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“We’re back!”
Momiji’s sing-song voice rang through the house. He stood in the entryway, along with Haru, Kyo, Yuki, and Hiro, each holding a pair of watermelons.
“Oh! I’m so excited!” Tohru cried, clasping her hands together. From across the room, she saw the most tender smile on Kyo’s face at her enthusiasm. It made her heart melt.
“You’re not usin’ your bare hands this time,” he grumbled, although he couldn’t keep the affection out of his voice.
Hiro snorted. “Did anyone actually remember to bring a stick and a blindfold this time?”
“Yes! I did!” Tohru dashed up to her room to fetch the supplies.
“Careful, Honda-san,” Yuki called after her, watching her nearly trip up the stairs.
Everyone gathered outside, putting the watermelons in a pile while Tohru spread out the picnic blanket.
“I still don’t think this is how you play watermelon splitting,” Momiji frowned. “Isn’t it dangerous to wear a blindfold while you’re trying to hit something?”
“Obviously,” Hiro groaned. “This game is a lawsuit waiting to happen.”
“It’ll be fun, Hiro-chan!” Kisa said, a huge smile on her face.
“All right, we’re using the blindfold!” Hiro announced enthusiastically.
“Who wants to go first?” Tohru asked, placing the first watermelon on the blanket.
“Why don’t you start, Honda-san?” Yuki suggested. “You brought the supplies, after all.”
“Oh no, I couldn’t possibly, that’s much too generous, shouldn’t someone else go first, like maybe Kisa-san or Hiro-san or-”
“Tohru, you’re doing it again,” Kyo said softly, smiling at her as he put an arm around her.
Tohru made a questioning face before she realized she was babbling. “Oh, sorry!”
“And you don’t gotta apologize for every little thing, either!” he chuckled.
“Oh. So- I mean, right!” She stuck out her chin and nodded, determined not to delay the fun any longer.
Kyo sighed happily and pulled her close as he pressed a kiss to her temple.
Yuki awkwardly looked away, turning his attention to Machi.
“Why don’t you go first?” he suggested.
Machi froze, turning a deep shade of crimson.
“If we keep this up much longer, the watermelons will sprout legs and walk away,” Momiji teased.
“Idiot. Watermelons don’t sprout legs,” Kyo grumbled as Momiji stuck out his tongue.
“Fine,” Kagura said. “I’ll do it.” She grabbed the stick and put on the blindfold. Haru spun her around three times, then stepped back.
“Ready, go!”
Kagura swung wildly, absolutely annihilating the melon.
“Kagura! We’re supposed to eat the watermelon after!”
“What, did I hit it?” she peeked out from under the blindfold, looking at the total carnage on the blanket.
“That’s fine!” Tohru said brightly. “We have plenty of watermelons to spare!”
As everyone took their turn, the spectators munched on the refreshing fruit and laughed about the different ways everyone approached the game. Yuki cleanly cut a watermelon in two on his first strike. Kyo, still angling to prove himself, went next, and roughly smashed the fruit into pieces.
Rin declined to play, so Haru went after Kyo, spearing the watermelon on the pole and declaring himself Melon Lord.
Momiji and Hiro both couldn’t muster enough force to break open the rind, to Hiro’s frustration. Kisa’s watermelon rolled away after she gently prodded and tapped it throughout her turn.
Machi went next. Despite her earlier shyness, she hit the melon with impressive strength, breaking it into ideal snack-sized chunks. Yuki was smirking at her when she finally removed her blindfold.
“See? I told you it would be fun,” he said, pressing his forehead to hers.
Machi grinned at the mess. “Maybe we can play that again sometime,” she suggested.
Yuki chuckled. “As often as you’d like.”
“Tohru!” Momiji called. “You’re the last one! And we have enough melons left to play again tomorrow!”
“Yes! Here I go!” Tohru put the blindfold on, drawing herself up as Kyo spun her around three times.
“Ready, go!”
She swung hard, hitting the blanket. She took a step forward, swinging again.
“Tohru, that’s the wrong way!” Momiji called out.
“Shut up, rabbit, she can do it!” Kyo scolded him.
“That’s not fair! No one helped Kisa,” Hiro scowled.
“You ought to learn from Hiro’s example,” Momiji teased. “Shouldn’t you want to help your precious Tohru?”
“Kyo-kun helps me all the time!” Tohru cried from under the blindfold, swinging the stick at shoulder height.
“Geez, Tohru, at least swing at the ground!” Kyo chuckled, shaking his head.
Tohru turned and smiled at him. “Right!” Tohru said, suddenly swinging the stick downwards in the direction of Yuki and Machi.
Yuki smoothly pulled Machi out of the way just in time. “Are you okay?” he asked, looking her over with concerned eyes.
“Yes, I’m-” Machi stopped as Tohru’s next swing struck Yuki squarely on his cheekbone.
“Did I get it?” Tohru asked, removing her blindfold. As she processed the scene in front of her- Machi's worried expression, Yuki’s cheek gushing blood, Kisa and Hiro watching with wide eyes- her features contorted into an expression of pure horror.
“Oh my gosh, Yuki-kun, I’m so sorry! Are you okay? Someone, get the first aid kit!”
“I’m fine, Honda-san. Really.”
“But Yuki-kun-”
“Sit,” Machi instructed, pressing down on Yuki's shoulders. Yuki sat down on the grass, clutching his cheek as Haru ran to them with the medical supplies.
“Here,” Tohru said, tears in her eyes. “Please, let me.”
As she cleaned and bandaged Yuki’s wound, the others cleaned up the yard as best they could. She handed him a cold compress as he swallowed the pain relievers Machi brought him.
“Yuki-kun, I’m so incredibly sorry,” Tohru uttered, lower lip trembling. “And Machi, Hiro said I nearly hit you, too.”
“It’s fine,” Machi said.
“Truly, Honda-san. It’s not a big deal. I’ll be fine.”
Tohru bit back a sob, nodding and gathering up the first aid supplies. “If it starts to bother you...”
“I know just who to ask,” Yuki replied, smiling.
She walked inside with her head hung low, tears falling.
Kyo was waiting for her in the entryway.
“Hey. Let’s go upstairs,” he whispered, taking her by the hand up to their room.
Once they sat on the bed, she broke down, sobbing into his arms.
“I- can’t- believe- I- hurt- Yuki- ku-uu-uuun,” she wailed. “His- face- looked- so- ba-aaa-aaad.”
Kyo held her tight and stroked her back as she cried. “Yuki’s tough, Tohru. He really will be okay.”
“Are you sure?” she asked, looking up at Kyo with such a sorrowful expression he pulled her even closer.
“I’m sure.” He smiled at her in the soft way he always did when she was upset, letting her cry into him until her tears ran dry.
Dinner that evening was quiet. Tohru, Kyo, Yuki, and Machi all ate in their rooms.
“Do you think Yuki-nii will be okay?” Kisa asked, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes.
“He’ll be fine,” Haru answered, although his furrowed brow betrayed his own concern.
The next morning, Tohru made breakfast for everyone as usual. She jumped whenever she heard footsteps descending the stairs, anxiously turning to see if it was Yuki, even though he was usually the last to come down.
Momiji helpfully suggested everyone go down to the beach. Tohru was relieved when they left, glad she wouldn’t have to face Yuki in front of everyone.
“You know he’s gonna be okay, right?” Kyo said, wrapping his arms around her. “He’s had worse before. Heck, he’s given me worse before,” he grinned.
Hearing that helped Tohru relax, if only a bit. She sighed into Kyo’s embrace while they waited for Yuki to come down.
When they finally heard footsteps on the stairs, it was Machi they saw.
“Good morning, Machi-san!” Tohru exclaimed, trying and failing to smile. “How did you sleep?”
“Fine,” Machi answered, looking at the floor.
“Will... will Yuki-kun, ah, be joining us?”
Machi raised her head to look at Tohru. “Yes, he’ll be down in a bit. He’s still waking up.”
Tohru knitted her brow and looked at Kyo.
“Tohru, that’s normal for him,” Kyo reminded her.
Machi realized Tohru was still worried about Yuki’s injury. “His cheek isn’t swollen anymore, and the cut isn’t as big as it looked yesterday. There’s a bit of a bruise, but nothing’s broken. He really is going to be okay, Honda-san.”
Tohru smiled at Machi. “Oh, thank you, Machi-san! That’s such a relief to hear. I feel so terrible, hurting him like that.”
“He knows it was an accident,” Kyo interjected.
“Yes, but accidents still hurt!” Tohru protested, tears filling her eyes.
“Also...” Machi began, before cutting herself off.
Tohru and Kyo exchanged glances before Kyo repeated, “Also?”
“Well... it’s just that I think he’s kind of excited about it.”
“Excited?” Tohru and Kyo echoed in unison.
“He was saying to me yesterday, even though it’s not a very deep or large wound, and there’s no reason it wouldn’t heal fully, he wouldn’t mind ending up with a scar. He said it might stop everyone from treating him like a prince. Plus...” she trailed off, eyeing Kyo.
“...Plus?!” Kyo blurted impatiently.
“Well... he thought it was kind of funny that Honda-san was able to land a hit on him before you were.”
The smallest of giggles escaped Tohru’s throat, and she slapped a hand to her mouth as soon as she realized. Kyo looked like he was about to short circuit, unsure whether to be livid or amused. Eventually, he burst out laughing, bending over double as he howled with laughter.
“So, you told him what I said?” came a wry voice from the stairs.
“Yuki-kun!” Tohru immediately rushed over to him. “How are you feeling this morning? How is your cheek?”
“As I said, everything’s fine, Honda-san.”
“Still, I should change your bandage, and you should get another cold compress on it right away, and-”
“Geez, Tohru, let the guy get breakfast first,” Kyo chuckled.
Tohru ignored him, pulling Yuki over to the table where she had already laid out the first aid kit. She washed her hands and removed his bandage.
“Oh,” she said, relaxing at the sight of the mild wound.
“See, it’s not as bad as it looked yesterday,” Yuki said, smiling.
Tohru gingerly cleaned the cut, being careful not to press where she saw bruising. She covered it with a new bandage as Kyo brought over a fresh cold pack.
“That’s really unnecessary,” Yuki muttered.
“Come on, you know Tohru’ll worry,” Kyo grumbled.
Yuki looked from Tohru’s anxious expression to Machi’s mild amusement, then back to Kyo’s slight scowl. “Well, all right then.” He held out his hand for the ice pack.
Kyo grinned as he handed it over. Even if they weren’t exactly friends yet, he knew Yuki would still do anything for Tohru.
“We haven’t sparred since the curse broke,” Yuki mused, taking Machi’s hand in his.
“That’s... true. Huh,” Kyo replied.
A proud smirk crept across Yuki's face as Machi tried to suppress her giggles. “Maybe before next time, Honda-san can give you a few lessons.”