When Tohru stopped crying, she pulled away slightly, wiping her eyes. Kyo still had one arm around her shoulder, and, when Tohru's hand dropped to her lap, cupped her face with his free hand, wiping away stray tears with his thumb.
'Feeling okay?'
Tohru nodded, then stopped. 'Kyo-kun…' she said, 'you…held me.'
She's not stuttering, like normal, Kyo thought. 'Yeah,' he said to her. 'The Sohmas have long known falling in love with the right people will break the curse.' They stood up, then Kyo leaned closer, holding her head in both hands. He pulled her foreword, his lips brushing hers,. As she accepted the kiss, his arms travelled down her back to pull her into him, as her arms, wrapped around his neck, did the same.
Shigure heard laughing coming from outside. Curious, he looked out the window that overlooked the path into the forest. Coming down it were Tohru and Kyo, engaged so deeply in conversation they didn't notice anything else. Shigure couldn't help the look of shock that formed on his face; never before had Kyo conversed with anyone so freely. He smiled. Kids.
Yuki arrived not long after. 'Hey,' he said to Shigure, who looked up from the newspaper he was reading. 'Hello, Yuki-kun,' he said, smiling. 'Do you have a minute? I just want to ask you something.' Yuki, perplexed, sat at the other end of the table. 'What is it?'
'It's probably nothing,' Shigure said, staring at the table top. 'How've Kyo-kun and Tohru-kun been acting at school lately?'
'How do you mean,' Yuki asked, leaning foreword. He intertwined his fingers, and rested his chin on them.
'Well,' Shigure said, 'this morning, I saw Tohru-kun running up to the house and going down the path to the woods. Kyo-kun was following her. Not long before you came, Yuki-kun, I saw them coming up to the house, talking. This is where it gets weird, though – they were both laughing.'
'Yuki covered his mouth with the side of his fist. 'That doesn't sound like Kyo…'
'I know,' Shigure said, equally confused. 'That's why I asked what they're like at school.'
'Same as always,' Yuki said,' but that's not the point. I understand Honda-san laughing, but the only times I've seen Kyo acting even remotely like that is when he's with Shihan…'
When Yuki looked up, he was startled to see how troubled Shigure looked as he gazed out the window, a slight breeze from the opposite direction blowing his hair into his, for once, serious face.
'So you want me to help?'
'Yeah,' Shigure said, his arm tired from holding the phone up to his ear. He leaned it on his desk. 'Just invite them over or something; say anything you want, but I need answers on this one.'
'You sound serious, Shigure-san. Very well; I'll do as you ask.'
Shigure sighed, and pushed his glasses further up his nose. 'Thanks,' he said, and hung up.
Yuki saw Kyo closing the door behind them. His uniform shirt fluttered, the shirt under it molded to his body shape. The white of their uniform shirts betrayed their trip to the woods.
Kyo had his arm leaning against the door, and Tohru was smiling up at him. Shigure's right, Yuki thought. This is really weird.
