Disclaimer: This piece of work is not to be sold in any from. There's no
authorization by Takaya Natsuki or Hana to Yume Comics. It's only for
personal reading.
Author's note: This is my very first fic and I don't know very much about Fruits Basket yet (in some points Germany is still behind the moon) so, please, don't kill me if something's wrong about the characters. I originally wrote this story in German cause my vocabulary is a lot better in my native language (and the flow is better, too). I tried my best in translating but if anyone wants to have the story just look at ff.net! Thank you, CarlaVIII, for your corrections and helpful suggestions!
Rating: PG 13 (varying according to chapter)
No Regrets
Chapter one: The Lake
He had never felt so lonely before as he had in the past two months. Although he saw her every day and they sometimes chatted, even teased each other from time to time, he felt very lonesome. About two months ago, she had left to visit a friend for the weekend. In those few days he had found out that every hour, every minute without her was unbearable. He was taken by the fact that he had lied to himself for a very long time, pretending that he didn't care more about her than about anyone else. He dreamed about her at night, and during the day he sometimes caught himself looking at her secretly through the corner of his eye. He would always shrug it off by reminding himself she was the only female inhabitant of the house.
But since that weekend he had given up lying to himself. However, was it any better now? On the contrary: for those two months he dragged himself from day to day, unable to confess his love to her. He didn't want to endanger their friendship, didn't want to lose her. He tried to avoid her. He couldn't be alone with her anymore because he always felt the need to touch her. That mustn't happen.
So he carried his burden and hoped nobody would notice.
And today had been the same. When he came home he found the house deserted. First he was surprised because there was always something going on at the Sohma-house but the silence was a welcome change.
It was so hot and humid outside that he was sweating terribly simply from sitting. So he decided to take a shower to cool off. Since no one was in the house today who could eventually pop into the bathroom, he didn't lock the door. Maybe he hoped a little bit that SHE would come home.
The cool water pearled from his body. It felt so good to cool down a little bit. He longed for not having to be alone. It would be so nice if she was here with him under the shower, her naked body next to his, to kiss and caress. Maybe they could even . He twisted the knob half a turn towards cold, so he wouldn't fantasize about her anymore. No, that would hurt her honor; it wouldn't be proper to think of her that way. She was so kind, so natural in the way she coped with all the males that were surrounding her every day. If she just felt a little bit for him like he felt for her, wouldn't that be like heaven on earth? He pushed that thought away so he didn't have to turn the water even colder.
When he dried himself after a quarter of an hour in the cold shower, the house was still empty.
In the beginning he had liked the silence but now it became unnerving. And the humid heat wasn't any better, either.
Out. Out, he had to get out of the house.
So he got dressed quickly and stepped out the back door. No human soul was anywhere near. He thought briefly about what direction he should take and decided to walk down to the lake. If the heat got any worse he could cool down in the water. That would probably be more satisfying than the shower that was already wearing off.
He strolled down the path through the forest, brooding about his situation. The shade of the trees made the heat slightly more bearable, but not his thoughts. What, what could he do? His thoughts only circled around HER and his feelings for her. But how could he show her what she meant to him without hurting her or risking their friendship? What should he do? He had never felt so terrible before.
He could live with Akito's behavior. When his cousin wanted to get into a fight that was all right. Those were situations and feelings he was almost used to.
But what if she would accept his love? Would they have to keep it a secret from Akito? He thought of Hatori whose love had ended in a terrible disaster. Would he be able to bear that? On the other hand Akito also accepted the fact that she knew their secret and even lived in their house.
And there were his cousins. Would they agree to their relationship? Kyou would be jealous, and Shigure would probably want to tell Akito right away.
But that was thinking too far ahead. She still didn't know about his love and he didn't know how to tell her.
Lost in his thoughts, he walked down the path.
***************************************************
What had happened? Why did he treat her so strangely? It started two months ago. She had returned from a weekend at Hana-chan's, and ever since then he had behaved in a weird way. Although he pretended that everything was ok, there was something different about him. Maybe it was the way he laughed or looked at her when she eventually turned in his direction. She just didn't know what was wrong.
Tohru was on her way back home from her part-time job at the hotel. Luckily, it was still early. Sometimes she had to walk through the creepy forest in the dark, but today it was still bright although she was suffering from the heat. She was sweating terribly. Hopefully a thunderstorm tonight would put an end to her suffering. At least to the physical ones. Her worries would stay.
She opened the front door: "Tadaima!" No answer. She was a little astonished because of the silence in the house. Usually the TV was on, Yuki and Kyou were fighting, and Shigure was straying through the rooms looking for inspiration. But today there was nothing. Then she remembered that Shigure had an appointment with Mit-chan today. But where were Kyou and Yuki? Slightly irritated, she went up to her room and undressed. She thought briefly about taking a shower but then she thought better of it: the small lake in the forest. It would be refreshingly cool, exactly the right thing for such a hot summer day. So she put on a light dress, got a towel and went through the back door into the forest.
Her thoughts returned to HIM. What exactly had happened that weekend? She was sure that this love for him that she had felt for a so long was well hidden. What else could she do? She was so thankful that she had a real home again that she didn't want to risk that by having a complicated relationship with one of her housemates. It was enough for her to have him around her every day. What else could she wish for? He was such a nice person, so considerate and polite. Had she said anything imprudent that had insulted or embarrassed him? She couldn't remember, but sometimes her mouth was faster than her head, and she had an extraordinary talent for embarrassing herself.
Oh, no, that would be terrible! What if she lost him now? What if he hated her now and just tolerated her in the house because the others liked her so much? Could that be possible?
She knew that her place was only as a guest in the house. Although she didn't know why Akito let that happen, or what kind of a plan he had, she was sure that she would come home one day and Hatori would be waiting for her with a serious expression on his face. He would erase all her memories of the Sohma, all her memories of HIM. That's why she lived every day with Kyou, Yuki and Shigure as if it was her last in their midst.
She wanted nothing more than to touch HIM, hear his voice and just look at him. His beautiful face, his expressive eyes, and his slim hands never left her thoughts. Even now that his behavior towards her had become strange she couldn't just flip a switch and turn off her love for him. His laughter sometimes sounded so artificial; his eyes didn't laugh anymore. He avoided any physical contact as if she had an infectious disease. Of course he couldn't know how much he hurt her. Now that she thought about it, she recalled that she hadn't been alone with him at anytime during those two months. Before that he sometimes walked her home from the hotel, or they had worked together in his little garden. Once Yuki had tried to help her with the cooking. She had given him mushrooms and he had almost severed his finger trying to cut them! He had been terribly embarrassed about her having to dress his wounds. He had just wanted to help her out. She was very happy that he had been spending time with her. Afterwards he had watched her cook dinner and made a few jokes. Back then his laughter had been real and his eyes had twinkled. Oh, how had she enjoyed those moments.
But for now, those times were over. She noticed that a lump was building in her throat and she was close to crying.
***************************************************
Totally lost in his thoughts, he arrived at the lake that beckoned him with its cool water. It wasn't a very big lake; you could swim across it with about twenty good strokes. But it was close. It stood in the middle of the forest only a ten minute walk from the Sohma-house. The limbs of the trees bowed in arcs ending only yards from the water below. The lake was circled by a shore that was overgrown with grass.
It was so isolated that he hadn't brought his swimming trunks. Few people even knew of the place, an it was usually deserted. He had few, if any, reservations about skinny dipping here, especially not today.
He took off his clothes and put them neatly on a large stone so they wouldn't get dirty. He walked slowly into the water that played coolly around his feet. This HAD been a very good idea. He went further, slowly so he wouldn't get shocked from the cold and wet his skin with the cool water. Then he dived softly into the water. Ah, what a relief! Superb! With his strong arms he made his strokes through the lake.
He swam to the opposite shore and back. The water was almost too cold and he wanted to warm up a little before he swam another round.
He swam to where his clothes were lying, and when he felt solid ground under his feet again he started wading out of the water. He almost had reached the stone where he wanted to sit down and dry in the sun when he noticed a figure in the shadow of the trees. The person was coming closer und he recognized her. He froze dead in his tracks. Oh no! Had she seen him? He was totally naked! How embarrassing!
She continued without slowing down. Maybe she hadn't seen him after all. He moved quickly to the stone and gathered his clothes, covering his bareness. Why HER of all people?
***************************************************
"Honda-san?"
She was startled out of her thoughts and tried to look through the curtain of tears in her eyes. Obviously, her feet had carried her to the lake while she was lost in her thoughts.
A person was standing by the shore - HIM, practically naked, just holding up one hand with his clothes in them in front of his...*blush*. She panicked. What could she do now? Although she had longed for being alone with him again, this situation was far too embarrassing.
She had only one thought: away! She spun around and ran back into the forest.
"Honda-san! Wait!"
She didn't know how to react. So she just kept her pace.
"HONDA-SAN! Just wait a minute!"
Why did she have to show up now? Embarrassing was a far too understated expression for this situation. But maybe this was a hint from fate. Maybe he shouldn't let this opportunity pass.
She stood still, with her back turned towards him.
"Wait till I got dressed, please! I have to talk to you!"
Because she didn't know what else to do, she just stood in the same place. What would he say to her? Would he tell her that she should keep out of his space in the future? That would be the most devastating thing that could happen to her. She prayed it wouldn't end like that. She wiped away the tears from her eyes so he wouldn't see she had been crying.
"Honda-san, would you come here, please?"
He had put on his pants in a hurry. His shirt wasn't buttoned; she could see his bare skin beneath it. She went slowly into his direction.
He pointed to a big stone next to him. "Please, sit down."
She sat down on it while he knelt down in front of her..
There was total silence for a moment.
She prepared herself to hear the worst.
"Honda-san, I know I've avoided you lately. I don't want you to think I don't want to have anything to do with you anymore. In fact it's the exact opposite. I. I." his voice failed. Now he had come so far! If he let this opportunity pass, he might never have the courage to talk to her again. He pulled himself together. "I love you, Tohru!"
What? Out of all things she had expected, this was the last! She was stunned but inside everything was dancing boogie-woogie. A shiver flashed down her spine and she felt her face getting hotter. She was turning red like a ripe tomato. What should she answer him? I love you, too? That would be a pure understatement. She wanted to tell him how much she loved him, how much she had suffered.
"I know this is very shocking for you. But, please, don't be angry with me! This was very selfish of me. I shouldn't have told you. Gomen nasai!"
Oh no! He misinterpreted her silence! She wanted to say so much but she didn't know where to start. Her thoughts ran amok, she couldn't think clearly anymore. She was overwhelmed by his confession. What should she say to convince him that she felt the same for him? Oh no, she had to say something. She opened her mouth.
"I'm sorry, Honda-san. It was a mistake. I shouldn't have told you. I think the best would be for me to leave."
"No!" He looked at her, surprised. She was red from embarrassment, tears twinkles in her eyes. "No, stay! Don't go away.ever!"
Tears rolled down her face. Should she tell him? She pulled herself together.
"I love you, too, Yuki-kun," she whispered.
He looked at her, astonished. Did he hear that right?
"I love you, too. I have for a very long time now. But I couldn't tell you. You were too important to me, I didn't want to lose you just by making a silly confession. It was enough for me to be near you. But you were behaving so strangely lately. You were so unpredictable. I thought you hated me!"
"I'm really sorry. Honestly. But I didn't know what I should do. I didn't know I hurt you that badly. I couldn't be alone with you anymore because I thought you would notice my feelings for you. I didn't want to risk our friendship. I'm very, very sorry."
"It's not so bad anymore. Now I can be near you again."
Yuki smiled softly. With his right hand he turned her face in his direction and looked deeply into her eyes. "Tohru-san, I love you with all my heart."
"I love you with all my heart, Yuki-kun."
Happily, he took her hand in his. It was warm and soft. It was so wonderful to finally be able to touch her. They sat at the shore, silently, and enjoyed each other's presence.
The heat was still horrible but a slight breeze was coming up, making it slightly more bearable.
He caressed her hand and smiled thankfully at her face. He felt light like a feather and his feet would probably barely touch the ground at all on their way back. He wondered if she was feeling the same.
The wind was picking up and with a concerned look towards the sky he saw black clouds over the trees. The sun was still shining through the forest on the other side of the lake. The shape of the trees in front of the dark background looked like it was cut out of paper. A swarm of doves circled over the forest and seemed in this strange light as if silver was sparkling in the sky. He stared at it as if hypnotized by this view.
Neither of them said a word, afraid of breaking the magic.
Suddenly lightning cut through the black sky like a jagged sword. Yuki noticed that Tohru jerked a little, startled by the following thunder.
"I think we should go home before it starts raining!" he said.
"Hai! Let's go fast then!"
They ran through the forest, hand in hand, on the same path they had each walked alone. A lot had changed in the last half hour. Both had been depressed and sad when they had gone to the lake and now they barely noticed the ground under their feet because they were so happy. They didn't get far before the first big raindrops fell down on the trees over them.
"Hayaku!!! We'll be soaked through even before we reach the edge of the forest!" They ran as fast as their legs would carry them. Above them, the heavens opened and rain splattered down. It was flashing and thundering badly. The storm was coming closer.
When Yuki and Tohru finally reached the back door of the house they were wet to the bones. Quickly they opened the door and hurried inside. "Shi- san? Kyou-san? Is anybody home?" No answer. Still nobody was here.
Breathless and shivering from the sudden cold, they stood in the living room with water dripping from their soaked clothes.
He noticed that her wet dress was clinging tightly to her body. Unable to look away, he stared at her from top to bottom. He could see her small firm breasts that were usually covered unrecognizably, her flat stomach, the soft curves of her hips. He could barely hold himself back. He wanted to take her upstairs into his room right now and help her get rid of those wet clothes.
"Ano, we should put on something dry or we'll catch a cold!" Tohru said, slightly blushed. Had she noticed his glances?
Yuki took her chin and raised her head. "Wait just for a minute." He bent down to her and kissed her cheek very softly. His lips barely touched her skin. Tohru, blushing, turned her head away. But he turned it back, slowly. He bent down again but this time he aimed at another spot. He pressed his lips very lightly on hers.
How much he had longed to kiss her! Sweat trickled down his back and he had armies of butterflies in his stomach.
First she made small attempts to protest but then she answered his kiss. The time of pain and deprivation was over. They had finally found each other.
Surprised, he noticed that she opened her lips. Something warm and soft was caressing his mouth. He opened it and their tongues met. This would soon drive him crazy. He felt hot although he was totally wet and had been freezing just a second ago. He embraced her to feel her body next to his. Her warmth, her scent made him lose his senses.
Puff. A cloud of smoke appeared. That had been a short pleasure. But it also had been more than worth it.
Tohru awakened as from a trance and her face turned into the color of sweet cherries. "Oh, I really should go and change now." Embarrassed, she looked away. "And I should mop the floor. You can put your clothes directly into the washing-machine."
"Arigatoo, Tohru-san!" He had never thought he would be happy one day when he turned into a mouse. But now it was different. Everything was different. He had felt her so close like never before. And he could still feel her kiss on his lips. "Arigatoo!"
"Oh, that's nothing! I have to wash my own clothes as well, and I just want to remove the puddles on the floor. That's no work at all." She disappeared through the door and went upstairs.
Yuki smiled. That was so typically Tohru. But it also was one of the reasons why he had fallen in love with her.
Next: Opportunity
Will their love survive the every-day-life at the Sohma-house?
Author's note: This is my very first fic and I don't know very much about Fruits Basket yet (in some points Germany is still behind the moon) so, please, don't kill me if something's wrong about the characters. I originally wrote this story in German cause my vocabulary is a lot better in my native language (and the flow is better, too). I tried my best in translating but if anyone wants to have the story just look at ff.net! Thank you, CarlaVIII, for your corrections and helpful suggestions!
Rating: PG 13 (varying according to chapter)
No Regrets
Chapter one: The Lake
He had never felt so lonely before as he had in the past two months. Although he saw her every day and they sometimes chatted, even teased each other from time to time, he felt very lonesome. About two months ago, she had left to visit a friend for the weekend. In those few days he had found out that every hour, every minute without her was unbearable. He was taken by the fact that he had lied to himself for a very long time, pretending that he didn't care more about her than about anyone else. He dreamed about her at night, and during the day he sometimes caught himself looking at her secretly through the corner of his eye. He would always shrug it off by reminding himself she was the only female inhabitant of the house.
But since that weekend he had given up lying to himself. However, was it any better now? On the contrary: for those two months he dragged himself from day to day, unable to confess his love to her. He didn't want to endanger their friendship, didn't want to lose her. He tried to avoid her. He couldn't be alone with her anymore because he always felt the need to touch her. That mustn't happen.
So he carried his burden and hoped nobody would notice.
And today had been the same. When he came home he found the house deserted. First he was surprised because there was always something going on at the Sohma-house but the silence was a welcome change.
It was so hot and humid outside that he was sweating terribly simply from sitting. So he decided to take a shower to cool off. Since no one was in the house today who could eventually pop into the bathroom, he didn't lock the door. Maybe he hoped a little bit that SHE would come home.
The cool water pearled from his body. It felt so good to cool down a little bit. He longed for not having to be alone. It would be so nice if she was here with him under the shower, her naked body next to his, to kiss and caress. Maybe they could even . He twisted the knob half a turn towards cold, so he wouldn't fantasize about her anymore. No, that would hurt her honor; it wouldn't be proper to think of her that way. She was so kind, so natural in the way she coped with all the males that were surrounding her every day. If she just felt a little bit for him like he felt for her, wouldn't that be like heaven on earth? He pushed that thought away so he didn't have to turn the water even colder.
When he dried himself after a quarter of an hour in the cold shower, the house was still empty.
In the beginning he had liked the silence but now it became unnerving. And the humid heat wasn't any better, either.
Out. Out, he had to get out of the house.
So he got dressed quickly and stepped out the back door. No human soul was anywhere near. He thought briefly about what direction he should take and decided to walk down to the lake. If the heat got any worse he could cool down in the water. That would probably be more satisfying than the shower that was already wearing off.
He strolled down the path through the forest, brooding about his situation. The shade of the trees made the heat slightly more bearable, but not his thoughts. What, what could he do? His thoughts only circled around HER and his feelings for her. But how could he show her what she meant to him without hurting her or risking their friendship? What should he do? He had never felt so terrible before.
He could live with Akito's behavior. When his cousin wanted to get into a fight that was all right. Those were situations and feelings he was almost used to.
But what if she would accept his love? Would they have to keep it a secret from Akito? He thought of Hatori whose love had ended in a terrible disaster. Would he be able to bear that? On the other hand Akito also accepted the fact that she knew their secret and even lived in their house.
And there were his cousins. Would they agree to their relationship? Kyou would be jealous, and Shigure would probably want to tell Akito right away.
But that was thinking too far ahead. She still didn't know about his love and he didn't know how to tell her.
Lost in his thoughts, he walked down the path.
***************************************************
What had happened? Why did he treat her so strangely? It started two months ago. She had returned from a weekend at Hana-chan's, and ever since then he had behaved in a weird way. Although he pretended that everything was ok, there was something different about him. Maybe it was the way he laughed or looked at her when she eventually turned in his direction. She just didn't know what was wrong.
Tohru was on her way back home from her part-time job at the hotel. Luckily, it was still early. Sometimes she had to walk through the creepy forest in the dark, but today it was still bright although she was suffering from the heat. She was sweating terribly. Hopefully a thunderstorm tonight would put an end to her suffering. At least to the physical ones. Her worries would stay.
She opened the front door: "Tadaima!" No answer. She was a little astonished because of the silence in the house. Usually the TV was on, Yuki and Kyou were fighting, and Shigure was straying through the rooms looking for inspiration. But today there was nothing. Then she remembered that Shigure had an appointment with Mit-chan today. But where were Kyou and Yuki? Slightly irritated, she went up to her room and undressed. She thought briefly about taking a shower but then she thought better of it: the small lake in the forest. It would be refreshingly cool, exactly the right thing for such a hot summer day. So she put on a light dress, got a towel and went through the back door into the forest.
Her thoughts returned to HIM. What exactly had happened that weekend? She was sure that this love for him that she had felt for a so long was well hidden. What else could she do? She was so thankful that she had a real home again that she didn't want to risk that by having a complicated relationship with one of her housemates. It was enough for her to have him around her every day. What else could she wish for? He was such a nice person, so considerate and polite. Had she said anything imprudent that had insulted or embarrassed him? She couldn't remember, but sometimes her mouth was faster than her head, and she had an extraordinary talent for embarrassing herself.
Oh, no, that would be terrible! What if she lost him now? What if he hated her now and just tolerated her in the house because the others liked her so much? Could that be possible?
She knew that her place was only as a guest in the house. Although she didn't know why Akito let that happen, or what kind of a plan he had, she was sure that she would come home one day and Hatori would be waiting for her with a serious expression on his face. He would erase all her memories of the Sohma, all her memories of HIM. That's why she lived every day with Kyou, Yuki and Shigure as if it was her last in their midst.
She wanted nothing more than to touch HIM, hear his voice and just look at him. His beautiful face, his expressive eyes, and his slim hands never left her thoughts. Even now that his behavior towards her had become strange she couldn't just flip a switch and turn off her love for him. His laughter sometimes sounded so artificial; his eyes didn't laugh anymore. He avoided any physical contact as if she had an infectious disease. Of course he couldn't know how much he hurt her. Now that she thought about it, she recalled that she hadn't been alone with him at anytime during those two months. Before that he sometimes walked her home from the hotel, or they had worked together in his little garden. Once Yuki had tried to help her with the cooking. She had given him mushrooms and he had almost severed his finger trying to cut them! He had been terribly embarrassed about her having to dress his wounds. He had just wanted to help her out. She was very happy that he had been spending time with her. Afterwards he had watched her cook dinner and made a few jokes. Back then his laughter had been real and his eyes had twinkled. Oh, how had she enjoyed those moments.
But for now, those times were over. She noticed that a lump was building in her throat and she was close to crying.
***************************************************
Totally lost in his thoughts, he arrived at the lake that beckoned him with its cool water. It wasn't a very big lake; you could swim across it with about twenty good strokes. But it was close. It stood in the middle of the forest only a ten minute walk from the Sohma-house. The limbs of the trees bowed in arcs ending only yards from the water below. The lake was circled by a shore that was overgrown with grass.
It was so isolated that he hadn't brought his swimming trunks. Few people even knew of the place, an it was usually deserted. He had few, if any, reservations about skinny dipping here, especially not today.
He took off his clothes and put them neatly on a large stone so they wouldn't get dirty. He walked slowly into the water that played coolly around his feet. This HAD been a very good idea. He went further, slowly so he wouldn't get shocked from the cold and wet his skin with the cool water. Then he dived softly into the water. Ah, what a relief! Superb! With his strong arms he made his strokes through the lake.
He swam to the opposite shore and back. The water was almost too cold and he wanted to warm up a little before he swam another round.
He swam to where his clothes were lying, and when he felt solid ground under his feet again he started wading out of the water. He almost had reached the stone where he wanted to sit down and dry in the sun when he noticed a figure in the shadow of the trees. The person was coming closer und he recognized her. He froze dead in his tracks. Oh no! Had she seen him? He was totally naked! How embarrassing!
She continued without slowing down. Maybe she hadn't seen him after all. He moved quickly to the stone and gathered his clothes, covering his bareness. Why HER of all people?
***************************************************
"Honda-san?"
She was startled out of her thoughts and tried to look through the curtain of tears in her eyes. Obviously, her feet had carried her to the lake while she was lost in her thoughts.
A person was standing by the shore - HIM, practically naked, just holding up one hand with his clothes in them in front of his...*blush*. She panicked. What could she do now? Although she had longed for being alone with him again, this situation was far too embarrassing.
She had only one thought: away! She spun around and ran back into the forest.
"Honda-san! Wait!"
She didn't know how to react. So she just kept her pace.
"HONDA-SAN! Just wait a minute!"
Why did she have to show up now? Embarrassing was a far too understated expression for this situation. But maybe this was a hint from fate. Maybe he shouldn't let this opportunity pass.
She stood still, with her back turned towards him.
"Wait till I got dressed, please! I have to talk to you!"
Because she didn't know what else to do, she just stood in the same place. What would he say to her? Would he tell her that she should keep out of his space in the future? That would be the most devastating thing that could happen to her. She prayed it wouldn't end like that. She wiped away the tears from her eyes so he wouldn't see she had been crying.
"Honda-san, would you come here, please?"
He had put on his pants in a hurry. His shirt wasn't buttoned; she could see his bare skin beneath it. She went slowly into his direction.
He pointed to a big stone next to him. "Please, sit down."
She sat down on it while he knelt down in front of her..
There was total silence for a moment.
She prepared herself to hear the worst.
"Honda-san, I know I've avoided you lately. I don't want you to think I don't want to have anything to do with you anymore. In fact it's the exact opposite. I. I." his voice failed. Now he had come so far! If he let this opportunity pass, he might never have the courage to talk to her again. He pulled himself together. "I love you, Tohru!"
What? Out of all things she had expected, this was the last! She was stunned but inside everything was dancing boogie-woogie. A shiver flashed down her spine and she felt her face getting hotter. She was turning red like a ripe tomato. What should she answer him? I love you, too? That would be a pure understatement. She wanted to tell him how much she loved him, how much she had suffered.
"I know this is very shocking for you. But, please, don't be angry with me! This was very selfish of me. I shouldn't have told you. Gomen nasai!"
Oh no! He misinterpreted her silence! She wanted to say so much but she didn't know where to start. Her thoughts ran amok, she couldn't think clearly anymore. She was overwhelmed by his confession. What should she say to convince him that she felt the same for him? Oh no, she had to say something. She opened her mouth.
"I'm sorry, Honda-san. It was a mistake. I shouldn't have told you. I think the best would be for me to leave."
"No!" He looked at her, surprised. She was red from embarrassment, tears twinkles in her eyes. "No, stay! Don't go away.ever!"
Tears rolled down her face. Should she tell him? She pulled herself together.
"I love you, too, Yuki-kun," she whispered.
He looked at her, astonished. Did he hear that right?
"I love you, too. I have for a very long time now. But I couldn't tell you. You were too important to me, I didn't want to lose you just by making a silly confession. It was enough for me to be near you. But you were behaving so strangely lately. You were so unpredictable. I thought you hated me!"
"I'm really sorry. Honestly. But I didn't know what I should do. I didn't know I hurt you that badly. I couldn't be alone with you anymore because I thought you would notice my feelings for you. I didn't want to risk our friendship. I'm very, very sorry."
"It's not so bad anymore. Now I can be near you again."
Yuki smiled softly. With his right hand he turned her face in his direction and looked deeply into her eyes. "Tohru-san, I love you with all my heart."
"I love you with all my heart, Yuki-kun."
Happily, he took her hand in his. It was warm and soft. It was so wonderful to finally be able to touch her. They sat at the shore, silently, and enjoyed each other's presence.
The heat was still horrible but a slight breeze was coming up, making it slightly more bearable.
He caressed her hand and smiled thankfully at her face. He felt light like a feather and his feet would probably barely touch the ground at all on their way back. He wondered if she was feeling the same.
The wind was picking up and with a concerned look towards the sky he saw black clouds over the trees. The sun was still shining through the forest on the other side of the lake. The shape of the trees in front of the dark background looked like it was cut out of paper. A swarm of doves circled over the forest and seemed in this strange light as if silver was sparkling in the sky. He stared at it as if hypnotized by this view.
Neither of them said a word, afraid of breaking the magic.
Suddenly lightning cut through the black sky like a jagged sword. Yuki noticed that Tohru jerked a little, startled by the following thunder.
"I think we should go home before it starts raining!" he said.
"Hai! Let's go fast then!"
They ran through the forest, hand in hand, on the same path they had each walked alone. A lot had changed in the last half hour. Both had been depressed and sad when they had gone to the lake and now they barely noticed the ground under their feet because they were so happy. They didn't get far before the first big raindrops fell down on the trees over them.
"Hayaku!!! We'll be soaked through even before we reach the edge of the forest!" They ran as fast as their legs would carry them. Above them, the heavens opened and rain splattered down. It was flashing and thundering badly. The storm was coming closer.
When Yuki and Tohru finally reached the back door of the house they were wet to the bones. Quickly they opened the door and hurried inside. "Shi- san? Kyou-san? Is anybody home?" No answer. Still nobody was here.
Breathless and shivering from the sudden cold, they stood in the living room with water dripping from their soaked clothes.
He noticed that her wet dress was clinging tightly to her body. Unable to look away, he stared at her from top to bottom. He could see her small firm breasts that were usually covered unrecognizably, her flat stomach, the soft curves of her hips. He could barely hold himself back. He wanted to take her upstairs into his room right now and help her get rid of those wet clothes.
"Ano, we should put on something dry or we'll catch a cold!" Tohru said, slightly blushed. Had she noticed his glances?
Yuki took her chin and raised her head. "Wait just for a minute." He bent down to her and kissed her cheek very softly. His lips barely touched her skin. Tohru, blushing, turned her head away. But he turned it back, slowly. He bent down again but this time he aimed at another spot. He pressed his lips very lightly on hers.
How much he had longed to kiss her! Sweat trickled down his back and he had armies of butterflies in his stomach.
First she made small attempts to protest but then she answered his kiss. The time of pain and deprivation was over. They had finally found each other.
Surprised, he noticed that she opened her lips. Something warm and soft was caressing his mouth. He opened it and their tongues met. This would soon drive him crazy. He felt hot although he was totally wet and had been freezing just a second ago. He embraced her to feel her body next to his. Her warmth, her scent made him lose his senses.
Puff. A cloud of smoke appeared. That had been a short pleasure. But it also had been more than worth it.
Tohru awakened as from a trance and her face turned into the color of sweet cherries. "Oh, I really should go and change now." Embarrassed, she looked away. "And I should mop the floor. You can put your clothes directly into the washing-machine."
"Arigatoo, Tohru-san!" He had never thought he would be happy one day when he turned into a mouse. But now it was different. Everything was different. He had felt her so close like never before. And he could still feel her kiss on his lips. "Arigatoo!"
"Oh, that's nothing! I have to wash my own clothes as well, and I just want to remove the puddles on the floor. That's no work at all." She disappeared through the door and went upstairs.
Yuki smiled. That was so typically Tohru. But it also was one of the reasons why he had fallen in love with her.
Next: Opportunity
Will their love survive the every-day-life at the Sohma-house?