Hi there! This is a one-shot for Yuki and Machi, set after the manga, after Yuki confesses to her. I just adore this couple so much. This can be considered a follow-up for another one-shot of them, which I wrote a couple of years ago. Anyway, this is just something I wrote randomly, so I apologise for lack of plot! I also apologise for typos. I do edit my work- I'm just very unobservant. Please enjoy the fluffy fun, and review. :)

Forever Yours

I was out of my mind. What in the world possessed me to agree to this? Was I really as crazy as I thought I was? The answer was probably yes, but that truth stung like a bee.

Through my school years, I had always been written off as unapproachable. In fact, not one person ever spoke to me, except for my half-brother, Kakeru. Due to my emotional problems, I had smashed up several classrooms, trashed cupboards, kicked chairs across the room, you name it. I was forced to live alone by my family. I was always isolated, always alone.

But then, the Sohmas began to appear in my life. First Yuki, and then his cousins Kyo, Hatsuharu and Momiji. But it was Yuki who caught my attention. Everybody talked about how princely he was, how he was good as sports, academics and how he was so kind to everyone he met. What I saw was someone with a desperately lonely smile. I joined the student council to please my parents, and that was where I met him. We fell in love, he confessed, and here I was…

I had actually agreed to go on a date with Yuki Sohma.

Okay, so this was not our very first time meeting up outside of school. We had our first kiss not too long ago, and I had even been to his house once before. The whole situation was extremely stressful, but one again, he surprised me and put me at ease. He had purposely messed up the house just so I would feel comfortable staying there. I smiled, just thinking about that. Yuki was kind, so kind that I wanted to run away. I dealt with him shyly, because I was scared that if I pushed too hard, acted too strangely, he would break. And then he wouldn't want to be so kind to me anymore.

I shook these thoughts out of my head. We were supposed to be meeting up in town, outside a particular shop, in less than half an hour. Whatever he had in store for me, I hoped he wouldn't overwork himself. I had the feeling that Yuki put effort into everything he did.

My phone, which was sat in my pocket, began to vibrate. Alarmed, I picked up after one ring.

"Hello?" I said into the phone. I flushed bright red. My voice had cracked.

"Machi? It's me, Yuki. I wanted to know, are you still okay for meeting today? You're not busy or anything?"

I bit my lip. "No… No, it's fine. I'm actually on my way there now."

I heard him sigh over the other end. "That's good. Take your time. I… I'm looking forward to this, Machi. I hope you are, too."

There was that kindness. I swallowed nervously. "Okay. I'll see you soon. Bye." Without waiting for a reply, I hung up. Realising that could have been taken as unkind, I slapped my forehead. Why was I such a head-case? I was terrible at showing my emotions. Even when I was truly happy, the most I could manage was a small smile.

In the end, I arrived early.
The street was awfully busy, filled with bustling crowds of people going about their business. I was like a ghost, fading into their presence with no effort. I stood outside the shop, staring dead ahead, feeling embarrassed that I had actually arrived early to our first date. Part of me panicked. Now that I was early, my mind raced with worries that Yuki would be late, or that he wouldn't come at all. Worst of all, he could just be stringing me along for the fun of it.
But then, I remembered how he kissed me that day. The memory of the softness of his lips, his gentle voice and the way he held me like I was precious… that couldn't be a lie.

Before I knew it, I was calm again. Thinking of Yuki's kindness somehow felt like a tranquiliser.

Someone tapped me on the shoulder. I leapt out of my skin and squirmed away from their grip. Realising it was Yuki, my face went red, and I turned away.

"Hello, Machi," he said pleasantly. "Sorry I startled you."

I stammered, "I-it's okay. Really. I wasn't paying much attention."

Eventually I turned around, still not looking him directly in the eyes. He was dressed a little differently from normal. Sporting a dark blue shirt, grey jacket and dark trousers, it was a departure from the Chinese-style clothes he often liked to wear. Seeing him wearing something casual like this set my heart racing again, and I commanded it to slow down. Yuki smiled widely at me, in a way that was new.

Before we formally met, Yuki's smile seemed lonely. I remembered feeling pity for him when he was forced to act happily in front of hoards of girls, forced to perform. But ever since he broke down into tears when he confessed to me, his smiles had been wholesome. It was like he was seriously happy for the first time in his life. That had nothing to do with me, surely. I got the impression that something big had happened in his family lately.

"Machi, what's wrong? You're staring off into space."

I started. "Nothing!" I snapped. "I'm sorry for being rude."

"There's no need to apologise." His expression changed, and he looked a little shyer. "Your outfit… You look really cute today, Machi."

Could I have been more obvious? I blushed and elbowed him, hard. Accepting defeat, Yuki put his hands up. But, after some hesitation, I mumbled, "Uh, thank you."

"That's okay. But I can't believe you accepted my compliment. That means a lot, coming from you."

To anyone else, that would have sounded like a thinly veiled insult. However, somehow I knew Yuki would always be truthful like that.

He took my hand. My heart skipped a beat from the sudden contact. Warm and secure, Yuki's grip made me want to sink into the ground with embarrassment, but it also made me want to smile.

"Shall we go then?"

As we made our way through the street, I was paranoid that people were staring. Several times I tried to escape Yuki's hand, but all times he tightened his grip and I failed miserably. I knew people weren't really staring, but it was a habit of mine. Soon, my eyes found something. An ice-cream van, parked in the middle of a small square. What was it doing here? The weather was still cold. I must have stared for a while, because Yuki stopped walking.

"You want an ice-cream?" he guessed.

Dammit, how could he know that?!

"No! Uh… I mean yes. Actually, it doesn't matter."

"Calm down. I'll buy us both one."

"But it's not the weather for something like that!"

He shrugged. "I don't mind. You can enjoy ice-cream any season, can't you? I want this date to make you happy too, don't forget."

It was a sin to be that direct, that honest. Before I knew it, Yuki has purchased a double-scoop ice-cream. I stared at it, glaring daggers at Yuki.

"You said you would buy us both one."

"And I did. Look, see?"

The cone was wider than normal, enough room to fit two scoops of ice-cream, once wedged beside the other. Ah. I continued to blush, and clenched my fists. He was so sweet, but this?

"You mean, you want to eat from the same cone? That's a dirty trick."

"I know. How about I take a bite first? Then it'll be a bit messed up for you."

He opened his mouth and licked some of the ice-cream. Immediately I understood. He only wanted this so that I would feel comfortable. It wasn't so bad starting something that was already messed up by someone else. There again, with my odd mind. I was terrified of perfection, and Yuki was well aware of this.

"Thank you…" I mumbled. I took the ice-cream from him, and took a bite myself. It wasn't so bad, passing the ice-cream back and forth, until we were left with nothing but the cone.

"You have some ice-cream around your mouth," he laughed, and used his finger to wipe the edges of my lips.

"You do know, we're in public," I noted. That was only a cover for my emotions. In reality, whenever Yuki was affectionate, it made me happy.

Before Yuki could reply to me, my heart sank as I saw two figures walking towards us. I recognised one of them as Shigure Sohma, Yuki's cousin, and another one whom I didn't recognise- but he looked exactly like the older version of Yuki. The two men approached, and I sighed.

"Yuki, look behind you," I said. "I think it's your family."

"What?" He swivelled around to face in the same direction as me. I saw him visibly shrink. "Of all people to be here!" he whispered furiously. "How could they? They must have known I would be here."

"Yuki! My dear younger brother!" the silver-haired man cried, hurrying to Yuki and grabbing both his hands. "It has been too long!"

Brother?!

"Shigure," Yuki said through gritted teeth, "What's this bastard doing here?"

"Now now Yuki, don't be like that. We merely came to check up on how your first date was going," Shigure replied innocently. "How nice to see you again, Machi."

"It has been a long time," I said. I bowed to Yuki's brother. "It's nice to meet you. I didn't know Yuki had an older brother."

The man laughed. "Well, it is like him to be quite secretive! My name is Ayame Sohma. I am so proud that my little brother has finally found love, though I am disappointed that his love can no longer be directed towards me!"

Yuki raised a fist and punched Ayame on the arm. "That's enough. Don't be disrespectful towards Machi!"

"Come with me a second." Shigure said this, and grabbed my wrist. Before I had time to object, Shigure was dragging me away from Yuki, who was being taken away by Ayame. We were being separated, but why?

"Let go of me!" I snapped, but Shigure ignored me and continued pulling me out of sight. Once we were out of sight and earshot, he let go of me but stood in the way, so I couldn't escape.

"I only wanted to talk to you," he said calmly. I believed him, but I was still trembling furiously.

"About what? Why are you butting in on Yuki's personal life?"

Shigure smirked. "Aaya and I thought it would be okay to give Yuki a… helping hand in his love life. After all, he's not the most experienced of people when it comes to personal relationships."

"You call this a helping hand?"

"Yes. We knew he may need a… push. You two have been together for a couple of months now, haven't you? And you have been to his house once during that time. Isn't that taking it a bit slowly?"

"He's only being considerate of me."

He did treat me delicately, like I would break otherwise. I had always taken it as a compliment, but what if Shigure was right? And if I looked at it differently, wouldn't that mean that Yuki wasn't interested in me as much as I thought? He seemed content to let things progress slowly, but what if that only meant he wasn't making much effort? No. I couldn't afford this weak thinking. Shigure was a manipulative man, I could tell. So what was he trying to accomplish by telling me this?

"Do you enjoy toying with Yuki's life? Or could it be… could it be that you're concerned about him?" I looked at the floor as I said this. I hated awkward conversations, although I was normally the one who made them awkward.

"You're a perceptive young woman, Machi," he said. His eyes were not smiling, but his mouth was curled slightly. "It's a habit of mine. The reason is, Ayame knew that you were going out today, and he was worried about Yuki. He is really a caring older brother, although Yuki refuses to acknowledge that, most of the time. It'll take a long time to rebuild the rift that was created when they were children."

"Yuki never even mentioned that he had a brother."

"That speaks volumes, in that case." He scratched his head. "What I'm trying to say is, Yuki is more delicate that you think. Recently he's really come out of his shell, but he still has a long way to go. We are just showing concern, and encouraging him." Shigure winked at me. "Not only that, but I got to see a pretty young lady like you. I must say, that dress suits you very nicely."

"Just leave us alone," I said.

I left Shigure. When I returned to the sport where we had been, Yuki was there, and Ayame was nowhere to be seen. We were stood in front of a small wall, leaning against it. Yuki looked at me regretfully, struggling for what to say. Grimacing, he took my hand again.

"Sorry about my family. And sorry for not telling you I have a brother. We don't see each other very often, so I suppose it slipped my mind."

I shook my head. "It's okay."

"No, I really am sorry. My family tend to be quite nosey too."

I could have sworn I heard some rushed whispers coming from behind the wall, but amongst the bustling people, it could easily have been something else. It distracted me for a moment, but then Yuki's grip on my hand tightened and so did my chest.

"Did Shigure do anything strange to you? He didn't say anything weird?"

"No," I lied.

"Tell the truth," he said, stroking my face.

"No, it's nothing."

Out of nowhere, someone from behind the wall pushed my back. Startled, I began to fall to the floor, but Yuki grabbed me. In the process, we both ended up falling to the floor, Yuki being my cushion.

"Who was that?" he demanded, looking around. "Who pushed you?"

I looked behind us, and saw Ayame and Shigure scampering off into the distance. So they did it. Slimy bastards.

"They're determined to mess around with our date," he muttered.

I noticed the people around. "Maybe we should get up."

"You're right." He got up, and pulled me to my feet.

I stared at Yuki for a moment. He was so kind. His family was, in their own way. Here he was, trying to exercise control over the date, trying so hard. He looked away from me in guilt. I had to do something- Shigure was right. I couldn't let Yuki shoulder everything on his own, I couldn't just accept his kindness without thinking of him in return.

He had trodden in fresh snow with me, he had broken chalk, he had made excuses for me whenever I trashed a classroom. He made every effort, but what had I done?

"I think they pushed us over to make the date between us more interesting," I mused. "I don't know, but that's the impression I get."

"'Interesting'? I suppose you could call it that. You're not hurt, are you?"

"No, I'm fine," I insisted. "Uh… Something Shigure said made me think. I just… I wanted to say thank you for everything you've done for me. I know I don't say it much out loud, but…" Oh no. I was blushing again. I hated how obvious I was.

Yuki took a step towards me, until our noses were almost touching, He tilted his head, and kissed my lips, lingering for just a moment. He pulled away, but remained so close that I could feel his warm breath on my skin.

"Machi, do want to come round to my house?" he said softly. "Ayame said some things that got me thinking, as well. I realised I don't try hard enough to be a boyfriend."

"Boyfriend? Idiot. Don't say gushy things like that out loud… But… Yes. Okay. I'll come round."

Yuki, after graduating high school, had become a college student in the local university. I lived alone, but was still a high school student. His flat was in one of the fancier areas of town, paid for by his wealthy family. Part of me wanted to run away again, but the other part was flattered and- just a little- excited. I wondered what sort of place he had. He presented himself as a very organised, tidy person, but I had heard rumours that Yuki was in fact a terrible cleaner, and a terrible cook. At least I knew that my 'prince' was not perfect.

It was not a long walk to his place. I found myself walking slower and slower, and by the time we reached his front door, I had grinded to a halt, staring at the floor.

Yuki had opened the door. "Come in," he said.

Gingerly, I shuffled into the confines of the flat. It was a typical town centre place, with a few added extras. There were tatami mats, a square table and television in the lounge area, a kitchen, and a bedroom. All normal, perhaps, but the decoration, the furniture, all reeked of some serious money. At least, that was what I could deduce, because the place was an absolute tip.

"…Are you always this untidy?"

He laughed ruefully. "Yes. I don't think I've perfected the art of living alone just yet."

"There's no need to rush," I said quickly. Dammit. There you go again, acting all crazy because you hate perfection. Don't drag Yuki down into your problems.

"I know. I knew you wouldn't mind if it was messy. After all, your own apartment is worse than this, right?"

I flushed. "Well- that's- I… Yes, it probably… is."

"Please, take a seat down by the table."

As I began to make my way through the odd piles of junk, Yuki rushed to my aid. He took my hand, guiding me to the table so that I wouldn't trip. We both sat, side by side, after Yuki had- somehow- managed to make some tea for us.

I took a sip and grimaced.

"Is it that bad?" he asked, alarmed.

I couldn't help but smile- and politely put down the cup.

That look on his face… I hated to admit it, but it was adorable. He usually looked so casual, so in control. But now, his eyes were open wide with innocent offence, like he was disappointed in himself. I never noticed before, but he had so many parts to his personality. He could be carefree and a gentleman, he could be naïve, angry, sometimes acting like a little boy.

"Listen, Machi… I'm sorry for the way my cousin and my brother acted earlier. It was uncalled for."

"I- It's fine. Anyway, Shigure and Ayame were only trying to help. Ayame probably was concerned, and Shigure only wanted to give me some advice… even if he did finish it with a pervy comment."

Yuki bristled. "One day, I'll beat him so hard he'll never walk again."

"I'd watch."

"You should bring snacks."

We glanced at each other, and smiled.

"What he did say made some sense," I added. "I didn't mean to let you do all the work. I haven't been considering your feelings at all."

"That's not true!" he said hurriedly. "You were the only person who saw through me from the start. You said that you didn't think I was prince-like. That meant so much to me."

This wasn't good. I had to show Yuki that I was as serious about being together as he was.

I reached out to take Yuki's hand, but he caught it in his own. His hands were warm from holding his cup of tea, and they held me tightly.

He leaned in close. "You don't have to be self-conscious about how you act around me. Ignore what Shigure told you and just act naturally. Your natural self is what I fell in love with."

"I told you to stop spouting lines like that," I said, but I spoke half-heartedly. He couldn't know… how happy it made me feel to hear that.

"You look so cute when you blush, Machi."

"Cut it out, senpai!"

He planted a kiss on my forehead. "I might have said this before, but you can say my name."

"It's embarrassing when it's you!"

"I felt unsure about saying the first name of someone I cared about once. But it doesn't do any good to lock up your emotions. Just say my name. You did when I confessed my feelings for you, didn't you?"

I sniffed. That memory was highly embarrassing. But, when Yuki was so close to me, so close that I could smell the tea on his breath, I could not keep my composure.

"Y-Yuki…" I slapped my hand to my mouth.

"See? That wasn't so hard." He took my face in his hands. "I'm so proud, Machi, that you feel okay being around me like this."

I bit my lip, a habit of mine. Did you really just pay me a compliment? Nobody… ever did that. Not even my parents. Yuki was proud of me.

"Thanks for this..." I mumbled. "And thank you for sticking around, even though I'm crazy."

"I love you," he breathed, and he kissed me. "I'll always be yours."

His kisses scorched me, his hands left burning traces where they had touched. I wondered, was this all a dream?

And, if I hated perfection so much, how did I fall in love with someone so perfect?