I don't own anything but my ideas.

Three Years Later

Kyo Sohma, now twenty-one, honestly didn't have many things to complain about in his life. Yuki Sohma, who had just turned twenty-one, always agreed when asked. They had finally found an apartment together about a year ago. Kazuma had never minded the kisses or the displays of affection which, after the two got used to being open with their love, being a very regular thing around the house, but he had put his foot down after he walked in on the two of them about to strip and eat off of each other in the kitchen.

Everything went uneventfully after graduation, and even that was barely a distant memory now.

Both were juniors in college now. After the death of Kyo's father two years ago, they had both really jump-started their lives together. It got a little odd trying to explain why they hung out so much together and never got girlfriends when they were in college dorms. In the first few months after the fall of Akito's reign of terror, neither Yuki nor Kyo had been quite ready to come out to the world. The same went for Tohru and Kagura, who event went so far as to only express their love for each other when they were around Kyo and Yuki, and even then they had asked both boys to not say anything, even to the rest of the family. The four had tried acting as beards for each other during their first year at college, but that didn't last long. And then after Kyo got his inheritance, Kyo and Yuki moved out of the dorms and there was no further need for the lies.

Tohru had continued to live with Shigure for about a year after graduation. She and Kagura began seeing each other more and more during that time, so much so that Yuki didn't really understand why they bothered asking him and Kyo not to say anything. Everyone who had a brain had probably figured it out by then. When Tohru finally did move into Kagura's apartment, the initial shock was there, but that faded fairly quickly as well.

Almost immediately after Tohru moved out of Shigure's, both girls came to visit Kyo and Yuki to thank them for giving them the courage to come out. Kagura then personally thanked Kyo for showing her that it was possible to be with the one you loved—especially after Kanna and Hatori and Haru and Rin—and then proceeded to pat him on the back so hard Yuki thought he heard Kyo's spine crack.

Hatori had never reentered the dating world, though Shigure and Ayame never left him alone about it for a second, but finally—almost two years after everyone had been set free from the curse—Haru and Rin found an apartment together. Yuki had never seen Kisa so happy before.

Tohru had only gone through a two-year college to work on her culinary skills. She didn't need much more training for cooking, but she needed to be certified in order to do it for a living. Kagura was just finishing up her senior year this year in college. She had become an event planner, or a caterer depending on the occasion. She and Tohru had created their own business together, and a very popular one as well. Reviewers said that Kagura's catering gave life to the parties, and Yuki always had to smirk at that.

The newest development from the Main House, though it was hardly a development at all, was the disappearance of Akito a couple months back, and then Hatori's less-frequent sightings anywhere. Shigure suggested that Akito was probably sick again, but Yuki had an odd feeling about it. Sick or not, Akito had never been out of commission for months. Meanwhile, he had to deal with Ayame's unwelcome pop-ins because Hatori wasn't around for him to bother. And the stupid snake never told them anything. Momiji, the only one aside for Hatori who still really went back to the Main House every so often, was worried about it. He said that the servants kept talking about a "big" secret and always shushed each other anytime he got close enough to hear.

But right now that was the farthest thing from Yuki's mind.

Kyo slept on his side. He always slept on his side. And usually with one hand up like he was stretching. It was adorable.

Presently, Yuki was on his side to, leaning up on his elbow and his cheek on his hand, staring down at Kyo as he slept.

Yuki was against Kyo's back, due to the fact that he had been on top last night, and this gave him the perfect view of Kyo's sleeping form. Kyo had become more and more relaxed as time without Akito went on, but it was still rare to see Kyo so at ease, so Yuki relished in it when he could. Complete trust. Yuki reached out and ran his fingers through Kyo's fiery hair, but stopped when he started to twitch. Trusting or not, he still had the reflexes of a cat. So Yuki pulled back and resolved to just watch him sleep.

Until the phone rang. Yuki let his head drop back against the pillow, annoyed, as Kyo's eyes shot open the second the phone sounded. Honestly. The man was better than any watchdog in existence.

Kyo watched Yuki slide out from under the covers and pad out of the room in his pajama pants. He stared after his boyfriend, unabashedly ogling at his ass. It was a nice one.

He rolled over onto his other side, kicking the covers off as he stretched.

"Hello?" came Yuki's voice from the other room. "Good morning Hatori. What is it? It's a little early." A pause. "Oh, it is really that time? I'm sorry, what did you want?"

Kyo smirked at the clear annoyance in Yuki's voice. Eight o'clock or not, Yuki was not a morning person. Kyo was actually surprised that he had slept this late. Usually he couldn't get past seven, eight is he was sick and nine if he had stayed out all night. Neither of the last two had happened, so it must have been how late he and Yuki were…

Kyo felt the heat rise on his face and flexed experimentally. Nothing sore, that was good at least.

"Oh."

Kyo looked up at the sudden change in the tone of Yuki's voice.

"W-well… how did it happen? All right, I know, not over the phone."

Kyo rose slowly and pushed the covers away from his feet, slipping his shirt on as he slid out of bed.

"All right, I'll be over soon. No… I don't know about Kyo. He probably won't want to."

Kyo walked up behind Yuki and slid his hands around Yuki's waist as the other man moved his arms to make room for Kyo's. Kyo rested his head on Yuki's shoulder, trying to hear the conversation, but Yuki leaned away. Kyo scowled and settled for relaxing against Yuki's neck.

"I'll ask, but I really don't think so. Thank you Hatori."

Yuki pulled the phone from his ear and stuck it back in the cradle, laying both of his arms over Kyo's.

"What'd he want?" Kyo asked after a second, taking the hint that Yuki wasn't going to bring it up on his own.

Yuki was silent, and the slowly, and almost inaudibly, he said, "Hatori said… that Akito died last night."

The reaction was automatic. Kyo froze, his arms locking so tightly around Yuki's waist that his breath was forced out in a loud huff. Kyo's arms relaxed again almost immediately so as not to hurt Yuki, but the feeling was still there.

"…Oh… and?"

Yuki looked away. Now this would be the awkward part.

"…And Hatori wants us to go back to the Main House for a little bit to sort some things out."

Slowly Kyo's arms left Yuki's middle, and though Yuki knew that would happen, he still felt the pang in his heart.

Kyo leaned against the counter, his face blank, staring straight past Yuki. Yuki reached out and touched the tips of his fingers to his boyfriend's arm.

"I'm going to go back, but you don't have to if you don't want to."

Kyo said nothing.

Yuki licked his lips and let his arm drop. Well, I guess there's nothing else I can say.

He'd shower before leaving. That would give Kyo some time to calm himself and get his thoughts straight.

Later

Kyo had ended up coming, but it wasn't until Yuki was actually in the cab and about to pull away that Kyo finally walked out of the apartment building, yanking his coat on, his scowl dark enough to put a black spot on the sun.

But they were here now, and there was nothing more to be said.

Everyone but Rin and Kureno had come. And though the death of their former dictator actually and truthfully made some of them more happy than sad, the atmosphere in the room was still bleak. Akito's mother Ren wasn't there either, but this surprised Yuki about as much as Rin's absence did. Rin hadn't been within three miles of the Main House since she had been freed from the curse.

The door slid open and everyone looked to Hatori, who apologized for being late and closed the door tightly behind him.

After a moment, Shigure was the first to speak, "How did it happen?"

Hatori closed his eyes solemnly and took a seat next to Momiji before answering. "After the curse was broken, Akito's condition deteriorated significantly. It's my opinion that she felt that she had lost everything, because she no longer had us. Her mother hadn't spoken to her since before the curse was broken, and it's no surprise as to why everyone else left. With her illness, she was affected mentally, which affected her physically as well."

"…But that doesn't make sense," Yuki spoke up. "That shouldn't have killed her."

"…No," Hatori admitted with a sigh. "She was also pregnant."

A bolt of ice seemed to shoot through the room. Yuki felt his knees go weak, though he wasn't entirely sure why.

"The pregnancy put too much strain on her body with her illness, but she refused to terminate the pregnancy, because she felt that it was the only thing she had."

Yuki's shoulder's tensed. The last thing she truly owned.

No one had to say what they were thinking. Everyone knew without a doubt that the baby was Kureno's. It was no secret that Akito had ordered him to sleep with her, and after the curse had been broke, Kureno had been the only one aside from Hatori to really stay with Akito. Almost like he felt sorry for her, or that she had trained him so well that he didn't feel like he could leave. Kureno had only really moved away about eight months ago, and so far he hadn't looked back.

"I contacted Kureno yesterday," Hatori broke the silence. "But he said that he didn't want to return. I believe he's finally getting up the strength to live his own life, and he told me that with his past, he thought the baby would do better with someone else."

So that's why we're here. Hatori needed to find someone to take the baby.

"I didn't bother asking you, Haru, I hope that was all right," Hatori looked over to the white-haired boy, who nodded.

"It's better that you didn't," he agreed. "Rin wouldn't have taken it so well."

"And I also thought that, Ayame, it might be better if the baby went with someone else. You—"

"Damn straight," Kyo snapped. "He couldn't handle it."

Yuki whole-heartedly agreed, but felt that it was better to stay silent in this situation, unlike his idiot boyfriend. Yuki stomped on his toe under the coffee table, making Kyo wince.

Hatori cleared his throat. "I was going to say that he had a full time job with the store, as well as Mine moving in soon and the personal orders he does on the side for customers."

"Really, Kyo-Kyo, you needn't lose your temper," the white-haired male crossed his legs, folding his hands in a dignified manner, trying not to look hurt. "I would have refused even if Hatori had asked."

"I considered asking someone outside of the immediate family, like a distant cousin, but I think it might be better for someone in the immediate family to take the baby. We would be able to explain the family better. I contacted Ren because she is Akito's next of kin"—the hair on the back of Yuki's neck shot up. Another child taken in by that witch?—"but she was very clear to state that she wanted nothing to do with the child."

The relief spreading throughout the room was instantaneous. Kisa even let out a loud sigh and dropped her head into her hands. Hiro was quick to place his hands on her shoulders, but he also looked relieved beyond belief.

That explains the rush. Hatori wants to get the baby legally into someone else's hands before Ren changes her mind.

It suddenly hit Yuki with a jolt what was coming next, and he was very scared to see Kyo's reaction. He felt Kyo's grip lock on his hand like a vice grip and grimaced. The redhead knew too.

Hatori was quiet, and then very slowly he turned to face Yuki and Kyo. "Would you two be willing to take the baby?"

It was so dead silent in the room that everyone might as well have had no tongues. Yuki felt the temperature dropping by the second as everyone stared at them—at Kyo—to see his reaction, just waiting for him to explode.

But Kyo didn't. He kept his eyes on the floor, pulled his hand from Yuki's grip and walked out of the room, his hands in tight fists by his side. Yuki swallowed and looked back to the floor, not meeting anyone's gaze as he flexed his fingers just to give himself something to do.

Tohru leaned in towards Kagura, and after a moment of talking, Kagura kissed her, making her blush, before she turned back to everyone.

"Hatori… I know I'm not in the immediate family, but we could take the baby. I think I could still do a good job with the explaining, because Kagura will be with me, a-and I've been with you all for so long."

"I'm sure you could," Hatori said quietly. It was easy to hear the unease in his voice, and it wasn't because of Kagura's erratic personality.

He's worried that, because Tohru and Kagura can't legally get married, if Tohru isn't directly part of the family, Ren might be able to manipulate the system and get the baby back if she decides she wants it in a few years. She's a very powerful woman already, and she could use the fact that the baby needs to be with family as leverage.

Yuki looked back over to the door where Kyo had left, still avoiding everyone's gaze, because he knew half of his family would be pleading with him to go and try to change Kyo's mind.

But he couldn't. Or wouldn't. Akito had done so much to Kyo, and if they took in the baby when all Kyo felt for it was contempt, they could end up hurting the baby more than if anyone else in the family took the child in.

XXX

Later, Yuki was walking aimlessly around the Main House. Even though he knew Akito was dead, his skin still felt on edge, like he was prepared for Akito to appear around the next corner.

He paused as he passed a room with the door open and something moved inside. Again, his shoulders jolted, almost expecting to see Akito there, but he forced himself to relax when he realized that it was only Hatori. Hatori standing over a crib.

Yuki let out a deep breath, looking around once before he crossed into the dimly lit room. No lights were really on in the Main House yet, like the servants hadn't realized they could turn them on now that Akito wasn't there to scream at them for doing so. Yuki idly wondered what would happen to the Main House, if someone else would move in or if it would be sold. No one wanted to leave it just sitting here empty, like Akito's ghost was haunting it.

Yuki walked up to Hatori's side and looked down into the crib where Hatori had his stethoscope pressed to the chest of a tiny infant. Hatori stood up after a second and nodded to Yuki before turning for the door.

"…Ah, H-Hatori—"

"I'll be back, don't worry, I just need to get her formula."

Yuki scowled as Hatori left and turned back to the crib, laying his hands on the side. He wasn't scared.

"Hatori!" he called again as something dawned on him. The older man paused in the door and looked back.

"Did Akito choose a name…?"

Hatori shook his head. "Akito didn't name her." And left.

Akito looked back down to the baby and placed his hand lightly on her stomach. He was amazed how tiny she was, and it dawned on him that she must have been premature, in keeping with the "Sohma tradition."

…I wonder if that'll be the last reminder of the curse? That babies will be born premature? Or if it was just because Akito was sick?

Outside, Kyo paused outside the room when he saw Yuki inside. He sighed and slid his hands into his pockets, leaning against the doorframe and just staring in as Yuki soothed the infant.

Kyo looked over his shoulder as Haru walked up behind him, nodding at the younger boy.

"He looks happy," Haru commented casually.

"Shut up," Kyo muttered.

"…Rin might never want kids."

Kyo looked back in confusion, blinking when he saw Haru's blank face.

"I haven't asked her yet because I don't want to push her, but I don't know. She might think that she'll just end up hurting the kid if we have one. But it'd be nice to be an uncle."

Haru smiled at Kyo before looking back at Kyo. "That's not Akito," he said, and then turned to leave.

Kyo watched him go before breathing "Damn brat," half-heartedly under his breath. But after another moment, he went to go join Yuki.

Yuki looked up to see Kyo walking over to him, looking uncertainly down at the baby.

"Preemie?" Kyo asked, his voice cracking at the uncomfortable air between them. Yuki just nodded.

"…She really doesn't look like her," Kyo said after a moment and Yuki nodded again. The baby had soft light hair and a gentle face, nothing at all like how he remembered Akito.

She must look like Akito's father.

Kyo cleared his throat suddenly. "It… it would be ok. To take her."

Yuki couldn't help it, his eyes snapped up in shock to meet Kyo's, his mouth hanging open slightly.

The heat flared into Kyo's face and he looked away, even more uncomfortable now, and crossed his arms. "Well…! The curse is broken now, and no one else should be hated for what they're born as!"

The corners of Yuki's lips pull up, and he reached down and slid his hands under her back and neck, lifting her gingerly out of the crib. He couldn't even begin to explain how scared he was that he would hurt her.

Hatori blinked as Haru, who he had tried to pass on the way back into the room with the formula, stopped him with one hand. He looked up in confusion to see Yuki holding the baby out so both he had Kyo could look at her. Kyo had one hand on Yuki's shoulder, his other one reaching out to touch the baby tentatively as Yuki leaned into Kyo.

Hatori just smiled and passed the bottle to Haru as he walked away.

The baby's eyes drifted open as she yawned hugely up at the two, her tiny fists clenching as she stretched.

"She looks like a Mizuki," Kyo murmured.

Yuki smiled. Beautiful moon. It fits. She is the light in this dark situation. "She does."

Kyo rested his head on Yuki's shoulder as Mizuki looked up at them. "She looks all right," he said finally.

"She does," Yuki agreed again.

Thanks for all of your patience for the epilogue!

*Sniff* It's over :( I hope everyone enjoyed! :3