Divorce Papers
by Quiet-Intensity

A/N: Inspiration strikes when it is least unlikely to strike – namely in the middle of the night, when I have a big test the next day and need sleep! I've had this plot stuck in my head for a while, so I finally wrote it down, despite working on IWBH. So this is my little Christmas/happy new years gift for you, my dear readers. It's sort of a thank you for reading my other stories and reviewing, and also a please-bear-with-me-I-know-I'm-slow bribe. I hope you enjoy our favourite OTP going through marital problems. Muahahah.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Chapter 1: Paper Trails

Kaname Kuran walked up the last steps to their floor. Over there was their door, number 32. With a heavy weight in his chest he forced himself to walk the short remaining distance.

He'd never been so uneasy about the prospect of opening a door before.

The sound of his heartbeat was loud in his ears; nervousness and a sense of foreboding clouded his mind. His hand clenched into a fist besides him as he steeled himself.

What lay behind this door was the end of his marriage.

The end of all things he knew; the life he'd come to live by her side these past days.

It was an end he did not want to meet. Too soon - he loved her too much.

Bracing himself, he grabbed the handle and twisted it, pushing the door open…

A few days earlier…

A pen.

A simple, goddamn pen was all he'd been looking for when he roamed her desk that Tuesday evening.

Never in his wildest imaginations had he ever expected to find divorce papers.

There, written on crisp, white paper were the words "Petition for Divorce" written in big letters, followed by formal language. What caught his eyes and held them there however, was the signature part.

The letter "Y" was scrawled on the field in which the name of the petitioner was supposed to be written.

Y for Yuuki.

His wife. The woman he'd married only three years ago, whom he'd swore he would spend the rest of his life with, through sickness and health, the good and the bad, his lover and most importantly, the one person he couldn't live without.

His grip on the paper tightened, betrayal and hurt stung deeply within him. She was divorcing him? Why? Weren't they happy together?

Wasn't he good enough?

The slam of the their door interrupted his grave thoughts.

"Kaname! I'm hoooome," she sang happily.

He quickly shuffled the papers on her desk, and shoved the divorce papers into the drawer.

Her smiling face greeted him as he rose from the chair. As she came towards him, he was hit with a ton of emotions. She was so beautiful; her long chestnut hair framed her heart-shaped face, accentuating the cinnamon in her wide, doe-like eyes. But she was not only beautiful on the outside, it was her heart that attracted him the most, the way she so beautifully viewed the world, showed her kindness and appreciation towards everyone... Her smile could outshine a thousand suns.

It was his favourite smile.

And soon… he would lose all this.

The thought crushed him.

"Home so early? What a surprise!" She smiled, reaching up on her tiptoes to kiss him, catching him off guard.

His eyes widened, and his hands fumbled while trying to figure out what to do. He'd just found out that she was divorcing him, and now she was kissing him like everything was fine?

She broke the kiss before he managed to gather himself, and walked over to the desk, unaware of his inner turmoil.

"Were you looking for something?" She inquired when she noticed the mess on her desk.

He didn't respond immediately, still in a daze. "Uh… yes, ah… a pen." He mumbled.

What a strange situation.

"Oh…" she trailed off, grabbing a pink pen from her desk. "You sure made a lot of mess for a simple pen," she said, handing him the pen. He awkwardly reached for the pen, grabbing her wrist in stead and stumbling slightly towards her.

Realizing what he'd done, he jerked his hand back as if he'd burned himself.

Yuuki narrowed her eyes at him. "You okay, Kaname? You seem a little off…"

Shit. Did she know? Either way, he couldn't bring himself to even think about the prospect of her divorcing him, much less discuss it with her.

So he opted for an escape.

"Fine, fine! Uh, I'll make dinner? What do you want? I can make us some wok or something, so you don't have to worry about food!" His words came out in a rush as he turned away from her and fled the room.

Outside the door he stopped, trying to calm his breathing.

I need to save this marriage! He thought desperately, marching off to the kitchen, determined to make the best chicken wok in the world, a wok so good she would never dare divorce him.

His foolproof anti-divorce chicken wok was not as successful as he'd hoped.

It was a little burnt, actually.

Yuuki's face scrunched adorably together as her taste buds registered the burnt chicken.

They'd been silent over dinner, her busy with eating and him…. Busy with staring at her and mentally begging her to stay.

She looked up, meeting his stare. Caught off-guard he looked down at the food, bringing a fork with food to his mouth.

Don't meet her eyes… Don't meet her eyes…

In his desperation to not meet her eyes, thus risking the chance of discussing the possible divorce, he forgot how to chew properly, and swallowed too much food for his esophagus to handle.

"Kaname?" Yuuki called his name worriedly when he began coughing roughly, his shoulders shaking.

She rushed over to him, putting a reassuring hand on his back and bringing a glass of water to him.

He finally managed to swallow, and he grabbed the water from her, downing it in one sip.

She patted his back lightly, looking at him worriedly. Her hand found his forehead, searching for a fever.

"Are you all right, Kaname?" She asked. "You don't have a fever…" she trailed off, feeling his forehead beneath his bangs.

He glanced over at her, meeting her worried eyes. Her hands on him didn't make the situation any easier for him.

This loving, caring woman – his wife, his most beloved person – was divorcing him?

He shuttered beneath her hand. At her touch he realized that it had been a very long time since they'd had any form of intimacy together, because of his crazy shifts and her work with the shop. Was this the reason she couldn't be with him anymore?

His anxiety grew the more he thought about it, and he did something rash in response. His hands wound themselves around her neck, and he pressed her towards him, his lips colliding with hers, trying to ignite something - anything at this point - between them.

After struggling in his tight grip, she broke free. "What was that for?" She panted, her eyes scanning him. Shit. Now he'd messed up even more. How was he going to explain it?

"Hey, I found your divorce papers and I can't bear the thought of losing you, because I love you too much to let you go. Wanna make love?"

Really, people always commented on his wit and intelligence due to his position as a doctor, but right now he felt like the biggest idiot on earth.

He swallowed nervously. An excuse, he needed to find an excuse…

"Uhh… Your necklace is very pretty," he commented, trying to distract her.

What the hell kind of distraction was that!? He felt like slapping himself.

Her eyebrows lifted in disbelief. "You wanted to kiss me because of my necklace?" She asked, sounding as confused as he felt at the moment.

Sweat gathered at his temples. He was making such a fool out of himself, but he didn't know how to act. The last thing he wanted to do was to confront her, because he wasn't sure if the truth was something he was ready to hear.

Bracing himself, he straightened his back, pinning her down with a hard stare. Time to be assertive!

"Can't a man kiss his wife if he wants, regardless of necklace or not?" He asked, gathering his plate and utensils, pushing off the chair and heading towards the kitchen.

In his stead he left a confused Yuuki, too stunned to speak by her husband's unusually erratic behavior. She walked over to the kitchen, her hips resting against the counters as he washed his plate.

She crossed her arms. "Are you sure you're not ill, Kaname? You're acting very unusual. You should take a rest or something, okay? I think you need it," she said gently.

So while I rest in our bed, you can finish signing the divorce papers!?

He cleared his throat. "Yes… That's a good idea. I'll take a nap or something."

She nodded, walking over to the table to finish her food.

He shook his head. As if he could sleep now!

At night he lay awake, with her beside him, the few inches between them feeling like the greatest distance. His thoughts were scattered, and as he listened to her calm breathing he felt even more panic well inside him. She slept with her back to him, and the temptation to snuggle closer and slip an arm around her waist taunted him. No matter how much his fingers itched to feel his wife's supple skin, he couldn't do it - he didn't dare touch her in case he'd make matters worse.

Was she tired of him, was that it? He did indeed have a very busy schedule, switching between night shifts and daytime overworking. There wasn't much time left for them together, especially with her managing her shop along with Yori. The last time they'd been together sexually was…

Oh, now he remembered. A few weeks ago, when they came home from Takuma's birthday party, both a little drunk and needy. And then the morning after… and at least a few more times that weekend, and that was the last he could remember.

Her pursed his lips, studying his wife's petite form, the way her curves dipped over her body, in that perfect womanly shape. Her round hips, small waist, perfectly sized breasts for him to hold…

Instinctively he shifted, as his thoughts began stirring his inner desires. Now was not the time.

It was at that moment that Yuuki chose to turn, her angelic face coming into view. His eyes softened, admiring her visage.

His wife had a very simple beauty, nothing utterly exotic, but something that shone from beneath her features, though they were beautiful as well. Her face was heart-shaped, her lips pink and soft, though he preferred them when they were bruised with his kisses. But his favorite part was her eyes; it wasn't just their vibrant hue of cinnamon-brown, it was also how she saw the world with them. She was a gentle creature, his wife, and she was kind towards everyone, and she took care of those she could. He remembered that time he caught that awful flu and was out of it for days. Her soothing whispers and care for him had gotten him through it. He'd been so reliant of her, and she'd done everything in her power for him to feel better.

She'd be a good mother one day, this much he knew.

The thought of her pregnant, carrying his child, the two of them moving into a bigger house, seeing their children growing up day by day, one boy and one girl, had always been a welcome thought to him, something he'd looked forward to.

But now, in light of the recent events, he suddenly wasn't so sure if that were his future anymore… if she divorced him, then… none of that would ever be reality.

He felt heavy all of a sudden. The last thing he wanted was to loose her.

Careless of the consequences, he moved closer, moving his arms around her, and kissing the top of her head when she snuggled into him.

If this were the last time he'd hold her, then he'd hold her for as long as he could.