Nine Lives

Day 8/9

Yuki glanced across the table at Tohru, who hadn't said a word all morning. Even when he greeted her, she didn't even bother with a fake smile- she merely looked at him and nodded before continuing to the table for lunch. She hadn't come down for breakfast either.

"What could have happened?" he thought as he ate his lunch. The guards haven't noticed Kyo coming in or out, so it can't be him, can it? Unless of course, his absence was the reason for her sorrow. Yuki sighed quietly to himself, feeling a bit guilty. "It's for her own safety. If he hurt her, I don't know what I'd do."

"Miss Honda?" he asked in the silence of the otherwise empty dining hall. She didn't answer right away, as if she were somewhere else mentally. That in itself wasn't particularly unusual, but her expression while being spaced out certainly was. He was glad he decided to eat with her today instead of having lunch in his study while he did last minute preparations for the ball tomorrow evening. "T-...Tohru?"

That caught her attention. She snapped up to look at him and instantly realized he had been trying to get her attention. "Oh! I'm sorry, Yuki. My thoughts are elsewhere this morning!" she laughed apologetically. "I can see that. May I ask where your mind has floated off to this morning?" he smiled, sipping his tea.

The question caught her off guard, and she didn't know what to say. "I-I..." she trailed off, making no sign she was going to continue. "Is there anything I can do to be of service?" he asked sweetly. Her eyes trailed down towards her soup and she frowned, gently shaking her head. "Well if you think of anything... don't hesitate to let me know. It's alright to be selfish sometimes."

Tohru nodded, not paying attention. He nodded as well, and was about to leave when she caught his sleeve. "May I-... may I speak with you privately?"

Once they were alone in the study and he had gotten the fireplace going, he sat beside her on the loveseat, waiting for her to begin. "I want to speak plainly with you, if I may. A-and if you could wait for me to finish before speaking, I would ap-apreciate it." the young woman began. When Yuki nodded with an encouraging smile, she took a deep breath.

"I know you don't want me interacting with Kyo, but-... I've been going behind your back." she said, her eyes clamped shut. Yuki was rather shocked that she would do such a thing, but before he could collect himself, she continued. "I've been meeting Kyo every day for the last week, and I've gotten to know him rather well. When you two sparred? Tha-that wasn't the first time we had met," she admitted.

"He truly is a kind person, and I wish you could see that too. I-I don't know why you two hate each other so much, but-... sorry. I'm getting off track." Tohru sighed, grasping her dress between her fingers, letting the soft material soothe her.

"I really like him, and last night I think-... I think he's angry with me." Her voice broke a bit as tears threatened to fall down her rosy cheeks. "He seemed that way when he left, and he-he didn't answer me when I asked if I would see him today." she wept, leaning over into her lap, covering her face.

Yuki laid a gentle hand on her back as he sat beside her, softly rubbing circles into her back. "I'm-... sorry that happened." he said, trying not to reveal how he was feeling. He felt angry, sad, outraged-... he supposed that last one paired with angry, but that wasn't the point. The point was that he was hurting her.

"By not coming to see her," he thought bitterly. He was so worried about how he would lure her in so he could break his curse- which would implement itself tomorrow at midnight if he remembered correctly- that he hadn't even considered how Miss Honda may feel about all this.

"Miss Honda? If I may," he began hesitantly, "I-... don't know how to tell you this, but he is cursed-" "I know." He wasn't sure if he heard her right. She knew? And she still stayed? "What am I thinking? Of course she would stay. She's too selfless like that." he groaned to himself quietly.