Disclaimer: I don't own Hana Yori Dango. :)

AN: Happy Birthday Domyoji Tsukasa/Dao Ming Si/Goo Jun Pyo! :D This past fall season, I was enjoying the fall colors when I decided to write this short fic. Hope you enjoy. :)

Momiji
A Hana Yori Dango Fanfiction
By Maho-chan

Swish, swish.

Tsukushi leaned forward as she continued to sweep the bright maple leaves that lay upon the path before her. Pausing to adjust her hat, she swept to and fro, clearing the red, orange and yellow leaves from the ground. Above her, more leaves glimmered in the same shades, glowing crimson, mandarin and magenta in the afternoon light.

Back and forth, she tousled the leaves, as she thought of Tsukasa. The music playing on her headphones made a background for her imaginings. The large diamond set in the ring on her finger and the Saturn pendant around her neck both glittered in the fading sunlight.

What time is it in America?

She wondered as she looked at her watch.

Tsukasa was likely sleeping at this moment, his tall body taking up his entire bed, his arms thrown out besides him the way he had surely slept since he was an elementary school student.

He was surely like this, for it was nighttime in America. Tsukushi sighed. He would be sleeping; his curly hair all fluffed out and a little tangled. An inner image of him, sleeping like that with his shirt off, came to mind and she blushed.

Stupid guy!

Tsukushi thought. She shook her head. No matter what, he still wouldn't wear a shirt to bed.

Makino, it's not comfortable.

He always complained. Tsukushi frowned and brushed the walk harder. Leaves twirled about her feet as she tried to banish warm imaginings of him.

He always slept so deeply, his breathing even and soft. And he always became so warm at night. When she was near him during times like that, it was like snuggling up to a heater.

Tsukushi tugged on her scarf.

And then the inevitable moment would come when he would engulf her in a sleepy embrace, his arms tight around her body.

Makino

He would groan gruffly in her ear.

Her neck tingled with goose bumps as she pulled her scarf off and shoved it in her pocket. More leaves flew about as she tried to concentrate.

Ugh!

She couldn't think about that here! Speedily clearing the walk, she found herself at the end of where she needed to clean. Looking behind her, at the clear walkway bordered by red leaves, Tsukushi gazed off into the distance, missing him so very much.

She leaned against the handle of her broom and sighed.

Deep inside, she wished he would suddenly appear. But of course he wouldn't, he was in New York. Likely sleeping, remember? She told herself.

But her heart wished for it nonetheless, wished he was with her in the quiet grove of trees, next to the small temple that had employed her for the season. If he had been here, the forest would conceal them both as he embraced her.

And she could share this beauty with him.

Makino, who the hell cares about leaves?

He would be sure to say. But still, even if he did say that.

He'd be with her instead of far away.

She crouched down and picked up a leaf, then absently twirled it in her fingertips. Picking up another, and then another, she gathered a small pile of leaves before her, each unique in their variations of the color of flame.

Staring thoughtfully at the small pile, Tsukushi then pulled off her hat and started to fill it with the leaves. As her hat became full, she picked up her broom and sauntered down the walk, done for the day.

A few days later…

Tsukasa absently turned the pages of the report in front of him, his eyes not on the text but instead on the photo of Tsukushi in a frame on his desk. As Nishida entered his office, he composed himself, changing his wistful smile into a commanding frown.

"What is it?" Tsukasa asked gruffly, still conscious of the photo out of the corner of his eye. Nishida presented to him a boxed package on a silver tray.

"This came for you, Tsukasa-sama."

Tsukasa took it from him with a quizzical look on his face. As he beheld the address on the box, he quickly waved Nishida away.

"That will be all."

Nishida bowed and nodded. As he left the room, Tsukasa tore into the box excitedly.

Tsukushi had sent him something. Hurriedly cutting through the tape, Tsukasa pulled open the box flaps.

She had sent him…

A pile of leaves.

Tsukasa sifted his hands through the leaves, thinking there must be more to the gift.

Sometimes she sent food, occasionally she sent one of her homemade gifts. She also always included a letter to him. But this time.

You idiot, did you really only send me a bunch of dirty leaves?

He pulled the leaves out of the box and laid them in a pile on his desk. The scent of the outdoors wafted up as he did. Sitting back in his chair, Tsukasa gazed back and forth from her picture and the leaves.

They leaves were orange and red, brown and yellow. They were small. He twirled one in his fingertips as he gazed upon his photograph of her. Odd as the gift was, he was still happy.

I miss you, silly.

He thought to himself as he carefully laid the leaf on his desk. The urge to embrace Tsukushi came suddenly, an impulse as strong as always. Tsukasa took a deep breath, having grown too experienced with suppressing those feelings and not acting on them.

How long has it been?

Tsukasa stared at his desk calendar. He flipped a few months back, the movement tousling a few leaves.

Too long

It had been since he had placed his ring on Tsukushi's finger, and she had tearfully kissed him.

Tsukasa leaned his chin against his palm and balefully regarded the pile of leaves. He hated the outdoors.

But still, she must have been somewhere interesting, to find these and send them to him.

And she was obviously thinking about him, like he always thought about her.

He inspected another leaf.

Momokoji

His mind supplied incorrectly. In English it was maple, he thought to himself.

And this type was the Japanese variety. The turning of these tiny leaves in the fall was an important seasonal event.

Holding the leaf in front of him, Tsukasa made up his mind.

Old hag can't complain that I want to learn more about my culture! Or seasons… and plants!

After calling Nishida in, Tsukasa ordered. "Prepare my plane. And tell anyone who calls that I went on an extended lunch to see some plants." He ignored Nishida's quizzical look as he closed the report in front of him.

As Tsukasa happily strode out the door, the draft scattered the leaves across his desk and onto the floor.

"Near the old temple, across the river from the public high school. She's usually there at this time."

Rui supplied helpfully as he drove Tsukasa there.

He let him off in a remote part of the city, where bamboo grew as tall and thick as a forest. Here and there flowers and shrubs grew up from carefully managed thickets. Walking toward the temple, scaling the many stairs up the hill, Tsukasa entered through a large gate and found himself in another world. Bright trees glimmered in the afternoon light, the orange and yellows glowing above his head matching the color of some of the leaves he had in his pocket. But despite the beauty, Tsukasa's eyes were not concerned with the spectacle of nature laid out before him.

"Where is Makino Tsukushi?" He said questioningly to the small old man who greeted him warmly. An older woman joined them, now gesturing cheerfully towards a walkway that led into a forest of the brightly colored trees. She tugged on his arm and Tsukasa allowed himself to be pulled along by her, as they both chattered compliments about Tsukushi.

Of course, she is the best!

He thought in agreement.

Stepping onto the threshold of the walk, he ducked his head to avoid the low branches. The old man pushed him further then chuckling, disappeared. Tsukasa soon found himself alone.

She cleans their walkways every day in the fall.

Rui had said. Tsukasa stepped onto the worn path, so carefully cared for by his future wife.

Surrounded by the quiet of the forest, Tsukasa began to grow impatient to see Tsukushi. The walk wasn't restful or interesting. She had been here recently, her small form working hard as she passed the time, no doubt singing to herself as she worked.

She had been here!

He walked faster.

Makino?

"I'm sorry, I'm so late!" Tsukushi said frantically. She picked up her broom and ran past the old couple, bowing contritely.

"Makino-san!" The lady tried to get her attention to tell her of their unexpected visitor. As Tsukushi disappeared into the trees, the lady smiled amusedly. Her husband came up next to her and smiled too, thinking of how cute young couples were.

Smiling to themselves about Tsukasa and Tsukushi, the old couple went inside their house to get ready for dinner.

Tsukushi swept quickly. There were only a few leaves today, but still, she couldn't believe she had almost missed her duties.

She caused a flurry of leaves to fly about alongside the path. The path turned gracefully, sometimes raising up on low steps, most times weaving in and out between the trees.

Working hard, not looking up, Tsukushi yelped as her broom collided with a foot. Staring at the foot, clad in an expensive shoe, her gaze found a knee, a dark coat, a familiar looking scarf and an even more familiar looking face.

She dropped her broom.

"Domyoji." She breathed in surprise only to widen her eyes as he tugged on her scarf so that she tumbled into him. She trembled as he kissed her lips, his hands pressed on either side of her face, his mouth moving against hers. As he broke away, she gaped at him.

"Moron, you are late!" He raised an eyebrow and tapped his fingertips on his watch. "Just how long do you think my lunch break is? I've been sitting on this dirty ground for more than half an hour!" he gently admonished her.

Tsukushi frowned. "What?" She clutched his coat as she knelt between his legs, closing her eyes as he kissed her forehead. "Lunch break?"

His lips moved over her eyelids, down the bridge of her nose and teased her mouth.

"Yeah." Tsukasa said softly in between kisses. "I thought I'd take a walk around the fall leaves."

Tsukushi leaned into him, her lips nipping at his.

"But…isn't it…too far away for lunch?" Tsukushi mumbled halfheartedly as she pressed her fingers against his cheek.

"Nah." He whispered back, his arms coming around her waist. "It's collateral." He assured her.

Tsukushi nodded, ignoring the lack of logic in that mistaken comment, in favor of the happiness that she felt.

Nuzzling his face, she then eagerly kissed him. Now that he was here with her, she could afford to take a break too.

A few leaves fell, alighting on their hair and coats, as the fire colored forest enclosed and hid them from the world while they lost themselves in welcomed embraces.

-Maho-chan (1-31-2010)