Chapter 1

From New York to Los Angeles

Author's Note I: Hi readers! I'm back with the next installment of Kyo and Tohru's love story. I know it's been a while, but here's a summary of the first installment.

Tohru was a young adult who was attracted to a senior of hers in University. She never knew that 5 years later, they would meet each other at a bar and one thing led to another… The morning after that heated event, Tohru received a call about her mother being sent to the hospital. A tragedy was that her mother could not be saved. That day, Tohru decided to change her name, change her hair and live with a new identity named: Anastasia. However, she did not know that she would soon have a baby bump; and Grace would be born…

There you have it! A summary of the first installment. I hope you will continue reading this story and seek out how the two characters would end up. Without further ado, here is chapter 1. Happy reading!

PRESENT DAY - May 21, 2027

It was four in the morning when I was suddenly woken up by a nightmare. I looked around and saw the blinds opened slightly as the sun sought through the window. To my left, I felt my fiancée dozed off as her arms were wrapped around my chest. In a way that her arms were around me made me feel safe and fine. But then I remembered the nightmare, and suddenly, I felt a pain in my chest. I also started coughing very loudly that my fiancée woke up too. I continued coughing as I got up from bed and into the washroom.

"Darling dear, are you alright?" I don't respond. I keep coughing. After what seemed like a long time, I got out of the washroom with everything stripped except a towel around my waist. I replied back.

"Kagura, I'm fine now."

"What was that? Are you getting a cold?"

"I don't know. I had a nightmare."

"A nightmare What was it about?" I scratched my head.

"I can't remember now. But I know that it was brutal." Kagura's expression went from surprised to scrunching her face to a warm loving expression. She invited me back on the bed and stroke my orange hair.

"There, there! I'm right here. You don't need to be afraid." I laid down on her lap as I felt the warmth of her body and her breathing as I close my eyes and drift off to sleep.

That short girl with chocolaty brown hair smiled as she called out: "Daddy?" It made Kyo freeze on spot. What was the most freaky thing was that the girl's eyes were ruby red just like his... From afar, a woman with jet black hair covered her face and was behind the little girl...

"Kyo! Kyo! Kyo my darling!" I suddenly open my eyes as I heard my fiancée call me. I did not realize that I was sweating in my sleep and breathing heavily.

"Are you alright? Did you have the same nightmare?" I got up.

"No, I don't think so. This time, I remember my nightmare..." I explained the scene to Kagura. Kagura frowned.

"What do you think that means?"

"I don't know."

PAST - APRIL 27, 2027

That day, I was on the phone with my fiancée of 2 weeks in LaGuardia Airport, NY.

"Darling, did you bring your mint?"

"Yes."

"What about your clean briefs? I see that you have a couple at home."

"Yes. I did bring some. Kagura, please, you don't need to be so worried. I've got everything I need for my conference. You should tell me to review some notes for the meeting. That's actually important."

"To me, the important thing is your hygiene. I don't want my fiancé, a speaker for the Psychological Association conference to smell bad and be rumored that you stink. You are a high-class Sir; so you should be treated as one." I chuckled.

"Of course, mawther."

"HEY! I'm your soon-to-be wife. I want some respect from you."

"mmph."

"Huh? Did you say that you love me? Aww!" I heard Kagura squeal. I cleared my throat.

"Yes. I heard you. Now, can I go. I need to really review my notes before the people at the desk start calling the flight numbers." As I heard my soon-to-be wife hang up the phone, I also hung up and took out my notebook. I was about to read my first phrase on the page when I realized that there was a young girl with ruby red eyes and brown chocolaty hair staring at me. The girl was holding the side of my pants as if her life depended on it. I was about to kneel down to ask where her parents were; but she spoke first.

"Daddy?" .. ... ... I froze on spot. Shocked internally. It really scared me. But a woman with long black hair and a black satin veil covering her face hurriedly grabbed the kid.

"I'm sorry." She whispered.

"Is this your child? Don't leave her wondering around..." She seemed to ignore my comment and avoid facing me as she tried to pick up her daughter. She uttered some phrases to her daughter but the kid loudly spoke.

"But mommy, why can't we talk to daddy..."

"Darling, that's not daddy." The adult said.

"I know my daddy, he is my daddy. He is my daddy! He has the same eyes as me. I know he's my daddy." The kid was going out of control as she tried to escape from her mother's grips. I looked around and the people around us were staring. I didn't want the kid to start crying so I tapped on the kid's shoulder. The kid looked at me.

"Here, have this. It's a mint."

"For me?" I nodded.

"Thank you." The two respondents answered. I turned around to put my notebook away.

"No problem. You're kid is very cute." When I turned back towards the two; they were gone. Hmm?

In the airplane, I was seated near the window, which I frowned because it's nice and all to look out the window, but it would be bothersome to wanting to get out of my seat. I actually have a few bad memories of it. Some memories were having an unconscious bad-breathed woman leaning on me; and another time was when a man threw up as he was looking over my shoulder to the window. I muttered to myself:

"I should've just gave up my seat that time."

"Oh it's you again. Daddy!" I turned around and realized that it's the little girl again.

"Hi little girl, my name's Kyo, what's your name?" As I introduced myself to the girl, the mother seemed like she let out a small gasp. I then looked at her and took my hand out.

"Nice to meet you." She nodded as she left me hanging.

"I'm Grace! Daddy? is it alright if I sit near the window? I really like the window seat."

"Grace!" The mother hissed.

"It's alright. She could have the seat. I actually don't really like that seat."

"Then why did you book it?" The mother asked snobbishly. I remembered the booking scenario as Kagura was on the computer booking my plane seats.

"Kyo, dear. I'm going to book your seats alright?"

"Sure. But I warn you; no window seats, and I want the cheapest price." I told her as I vacuumed the floor. vroooo... vroooo...

"What? You want window seats?" After a few minutes. "Alright! Done. I booked your seats. You're gonna love it!" [Flashback over]

"Umm... Kyo?" I looked at the kid.

"yeah?"

"Thank you." She hugged me.

"Aww, that's sweet. But excuse me, there are still passengers boarding the plane. Please take your seats." A flight attendant said.

"Oh sorry!" I smiled as I let the woman with jet black hair and a veil covering her face sit in the middle seat.

"Um? I think you're mistaken. That isn't my seat." She said.

"You wouldn't want to be separated from your kid no?" The woman crinkled her nose in a way that made me smile.

"Right. I guess not." She said haughtily. That's what I thought; I thought as she sat in the middle seat and I sat near the aisle; Just the way I liked it. I started to put on my earphones ready to sleep through the flight. However, as I was about to doze off, something caught my eyes.

"Umm.. what are you doing?" I asked the woman beside me as she seemed to build a wall from using her veil. She seemed like she didn't hear me or was ignoring me.

"Are you from the Eastern Asia?"

"Yes, and I have a tradition that I am not allowed to look at men. The Gods are watching."

"But mom... we don't-"

"Shhh..." I peaked over the veiled wall and saw that the mother was comforting her daughter as she murmurs into her daughter's ears. I shook my head. I had a feeling that the mother was either teasing me or actually believed in that tradition. I do respected her beliefs; but I did not feel comfortable having a wall in between us. So I took it down.

"Um, EXCUSE ME! I'm being exposed here?" The mother declared in a loud voice; a few people looked at the scene.

"Oops, it fell. Sorry about that. But it was really in the way of my personal space. I need to be comfortable on this flight, and having that is an obstruction of my private space."

"What?" The mother seemed confused.

"Like I said..." I was about to repeat it, but the little girl jumped the gun.

"Mommy..." Grace grabbed her mother's attention for a few minutes. But then, the mother turned at me and glared angrily. Oops, maybe I pushed her a little too far.

"Hmph!" She turned away without saying another word.

It was a few hours on the plane, everything was dark when I felt a nudge on my shoulder a couple of times. The nudges slowly woke me up.

"Honey? Is it morning yet?" I asked.

"No. And I'm not your honey. I need to use the rest room. Could you please let me out." The woman got up from her seat, waiting for me to respond. I looked at her: her hair was messy from her sleep; the brown eyes were bloodshot like she didn't get enough sleep; and she was wearing all black satin. In a way, I kind of sneaked a peak of her white skin on her legs, which was not completely covered.

"Excuse me? May I go now?" She asked again. I gave her my attention and got up.

"What about Grace?"

"She's asleep. I trust you enough that you won't hurt her nor take her away."

"What if I do?" I challenged her.

"Take her away or hurt her? Either way, it will create a commotion; and last time I checked, you're not really a Give-me-the-attention kind of guy." Wow, didn't peg her as an observer woman. "So, I suggest not." The mother finished. Woah! I can't believe she treated my joke seriously. She still warn me. I got up; and let her pass by. But as I moved, I accidentally, brushed my knees against her thighs, and I felt something. I looked at her as she seemed to feel the same feeling. There was a pause in space for only the two of us. But it quickly ended as she diverted her eyes away from me and headed to the restroom. I sat at my seat as I thought about what just happened. I looked at the sleeping kid; the way that her hair was brown; how could the mother's hair be black if her hair was brown? They are biological no? And why is that the ruby red eyes so familiar? I looked away and tried to focus on my presentation for the conference.

When the mother came back, I was dozing off.

"Uh-hum..." I was triggered by the sound as I woke up again. When I looked up, and saw the woman, I decided to not say anything and let her sit back in her seat.

"Thanks." She said, which seems like she was no longer upset.

A few more hours passed by as I slept and woke up frequently. I had my eyes closed as I listened deeply to Sinestra's song. Suddenly, I felt a head resting on my shoulder; a tinted lemon and cherry perfume engulfed my senses. Oh my! Who is this woman? This fragrance... I murmured.

"Cherry Princess L'Occitane en Provence" My heartbeat skippins so fast that I felt like I knew this woman, but on the other hand, I don't recognize her. Who was that woman who always had this perfume? The memory and sensation of this fragrance really messed up my mind and I had no control over my body. My whole body was flaming hot with just a sniff of that fragrance. How am I supposed to be calm now?

Author's Note II: hehe… so how was it? Pretty good? pretty bad? Leave a review please. If not that's fine too! I do have something else to tell you. Some parts of the story plot will be alluded to songs that you've may have heard of. (I'm actually gonna make it a thing to include some influence of songs in the story)

Can you guess how many there are in this chapter? And name them? Song name + singer please.

N.B. Answers will be posted on the next chapter. Stay tune!