Kyo Sohma ran through the brush to a small clearing where his 'cousin' Yuki squatted over the girl's body. The second Kyo came out of the bush and saw Tohru Honda, on the ground, bloody, his heart stopped, sputtered, and restarted over and over again.
Thiscan'tbehappeningthisisunabletohappenwhytohrushedidn'tdoanything, were the thoughts running through his head. Tohru did nothing to deserve this kind of cruel punishment.
"T...? Tohru...?" He kneeled down before her limp body and stretched his arm out to touch the one he loved.
"Don't touch her," came Yuki's voice from a few feet away. "Don't, okay? I think... She hit her head pretty hard." Kyo placed his hand under her hair, but extracted when something wet and sticky oozed onto his fingers. The familiar smell of blood hit his nose, and his eyes widened in fear and shock.
"W-Wait. Wait. Wait! No!" Kyo yelled, not believing what happened then. "This is all wrong! This... This isn't what I wanted! Tohru! Wait! This...!" Tears dripped down his nose onto Tohru's soft cheek. He sucked in his breath, trying to control himself, like he learned in the mountains. Showing weakness is only accepted when you are alone, was a lesson his Sensei had taught him.
Kyo suddenly remembered how the two met.
~Flashback~
Kyo came bursting through the door, his fists raised. "Haha, Yuki! I'll finally beat you!" He jabbed the air a few times, not noticing the timid brunette girl behind him.
"I-I... Um..." The girl said, towel in her hands. She tripped on a loose board, falling into the back of Kyo, and her arms wrapped around him to keep herself from falling. A large cloud of mist filled the room, and when the fog lifted, a small orange cat was lying in Tohru's arms.
"Wha..?! I pressed a button and he turned into a cat?! Oh, what did I do?!?" Tohru exclaimed, and Shigure and Yuki knelt down to comfort her.
She felt faint, and leaned forward into the two in front of her. Yuki and Shigure-san turned into a rat and dog with the same white mist.
"This is all your fault, you dumb rat!" The orange cat said, his hackles rising. The animal sounded like Kyo-kun. The rat was sitting calmly on the dog's head.
"Now, now, Kyo, it's not his fault," the dog said. "Yuki-kun, I believe it was his fault for bursting in unannounced." The eyes of the dog slid up to meet the rat's.
"Yes, yes, Shigure-san," the rat agreed. Meanwhile, Tohru was practically hyperventilating, staring at the animals in the room. Then, the doorbell rang.
She collected the animals into her hands and ran to the door, flinging it open. There stood the mailman.
"Mr. Mailman, Mr. Mailman! Help! They turned into animals!" Tohru yelled. The postal worker gave a chuckle.
"I didn't know the Sohma's owned pets," he said, giving Tohru a bill and a magazine. "Well, here ya go! Good-bye!" The man closed the door, and Tohru placed a hand on her head.
The Sohmas then explained the rules of the Zodiac to a poor Tohru.
~End Flashback~
"Tohru, Tohru, Tohru," Kyo whimpered, and placed a hand on her waist. He leaned down in front of her, and buried his face into her warm, vanilla-and-strawberry scented neck, the only thing that could calm him down. The smell of home, the smell of her. Two very different things that were now very alike.
I love her.
Oh, man, I love her.
Everything about her.
Her neck, her face, her feelings, her body, her love.
Every-frickin'-thing.
I love you, Tohru Honda.
Always had, always will.
A gentle hand reached up and caressed Kyo's face, knocking him out of his epiphany. Kyo was speechless as Tohru's blue eyes met his own.
"Tohru...? Tohru..." He whispered, grateful she was okay. Yuki watched silently near the brush where Kyo had come from.
"It's... Okay." She whispered quietly, so quiet Kyo had to lean in some. Tears fell out of her eyes, falling against her temples onto the blood-stained grass. It took Kyo a while to realize he was crying also. "It's..... Okay." Tohru whispered again, a simple phrase, but sounded like the Twelve Labors Of Hercules when she spoke it.
Yuki turned and walked out of the clearing. He was jealous of Kyo, so very jealous. He loved Tohru first, he was the first Sohma she met. But soon after his confession, he had met Machi, and all other old feelings for anyone was lost. And he also realized that Kyo and Tohru belonged together.
Kyo grabbed Tohru's small hand in his own carefully. "...Okay. That's enough. I get it. It's okay." Kyo got on all fours around Tohru, hovering over her frail body. "Just... Stop talking."
Then, he placed a hand on Tohru's other side, leaned in, and kissed her without any doubts at all.
Tohru, Tohru, Tohru.
I love you.
It may not seem that way....
But this time, I'm not disillusioned.