Archive of Our Own

'But you know, Miss Honda, if the problem is time, then what if we just...all went out together?'

It was lunchtime on a warm March day at Kaibara High, and several of the students were eating up on the roof. The weather made it a great day for them to all sit and talk; with graduation less than two weeks away, they wouldn't have many more chances.

Though Kyo, at least, wasn't going to miss those lunches, and he would have been a lot happier with just one person less.

"So tell us, Orange," drawled Kakeru, looking over at Kyo, "have you been having fun trying to plan your double date?"

The look that Kyo shot Kakeru could have withered a rosebush, but Kakeru didn't react other than deepening his smirk. And since Kyo wasn't going to let Kakeru 'win' when it came to looking mature, that meant Kyo had to respond, whether he wanted or not.

"Talk to the others if you wanna hear about plans," Kyo answered Kakeru, pointedly looking away. "This whole thing is Tohru and Yuki's idea, that means the details are all up to them."

"What he means by that is that he's being lazy," Yuki said dryly, earning him a scowl of his own from Kyo.

"And who's the one who first proposed this 'all-day double date?' Excuse me for thinking that meant you had a plan."

"I know this might shock you," Yuki retorted, "but since four of us are involved, I thought we might all want to weigh in and choose something together. There's a related concept you've maybe heard of, called common courtesy."

As Yuki and Kyo glared at each other, Kakeru leaned back and sighed.

"Honestly? I'm jealous, Orange, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. All this time, I thought double dates with Yun-Yun were my thing, but here he is, committing one of his last weekend days to you."

"It's always tough, being replaced," Haru agreed solemnly. "I remember back when Yuki used to do things with me-"

"-We just spent the entire weekend together, Haru," Yuki said in exasperation, but Haru shrugged his shoulders as he said,

"With six other people. You've got to admit, Yuki, it wasn't special for us."

As Yuki exhaled in annoyance, Kakeru nodded at Haru.

"See, he gets it! But that's Yun-Yun for you, isn't it? He acts all loyal and committed-"

"-I have never, in my life, said anything about being loyal or committed to either one of you-"

"-Only to blow you off the moment someone new comes along."

As Kakeru and Haru both nodded Yuki simply gave up, turning his attention over to Tohru instead.

"Have you had any more ideas, Miss Honda?" he asked with a smile. "We should probably try to decide soon, in case we need to get tickets."

Tohru nodded her head and was just about to speak, but then she paused and glanced at Arisa, who immediately picked up on her cue.

"So actually, Prince, I had a suggestion for you, if you guys are interested in something that's a little more 'out there.' You know how sometimes foreigners like to leave me things as 'tips?' Last weekend, I got two tickets to here, good for this coming weekend."

Arisa pulled up something on her phone that she turned to Yuki, and Machi leaned in close so she could see the screen too. Both of them thought 'theme park' or possibly a show; neither of them were quite prepared for what they saw instead.

"An...obstacle course?" asked Yuki, bewildered. "So, like an adventure park?"

All of them were familiar with the concept of adventure parks, outdoor obstacle courses that were scattered far and wide. Basically they were a type of playground, meant to encourage kids to explore and test their physical limits.

Younger kids, however, not near-graduates. And within that context, Yuki and Machi's confusion made sense.

"Yes and no," Arisa said, grinning as she held out her phone. "This one's a little different; little kids aren't allowed, it's entirely indoors, bigger, way fancier, and you've gotta pay. You basically book windows to take your turn on the course, and they space out people so just you and your group are starting at once."

"Hold up," Kyo said suddenly, turning to look at Tohru. "You actually wanna go and do something like that?"

He sounded so surprised by that that Tohru promptly bristled.

"I think it sounds fun!" she said, looking a little defensive. "And considering some of things we've done on our other dates, I'd hope you'd trust me to know what my body is capable of!"

"Do tell, Honda," said Haru said, giving her a smile. "Do we get to know that, too, or do we just have to guess?"

"Shut up, Haru." "Don't be vulgar," snapped Kyo and Yuki simultaneously, and Tohru was blushing from ear to ear but still held up her head.

"I think it sounds fun," she repeated, looking at Kyo defiantly, but then the defiance faded as she said, "but only if you all want to, too!"

Machi had taken Arisa's phone and was scrolling through the page, Yuki leaning over and reading along with her.

Based on what Yuki saw, he was...skeptical.

"So this is a race course?" he asked, and Arisa nodded. But after a moment, she amended herself.

"Technically, yeah, but it doesn't have to be. The point is to get through your chosen course, and there is a timer, but you don't have to race each other unless you actually want."

"Unless Kyo and Yuki want to race," Momiji repeated, eyes twinkling. "What do we think are the odds that they would want to do anything else?"

Neither Kyo nor Yuki was willing to comment on that.

"More importantly, Prince," said Arisa, leaning over and tapping the screen on her phone, "the thing that caught my eye was this one course, in particular. Seems like a great date activity, don't you guys think?"

As Yuki looked up from the description of the 'pairs challenge course,' his attention was first claimed by Tohru, who was trying to look neutral but was quivering with excitement. And though he, like Kyo, was a little surprised, he couldn't say he was shocked by her interest at that point. He'd known Tohru long enough now to know that she was competitive, and he knew she was someone who wouldn't be scared off by dirt.

But she wasn't the one he was wondering about, and he promptly looked at Machi.

Machi was studying the screen with a deeply furrowed brow, her expression so intensely thoughtful he couldn't tell what else she felt. She wasn't a 'sporty' person, and she never had been; none of the dates they'd been on so far had been remotely like this.

So really, Yuki realized, he probably knew the answer. Machi wouldn't be interested-

"I would like to do this."

Yuki wasn't the only one who did a double take, but Tohru was beaming broadly and excitedly clapped her hands.

"You really mean that, Machi?" she asked, and Machi nodded her head.

"I've never done anything like this before, and it might be fun. Especially if we tried the pair's course instead of just by ourselves."

Yuki realized he was staring when Machi started to blush, and he quickly recovered, passing Arisa her phone.

"You'd really be interested in trying that?" he asked, and Machi nodded.

"What could be more 'different' for us than something like this? But if you don't want to," Machi began, suddenly looking anxious, but Yuki shook his head at once, not needing her to finish.

"If you and Miss Honda both want to, then I'd be happy to try," he told Machi, smiling, as he took her hand. "I can't promise I'll be any good at something like this-" ignoring the chorus of protests from their friends, he soldiered on, "-But I'll do my best with it, assuming Kyo agrees, too."

Kyo was staring at Yuki and Machi like they'd grown extra heads.

"You guys wanna do it, too," he repeated, focusing on Machi, and Machi blushed under his gaze but nodded determinedly.

"I've never done anything like it before, and it could be fun. I wouldn't want to try it by myself, but if we're all together, whether we're racing or not...I think I'd like to try," she said, looking down at her lap.

"And I think that's a great reason," Yuki reassured her. "Dates should be about having fun, and doing fun things together. I wouldn't have thought of this for myself, but yes…it could be fun."

Kyo looked from Machi to Yuki, then at Tohru again. "And you really wanna do this."

"I do," she admitted, "but if you really don't-"

"-If Ratboy's game, then so am I," Kyo said, glancing at Yuki. "Like Machi says, it might be fun...and it's definitely different. You can show off that grip strength of yours," he teased, looking at Tohru, and Tohru promptly beamed back at him, cheerfully agreeing,

"Yes!"

Kakeru had taken the phone and was reviewing the website, Saki and Momiji both reading over his shoulders. And when he looked up from the page, Kakeru was grinning.

"You know, what you guys oughtta do is make the whole thing more interesting. Really take advantage of the fact there’re four of you there."

"You can't be suggesting they not race," Momiji said playfully and Kakeru immediately shook his head, pressing his hand to his heart.

"Perish the thought, my good man. Orange and Yun-Yun live for competing, I'd never take that away. But I think it'd be much more fun to mix things up a bit. Instead of doing 'couples as teams,' change the partners up. Because I don't know about you guys," he said, nodding towards Tohru and Kyo, "but I would pay good money to watch Yun-Yun and Machi compete."

That afternoon when they left the school, Machi let Kakeru have it.

"What is wrong with you, Kakeru?" she demanded, cutting him off in mid-word, and Kakeru looked at her in confusion, not knowing what she meant.

"What's wrong with me…wanting to go to Komaki's for dinner?" he asked, looking a little bewildered. "If you're angling for an invitation-"

"-I'm not talking about Komaki," snapped Machi, "I'm talking about earlier."

"Earlier," Kakeru repeated, eyeing his sister warily. "I think I need a bit more than that, Machi, if you want me to get it."

Machi was glowering up at him, wishing she had his complacence; as much as she loved her brother most times, she often wanted to throttle him.

"At lunch," she informed him. "When we were talking about my date this weekend?"

"Oh, the fabulous double date!" exclaimed Kakeru, perking up. But then he frowned, looking at her and trying to read her expression. "What, you change your mind?" After studying her for a moment, he gave her a sly smile. "Too much pressure if you go, trying to look good for his mommy?"

Machi promptly punched him, and Kakeru let out a squeal.

"Ok, ok, not his mommy. You love the girl so much you want her to adopt you, too. But seriously, Machi, in that case, what gives? I thought you seemed downright excited about it, not gonna lie."

After eyeing him suspiciously, Machi lowered her hands.

"I do like the idea of the obstacle course," she admitted to him. "I've never been to anything like that, not even when I was a kid."

"A fact that doesn't surprise me at all, knowing your lovely parents," Kakeru said, shaking his head with a long-suffering sigh. "Personally, I lived for those things, back when I was little; Mom could bribe me into a lot by taking me to the park."

Machi wasn't surprised herself, and tried not to be jealous. For all that Kakeru's mom had likewise pressed him to 'behave,' it was nothing compared to the pressure she'd been under. Her mother had felt that adventure parks were unseemly, and that Machi would only get hurt or embarrass them in some way. Playgrounds, in general, were something she'd missed out on, a fact she'd long since accepted and tried not to be bothered by.

"So what, you thinking this is your chance to make up for lost time?" Kakeru asked Machi with an understanding smile. "Channel a little childhood you never got to have?"

"I wouldn't go that far," Machi said quietly. "I just…think it could be fun," she repeated, looking down at the ground. "Yuki and I have been trying to do things that are new to us-"

"-Kinky," teased Kakeru, earning him another punch but otherwise no acknowledgement.

"-And Tohru seemed so excited, I thought if she could, I could."

At the way Machi said that, earnest but also wistful, Kakeru's expression became softer and he patted her shoulder.

"Well, I think it sounds awesome, Machi, and I'm proud of you. Jealous," he admitted, "since you're not doing it with us, but you're pushing yourself to try new things, and honestly? That's awesome. So with that being the case," he said, "why are you mad at me?"

Machi stared. "You really don't know?"

"Machi. Do I look like I know?"

They stared at each other for a long moment, then Machi sighed.

"That thing you said about mixing up partners," she said, blushing once more. "I just don't see why you would bring that up!"

"That's what's bugging you?" he asked, looking a little surprised. "You know I didn't mean literally, right? It's not like I'm saying that you oughtta make out with Orange-"

"-Kakeru!"

"Hey, I'm serious! You'd obviously still be on a date with Yun-Yun, and I doubt you have the power to pry Honda and Orange apart. But I think you guys'd really enjoy mixing up the teams."

"Why?" Machi demanded. "Did you look at the course description, Kakeru? There are obstacles you need to do together!"

"Yeah, and you'd have a partner," said Kakeru, "Just not Yun-Yun, this time. Think about it, Machi," he said. "You two are always sniping at each other; affectionately, but still. You've got some competitive spirt in you," he said, waggling his finger playfully, "and I know the idea of kicking your boyfriend's ass has to appeal."

Machi wanted to argue…but she actually couldn't, not if she was trying to be honest about it.

"I envy your optimism," Machi told her brother. "Personally, I think Tohru and I would be left in the dust."

"You and Honda? Totally. That's why it'd be you and Orange."

Kakeru looked and sounded so smug it almost caught Machi off-guard, and she stared at him for a long moment before blushing and saying, "No!"

"Why not?" Kakeru asked, easily matching her sped-up stride with his longer legs. "Think about it, Machi, and tell me it doesn't make sense."

"It doesn't make sense," she retorted without missing a beat. "He's only doing this to start with because Tohru wants to, in what universe would he want to deal with a partner like me?"

"Hey now," censured Kakeru, "I think you'd be a great partner! At least, as great a partner as Honda, going off of Sports Day, and possibly a better one, based on pure grit alone."

Machi couldn't say she agreed she had more 'grit' than Tohru…but she could maybe concede they had similar strengths.

Or rather similar weaknesses, when it came to sports.

"Yun-Yun and Orange are stupid competitive, as we all know by now. You and Yun-Yun are competitive. Orange and Honda are competitive. To my way of thinking, mixing up your teams a little, everybody wins!" Kakeru grinned, then corrected, "well, except for the ones that lose. But if you're scared of Orange, Machi, or afraid of trying to beat Yun-Yun…"

Kakeru trailed off with a wicked grin on his face, a grin Machi wouldn't acknowledge as she continued stalking along.

But he didn't need her to look at him; he knew her too well. And he could tell from her expression that his suggestion had clicked.

Alone in her apartment, Machi considered the idea. Away from Kakeru, and the others…she had to admit it had promise.

For months now, she and Yuki had had a 'theme' to most of their dates: trying out new experiences and figuring out what they liked. Machi had gone her whole life trying to fit a 'perfect' mold, and Yuki had spent his whole life living under a Curse; neither of them had had the chance to ever just be 'normal,' to figure out what they truly liked for the sake of sheer enjoyment.

'Boring' was an expletive for Machi that could emotionally crush her. From her mother, and the world, that was what she'd always heard. And she had initially worried that Yuki would soon find her boring, that he would, before too long, give up on her as well.

Who could ever love someone who was so very blank? Someone who couldn't even answer 'what color do you like?'

But thanks to Yuki and his perception, they knew that answer now. They knew that she liked red the best, particularly warm autumn red. And they had learned some other things, too, like that she loved fireworks. That she, like Yuki, liked gardening, and she loved the beach. That she truly hated calligraphy, tea ceremonies, and formal dancing. That she loved free-form painting, and detested concerts.

And that she loved Yuki Sohma, the former Zodiac Rat, who had been, and still was, willing to help figure all of this out.

Yuki had been the driving force in planning most of their dates. He would look for options, do some research, then ask her opinions, handling the grunt work and keeping the pressure off her. But this time, they were equally blind, and Machi admittedly liked that; Yuki only knew as much about this as Machi did herself.

And he still hadn't hesitated after he knew she wanted to try. Even though it was nothing he would have ever considered himself, he was still willing to do it, because she'd said she wanted to.

Considering that, it seemed almost cruel to abandon him as her partner…

But the more she thought about it, the more she liked the idea.

Machi loved Yuki deeply, so much that it almost scared her. But she had never thought he was perfect, not before dating or after. He struggled to listen sometimes, and tended to think he knew best; he could also be a terrible tease, and liked to push her buttons. While the two of them didn't fight, they often 'disagreed,' and there were times he got this smirking smile she wanted to slap off his face.

The idea of beating him at something…it genuinely appealed.

She had never found Kyo intimidating; those days, she even liked him. Though they didn't interact a great deal and rarely outside of school, he was always nice to her, if a little gruff. When they were in a giant group, he always made sure to include her, but he also respected when she wanted to be left alone. The idea of being his partner was a little intimidating, but that was because she didn't know how he'd react if she let him down. Kakeru might have a point about her matching Tohru's athleticism, but people could be a lot more forgiving towards their romantic partners.

Still…

Sitting down on her bed, Machi took out her phone, navigating to the website of the obstacle course. And once again, she started to read the description of the course, imagining it with Yuki…and imaging it with Kyo.

"Wait, what?" Kyo demanded, practically dropping his bowl, looking down the table at Yuki in abject confusion.

At his end of the table, Yuki was eating complacently. "I said that if you two agreed, then Machi and I would be fine with being on separate teams. How long is it going to take before you learn to listen the first time?"

"It's not a question of listening," Kyo immediately growled, his hostile reaction to Yuki's tone one of pure reflex. "I just couldn't believe I heard you right, that's all. Who goes on a date with someone who's not their boyfriend or girlfriend?"

"Is this the part where I remind you what a 'double date' actually is? We'd still be on the date together, we just wouldn't be doing the obstacle course as a team."

Kyo was incredibly skeptical as he looked at Yuki, along with a little uncomfortable at the very idea.

"So what you're suggesting is you'd be partners with Tohru," he clarified, earning Yuki's nod. "And I'd be partners with Machi?"

"That's right," Yuki said, finishing another bite. "She thought it sounded like it might be fun."

"Fun," Kyo repeated blankly. "Partnering with me?"

"Try not to flatter yourself, Stupid Cat. It's more that she thinks it might be fun to compete against me, and somehow she believes you might be competent."

Yuki's smile was angelic, except for the look in his eyes, and Kyo's eyes narrowed in challenge as he glared back at Yuki. Then he turned to the side, looking at Tohru instead.

"I know I don't gotta ask you what you think about this," he said, his tone a mixture of affection and blatant accusation. "You've been so damn starry-eyed since he first brought it up, I feel like I oughtta be insulted how willing you are to ditch me!"

Tohru had been beaming, but she quickly protested. "Kyo, you know I'd love to partner you as well, and I know we'd be a great team, just like in everything else!" The smile they exchanged was a loving one, but then Tohru's expression became sheepish. "I agree with Machi, though; I think it would be fun…to beat you."

Kyo stared at her for a moment, then he started to chuckle. "Yeah? You think that, huh?"

"Yes! It's always fun to beat you," she said, relief at his amusement allowing her to start giggling.

"'Cause you beat me at so many things?"

"Who finished shelling their edamame first?"

"That didn't count 'cause you cheated," he protested, and Tohru once more bristled.

"I did not!"

"You totally did."

"I did not!"

"Did, but that's beside the point," Kyo said, now smirking from ear to ear. "You really think the Rat's gonna be better'n me at an obstacle course?"

"Careful, Kyo," said Yuki, finishing another bite. "Keep inflating that ego, and the collapse when it gets punctured is really going to hurt."

"You know what?" said Kyo, slamming his hands down on the table, "Let's do this, seriously. As long as Machi's serious, then fine; I'll be her partner. And she and I," he continued, looking around the table with an expression of challenge, "are gonna wipe the floor this weekend with the two of you."

The weekend came, and with it, the day of their obstacle course. Yuki had spent the night before with Machi at her apartment, but back at Shigure's house, Tohru and Kyo's moods were mixed.

Tohru, by that point, was nearly exploding with excitement, looking forward to the double date in literally every way. Kyo, on the other hand, was a little bit more resigned, something that Tohru finally noticed as they were cleaning up breakfast.

"You know I don't want you to feel you have to do anything for me," Tohru told him anxiously as she searched his eyes. She knew it was a bad habit of hers, taking advantage of him; just because he let her didn't mean that it was right. "So if you've decided you want to change anything about today-"

"-Tohru, I promise, it's fine," said Kyo, flushing a little guiltily; until just then, he hadn't realized at all how he was acting. "I'm fine with the obstacle course, and dinner, and all the rest; no, Yuki's not my first choice to spend the day with, but he's not the last choice, either, and Machi…she's ok."

He smiled as he told her that, and Tohru beamed in relief, but then her expression faltered as she said, "Then will you tell me what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," Kyo retorted, reaching out for her hands. "It's just…" he hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to say, then he asked, "You don't think that any of this is weird?"

"Weird?" Tohru repeated, frowning in confusion. "No, I can't say I do…but you think it is?"

She sounded so anxious at the idea that Kyo once more felt guilty, but now that he'd started talking, he couldn't exactly stop.

"Doing couple-y things with someone else. It's not that I'm jealous," he said quickly and a little defensively. "It just feels…weird, knowing I'll be helping Machi, instead of helping you. Like, what if you have trouble? I know that Damn Rat'll help you," he said, "and I'm gonna help Machi, too, but a 'pairs' activity like this…it feels like I oughtta help you."

He looked a little sheepish and the sight made Tohru smile, rising up on her tiptoes so she could kiss his cheek.

"You are so sweet," she told him, "and I know you'll always help me when I need you. But this isn't something dangerous, or something to worry about. Yes, it's going be a little strange to see you helping Machi, but I promise you, Kyo Sohma, you won't have much time to watch me, except maybe from the back as Yuki and I leave you behind."

Tohru was smiling playfully, and for a long moment Kyo stared. But then he laughed, letting go of her hands and wrapping her up in a hug.

"And people think you're so sweet and innocent," he teased, nuzzling her hair. "Pretty sure my ego's got nothing on yours these days."

"Are you calling me cocky?" Tohru asked, trying to sound indignant, and Kyo pressed his forehead to hers, saying,

"If the shoe fits, yeah."

There was one more little twist before Tohru and Kyo could leave.

"Kyo, do you want to put your extra clothes in my bag so you don't have to bring one?"

Kyo looked over at Tohru in confusion as she came down the stairs, a large tote bag slung over her shoulder and a curious look on her face.

"Extra clothes?" he repeated, looking a little perplexed himself. "What do I need extra clothes for?"

Now it was Tohru's turn to look totally surprised. "For the obstacle course," she said, as if it was totally obvious, and Kyo frowned in turn as he looked down at his clothes.

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" he asked, running his hands down his shirt. "I know jeans aren't always the most flexible, but these ones are really broken-in-" He broke off, frowning at Tohru's bewildered expression. "Oh come on, they're not that bad! I promise, I can move fine."

"It's not that," Tohru said, looking at him in confusion. "It's just…Kyo, didn't you look at the web page at all, about the obstacle course?"

Suddenly, Kyo was wary. "No," he said, "why would I? You and Yuki and Machi all liked it, and it's just an obstacle course."

"You didn't look at it at all when Uo-chan first brought it up? You had her phone!"

"And I passed it on," Kyo said, starting to blush. "I didn't think we'd be doing it then, and I didn't wanna fiddle with her phone-" he broke off once again, then gritted his teeth before asking, "Why?"

Silently, Tohru took his hand and towed him up the stairs, into his room and over to the laptop on his desk. Then she pulled up the website and opened up the course-

"-What the fuck, there's water in this?" Kyo demanded in horror, staring at the pictures Tohru pulled up on the screen. "Water, and fucking mud?"

"Yes!" said Tohru brightly, trying not to wince. "They're safety measures-" she began, but Kyo cut her off, jabbing a finger at one of the pictures while raising a single brow. "-and also an integral part of some of the obstacles."

Kyo exhaled heavily and passed a hand over his face. "So basically, we're gonna get wet. And muddy, guaranteed."

"But don't you think that makes it sound fun?" Tohru asked hopefully, and Kyo gave her an exasperated look as he lowered his hand. Then he sighed, straightening up and stalking to his dresser.

"If anyone, ever, accuses me of being a bad sport, you damn well better point to today and tell 'em they're fucking wrong."

As he pulled out a change of clothes, he paused and looked at her. "You're not wearing that for the obstacle course, are you?"

"They have locker rooms at the facility, along with some showers. I'm going to change when we get there, then change back into this after!"

"Good," Kyo said gruffly, "'Cause that dress might be real cute right now, but I don't wanna think about how well it'll handle sliding in mud."

As he handed her his clothes, Tohru tucked them into her bag. Then she hugged him once again, telling him, "You're sweet."

"I'm an idiot," he informed her, wrapping her once more in a hug. "If this is your way of making sure I always read stuff going forward, then congrats, Tohru, you've made your goddamned point."

Then Kyo sighed, seeing the way she was once more looking anxious. "I am fine," he told her. "I agreed, and I'm gonna do this, water and mud or no. If anything, this'll make things worse for you and Yuki; I can tell you right now, I'm gonna be moving faster'n I've ever moved before. So if anyone's gonna be seeing a back," he said with a sly smile, "it's you who'll be seeing mine."

They met Yuki and Machi at the station and together they got on the train, settling in for the ride out to the obstacle course facility.

"No change of clothes?" Yuki inquired shortly after they left, and Kyo jerked his head towards Tohru, saying,

"She's got 'em with her."

"Good," said Yuki, smiling at Kyo in a somewhat shark-like manner. "I know how much you hate being wet, and I wouldn't want you walking around in wet clothes if you didn't have to."

"You're all heart," Kyo deadpanned, looking away, then glancing back at Yuki. "So you're really doing this, huh?" he said, and Yuki raised a brow.

"I said I would, didn't I?"

"Yeah, but you still could've backed out, or thought up some excuse. Crawling around in the mud doesn't strike me as your thing."

Yuki simply shrugged. "If you'll recall, I garden, Kyo; I'm fairly used to dirt."

"Yeah, well, I don't garden, but mud and dirt're different. And I know I don't watch you guys that close, but pretty sure when you garden, you're not actually rolling in it."

"Oh my, did someone just realize everything he signed up for?" Yuki asked Kyo mockingly with a little smirk. "It almost sounds like you're hoping I'll change my mind right now. Wanting to back out yourself, but too afraid to say?"

Kyo's eyes glittered with anger, and he squared his jaw. "The only thing I'm hoping for is for you to not let Tohru down, 'cause I intend for Machi and I to leave you both in the mud."

Yuki glanced over at where Machi and Tohru were talking, completely oblivious to their boyfriends' chat. Then he looked back at Kyo and Yuki's own eyes glittered, Yuki leaning close and murmuring, "I look forward to seeing you try."

Yuki and Kyo were filled with bravado on the way to the course, but they were a lot less comfortable when it was almost their turn to start.

"So…that's what you're wearing to run," said Kyo, trying not to stare. "And that's…comfortable, for you guys, wearing stuff like that?"

Tohru herself was admittedly feeling more than a little exposed, and she was blushing just as intently as the rest of the group.

"Well, it seems like a practical choice," said Yuki, coughing into his fist. "Fitted clothing is much less likely to get snagged, after all."

"That's right," Machi said, her face the reddest of all. "Komaki pointed that out to me, and she loaned me these clothes."

'These clothes' being almost the same as what Tohru was wearing, a very fitted t-shirt and a pair of athletic leggings.

"Uo-chan and Hana-chan thought this would be for the best," Tohru said, trying to figure out how to stand in a way that was less…embarrassing. "I thought about wearing my gym clothes, but Uo-chan worried that they might get…caught…"

She couldn't finish the thought and that was just as well; all four of them were crimson at the idea of anyone's clothes getting 'caught.'

"Yeah, well, smart thinking," said Kyo, staring rather determinedly at a point on the wall. "You've gotta be able to move, and fitted…it's probably best."

"Yes," agreed Tohru, and Machi aggressively nodded.

This race was going to challenging, in more ways than they'd expected.

"Ok," an employee told them as they prepared for their race. "You'll start when the light," as he pointed, "right up there turns green. One team starts on this side, one team on that. You can see at some points, like right when you get started, each team member has their own version of the same obstacle to tackle. At other times, there'll be just one, and you'll have to work together. Obviously this is meant to be fun and you're welcome to skip anything, but a penalty's added to your time for each obstacle anyone skips."

They all nodded, the four of them all listening intently, and the employee continued after taking a breath.

"If you end up needing help, just yell, and an employee will come help you. Otherwise, be safe, have fun, and may the best team win!"

They all bowed to the employee as he bowed to them, then he hopped down from the starting platform and jogged away from their course.

"So," Yuki said, smiling at Machi encouragingly. "Are you ready, Machi?"

"I am," she said, giving him a firm nod. "And we're going to do our best, right, Kyo?"

"Absolutely," he said. "Anything you need from me, you just yell, and I'll do it. We're gonna kick their asses," he said, smirking challengingly at Tohru.

But Tohru wasn't about to take that bald-faced lie lying down, puffing up indignantly as she said, "We'll see about that. Because Yuki and I are going to do our very best, aren't we?"

"Our very best," Yuki agreed, crossing his arms and smiling. "So I guess it's like that man just said: may the best team win."

"May the best team win," they echoed, then Tohru pointed up.

"Look!" she said. "The countdown's up!"

It was…and then it was gone. Just like the four of them from the platform, as the light turned green.

Obstacle number one was fairly straightforward: a series of logs of different lengths, set on their ends in an uneven row like a path of steps.

Yuki and Kyo were off at once almost neck and neck, taking advantage of their longer legs to skip the shorter logs. Meanwhile, Tohru and Machi were slower and a lot more cautious, stepping on each and every step as they made their way across.

By the time Yuki and Kyo reached the end, Tohru and Machi were less than halfway, which gave the boys a good opportunity to chat.

"What're the rules on helping 'em?" Kyo asked, watching Machi's careful progress with a worried frown. "Like, for some things we've gotta help 'em, yeah, but what're the rules on these?"

Yuki's eyes were on Tohru, and he winced as she suddenly lurched. "I think, as long as we've finished ourselves, we can go back and help them. That's how I'd interpret that rule, if you're in agreement."

"Yeah," said Kyo, "I agree. Not that we should jump in too fast," he quickly amended. "Not unless they actually need us, like, they're falling down a lot, or can't get through on their own."

"Yes," said Yuki, "I agree. Let them try to succeed on their own, but if they need us…help."

Machi finished the log steps barely ahead of Tohru, and she and Kyo were off with maybe a twenty second lead.

"Ok," said Kyo, skidding to a stop in front of the next obstacle, "looks like we've gotta jump across here, all the way to the end. Just keep moving as fast as you can," he said, eyeing the giant horizontal ladders suspended a foot off the ground. "Otherwise, you might slip and fall off, unless you've got really good balance, and if we fall off, remember, we've gotta go back and start over."

"Right," said Machi determinedly, and she and Kyo shared a nod. Then Kyo was off and Machi too, followed by Yuki and Tohru.

Once again, the boys had an advantage, and they finished the obstacle easily. But Tohru and Machi both ran into trouble, almost embarrassingly early.

"That's ok, Miss Honda!" called Yuki as Tohru restarted again. "You made it further that time, just do it like that, again!"

"Don't think about it too much," Kyo encouraged, looking back at Machi. "Just look at where you're starting, where you're going, and let instinct take over!"

Machi was beaming broadly when she made it across, looking at Kyo with excitement as she told him, "I made it!"

"You did!" he said, high-fiving her. "Now, let's do that again."

As they took off for the next obstacle, Yuki tried to ignore them, simply looking back at Tohru and calling once more, "You can do it!"

"Ok," said Machi, eyeing the tall wall in front of them. "We have to go over this one, right?"

"Right," Kyo promptly agreed, rapidly examining it for any kind of handhold. Finding none, he exhaled, then looked over at Machi. "Ok. I think our best bet's for me to boost you, then you to…give me your hand? Maybe?" he frowned, looking at the wall, then back behind them at the space. "Though if I got a good running start, I might not actually need one."

"I don't know if I can lift you," Machi said anxiously, and after a moment, Kyo nodded, accepting she had a point.

But there would be time to worry about that later, after they'd dealt with her. If Kyo would struggle climbing alone, how much more would she?

"Let's get you up first, for sure, then we'll worry about me. You can at least tell me what's on the other side, and what we've gotta do next."

Machi nodded, then they looked at each other, both of them suddenly blushing.

"How do you…want to do this?" she asked, and Kyo scratched his head, glancing from Machi up to the wall and trying to measure the distance.

"Think you can stand on my shoulders?" he asked, and she hesitated.

"How would I get on your shoulders?"

"Well…I could stand with my back to the wall, like this," Kyo said, demonstrating, then linking his fingers and squatting down to make a step. "How's your balance?"

"I…don't know," she said, staring at his hands.

How was she supposed to know, having never done that before? And how was she supposed to guess how she'd manage, being that close to him?

"Ok," he said, taking a deep breath. "Put your foot on my hands, and put your hands on my shoulders while I slowly lift you. Soon's you can, put your hands on the wall for balance and walk 'em up as I lift you, then step onto my shoulders as soon as you're close enough. Got it?"

Both of them were still blushing, but Machi nodded her head. She had wanted to do this, and she would; she knew that she was capable.

Even if it meant climbing up Kyo Sohma like a ladder.

"I'm so sorry, Yuki," Tohru exclaimed, practically in tears. "We've barely started, and we're already way behind because of me!"

"Don't worry about it, Miss Honda," Yuki said encouragingly. "Yes, they had an easier time with this specific obstacle, but they're bound to run into trouble later, and I'm sure we'll catch up again," he said, trying not to wince as Tohru missed a jump yet again.

"I'm so sorry-"

"-Do you know what?" Yuki said, suddenly interrupting. "I have an idea, Miss Honda; you wait right there for me."

Hopping off the end platform, Yuki jogged back down to Tohru, reaching up and offering his hand. "Here. Hold my hand while you cross, and hopefully I'll stabilize you enough that you won't fall."

Tohru's eyes lit up and she reached for Yuki's hand, but then she hesitated, saying, "Doesn't that count as cheating?"

"They just said we both had to complete the obstacles, and I already did. Kyo and I agreed we would help you and Machi if needed, and in this case, Miss Honda, I promise I'm happy to help. I don't know about you," he said, giving her a sly smile, "but I'm not about to let them beat us quite so easily."

As Tohru's anxious look was replaced by a smile of mischievous excitement, Yuki knew he'd made his point, and Tohru took his hand. Then he turned, the two of them facing down the rounded bars, Yuki telling Tohru, "I'm ready, whenever you are!"

"Oh no," Tohru exclaimed as they approached the wall. "How are we supposed to get over that, do you think?"

Yuki rapidly took in the sight of Kyo and Machi, Machi standing on Kyo's shoulders with Kyo's hands on her calves. Machi was trying to reach the top but wasn't quite tall enough...

"Miss Honda, you have strong hands, don't you?" he asked suddenly, and Tohru gave him a surprised look before saying,

"Well, Kyo always says so-"

"-I think we should try what they're doing, but take it a step further," he said, speaking quietly but incredibly fast. "Do you trust me to catch you?"

"What?" Tohru exclaimed, her eyes flaring widely, but Yuki simply continued,

"I think the best course is for me to boost you up. I'll stand by the wall and make a step with my hands; you take a running start, run, step into my hands, and as you do that, I'll toss you up. You just need to grab the top and hold on, I'll reach up and you can use my hands or my head to push off."

Tohru was staring at Yuki like he was speaking Arabic. "Yuki, that's never going to work! I'm just going to hurt you, or to hurt myself!"

"No you won't," said Yuki, with more confidence than he felt; however, he was willing to get kicked a little if it meant they made it. "I promise I won't let you fall, and you won't hurt me."

"How are you going to get up?" Tohru demanded next, and Yuki shrugged.

"My suspicion is there is some kind of step or ledge on the back of the wall. If there is, you can stand on that and brace yourself, then reach over to take my hand when I run and jump. I'm heavier than you, I know, but I also know you're strong," Yuki said, shooting her a smile filled with confidence. "I think that this is our best bet to close the gap," he said. "You're physically stronger than Machi and have longer reach, and I am slightly lighter than Kyo, which gives us an advantage. So, Miss Honda," he said, "do you trust me to boost you and not to let you fall?"

He could see the emotions warring in Tohru's face, then she glanced at the wall beside theirs and at Machi and Kyo. Kyo had looked a lot more tired when they'd first reached the wall, but their arrival had given him new wind, he and Machi both.

When Tohru looked back at Yuki, her expression was fierce, and she reached back and pulled her ponytail, tightening it even further.

"I trust you," she told him, and backed away from the wall, Yuki nodding and moving up to take his position beside it. A couple times, he quickly practiced the throwing motion he wanted, then he took a deep breath and called, "Whenever you're ready, Miss Honda!"

Kyo had been looking up at Machi before he heard Yuki's call, but his gaze snapped to Tohru just in time to see her start to run. And for a moment he stared at her, trying to guess their plan, only for his eyes to widen in shock as she stepped...and Yuki tossed her skywards.

"Tohru!" Kyo practically yelped in shock heavily mingled with fear, but he quickly steadied himself when he felt Machi wobble. That was right, he remembered; he had Machi right now. Tohru was with Yuki, who had…thrown her up the damn wall.

"That's it, Miss Honda, you're doing it!" Kyo heard Yuki exclaim, and a quick dart of his eyes confirmed that Tohru was pulling herself up onto the top. At once, Kyo felt a swell of pride in Tohru and her achievement; even if she wasn't on his team, that had been a neat trick.

But neat trick or not, he wasn't about to let them by without a fight.

"How're you doing, Machi?" Kyo asked, and above him, Machi winced.

"Not good," she admitted. "I'm still a little too low, I can't pull myself up so far, even with you supporting me."

"Ok," Kyo said, thinking hard. "We've got a couple of options. I could put my hands up and you could stand on them, but I can't hold that for very long, so you'd gotta be quick."

"What's the other option?"

"What Yuki and Tohru just did," Kyo said incredibly dryly as he glanced at the other wall, where Tohru was beaming triumphantly as she perched on the top. And as Kyo watched, Tohru called back down to Yuki,

"You were right about the ledge, but there's also a rope tied here!"

"Is there anything else?" called Yuki, and Tohru promptly nodded.

"A big pool of water," she told him. "I think we're supposed to jump down!"

Water, Kyo thought with a grimace, while above him, Machi shifted.

"I think I can make it with just a little more height. If you can hold me higher for just a few seconds more-"

"-Got it," Kyo replied at once. "Ready for me to let go of your legs?"

"Ready," Machi responded, and she steadied herself as Kyo let go and raised his hands, palm up.

They had some time to make up, and they were going to do it.

As Tohru swung her legs over the wall and carefully stood on the ledge, she glanced over to see Machi start to climb to the top of their wall.

"Machi just got to the top, Yuki!" Tohru immediately exclaimed, and Yuki looked over himself to see Machi pulling herself over.

"Quickly, Miss Honda, lower the rope!"

Tohru did, but they both sighed; the rope only extended less than half of the way down. Still, it was much better than Tohru's arms, and was definitely a great deal safer than her trying to lift Yuki herself.

"Machi is over!" Tohru said, and that was Yuki's cue; they had closed the distance, and they needed to work to keep it.

Machi was just tossing over their rope when she and Kyo heard a splash, followed by a second splash only a moment later.

Great, thought Kyo, gritting his teeth, there really was no avoiding it. If Yuki and Tohru had both jumped in, then the water was either the only option, or the fastest one.

Just what he wanted to do today: go for a swim, fully clothed.

"Look out, Machi," he called out before making a run at the wall, grabbing the rope and hauling himself to the top with practiced ease. Then he perched on top of the wall, surveying what came next.

"So…" said Machi, likewise looking ahead. "We go through the water and then…crawl?" she asked, trying to sound enthusiastic and failing miserably. But she still looked like a ray of sunshine compared to Kyo just then, his expression one of unparalleled disgust as he said,

"Yeah, crawl through the mud."

Kyo hated mud. He didn't mind being sweaty, when it was for a good reason. But he hated being dirty, and he hated mud in particular, which combined dirt and water into an oozy, disgusting cling.

But he'd be damned if he'd let Yuki beat him because of mud. And after a moment of steeling himself for what lay ahead, he looked at Machi, nodded sharply, then took a flying leap.

"That's it, Miss Honda, just right here!" Yuki once more encouraged, holding tightly to Tohru's hand and helping her out of the water. Both of them were drenched and panting, but they didn't have time to rest; they'd gotten ahead of Machi and Kyo, but knew they had to keep moving.

"Ok," Yuki said as he wiped off his face. "Remember, Miss Honda, you want to stay low, or you'll get caught in the net."

Tohru nodded nervously, cinching her ponytail lower as she looked at the cargo net that covered the large patch of mud.

"So we crawl?" she asked, and Yuki hesitated, looking at the net.

"Army crawling, I think, will be the better choice. So instead of on our hands and knees, we'll pull ourselves with our elbows and wiggle our bodies along."

Tohru's eyes widened and she looked back at the mud, trying to imagine just how tiring, and filthy, that would be. But she could see from the height of the net that Yuki was probably right; they either had to crawl under it, or else try to high step along through the net without getting caught in the mud.

Taking a deep breath once more, Tohru nodded her head.

"Army crawl," she repeated. "Alright, Yuki, let's go!"

Machi had to look like a fright; or at the least, a drowned rat. And she was immensely grateful that spectators weren't allowed, because much as she had wanted to do this, she doubted she'd have liked it so much if Kakeru had been watching.

The pool of water had been a shock, starting out. It wasn't as cold as Machi feared, but it was cold enough, and that cold had left her breathless as she tried to swim.

Kyo had looked more upset than she had ever seen him. He'd jumped into the water first and she'd been just behind him, but Kyo had wasted no time in getting the two of them moving. She'd barely broken the surface when he'd latched onto her wrist, towing her through the water with a speed that had impressed her. She'd known he hated the water ever since their group trip to the beach, but she hadn't expected that that meant he actually was a strong swimmer.

Then again, she reflected as they climbed out of the water, he probably just wanted to get out as fast as he could.

"Ok," he told her, letting go of her wrist and wiping his face. "Low and fast, as fast as you can. Got it?"

"Got it," she told him, feeling a little defensive. "I know how to army crawl, we've done it before in PE."

He had the grace to look a little embarrassed at her censure, but then he nodded again.

"Alright, in that case; let's do this, quick as we can!"

Tohru didn't want to think about all the places she had mud, and that was with her skintight clothes doing their best to protect her. Mud coated her front and was up her sleeves and in her hair, on her face and down her shirt and even between her toes.

Later, she knew that she would be a little grossed out by the mud. But right then, there was no time to think if they wanted to keep their lead.

"Tires," murmured Yuki, helping Tohru to her feet, and Tohru had to marvel at how composed Yuki was. He looked just as muddy and terrible as her, but you'd never guess from looking at him, or the way he sounded.

It was oddly encouraging, she thought with a smile; if Yuki could be so blasé about mud, then she could be blasé, too.

Ahead of them, they each had a row of large tires, standing on end, and Tohru looked at Yuki as she brushed mud off her front.

"Are we supposed to climb through them, do you think, Yuki?" she asked, still a little breathless, and Yuki frowned thoughtfully as he looked down their side.

"Yes," he said after a moment, "because they're not touching each other. And they're suspended over more mud," he added ruefully. "So my guess is that we jump, or climb, or otherwise get through them. Try to be careful not to slip," he told her, and Tohru promptly smiled.

"I'll do my best," she told him, and then they were off.

"Ok," said Kyo, waiting for Machi after they'd passed through the tires. "This is our chance to catch up to them, Tohru's really struggling."

Machi nodded, panting, as she looked at the other team, currently trying to cross a pool via giant lily pads. Yuki had already made it across and was encouraging Tohru, but Tohru had just fallen again and was making her way back to the start.

"She's not the best at balancing," Kyo explained to Machi, his expression as he glanced at Tohru a mixture of affection and chagrin. "So as long as we manage this faster, we might be able to pass 'em."

Machi gave Kyo a nod, then sized up her path. And Kyo had just started to say, "Are you re-" when Machi jumped.

The lily pads had grippy tops, but they weren't very big, and Machi felt it wobble beneath her the moment her foot first touched. But she managed to keep her balance, moving into a crouch, and she looked triumphantly back at Kyo as she said, "I think I can do it!"

Kyo had looked surprised at first, but his return grin was pleased. And that was all he needed to take off himself, quickly jumping from pad to pad on the path beside hers. If Machi was a little jealous at how fast he was moving, she didn't let on in the slightest; the important thing was that she kept moving…and tried her best not to fall.

For nearly two hours, both teams fought their way through the course. Occasionally, each team would stop and rest a little between obstacles, but mostly they kept moving, fighting either to stay ahead or to seize the lead.

Tohru, Yuki quickly learned, was best with her upper body. When it came to monkey bars, or jumping and grabbing a rope, she could lock in…fairly well, as long as she committed, and a couple times she actually managed to give him a helping hand.

On the other hand, she was abysmal when it came to balancing, and more than once she ended up on the ground or in the water. Any time there was jumping or balancing involved, the best that the two of them could hope was that Machi and Kyo would get stuck.

Machi, on the other hand, could balance fairly well. Though she wasn't fast, she was very methodical, and she always made sure where she wanted to land before she started moving. The trade-off in her case was her arms weren't nearly as strong, and she struggled with the ropes, the walls, and anything that needed climbing.

For the most part, Yuki and Kyo ran into little trouble, with both boys fairly evenly matched in what they could do. Yuki misjudged a transition once and ended up in the water; Kyo took a few jumps too quickly and ended up in the mud. At a second wall, Machi and Kyo both ended up losing their balance at the top, tumbling over the back of the wall and ending up in the water, and Yuki and Tohru, a couple times, knocked each other into the mud.

By the time the end of the course approached all of them were worn out, especially Tohru and Machi, who had pushed themselves to their limits. All four of them were soaked to the bone, and all of them were filthy, but as they went into the final stretch, all of them were smiling.

"You've got this, Miss Honda, go, go!" Yuki screamed excitedly, pumping his fists as Tohru clawed her way up a climbing wall. "Just a little further, you've nearly got it-"

"-That's it, Machi, just like that!" Kyo yelled beside him, waving Machi on as if his movements would give her speed. "Remember, just grab it and let go, don't try to climb down, just jump!"

Across the pool of water from the boys, Tohru was first to the top. Grabbing her coil of rope Tohru squealed in pure excitement, looking over at Yuki, who was yelling as well.

"Jump, Miss Honda, JUMP!"

Tohru jumped, hitting the water below with an echoing splash, and Yuki raced into the water himself to help pull her out. Meanwhile, Machi had reached the top herself, and with her own rope in hand, jumped in the water, too.

"Hurry, hurry!" Kyo shouted, jumping in after her, helping propel Machi and their rope up out of the water. "You know what to do, yeah?" he asked, looping the rope over her shoulder, and Machi nodded quickly, fighting to catch back her breath.

At that point, they were all used to the water, but getting out was exhausting.

"Same thing as the last wall," she said, looking ahead at the final obstacle with a determined expression. "Run, jump, grab."

"And secure the rope," Kyo repeated. "There isn't one on this wall already, so you've gotta put this one through that pillar standing up on top. Make sure the knot's on the back side, drop the other end to me, and then we'll be golden."

"We'll be golden," Machi repeated, giving Kyo a high five, then Kyo was sprinting for the wall like Yuki already had.

Just like before, Machi told herself, taking a deep breath. There had been two other walls earlier in the course; this was almost identical, and they'd handle it the same way: exactly the way that Tohru and Yuki had handled the very first. Run, step into Kyo's linked hands, take the boost…and fly.

"Go go go!"

"You've got this, Miss Honda!"

"Don't drop the rope!"

"Catch! Don't worry, just catch!"

"Look out!

"Move outta the way!"

"You can do it, just pull-"

Then, in a sudden flurry of calm….everything was over.

All four of them lay sprawled on the floor beyond the final wall, all of them sweaty, muddy, and damp, and feeling utterly spent.

But all four of them had huge smiles on their faces that weren't going away.

"Holy shit, Tohru," said Kyo to his girlfriend, beaming as he hugged her, "you were amazing out there, you know that? More'n one time, I was sure you'd skip something, but you never did."

"And neither did you," said Yuki, cuddling Machi close. "More than that, you were incredible! Did you know before today that you could walk a balance beam?"

"Not exactly," Machi said, blushing, but pleased with herself. "Obviously we've done something similar in PE, but it was never so narrow."

"Seriously," Kyo told Tohru, "that first time he tossed you? I looked over just in time to see you go up in the air, and if Machi wasn't on my shoulders, I probably would've jumped after you. But you just went for it, Tohru; you are fucking fierce!"

"Both of them are fierce," laughed Yuki, squeezing Machi once more. "I think that today proved that, in spades, and if I ever found myself needing a partner for this sort of thing again, I would be proud to have either one of you ladies on my team."

"Ditto," Kyo agreed, kissing Tohru's temple but looking over at Machi. "This was a lot more fun'n I was expecting," he admitted, looking around. "Don't think that means I wanna go again, because I really don't, but considering how messy this whole damn thing was…it was pretty fun."

"Yes," agreed Tohru, beaming from ear to ear. "I wish I hadn't fallen so much," she admitted, looking apologetically at Yuki, "but it was fun to do something so different than what we've normally done."

"Though this isn't all that different for you, is it actually, Miss Honda? You two have gone rock climbing before, a couple times, haven't you?"

"Well, yes," Tohru said, "but there's a big difference between climbing with a harness, and climbing to jump into the water!"

"Seriously," grumbled Kyo, half playful and half serious. "My biggest gripe about this place is definitely the water."

"Not the mud?" asked Tohru, and Kyo made a face, provoking even more laughter as he said,

"Water, and the mud, too."

After they'd rested, they parted ways to shower and change their clothes, then emerged, fresh and clean and ready to be on their way.

"Thank you for visiting," said the employee waiting to see them out. "Did you make sure to collect your time sheet when you finished your race?"

The four of them all looked at each other, each of them still smiling. Then Yuki looked at the employee, saying, "Thank you, but we're good."

Their finish had been so chaotic that none of them had paid attention to which boy made it up first; it had been so close that none of the four of them actually knew. And once they’d actually realized that…they realized none of them cared. For all that it had started out as competition, in the end, 'who won' didn't matter.

So nobody looked at the timesheet, as no one saw any need to. They had made it through the course, and all of them were proud…

And all of them were ready to finally sit and have some lunch.

"You know," said Yuki, taking Machi's hand as they left the facility, "I don't think I've ever felt hungrier than I do right now."

"Yeah," Kyo agreed, falling in step beside Tohru and promptly taking hers. "Almost like we worked up an appetite, somehow."

"Almost," Tohru said cheerfully, giggling at Kyo. "What sounds good to you, Machi?" she asked. "I'm open to whatever!"

As they fell into discussion about where to eat, Machi looked around at their group with a happy smile. She had initially been nervous about this entire thing; a double date with Tohru and Kyo was not for the faint of heart. But she had had a wonderful time, and Kyo had been a great partner; as strange as it felt to admit it, she doubted Yuki could have been better.

And as she looked at the three of them, she felt a little pang. She would miss them all, she realized, once they graduated. Yuki by far the worst, of course, but she would miss Tohru and Kyo: two people who had been kind to her, from the very beginning.

There was one week until graduation, and after that, they would move; the three of them, anyway, while Machi herself would stay.

All the more reason, she told herself, to enjoy today; with the boyfriend she loved, and the friends she liked, while she still had the chance.

"I'm open to whatever, too," she assured the others. "Whatever the rest of you think sounds good, I think that I'll like, too!"

"So, was the double date everything you hoped it would be?" Kyo asked Tohru later that day when they were back at the house. Once more, it was just the two of them; Yuki had gone to Machi's again, and Shigure was who-knew-where. But both of them were glad for the chance to be alone; as satisfying as the day had been, it had also been exhausting.

Kyo technically hadn't needed to ask; her answer had been obvious. But he always loved to see how she smiled when talking about things that she loved.

"It was so, so wonderful," Tohru sighed happily, snuggling up at Kyo's side with a contented expression. "And on that note, thank you," she said, leaning up to kiss him. "I know that nothing about today was what you would have chosen."

"Nope," Kyo promptly agreed, and Tohru smiled ruefully, but the blow was softened by the fact that Kyo was still smiling himself. "I'm never gonna voluntarily wannna share my dates. I already share you so damn much of the time that if it was up to me, I'd always keep you to myself. This isn't me complaining," he said before she could apologize. "I know a lot's due to graduation, and everything that comes after. But you're my favorite, Tohru, and you'll always be my favorite; of course I'd rather go out with just you than go out with you and Yuki."

"But you did have fun today," she said, playfully but also a touch anxious, and Kyo's smile became a grin as he squeezed her again.

"I had fun today," he confirmed, making Tohru beam. "I could've done without the water, and without the mud, but overall, I had a good time. Machi was a good partner and together, we did ok."

"I'm glad you were having fun," Tohru told him happily. "Machi looked like she had fun, too, and that made me so happy!"

"I know I don't gotta ask if you had fun with Yuki," Kyo told her teasingly, and Tohru promptly giggled.

"When Uo-chan told me about the tickets and asked if we might be interested, at first I thought 'there's just no way,'" she admitted with a smile. "I couldn't see Yuki being interested in that kind of thing, and I assumed that you would reject it, too, so there was no point in wondering."

"Yeah, well, I would've," said Kyo, "if I'd actually read the damn webpage. Lesson learned for next time, I guess."

"But you still had fun," she repeated, and he laughed as he confirmed,

"Yeah, I still had fun. And it was definitely something, seeing you in that outfit!"

At the reminder of her leggings, Tohru promptly blushed, and Kyo's grin deepened into something a lot more devilish.

"What, you don't agree that it was something?"

"I agree it was different," she told him, still blushing, but with a smile. That outfit had been practical, but far out of her comfort zone, and she couldn't say she expected to wear it again anytime soon.

"Different's one word for it," Kyo agreed, nuzzling into her hair. "Next time, you girls oughtta warn us before you do things like that."

"You've seen me in a swimsuit, Kyo," laughed Tohru, "and in...even less!"

"Yeah, but there's this thing called 'place and time,' you know," he told her virtuously. "The swimsuit I always expected, 'cause we were at the beach, and the 'even less,'" he paused at that, giving her a grin, then continued, "is always in private, so that's a little different."

"So you didn't expect Machi and I to dress for the obstacle course? You're the one who said at the house you didn't agree with my dress!"

"Yeah, of course I expected...something, I just didn't expect that!"

"Why not?"

"'Cause those clothes looked like they were painted on, and neither of you dresses like that?"

Tohru was still giggling and leaned closer to Kyo. "Well, today, I did."

"Today you did," he agreed, smiling down at her. "Today you did a lotta things...and you were a total badass."

"A badass?" she asked, trying and failing to hide her pleasure at that particular description, and Kyo nodded, grinning back as he started to list on his fingers.

"You let Yuki throw you into the air, multiple times. Jumped down off things that were crazy high. Crawled through the mud without hesitating. Pulled yourself up and over shit that had me second-guessing."

Tohru was still beaming as Kyo pulled her into his lap. "I've always known you were fierce," he told her with a smile. "So yeah, it was pretty cool, Yuki seeing that, too."

Tohru preened a little bit, then looked up at Kyo. "And Machi...she was a badass too, don't you think so, Kyo?"

"Oh yeah," he agreed at once. "Ratboy's made a good choice there. Not that he deserves her," he said, "but it's not like I deserve you."

"I disagree," she told him. "We all deserve each other, and I'm very happy for us."

A similar conversation was happening as Yuki and Machi walked home, heading back to Machi's place where Yuki was spending the night.

"So what are our feelings on obstacle courses?" he asked her with a smile. "Either today's in specific, or the idea in general?"

Machi considered the question as they walked along, hand-in-hand. That had become a ritual whenever they went on a date; after the 'activity' was over they always discussed it, with both of them airing their thoughts about which parts had been good or bad.

"Overall, I liked it," she said, looking over at Yuki. "I don't think that it's something I would want to do very often, but once in a while, as something different? I think it could be fun."

"What did you like about it, exactly?" Yuki asked curiously, and Machi smiled shyly as she looked down at the ground.

"I liked...that I could do it," she admitted, peeking at him. "I wasn't sure if I could at first, so seeing I could...that was nice. And having Kyo assume I could...that was really nice, too."

There was a little pause after that, but Yuki understood. With so many people in her life assuming she was incapable, he knew just how much it meant when people assumed that she wasn't.

And whatever Kyo's other faults, he had believed she was capable. He had been a good teammate for her, and Yuki was grateful for that.

"I'm glad you had a good time," he said, squeezing Machi's hand. "You two certainly worked well together, and that was great to see."

Machi turned her shy smile to him, and warmth spread over her face. "Really?"

"Really. As much as I enjoyed the exercise, I loved watching you more," Yuki told her affectionately, and Machi felt her cheeks heat.

"I don't think you were supposed to stare," she told Yuki primly, and Yuki raised a brow before laughing and saying,

"Not like that. Though I'll admit that outfit looked good on you, on a related note."

Machi promptly swatted at him, and Yuki dodged with another laugh.

"What? I'm just pointing out the obvious...but I promise, I didn't ogle. Not when we were running, at least. Then, my admiration was purely for your ability."

Machi smiled a little self-consciously, and Yuki smiled back.

"You really did wonderfully, Machi, and that was great to see. And I did enjoy myself, beyond just watching you."

"I loved watching you too," she said, almost blurting it out. "I know you're good from Sports Day, of course, but this was something different. I liked seeing you covered in mud," she admitted, then blushed as he stared. "Because it was so different for you!" she hastily explained. "Not because of anything weird, it's just...you're always so clean! But then you were all muddy and gross-"

"-I'm sorry, gross?" said Yuki, and Machi started to panic. But then she realized he was smiling, and she smiled in relief.

Of course he was teasing her, horrible man he could be.

"Yes, gross," she told him. "You were covered in mud!"

"Do you really have to say 'gross?'"

"What would you call it?"

"Muddy?"

Machi gave him an exasperated look, and Yuki promptly laughed.

"Forgive me for not wanting to use a word that refers to garbage."

"I wasn't calling you garbage," she grumbled, and Yuki laughed again.

"I know you weren't," he agreed, "but I had to point it out."

"For someone who always says he wants to hear my honest opinions, you make it very hard sometimes by picking my words apart."

"I'm sorry," said Yuki contritely. "So fine: you liked I was gross."

"Because of the mud-" she began, then broke off, blushing at Yuki's sly smile, and she gave him a shove before she continued, raising her nose in the air. "I had a lot of fun today. I don't think I want to do this again, not for a while, anyway, because it was really exhausting and I know I'm going to be sore. But I would be up for doing something like this again in the future. Maybe just the two of us," she told him with a smile.

"I think that could be fun," he agreed, smiling back at her. "As much as Kyo and Miss Honda were excellent partners today, I would be happy to try my hand at tossing you over a wall. I like to think you'd have a harder time of knocking me over than you did Kyo."

Machi promptly blushed at that, thinking back to the second wall: she had tried to help pull Kyo to the top, but had pulled too hard, resulting in both of them tumbling over the top and falling into the water.

At least they'd fall down the back of the wall and not the front.

But after a moment she lifted her chin and looked at Yuki defiantly. "Maybe you I'll just push," she said, and Yuki laughed once more. Then he squeezed her hand as he said,

"I'd like to see you try."

"Don't worry," she told him confidently. "I will, and that's the truth."

"Well, here's another truth," he said. "I had fun today, Machi, and I owe a lot to you. Thank you for agreeing to this, and for helping push me into trying something so unusual. Kyo and I are both lucky to have Miss Honda and you."

As Yuki smiled at her, he radiated love and affection, and Machi felt that love surround her like a cozy cocoon.

She hated the fact that in a mere few weeks, those moments would end; Yuki would be in Kyoto, and she would still be there. She would be lying if she said the idea didn't scare her; that she feared Yuki, once he spread his wings, would actually leave her behind.

However, she wasn't going to let those fears ruin this moment. For now, Yuki was right there, holding her hand and smiling.

And right now, she could almost believe that this would last forever...

"We're both lucky to have you, too...and we always will be."

Always and forever, or for as long as it lasted.