and Tohru frowned, wondering what the matter was. "Hey now," he began uncertainly, "I know I probably can't say much to make up for how Yuki acted tonight, but you know, you shouldn't just give up on him like that. A lot of people have and that's why he's alone right now."

"What do you mean?" Tohru asked, furrowing her brows in confusion.

"Well, I dunno," the driver shrugged. "I mean, I probably shouldn't be talking about him like this, but the guy's really lonely. I'm probably the only one he even talks to on a regular basis."

"And you drive him around in this limo every day?" Tohru asked. Yuki Sohma couldn't be so bad off if he could afford to be taken to work in a limousine by his own personal driver every morning and night. Hmm, and lonely? Was he really that... lonely?

The driver burst out laughing, swerving a little to the left and Tohru let out a yelp as she was thrown to the side of the back seat. "Oops, sorry about that," he chuckled, "I guess you just kinda caught me off guard with that comment." He straightened the wheel and continued down the road, horns blaring at him. "Yeah, anyway," he continued. "The last thing Yuki wants is a limo that'll make him stand out even more than he already does every day. I'm his driver cause I want to be, and yeah, he has a car that cost more than ten of mine put together, but that's not really a big deal. I mean, its more of a company car anyway. Like I said, he doesn't like to stand out. He does anyway of course, but he doesn't like it."

"I kind of find that hard to believe," Tohru commented in amusement. Something about the driver made her feel at ease, like she could really talk to him. She ran a hand down over the black leather seat and closed her eyes. For someone who didn't like to stand out, Yuki Sohma sure didn't seem to mind tonight when he had made that scene in the restaurant, with music, dogs, and fireworks!

"Oh, I think I know what you're talking about..." he bit his lip, as if trying to decide whether or not to continue. "Yuki has his reasons for trying as hard as he did. He's a bit on the, I dunno, retarded side when it comes to the opposite sex, or even any other person for that matter. He's always been like that. He's had a harder life than any of us really..." He stopped abruptly. "Now I've really said to much," he laughed loudly, trying to cover his awkwardness. "But, despite his reasons for trying to impress you tonight," he added quietly, "whether they were right or wrong, he really needs someone right now."

"Hmm, well, I guess I was a bit rude," she said finally, her voice uncertain. It was amazing, just moments ago, she had felt so much anger and resentment toward Yuki Sohma, but the more she thought about it, the more guilty she felt, as if she was the one who had done something wrong. But, she hadn't, right? Maybe it had been wrong to run out on him but... she really didn't know what to think anymore. "I just wasn't quite sure what to make of him."

"You and half the company," the driver chuckled. "Well, my humble opinion is this. Give him another shot. He's a good guy, a little awkward, but a good guy! He really just wanted you to like him, that's all. I've never seen him try so hard in my entire life. If you got to know the real him, I think you guys would really get along."

"I feel like I should go apologize now," Tohru said quietly, her face flushing. Had he really wanted to impress her that badly? Did that mean he really had feelings for her? She supposed when it came to relationships, she really had no right to judge anyone. She was probably just as clueless if not more so. If only he hadn't tried so hard to seem as arrogant and stuck up as humanly possible, maybe they would have really enjoyed their time together. Had he truly thought that acting that way would win her heart?

"If you like, I can pick you up tomorrow and take you to his apartment," the driver offered. "I've been working with Yuki for a long time now and if there's one thing he needs more than anything else in the whole world right now, its a good friend."

"Yeah, I'd like that," Torhu said smiling cheerfully, her first real smile the entire night. "Thank you so much." Maybe they'd be able to set things right now. Maybe they had just started out on the wrong foot. And now they would have a chance to try again and show each other their real personalities. "By the way," Tohru asked, leaning forward in her seat. "What's your name?"

The blond man turned to her, smiling broadly. "Momiji Sohma! Nice to meetcha!"

chapter 4- day 1- mistaken identity

Rubbing her hands over her eyes, Tohru walked toward her apartment building. At least this day was finally over. All she wanted to do right now was sleep. This had to have been one of the worst nights of her life. Did she really want to see him again tomorrow to apologize? The more she thought about it, the more unappealing, not to mention ridiculous the whole idea sounded. But Momiji-san had been so kind and cheerful, that it was hard not to take his advice. And who knew, maybe he was right about Yuki Sohma. Maybe Yuki would surprise her and become, how could she put this... a nice guy?

She swiped her ID through the door and opened it, practically licking her lips at the thought of her grilled chicken frozen dinner that would be ready in four minutes flat once she popped it in the microwave. Her stomach growled loudly, and she put a hand over it, memories of that horrible meal she had tried to consume at the restaurant haunting her mind. She shuddered, remembering how it had tasted and looked. Why on earth had it cost so much! She just didn't understand how the world worked! Once again, she felt more than a little glad to be home.

As she stepped out onto the third floor, a door at the end of the hall immediately flew open and she watched in surprise as Hana's head poked out, her eyes roaming over her. "Well?" the dark haired girl asked impatiently. "What did he do? Did he hurt you? What happened?"

Tohru shook her head as she joined her friend at their apartment room. "No, nothing like that," she sighed. "But it wasn't exactly the greatest night of my life either."

Shaking her head, Hanajima led Tohru inside, sympathetically setting her on the couch. "Fear not, Tohru-kun," she said comfortingly. "I shall make some tea and you can tell me all about what transpired tonight. Though I hate to say 'I told you so', I do believe I warned you several times that all men are nothing but unnecessary hardships. I'm sure that Yuki Sohma was no different. He is a man, after all."

"Well, I wouldn't say it was all that bad," Tohru said defensively, suddenly feeling a unexplainable need to defend Yuki. "I mean, he really was trying his best..." she paused trying to find something to add. "I guess his best just isn't very good," she finished weakly.

Saki cocked a brow at her, pausing in front of the kitchen. "Interesting..." she murmured slowly before continuing on her way. "Very interesting..."

There wasn't much else Tohru could say after that. She knew she didn't have any real reason to defend Yuki at all, not to mention any means by which to do so. He hadn't exactly given her the best impression of him that night. However, despite all that, she could still appreciate the fact that he had been just doing his best to impress her. It must have been hard for him to do all he had done for her, and at least that was something too, right? Besides, she had to admit, she wasn't the glowing image of innocence either. She hadn't shown the least bit of gratitude for anything he had done, and she had even run out on him in the middle of their dinner, like some kind of spoiled child that hadn't gotten her way. She almost felt ashamed.

A strange yipping sound coming from outside snapped Tohru from her thoughts and she furrowed her brows. What was that? She stood up and went to the window, her eyes roaming around outside. They stopped when they fell on a little ball of fur, bouncing around in the grass beneath her. She let out a surprised laugh and leaned further out to get a better look. That puppy he had gotten for her... had followed her home? Well now, it looked as though the night wasn't quite over after all.

The knocks continued and Yuki groaned, putting his hands over his ears. Why couldn't they just leave him alone! The phone began to ring again for possibly the fifth time that night and Yuki cringed, leaping on the phone and yanking the cord roughly from the wall. The ringing was immediately silenced and a small, satisfied smile came across his face. That is... until he once again became conscious of that horribly incessant knocking on his door.

"S... Sohma-san!" a woman cried loudly, pounding louder from the other side. He could make out the sound of her shoes, scuffing around in the hallway, and silently begged in his mind for her to disappear. "Please! I know you're in there! Why won't you open the door! I just want to talk!"

"Me too! Me too!" Another woman squealed in a high voice. "We just want to say hi! That's all!"

This had to be some kind of nightmare. Maybe he'd wake up and find himself in a garbage can somewhere in a dark alley. But, one couldn't hope too much. That might actually be too good for him right now, because truthfully, this was probably one of the most terrifying nights of his life. The knocking only grew louder and Yuki's eyes widened in fear as he stared at the shaking front door of his apartment. Were there more of them? Maybe they'd all come crashing in at once, break his door down and rape him or something disturbing like that. Of course, that would be a bit difficult, what with the whole him turning into a mouse and whatnot, but anyway...

"I have to get out of here," he muttered to himself. Glancing back nervously at the door, which looked about ready to fly off any minute now, he turned to the large glass window in his living room and slid it open. Slipping onto the balcony, he pulled himself over the stone ledge and began to climb down the fire escape ladder. He didn't exactly have anywhere to go, and it had to be almost midnight by now but anything would be better than this. His apartment was starting to feel like a prison to him anyway, only instead of everyone trying to get out, they were all trying to get in!

As he climbed down the last section of the ladder, he dropped down the ground, landing quietly in the grass. He could almost still hear the shouts of those insane women upstairs, which was hard to believe considering the fact that his apartment was on the twelfth floor.

Yuki let out a deep sigh as he began shuffling along the sidewalk, his hands shoved into his pockets. What a night. First that terrible date with Tohru and now being attacked by a mob of power hungry, possibly mentally disturbed, women. How was it that every single human being on Earth seemed to want him so badly now, and the one person he had really desired practically despised him? "Whatever," he grumbled under his breath. He had barely known her anyway. It wasn't like he was in love with her or anything. His heart lurched in his chest and he gritted his teeth, feeling his anger begin to grow again. Definitely, most definitely not love.

An image of Tohru's crying face entered his mind for split second and he winced. Why did she have to cry? Was he really such a bad person? Had he hurt her that badly that she had to cry like that? Shaking the thoughts from his head, he reminded himself that she was the one at fault. He had done everything in his power to make her happy, perhaps not exactly going about it the best way, but he had still tried, hadn't he! And she couldn't even pretend to be grateful! Didn't people usually at least act like they appreciated another person's best efforts? So it wasn't his fault...

It was her fault.

Not his...

He hadn't meant... to make her cry...

Yuki stopped in his tracks abruptly as a head of long, brown hair walked passed him. He spun around, his eyes falling on the woman as she walked away, her face staring low at the ground. Tohru? What was she doing walking down the street this late at night? And all alone too? Wasn't that dangerous? He narrowed his eyes at her in annoyance. He should just keep walking. If she wanted to be like that, and just brush past him as if she didn't know who he was and wander around in the darkness, then that was fine by him.

He turned around to walk away but stopped, letting out a deep breath. "Honda-san," he began quietly. "You shouldn't be out this late." However, the woman ignored him, and continued to walk away. Yuki felt his anger building up inside him again as he watched her. The nerve! "Honda-san!" he called louder, trying to contain his irritation. "I said, it's dangerous to be out this late at night!"

The woman paused, before turning around slowly, and facing him. Even from the distance, he could now make out her face in the pale street light. "Are you talking to me?" she asked in a low voice. "I think you may have mistaken me for someone else."

Yuki nodded slowly in surprise. She was right. This wasn't Honda-san at all. As a matter of fact, it was one of their employees at the Sohma Corporation. She didn't work in the same part of the building as him so he didn't see her often but he definitely recognized her. Her name was... Machi? How had he mistaken her for Tohru? Perhaps they did look a little similar...

Without a word, Machi turned back around and continued down the street, her back disappearing in the darkness. Yuki shook his head, and began walking again as well. He still didn't think it was safe but he supposed he didn't have any right to pry into her business, whatever her reason was for being out here this late. Amazing... how on earth had he mistaken her for Tohru?

"Hana-chan," Tohru teased, laughing quietly to herself. "C'mon, open the door."

"I refuse," Saki replied flatly.

"Please," Tohru begged, knocking lightly on the door. "Kyoko wants to say hi to you."

"G... get that... that mutt away," her friend choked from the other side. "I don't like dogs. They're just like men! All slobbery, and dirty, and needy, and I... I just don't like them!"

"Kyoko's a girl," Tohru pointed out.

"It doesn't matter! They're still the same!"

Tohru laughed again, giving the little dog a kiss on the nose as she cuddled it in her arms. "Don't worry," she whispered to the puppy. "I don't think you're all that bad." The dog licked her nose and Tohru hugged the dog even tighter. "You're just so cute!"

"Be careful!" Hana warned from her room, her voice now filled with concern. "It'll attack you! It'll eat you! Run away from it while you still can!"

"Oh don't be silly, Hana-chan," Tohru murmured, giving up on getting Hana to leave her room and carrying the little dog into the kitchen. What was she supposed to feed it? She didn't have any dog food. And she doubted the dog was still so young that it would only drink milk. Well, a little milk couldn't hurt anyway. Setting the puppy down, she opened the fridge and fished out a half finished carton from the back, setting it onto the counter. There were some left over pieces of hamburger too at the bottom of the fridge. Kyoko would probably like it, she reasoned.

She smiled as she said the name to herself. Ever since her mom had died, she had thought about her every day. And now, with this orange ball of fur at her feet, she couldn't help but name the puppy after her. Setting a bowl of milk and the hamburger on the floor, Torhu watched in amusement as the puppy attacked the food, lapping it up at lightening speed as if it had to put as much food into its mouth as possible before something took it away from her. To think, Yuki Sohma got this dog for me, Tohru thought to herself in amazement. Maybe she should thank him when Momiji brought her to see him the next day.

"Hey, Kyoko," she said softly as the dog finished off the meat, licking at the plate greedily. "You wanna know a secret?" Kyoko looked up at her, wagging its tale happily as if expecting more food. Tohru bent down closer taking the puppy up into her arms and hugging it fondly. "I think he's really, really cute."

chapter 5- day 2- apology

They were all watching him as the elevator doors slid open, and he stepped out onto the third floor. Yuki could practically see their pity sweating out of their pores as they greeted him good morning. Well, he supposed he couldn't blame them. He was sure his rejection was pretty big news around here, which was common in the business world since none of these people actually had real lives of their own.

"My poor, poor Yuki." A girl with long hair approached him slowly, her hands clutched together over her heart dramatically. "That evil witch rejected you, didn't she?" Motoko let out a small cry, tears springing to her eyes as she dived for him. "Yuki!" Quickly, Yuki dodged out of the way and Motoko soared past him, crashing into the desk. "I... I'm sorry," she stammered as she straightened herself up. "I know you don't like to be touched... but I just can't stand the thought of another girl treating you that way! And after all you did for her! You must have felt so... so foolish!"

"Well, thank you for your concern," Yuki replied dryly. Letting out a deep breath, he tried to smile. "Please don't worry too much about me. I'm fine."

"Yuki," Motoko whimpered, coming closer to him again. She grabbed his hand, clutching it tightly in her own. "Why won't you marry me? You know I'd never do something like that to you. I'd love you forever and ever and ever!"

"That might make your husband jealous, don't you think?" Yuki asked raising an eyebrow.

"I'll divorce him!" Motoko said quickly. "You know you're the only one I've ever loved. I swear it!"

"I apologize, but I'll have to pass," Yuki said abruptly, turning away and heading toward his office. Amazing, simply amazing. Even married women now? A shiny gold name plate hanging from a closed door caught his eye as he walked and Yuki shuddered, quickening his pace. Akito Sohma. The man was about as friendly as a lead pipe and lucky for Yuki, the bastard seemed to take out all that bitterness and anger on him personally. Now, Yuki wasn't sure what he had done exactly to deserve such an honor of growing up with Akito's abuse, but that was a question he had learned to stop asking.

From what Yuki had heard, the Sohma corporation had used to belong to Akito Sohma alone, but as the years passed and his health failed him, it had been turned over to Ayame... though Yuki had always failed to understand what redeeming qualities his brother could possibly have that would make him worthy of owning the entire business. Nonetheless, Akito seemed happier with this arrangement, since he still held a great deal of the power without as much of the stressful responsibility. And, particularly these last few years, he had seemed to be hanging at a point between life and death with his illnesses and poor health, completely bedridden and unable to leave his home. Poor guy, now all Yuki needed to do was care, because truthfully, if Akito dropped dead tonight, Yuki wouldn't even bat an eye.

The door to his office came into view and Yuki entered, taking a seat on his black cushioned, spinning chair. Leaning back, the chair tilted comfortably and Yuki closed his eyes, trying to clear his mind. This was going to be a long day. His lids shot open again as he felt a warm breath on his cheek and finger tips resting lightly on his arm. A grinning face, with blindingly bright blue eyes came into view, framed by thick black lashes that were most likely fake.

"Oh Sohma-san," the girl whispered, bending down closer to him. She pressed her lips against his, running a hand through his hair and Yuki pushed her off, scooting the chair backwards.

"Please Minami-san," Yuki sighed as he stood up. "I don't have time for this right now."

Minami pouted, crossing her arms over her chest. "You never want to play with me anymore," she whined. "You know how much I love you! Why do you need to look for a wife when you have me! Why can't we get married?" Pushing him away, she looked up at the ceiling in frustration. "I... I just don't understand you!"

That's it. Yuki wanted to shoot himself right now and just end it all. Minami was fond of barging in when he least expected it and molesting him in ways he didn't care to be molested. It was only by pure luck that he had always managed to get away from her before she accidentally made him transform in front of every employee there and expose the Sohma's family secret. "Minami-san, don't you have work to do?" he asked finally.

"I'm taking my break," she huffed. She kneeled down in front of him, resting her elbows on her knees and sighing. "I heard about those women from our company that tried to break into your home last night. They were arrested weren't they? Its a shame, I think one of my friends was there too..." she trailed off when she saw Yuki turned to his computer, typing away and completely ignoring her. Narrowing her eyes, she glared up at him angrily. "You know, you can act like the victim all you want for being rejected by that girl last night," she spat. "But how do you think it feels when you do it to us? You're always pushing everyone away... do you think we're immune to feeling sad? Do you think you're the only person that hurts?"

"I really am busy, Minami-san," Yuki broke in briskly. "Please leave."

Shrugging, Minami pulled herself to her feet and turned to the door. "Just don't blame me if you end up alone," she muttered.

Yuki glared after her before turning his chair back to face his desk and computer. Maybe if he built an electric fence around his office, he could fend off these unwelcome visitors much easier. Beside his computer were several boxes of chocolate and flowers and Yuki groaned, pushing them aside. It was so obvious that all these woman wanted was to marry him for his position and wealth. He actually found himself looking forward to the end of the week. When it was through and Yuki most certainly failed to acquire a wife, life could go back to being more normal and not filled with these trivial episodes.

"Are you sure this is all right?" Torhu asked Momiji nervously.

The blond man grinned, retrieving a spare key from the top of the door frame. "Don't worry!" he laughed. "Yuki'll be thrilled to know he's got a friend. Besides, I am his cousin, so I can barge into his home uninvited as often as I like! Trust me, I do it all the time!"

Tohru furrowed her brows. Somehow she highly doubted Yuki would actually agree with that logic, especially since she was there. Most likely he'd call the police when he found them in his apartment and permanently label her as a strange stalker type person. "But what if he's mad when he comes home?" she asked weakly.

Shrugging, Momiji turned the key in the lock and pushed the door open. "Guess we'll find out when the time comes, won't we." The tall man stepped inside, collapsing on the couch and sighing contentedly. "Yuki is just so lucky!" he exclaimed. "To get to live in a fancy place like this!"

Torhu couldn't help but agree as she looked around the room. It had a sleek, sophisticated feel to it that surprised her and made her wonder who he must have hired to decorate the room. The walls were plain white, with a decorative silver border along the top and bottom and the carpet was thick and cream colored. The furniture was all black leather and glass tables and silvery velvet curtains. Tohru walked over to the wall where several gorgeous Chinese watercolor paintings hung on scrolls. What amazed her the most though were the well tended for potted plants hanging up in the corner of the rooms and on the shelves. They added a bit of natural beauty in a room that would have otherwise felt cold and impersonal.

Stepping into the white and black marbled floor that was the kitchen, Tohru grimaced as she saw the huge pile of dishes in the sink and the overflowing trash cans and microwavable food packages laying all over the counter. "So what should we do while we're waiting for him to come home?" Tohru asked finally.

"Doesn't matter," Momiji replied with a grin. "I was just going to watch tv." He verified this fact by fishing the remote from underneath the leather cushions and turning it on.

"Do you think he'd mind if I cleaned up a little?" Tohru asked uncertainly. Somehow the sight of the horrid condition the kitchen was in simply... pained her.

"If you want," Momiji said, his eyes glued to the television screen. "Don't know why you'd want to though."

Deciding, Tohru entered the marbled room, her nose curling up as a foul odor wafted toward her. She approached the sink and found that the culprit was the pile of unwashed dishes from god knew how long ago. Pulling on a pair of rubber gloves she found lying by the stove, she dunked her hands into the water and attacked the dishes with powerful scrubbing and lots of soap.

As she washed, her eyes roamed to the empty paper cartons of Chinese take-out and microwavable dinners on the counter. The life of a bachelor, she mused. Maybe she could even try and make him something to eat before he came home? She shook the thought from her mind immediately. What was she thinking! She was already barging into his home uninvited! And the only reason why she was here was to apologize! Not to clean up his home and make him dinner. Besides, she'd only met the man the night before!

However, unconsciously, she was already drying the cleaned dishes and placing them into the cupboard. Snapping back to reality, she realized the sink was already cleaned and empty. She bit her lip, her eyes glued to the garbage piled high on the counters. Must not clean... Must not clean... Must not... But it was too late. She had already lunged at the empty packages, filling an entire plastic garbage bag and tying it up tightly. A satisfied smile crossed her face before she realized she had done it again. He was going to think she was crazy!

Sighing, Tohru grabbed a sponge and began to scrub at the counters till they were completely spotless. Might as well just finish the job... she thought. She'd already proven she was an insane stalker. Why not just go all the way with it then? Walking over to the fridge, she pulled it open, trying to decide to what to cook when there was so little to work with.

Ah, only five more days of hell to go, Yuki mused as he approached his front door. After a nice, painfully long day of work, it felt good to be able to come home and do... more work. Slipping his key into the lock, he frowned when he realized it was already open. Had he forgotten to lock the door? Probably not. An amused smirk crossed his face as he realized who it was. "Momiji," he called as he pushed the door open. "I thought I told you to stop barging in here. Go home."

He found Momiji sleeping on the couch in front of the tv, a drop of drool running down from the corner of his mouth. It was amazing. No matter how old Momiji got, no matter how tall he grew or how much older he looked, he always seemed to have that childish Momiji quality that never disappeared. And he always managed to show up at the most inappropriate times when Yuki was busiest, asking him to play some video game he had gotten for his game cube that simply had to have two players, or something else ridiculously unimportant like that.

A strange smell filled his senses as he walked further into the living room. He furrowed his brows as he realized it smelled good... It smelled like food. Turning the corner, he froze when he saw Tohru standing in front of the stove, stirring a big pot. Jumping back, he ran over to Momiji on the couch and gave him a kick.

"Hah? What?" Momiji yawned, his eyes slowly opening. "Oh Yuki! You're home!"

"What is she doing here?" Yuki hissed, pointing to the kitchen.

"I brought her!" Momiji stated proudly.

"Damn it! I figured that! But why did you bring her! I hate her! She... she's mean!"

"Tohru's mean?" Momiji laughed, pulling himself up from the couch. "Yeah, right! She even came all this way to apologize for last night." He gave Yuki a grin and puckered his lips together. "Yuki's gonna get laid!"

"Die!"

"Oh... uh S... Sohma-san," Tohru said in surprise as she looked out from the kitchen. "I didn't know you were home already..." she looked down at the spoon in her hand and self-consciously laid it on the counter. "I'm sorry," she mumbled. "I know it was a bit presumptuous of me to come here and...er... but I wanted to say... I just... well, I had some time before you came home so I thought I'd just... clean a little and..."

Yuki watched her, not sure what to say. He came a little closer, his eyes moving to the empty sink and the clean counter. It... it was white and black? Who knew! So then, all that green and red and yellow hadn't been part of it at all. Wow, this place really was clean. Shaking his head, he pressed his fingers over his closed eyelids. "Why are you here?" he asked finally.

"I just wanted to apologize," Tohru murmured quietly. "I realize you went through a lot of trouble last night... but... don't you think you were trying too hard? I mean... if you wanted me to like you... you should be yourself... and not try and win someone over with gifts and cute little dogs... though that poodle was extremely cute and followed me home and I named her Kyoko... but yeah... I guess that's all I wanted to say."

Looking at her carefully, Yuki leaned back against the counter, folding his arms in front of him. "It's... all right then," he said quietly. "I know I may have sounded like a jerk last night... I just couldn't seem to say the right things. I guess I was trying a little too hard." He looked down in surprise at the hand in front of him and found Tohru smiling cheerfully at him.

"Then its all settled. We can start over again," she said happily. "Friends?"

Slowly, Yuki took her hand, his cheeks flushing. "Friends."

Chapter 6- day 2- saying ridiculous things

Things were going so fast. It was hard to believe that one minute, Tohru was fumbling at work, worrying over how she would apologize to Yuki, and the next, eating dinner with him as if they were old friends. She looked over at him again, feeling her heartbeat quickening in her chest. Did he even realize how handsome he was?

The table they were sitting at, of course, matched all the other beautiful furniture in his home, and Tohru looked down in admiration at the shiny black and glass surface. What was she doing here? Had she really just made dinner for him? Was she really eating dinner with him like this?

"Mmm, this is so yummy!" Momiji exclaimed as he devoured the stew. Tohru's head shot up to face him as she snapped back to reality. She had been so engrossed in her thoughts, she had almost forgotten that Momiji was here as well. "You're an awesome cook Tohru!" he continued.

"Oh, thank you," Tohru replied cheerfully. She glanced over at Yuki who seemed well at ease now and was enjoying the stew she had made.

"You're right Momiji," he said as he swallowed another mouthful. "This really is good Honda-san."

"Th... thank you," Tohru stammered, her cheeks heating up. Somehow the compliment caught her off guard. His voice sounded... so warm... so friendly. How could this possibly be the same person from last night? This man, the one sitting before her right now, almost seemed... nice.

"So you did actually keep the dog?" Yuki asked, his voice amused. He looked up at her and Tohru's breath caught in her throat as her eyes locked with his piercing violet ones. Looking back down at her food, she couldn't help but feel her face turn bright red. She had been staring at him, hadn't she. She wondered if he noticed.

"Y... yeah," Tohru grinned. "Kyoko is just so cute. Hana-chan was absolutely terrified at first though. I think she's afraid of dogs... but Kyoko is so sweet and little that after awhile, I think she got used to her."

"Any reason in particular why you decided to name her Kyoko?" Yuki asked in curiosity.

"Oh well," Tohru began quietly. "Kyoko was my mom's name... before she died... I guess I was kind of young when she did... only about sixteen... but I suppose its silly to name your pet after your mom isn't it..."

"No, I don't think its silly at all," Yuki insisted. "Its nice that you used her name..."

Torhu smiled before looking back down at the table, her reflection shining off of it. "Yeah... I guess it is..." Trailing off, she poked at her stew a little before taking a small sip. It was a little hard to eat with the two of them here. It was making her feel self conscious, like she was on the verge of knocking the bowl onto her lap or dripping it all over her clothes or something else amusing like that. Not amusing for her of course, but if it did happen, she was sure everyone else would probably think it was pretty darn funny. "But... what about you?" she asked finally, trying to add something to the conversation. "How are your parents."

She watched him pause for a moment before taking a sip of soup and closing his eyes. "They're... fine." He finally said quietly. Frowning, Tohru wondered if she had said something to offend him. Feeling a bit guilty for having made him feel uncomfortable, Tohru squirmed in her chair a little, trying to think of something else to say. Hmm, so apparently mentioning his parents wasn't a good idea after all.

"Hey I know!" Momiji said quickly, as if trying to change the subject. "I have a movie in my car. Want me to go get it? It'll give us something to do."

"Sure, that'll be fine," Yuki agreed, nodding. He turned to Tohru. "Of course, its up to you. Do you mind?"

Tohru couldn't help but smile a little as she nodded as well. "I'd love to watch it," she replied. Definitely not the same person, she couldn't help but think. Yuki was a totally different person from the man she had been with last night.

Leaning forward from his seat on the couch, counting, counting, counting. Kyo furrowed his brows as he counted out his one dollar bills and quarters from his tips he had made at work. Lets see now, 42.00, 42.50, 42.75, 43.75, 45.25. Two slender arms wrapped over his shoulders, embracing him tightly from behind and he felt a warm breath brush against the back of his neck. Groaning, he turned around, narrowing his eyes in annoyance. "Can't you see I'm busy?"

Kagura hugged him tighter, kissing him on the cheek. "Always so grumpy when you get home from work," she murmured.

"Maybe because I work in a retarded diner for two dollars an hour," he grumbled angrily. "While the rest of the family gets some sweet office job making a hundred grand a year, the bastards." So maybe he was in a bad mood, but so what. How would she feel if she had just worked a nine hour shift and brought home barely over forty dollars? Kagura wasn't an outcast like he was. She was able to work at the family company just like everyone else. It was no big mystery why she couldn't understand how he felt.

"Speaking of family..." Kagura began thoughtfully. "Have you heard about Yuki? They say he's going to be promoted. He's going to be in charge of this new section of the company they're opening." She laughed a little to herself. "But Ayame told him he could only do it if he found a wife for himself by the end of this week. Isn't that the most ridiculous thing you ever heard?"

What the hell was this woman thinking! He was already in a bad mood and then she goes and brings up that damned rat! Kyo gritted his teeth together angrily, trying to control the anger building up inside him. So Yuki was gonna get married, and get an even better job making even more damned money than he already was. The very thought of it pissed him off so much. How could life be so freaking unfair? And here Kyo was, engaged to Kagura of all people! "Why does my life suck so bad!" Kyo retorted angrily, knocking one of Kagura's arms off of him. "Just get the hell off of me, all right?"

"Kyo-kun," Kagura sighed, pulling away from him. "I wasn't trying to make you mad. I was just telling you. I'd rather die than lose you, you know that don't you. I just love you so much..."

"Just shut up!" Kyo yelled, cutting her off. He could feel a strange kind of rage boiling up inside him. A feeling of self-loathing and self-pity that seemed to pool in the bottom of his gut, making him feel nauseous. "I swear, every freaking day its the same thing. I don't know why I have to live like this any way." He glared at her accusingly, wanting to blame the disgusting feeling on her, as if that would relieve it. "Why the hell are we even together! I can't stand you! I never could!"

Kagura looked at him in shock, her lips parted but unable to speak. "Finally, she narrowed her eyes, her anger matching his. "What is that supposed to mean!" she spat viciously. "You think life is so bad now? You think its just some big bully picking on you? Well, it could have been a hell of a lot worse and you know that."

Throwing down the money, Kyo jumped to his feet. "Don't you dare bring this up again," he warned dangerously. "Don't you give me that 'you owe me shit.' Who says that life with you is any better than..."

"Damn it, Kyo," Kagura screamed finally, smacking him across the face. Her eyes welled up with tears as she turned away and ran out of the room. "When did I ever say you owe me!"

The walls, the furniture, the little framed pictures on her shelf, the books on her desk, the angel statue sitting beside her candles, all of them could just come crashing down to the ground, with a satisfying crash. Machi swept a hand over her book shelf, knocking them over and letting them tumble to the floor. She pushed over the coffee table, a lamp falling over and shattering into thousands of pieces of glass. Finally, she crumpled to the floor, breathing heavily. All of it... could just disappear for all she cared. Maybe then she could disappear too.

Looking up at the catastrophe that was her apartment living room, her gaze swept over the piles of broken ceramic and glass, the shredded pieces of paper, and broken television set. It had happened again. Somehow, the sadness, the loneliness and despair that always seemed to overwhelm her had taken over again. When that happened, the only thing she could do, to alleviate the pain was to take it out on her surroundings.

She thought of Yuki Sohma, who she had passed by the night before. She didn't know why she was thinking of him, but somehow he fascinated her. He always seemed so calm and collected, so in control of his life, not to mention the fact that every female coworker claimed that they were madly in love him. And yet, she sensed that their perception of him was off. Couldn't they see it? Were they so blind that they couldn't see the truth behind his mask? He was really just like her, the woman no one noticed, the woman no one seemed to see or acknowledge. He was lonely. He was sad. Yuki Sohma was just like her. "Yuki..."

Yuki felt his nose twitch a little, and rubbed it with the back of his hand. What an uncomfortable feeling. He glanced over at Tohru who was still finishing her soup. It was certainly taking her long enough to eat. Why did she look so tense all of a sudden? As soon as Momiji had left the room to retrieve a video from his car, she had looked about as nervous as she had the night before on their date. Sighing, he looked down at his empty bowl. Obviously, she didn't like being around him. He supposed that couldn't be helped. He rubbed his nose again self-consciously before sneezing loudly.

"Bless you," Tohru piped up automatically, looking up at him. She smiled awkwardly for a second before adding with a little laugh. "They say that every time you sneeze, someone's talking about you."

Yuki smiled weakly in return. "I could believe that." And he knew exactly who the people talking about him were too! They were those damned females at work that were all plotting together to make his life a living hell! He watched Tohru for a moment before looking away, feeling his cheeks flush a little. She really was pretty. He hadn't meant to stare at her either but somehow he couldn't help it. It were as if his eyes were drawn to her face, memorizing every detail he could. What was it about her that drew him to her like this?

However, what amazed him the most was the fact that she was even here. After that horrible night, he couldn't believe that she could come to his home of all places to apologize as if everything had been her fault. Obviously, she was a much bigger person than he was, since he had been more than willing to let the blame fall on her shoulders alone. It was pathetic when he thought about it.

Yuki wanted to be like that too, someone who was strong.

"I wonder what movie Momiji-kun is going to bring," Tohru said cheerfully. "It'll be fun getting to watch it together.

Nodding in agreement, Yuki picked up his bowl, and stood up. "Knowing him, it'll probably have lots of furry things," he joked, more to himself than her.

"Does Momiji-kun like animals?"

"You could say that," Yuki replied, setting his bowl in the sink. Ah, time to start piling up the dishes again. Since Tohru, for some strange reason, had done the amazing thing of cleaning his kitchen, it would take him weeks before he could build it up to its usual state of putrid perfection again. Better start now or he may get a little too used to this cleanliness.

"I'm back!" Momiji squealed happily as he flung the front door open. Yuki cringed as he saw the dent it made in the wall as it slammed against it. "So, what did you two love birds do while I was gone?"

Yuki made a face, wanting to throw something at Momiji's head. Couldn't he just be quiet? Tohru was going to think that he had feelings for her or something, which was totally not the case... he had only known her for a day... so he couldn't possibly...

"Fantasizing about her again, I see," Momiji nodded, suddenly only inches from Yuki's face. "So I guess nothing happened after all. Poor Yuki."

"Momiji, shut up!" Yuki shouted, blushing fiercely despite himself. "I don't know why you insist on saying such... such ridiculous things."

"It's all right Sohma-san," Tohru laughed. "You don't have to worry. I know he's just joking."

"Always getting so flustered," Momiji sighed, taking the dvd he had in his hand and placing it in the dvd player. He grinned to himself, knowing he was just making Yuki angrier.

"I am not flustered," Yuki mumbled, crossing his arms in front of him and sitting down on the couch. For crying out loud, sometimes the whole world just seemed to be against him.

chapter 7- day 2- like a bird

H... How sad... Tohru blinked her eyes as tears began to well up in them... A sob escaped her throat and she covered her face with her hands, crying softly. It was just too sad. Why... why did it have to be that way? Why couldn't things just work out? Didn't they deserve it? After all they had been through, didn't they deserve to be happy?

"Honda-san," Yuki began uncertainly, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Are you all right?"

"I... I just feel so bad for them," she choked. "They... they deserve to be together! Poor Romeo and Juliet!"

"Maybe watching this was a bad idea," Yuki whispered to Momiji.

"But it was the only movie I had in the trunk," Momiji protested. "Besides, she likes it." He turned to Tohru, smiling cheerfully. "Don't you, Tohru? You like the movie right?"

"I love it," she choked, tears streaming down her face. As soon as the credits rolled, she jumped to her feet, running to the bathroom where she attacked a roll of toilet paper and wiped at her wet eyes and nose.

Yuki appeared by the doorway, an unreadable expression on his face as he peeked in at her, and Tohru looked down self consciously at the soggy tissue in her hand. She could imagine she probably didn't exactly look her best right at this moment, what with the snot running down from her nose, and her eyes being all red and puffy.

"Well, I guess I better be a going," Momiji sang from the living room, causing both Yuki and Tohru to turn to look at the blond man. "I'll just leave you two love birds alone."

Her eyes widening, Tohru hurried out of the bathroom, leaving a bewildered Yuki still leaning against the door frame. She stopped in front of Momiji, looking up pleadingly at him. "Please don't leave..." she whispered, casting a nervous glance back over at Yuki. "I ... I won't feel comfortable here by myself." She began to tap her foot anxiously against the floor, trying to keep herself calm.

"You'll be fine," Momiji replied quietly. "Just give him a chance." Tohru bit her lip, thinking it over for a moment. It had been nice here so far... but that was because Momiji was around to lighten the mood. Would it become awkward again once he left? However, Tohru nodded slowly. Just give Yuki a chance? Maybe that was all she needed to do.

"All right," Tohru murmured.

Momiji grinned. "Have fun," he laughed, giving a little bow. Then he was out the door, leaving Tohru and Yuki alone in the apartment. Yuki came up to her, his eyes refusing to meet hers. "You don't have to force yourself to stay," he said quietly. Tohru winced, feeling ashamed of herself. He had probably heard what she said to Momiji.

"Well...if you want me to leave, I'll go," she replied softly. "But if its all right with you... I'd like to stay a little longer."

Yuki stayed silent for a moment and Tohru wondered if he was going tell her he didn't want her there anymore. Kick her to the curb, tell her to go, be gone, never come back, sayonara, adios, see ya later, hasta la vista... "All right then," he replied finally with a smile. "I'm afraid I'm not much of a host though..."

"Don't worry about it," Tohru said quickly, unable to keep her cheeks from flushing slightly. She couldn't help but feel surprised. She still half expected him to tell her to leave and quit bothering him, but apparently, that wasn't going to happen after all. So what now? The idea of staying alone in his apartment still made her feel uneasy. Maybe a more public setting would help put them both at ease with one another. "Would you like to go for a walk with me then?" she asked brightly.

There were times when Kyo really just could not stand Kagura. He made a face as she screamed loudly about something or another. What the hell was she so mad about this time anyway? Kagura screeched again and Kyo cringed. Why was he putting up with this! Ah, to hell with it. "Listen Kagura," Kyo said flatly. "I'm sick of your bitching."

"Well, do I sound like I'm through with you yet!" Kagura screamed, hitting him for what seemed like the fifth time that day. Where the hell did all that girl's strength come from anyway? When she hit him, it hurt. "I don't care how much you..."
"No Kagura, I don't think you understand what I'm getting out," Kyo spat, placing a hand over his stinging cheek. "I'm sick of this." Turning around he marched into their bedroom, grabbing a bag and filling it with the few articles of clothing he owned, and shoving his wallet into his pocket. "I'm getting out of here," he muttered.

"W... wait," Kagura sputtered in shock, her eyes wide. "I...I... I don't understand... where are you going?"

"Where the hell does it look like I'm going!" Kyo shouted incredulously. "Away from you! I don't know why we even got together in the first place!"

"But... but we were going to get married," Kagura whimpered meekly, tugging on his arm. "K... Kyo-kun. You can't leave me like this."

"Just watch me," he shot back, yanking his arm free from her grasp. He slung the handle of the bag over his shoulder, and stalked out of the apartment. As he walked along the sidewalk, Kagura following close behind. He groaned. Where the heck was he supposed to go now anyway?

He turned around, and Kagura darted behind a tree, her foot still visible from behind it. Rolling his eyes, Kyo kept walking. And did Kagura actually think that she was hiding? He could hear her quick footsteps as she tried to catch up with him. "Kagura," Kyo called loudly. There was no reply and Kyo turned around again, watching as Kagura ran behind a parked car and ducked down. "Damn it!" Kyo shouted exasperated. "You know I can still see you, don't you!" He could hear quiet sobs from behind the car and felt like screaming at the top of his lungs to let out his frustration.

Hmm, just maybe... maybe he could try a different approach. If he could make Kagura hate him, then she would leave him alone. Obviously, hating her wasn't going to get them anywhere, since she had some sort of strange immunity to things like that, so maybe he should just make her hate him. "Kagura," he said again loudly. "I have a confession to make. I've been cheating on you."

"WHAT?" Kagura screeched, leaping out from behind the car and landing on Kyo's unsuspecting form. The two went crashing down to the ground, Kyo's bones making a sickening crack from beneath Kagura's body as he came in contact with the sidewalk. "You... you're lying!" she cried, tears streaming down her face as she looked down at him. "You're lying!'

"No, I'm not," Kyo choked, trying to her push her off of him. When he had succeeded, he looked in satisfaction at her distressed face, and pulled himself up to his feet. Good, now maybe he could get the hell away from her.

"With who!" she shrieked. Kagura jumped to her feet as well, pushing him hard. "Who! Who was it! Who was the bitch that stole you away from me!"

She began beating on his chest with her fists, and Kyo sighed, taking her wrists and pulling her them away. Maybe this wasn't such a grand idea after, but it seemed to be working anyway. Glancing to the side, he noticed a woman with long brown hair walking by. She looked to be around his age... and he could've sworn he had seen her somewhere before... "with her," he mumbled.

"Wh... what?" Kagura asked quietly, pulling away. She looked over at the girl with long hair and took a step back. "She's the... one?"

"Yeah," Kyo nodded quickly. "I came out here to meet her."

Without a word, Kagura turned around and ran away. Kyo looked down at his feet in shame. Maybe he'd gone a little too far... Glancing back up, his jaw dropped open when he saw Yuki run up to the girl and hand her a can of juice. He said something and she smiled shyly, taking the can from him. So that girl... was going out with YUKI OF ALL PEOPLE. Kyo looked at the couple darkly. That damned rat... he was always doing this.

The monster...

Kyo had been the only Sohma not allowed to work for the Sohma corporation. Instead, he had gotten a crappy job at that stupid diner making two bucks an hour (plus tips).

The monster should be locked up...

And Yuki... that damned rat had been placed at the very top, manager of the entire business in their city. And now this. Using this girl so he could get even further. It was all his fault. All his fault that they treated Kyo like this.

Send him away... the monster should be locked up...

Kyo narrowed his eyes. Not this time. This time Kyo was going to be the one to win. And it appeared he had just found a way to beat that stupid Yuki. That damned rat... he shouldn't be allowed to have everything that he wanted. He watched Yuki as he smiled fondly at the girl. It made Kyo feel sick to his stomach. Even if he could only make Yuki feel a fraction of what he had felt his entire life, he would do it. He would take that girl from him, make him lose that deal or bet or whatever it was he had made with Ayame. This was his revenge.

The monster should be locked up forever... but instead... we'll let him do as he wishes. However, only under the condition that he stays away from the rest of the family, and shall never be allowed to hold a job with the Sohma corporation, our family business. He should be locked up... but instead... we'll simply send him away...

Kyo watched the two from the distance as they sat together on a bench in the park and his fingers ran self consciously over the beads on his wrist.

"Thank you Sohma-san," Tohru said cheerfully, as she sipped the can of juice. She looked out at all the greenery around them and sat back contentedly on the bench. This was just so nice. She had never dreamed she would enjoy herself so much with him.

"Hey, look at that," Yuki laughed as a bird hopped closer to them. It tilted its head to the side before flapping its wings and flying onto the edge of the bench.

Tohru smiled at it in awe. "It doesn't seem to be afraid of us at all, does it?" Slowly, she reached for her purse and flipped it open, pulling out a small package of broken crackers. The bird jumped back, watching her carefully. Opening the pack, she tossed a few gently forward, several large crumbs landing beside them on the bench. Then she poured the rest into the palm of her hand and stayed still. The bird watched her cautiously before pecking at the small crumbs. After a moment's hesitation, it hopped onto the side of her hand and began to nibble from her palm. "Its really eating from my hand," she exclaimed quietly, laughing silently to herself.

Yuki nodded, smiling at her and took a few crumbs into his own palm. "Do you think it'll trust me too?" he asked uncertainly. He extended his hand forward and the bird jumped back in surprise, fluttering wildly before flying up and landing on a branch over their heads. "I'm sorry about that," Yuki stammered. "I didn't mean to scare it away."

"Don't worry about it," Tohru grinned, shaking her head. "Here, you have to do it like this." She gently took hold of his palm, and arranged the bits of cracker till they were piled in the center. Then she let him relax his hand, resting it on his knee. "The bird will come to you," she said softly. "Sometimes... the more you chase it, the more frightened it'll become. But just wait a little... and the bird will come to you..." Moments later, the small bird came fluttering down from the branch, looking up at them from the wooden seat of the bench. It hopped forward a few times, landing on his leg and pecked greedily at the dry crackers.

Yuki smiled, looking up at Tohru, and she felt her heart leap a little in her chest. "You're right... the bird came to me."

It was simply amazing... Yuki couldn't believe how well the night had gone. It was simply... amazing... for lack of a better way to describe it. He was really beginning to feel comfortable around Tohru... and he couldn't help but imagine what it would be like if she could always be with him like this... like say perhaps... if they were married. Shaking the thoughts from his head, he led Tohru up to the door of her apartment building.

"Thanks for walking me home," she said shyly, looking up at him, her cheeks a pale pink.

"Honda-san," he began quietly. "I was wondering... would you care to join me tomorrow? You don't have to if you don't want to... I was just thinking maybe... we could go for a boat ride... and its really quite fun... but if you don't want to then..."

"I'd love to," Tohru broke in, pressing a finger to his lips. She smiled broadly at him before opening the door to the apartment building. "Goodnight, Sohma-san."

"Goodnight," Yuki replied, feeling as though his breath had been taken away. He watched her as she went into the building and made her way to the elevator, not noticing the little orange cat that sped in through the crack of the door, just before it closed. Turning around, Yuki let out a deep breath, unable to believe what had happened. It was amazing. Last night, he had done all in his power to make her like him... everything he could possibly think of... and instead, she ran away.

I scared her... Yuki pondered thoughtfully to himself. I scared her away because I chased her... but then she came back to me because I didn't do anything... just like a bird.

Kyo froze in front of the closed elevator doors as he changed back from a cat into a man. Why hadn't he thought about the clothes issue! Oh clothes! Clothes! Where for art thou clothes! He couldn't very well march up to her apartment butt naked and expect to sweep her off her feet! Or could he...? NO! He definitely could not. Racing around in circles, he ended up in the apartment's laundry room and nearly shouted out with joy.

Oh, thank you dearest person who forgot to pick up their laundry, Kyo thought silently to himself. He reached into the dryer and pulled out a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. A bit too big, but they fit well enough... and at least they were clothes! He'd just have to return them later, he reasoned with himself.

Running out of the room, Kyo looked at the little blinking light of the elevator as it stopped on the number three. So that girl's room was on the third floor? Well, not that he especially liked being all stalker like or anything but this was something he had to do! A man had to prove himself once in awhile! It was a man's duty!

Now, if he took the elevator, he'd most likely miss her because it would take too long to get back down to the first floor. Deciding, he began racing up the stairs, taking them two at a time. When he reached the top of the third floor, he came tumbling out into the hallway, his eyes darting back and forth. Out of the corner of his eye he could see a head of long brown hair entering a room. It was her! It had to be! Taking a deep breath, he walked over to the door and knocked loudly. Moments later, a large, extremely overweight woman with long, stringy hair, pulled up in a pony tail answered the door.

"Why hello there," the woman said, a blush coming to her cheeks. "And who may you be?"

"Ah... ermmm," Kyo stammered. "I think I may have the wrong room. Is there anyone else that lives here?"

"No one else," the woman cooed, batting her eyelashes in what she must have believed was a seductive way. "Just little ol' me." She smiled, and Kyo's eyes couldn't help but zoom on the fact that she was missing one of her front teeth... Freaky... "I was just eating dinner... you're welcome to join me if you like."

"I don't think so lady," Kyo retorted, his eyes still glued to the empty gap in her teeth. "I'm a little busy right now." Spinning around, he began running in the opposite direction, a shiver running down his spine. He was probably going to have nightmares about that hideous woman and her missing tooth for the next few weeks or so. He closed his eyes and a mental image of the woman spinning in circles and singing filled his mind. Aghhh! Make it go away!

"I'll be right back Hana-chan," a female voice called from the other side of the hallway. "I think I dropped my watch on the elevat..." Kyo stopped in his tracks as she walked in front of him and the woman trailed off, her eyes glued to his face. "K... Kyo-san?"

"Uh... yeah, that's me..." Kyo mumbled, his face flushed. Wait, how did she know his name?

chapter 8- day 2- love or something like that

Tohru was at a loss for words. What was Kyo doing here? The guy from the diner that she had had a crush on for nearly a year! The guy who had the pretty girlfriend with short, dark hair... What was he doing here in her apartment building? She noticed the perplexed look on his face and realized he didn't remember her at all. Well, that made sense. She had really only talked to him that one time when he had waited on their table. "I... I remember you from that diner..." Tohru explained self-consciously. "You... waited on my table... remember?"

"Yeah... that's right," Kyo nodded suddenly. "I thought I recognized you from somewhere..." he looked down at the ground and Tohru wondered what he was thinking.

Hmmm, this was quite awkward. Tohru shifted uncomfortably in the position she was standing in. Was she supposed to say something else now? Or just leave? When she thought about it, she supposed it really wasn't any of her business why he was here anyway... probably just visiting a friend or something. She had just been so shocked to see him, she couldn't help it. "Soooo..." Tohru began slowly. "I guess I'll just be going then... It was nice seeing you." Kyo didn't say anything and with a shrug, Tohru turned to walk away.

"W... wait," a voice mumbled quietly behind her. For a second, Tohru wasn't even sure if she had heard it or not and kept walking. "Wait!" it called a little louder. Stopping in surprise, Tohru stopped and faced him again.

"Yes?"

Kyo could feel a drop of sweat run down the side of his face as he struggled to speak. Why was this so damn hard! He didn't know her, he shouldn't give a damn what she thought about him anyway, so why couldn't he seem to speak! Closing his eyes, he tried to remind himself why he was doing this. There was a reason! For revenge! For revenge on that damned rat who always seemed to get everything in the world! It just wasn't fair! Kyo couldn't let him have this girl too! Yuki didn't deserve her or that job!

"Umm, you did just tell me to wait, didn't you?" Tohru asked uncertainly.

Wanting to kick himself, Kyo nodded. She probably thought he was all psychotic now. And maybe she wouldn't be too far off the mark either. He DID follow her to her apartment, didn't he. That had to qualify for some kind of weird stalkerish behavior. But damn it! It was all for the sake of making that rat's life miserable! So it had to definitely be worth his pride.

"I... I'll just be going then," Tohru said slowly, taking a step back.

"I just wanted to ask you out on a date," Kyo blurted out suddenly. Tohru's eyes widened in surprise and she looked down at the floor, her face blushing bright red. "I... uh... fell in love with you when I waited on your table the other day... or something like that... and uh, that's why! So, let's do something together, like tomorrow maybe..."

Tohru bit her lip and Kyo knew right away that there was probably a more... tactful way he could have gone about saying that. There was no way on earth she could believe a lie that ludicrous anyway. How could he fall in love with a girl he had served at a restaurant in the first place? It was all so stupid. Maybe he should have come up with something better... like maybe he was her long lost childhood friend or something. Ah damn, now Yuki was definitely going to win and get to have this girl too. That really pissed him off...

"Umm," Tohru mumbled, refusing to make eye contact with him. "I... I don't know. Don't... don't you already have a girlfriend? I... I saw you together once..." Looking up, she shook her head frantically. "I mean! Not that I was like, trying to watch you or anything, or like followed you, or anything weird like that. You were outside the restaurant with her so... I couldn't help but see you two..."

"Ohhh, that," Kyo stammered. Now this wasn't good. Nothing was working out the way he planned. Agh, if only Yuki had fallen for a girl that didn't know who Kyo was at all. This probably would have been a lot easier. "Well...ahh... we broke up... I told her how uh... in love with you... I was... and so, she said that all she wants is for me to be happy."

"I see," Tohru said uncertainly. She paused, as if looking for some other excuse why she couldn't go out with him and Kyo scowled in annoyance. Fine then, she could just be that way. "The thing is," Tohru murmured quietly. "I'm kind of... well, I suppose I haven't known him all that long... but I'm kind of seeing this guy... and I think I really like him. I promised to go for a boat ride with him tomorrow... so that's why... I can't go out with you... I'm sorry."

Looking down, Kyo didn't say anything. Even if he didn't really give a damn about her... being rejected had a way of hurting no matter what the situation was. And now that stupid, damned rat was going to get the girl and probably get that stupid head of the whole freaking corporation job he had heard Kagura ranting about earlier. It just wasn't fair! Damn it! It wasn't fair!

"Well, good night, Kyo-san," Tohru said quietly. With that, she turned around and went back to her apartment.

As she walked away, for some unexplainable reason, a small smile came to Kyo's face. "Don't you dare think that this is over..." he muttered quietly to himself. That's right. It wasn't too late. Curling his hands into fists, Kyo felt a rush of energy surge through his body. That's right! If there was one thing Kyo loved, it was a challenge! And challenging that dumb rat was definitely on his list of favorite things to do. He'd steal that girl away from him and then Yuki would finally have to admit that Kyo had beaten him! Finally... Kyo was going to be the winner.

Yuki sat down on his couch and turned on the television. After half-heartedly flipping through every single one of the 432 channels, he shut the tv off. Why did he feel so distracted? Nothing seemed to interest him right now. Standing up, he circled his apartment several times before sitting on the couch again and turning on the television yet again as well. This was pretty pathetic, wasn't it...

But he couldn't help it. He couldn't get Tohru Honda off his mind.

Laying back on the couch, Yuki propped up a small, leather pillow and rested his head on it. As he looked up at the ceiling, he thought about Tohru and how he would get to take her out for a boat ride the next day. He shook his head, realizing that this was getting too deep. The only reason why he had wanted her was so that he could get that job! Why was he making such a big deal out of this. Besides, he didn't even own a boat... well, not yet anyway.

"I'm starting to forget what's important," he said to himself out loud, his voice echoing off the walls of his empty apartment. It was funny, he had never really thought of this place as lonely before, but it felt that way now. Being alone here was making him feel all depressed. Maybe that was why he kept thinking about her. That had to be it! It was all his darn apartment's fault. He glared accusingly up at the apartment ceiling. "Stupid apartment," he grumbled.

Turning onto his side, he closed his eyes. The only reason why he was doing all this was to please his retarded brother so that he could get that job. That's all... It had nothing to do with Tohru Honda. But still... he had to admit... that maybe he did like her just a little bit... and would that really be so bad? Maybe marrying for love really was a possibility for him.

"I see you have returned," Hanajima said softly as Tohru entered the apartment. "It took a bit longer than I anticipated. Did you find your watch?"
"Ah, not really," Tohru admitted. "I guess I got a little side tracked. I ran into..." She squeezed her eyes shut and her face turned bright red.

"What's wrong Tohru?" Hana asked in concern. "Are you ill?
"No... its not that," Tohru mumbled. "Its just... you'll never guess who I just saw! It was Kyo-san!"

"And who in the world may that be?" Hana asked in confusion.

Tohru realized that it made sense that Hana didn't know. The only reason why Tohru was able to remember in the first place was because she had had that crush on him for so long. "The one from the restaurant," Tohru said quietly. "With the orange hair... the one I liked..."

"Ah yes," Hana nodded. "I do seem to recall that particular example of male scum. Did he do anything to you Tohru? You don't seem harmed."

"Actually," Tohru admitted, her face growing even brighter red. "He asked me out on a date? Isn't life strange? When I liked him, I would have done anything for him to like me too... or even notice me... but now he appears all of a sudden... just when I've met someone else..."

Hanajima smiled sympathetically. "Are you referring to that princely character, Yuki Sohma? Please don't tell me you're going to repeat your previous error of spending a day with him. Men are all no better than single celled amebas whose sole purposes in life is to procreate. Surely we've already had this discussion several times before."

"I... I guess so," Torhu laughed. "But I really think I like him."

"I see... And as for this... Kyo... didn't that man have a girlfriend? And why should he come now all of a sudden? How did he know you lived here? What are his intentions? Burn him at the stake! Ah, I mean, please be careful Tohru-kun."

Nodding, Tohru smiled warmly at her friend. It always touched her how concerned Hanajima always was for her well being. She wondered what she could have done to deserve having two such wonderful friends always there for her. "I was wondering all that too," Tohru said finally. "But it doesn't really matter now..." She thought of Yuki and pursed her lips together shyly to herself. "And tomorrow... Sohma-san is taking me for a boat ride..."
Hanajima raised a brow before grabbing Tohru's hand and dragging the girl into her bedroom. The room was draped in thick, black curtains and carpeting, small candles adorning every shelf and desk top in the room. Bending down, Hana looked under her bed, pushing aside a deep velvet comforter, and pulling out a little doll. "I present you with this, Tohru-kun," she said, straightening herself back up and handing the doll to her friend.

Squinting at the figure, Tohru looked at Hana in bewilderment. "What is it?" she asked finally.

"A voodoo doll," Hana replied darkly. "Should that Yuki Sohma decide to play too rough with you, I want you to jam a needle right here." Lifting the doll a little, she pointed a finger at the doll's crotch. "Believe me, it will ensure your safety and that Yuki Sohma will never again be able to bear children."

Making a face, Tohru gave her friend a hug. "Thank you for worrying about me," she laughed awkwardly. "But... ah... I don't think I'll be needing voodoo of any kind. Thanks anyway, though."

Hanajima shrugged, tossing the small, plain looking doll of brown material on the bed. "Suit yourself."

Ayame opened his email and was surprised to see that he had only one new one. Must be his lucky day, he mused. Better than having to delete five hundred junk mails. His eyes widened as he read who the sender was... Could it be? Could his little brother really have sent him an email! Tears of joy welled up in his eyes and Ayame felt his heart swell in his chest. "My dearest brother," he sighed.

Clicking the little mail icon, the screen flashed and filled up with the words of the letter. Most likely words of love and admiration, Ayame reasoned. How could it be any other way? His face fell as he read it and he gave a little sigh. So... it seemed his little brother wasn't too happy after all. Ah well, what could he do?

Closing the email, Ayame chuckled loudly to himself. Fear not little brother! All I do, I do for your own benefit! Things may be hard now... but Ayame was certain that this would work out for Yuki in the end. And then, of course, the boy would simply be bursting with gratitude for his older brother who had done so much for him.

chapter 9- day 3- puppy saliva

Tohru yawned as she poured herself a cup of coffee. Kyoko yipped loudly at her feet and Tohru smiled, bending down and squatting on the floor. "Hey there sweetie," she said cheerfully, her voice still drowsy. "Ready for some breakfast?" The dog panted loudly in response,