Note: WOW! 18 reviews for chapter 5. That's the most I've gotten for this story so far, so thank you to everyone who took the time to read and review for chapter 5! I'm sorry for the slow update, but I really wanted to finish my other oneshot before I started chapter 6.
Replies: I won't be replying to every review, only certain ones. Please don't be upset if I didn't respond to yours, but these were reviews that I felt needed responding to.
tohruhonda10: Thank you and I would be happy to help you with story ideas!
LilyRedHead: I can see Shigure doing that. I wonder what he's telling her when mommy and daddy aren't around? Thank you, I'm glad that you thought it was cute!
mimie-roo: Thank you for the review! I redefined awesome? XD I only wish I was that cool.
remedysmind: I know...I forgot that a four year old was telling it when I was writing it. Then I reread it and was like, "Oops." XD But I didn't think anyone would really care. Thanks for the review!
Kyonkichi-san: THANK YOU! :D I am thrilled to be your favorite author and that you love the story and the chapter so much!!
Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket.
How I Met Your Mother
Chapter Six: Important
It was an unusually busy Friday morning in the Sohma household. Kyo had taken the day off so that he could go with Tohru and Kyoko to visit Yuki. The family was running around trying to get ready so they could leave.
Tohru was in Kyoko's room, pulling clothes out of the dresser and the closet. Kyoko was standing beside her, offering her opinion on what her mother was picking out.
"What about this one?" Tohru pulled out a tiny pink dress with lots of ruffles.
Kyoko shook her head, "It's too girly. How am I supposed to play in that?"
Tohru felt a bead of sweat role down the back of her head. She found it a bit ironic that someone who was as interested in romance as Kyoko, would reject an outfit because it was 'too girly'. But that was just Kyo's genes shining through. Tohru knew her husband preferred clothes that were simple and easy to move around in, so she guessed her daughter felt the same way.
Tohru rummaged through the closet, searching for another dress. Kyoko tugged on her mother's skirt, "Why do I have to get all dressed up? Uncle Yuki and Aunt Machi don't care..."
Her mother's head poked out of the closet, a sheepish smile plastered on her face, "Don't you want to look nice for Daisuke?"
Kyoko pouted a little, her tiny arms folding across her chest. Daisuke was Yuki and Machi's son. He was a year younger then Kyoko, and just like her, he was mature for his age. Kyoko uncrossed her arms and whined, "Do I have to?"
Tohru didn't miss the opportunity and quickly answered, "Yes, you do."
"Fine." Kyoko huffed and Tohru beamed, returning to her search.
She pulled out a pale yellow tank dress, which had a bows on the straps. She handed it to her daughter and helped her put it on. Once Kyoko was fully dressed, Tohru pulled her daughter's short hair into two little pigtails.
"You look so cute, Kyoko-chan!" Tohru cooed, pulled lightly on one of her pigtails.
"Let me see," A deeper voice said from the doorway. Tohru and Kyoko looked up to see Kyo leaning into the room. Kyoko tried unsuccessfully to hide behind her mother. Her father chuckled and walked into the room.
He wrapped an arm around his wife's slender waist, peering over her shoulder and down at his daughter, "What's wrong, Kyoko?"
"I look like a girl." She muttered into her mother's legs and Kyo laughed. He patted her head. Kyo released his hold on Tohru and hoisted Kyoko up into his arms.
He turned back to Tohru, "Are you ready?"
"Mhm," Tohru smiled, brushing a few strands of hair behind her ears. "Let's go."
--
Tohru looked down at the tiny slip of paper in her hands. Yuki's address was scribbled on it in messy handwriting. She looked over at Kyo, who was standing beside her and holding Kyoko, "I think this is the place, Kyo-kun."
She reached up tentatively and knocked on the door twice. After a moment, when nobody answered the door, Kyoko began to struggle in Kyo's arms. She managed to jump down and started banging on the door, "Uncle Yuki! We're here!"
Tohru snatched her up, shushing her. Kyo sighed and rubbed his forehead. Kyoko glared at the door, a tiny pout on her lips, "Well, we've been waiting!"
"I know but-" Tohru's chiding was cut off by the sound of the door opening.
Machi stood in the doorway, wiping her hands on a towel. She was wearing a pair of faded jeans and a plain green t-shirt. Her hair had been pulled back into a half ponytail. Tohru thought that she look tired, but Machi smiled at them anyway, "Hello..."
Machi's smile quickly faded and Kyo muttered something about how she hadn't changed much. Tohru smiled awkwardly, inwardly agreeing that Yuki's wife was still quiet like she used to be.
Machi stepped to the side, allowing the three of them into her house. They followed her through a tiny hallway. Tohru's eyes wandered as they went. There was a small set of stairs near the front door. Further down the hall were some doors, and at the end was a large archway. They walked under the arch and into what Tohru and Kyo guessed was the living room. Tohru let out a small gasp when they entered.
The room was a complete disaster, a mess. There were toys piled high in one corner of the room, and more scattered about on the floor, allowing only a bit of the light wood floor to poke through. A table sat in the middle of the room, covered with silverware. Tohru was relieved that the bowls and plates at least looked clean. A bunch of blue and green pillows surrounded the table.
"What the hell is all this?" Kyo muttered, setting his daughter down on an empty space on the floor. Kyoko kicked the toys with her feet.
"Sorry," Machi grumbled under her breath.
Tohru's eyes roved over the messy room until they landed on a doorway. She smiled when her eyes locked with who was standing in it.
"Yuki-kun!" She beamed, making her way through the toy jungle and over to her friend.
Yuki was standing in the entrance way, a smile on his handsome face. Like, Kyo he hadn't really changed much over the years. His gray hair was a little longer then it was in their high school days, and Tohru thought that he looked more and more like Ayame, but she didn't dare tell Yuki that.
"Nice to see you, Tohru..." He still said her name somewhat awkwardly. He wasn't used to calling her by her first name, but after she got married, he didn't have much choice. He couldn't exactly call her 'Honda-san' anymore.
"You too," She chirped, finally making her way through the sea of toys and over to his side. It was when she stopped that she noticed someone standing beside Yuki.
Daisuke stood next to his father, hiding slightly behind his legs. He poked his head out to the side, revealing large violet eyes that were concealed by thick, dark lashes. He smiled shyly at Tohru, who patted him on the head, rubbing his thick, messy, gray-brown locks of hair.
"Daisuke-kun, you've gotten taller," She said cheerfully. She thought that he looked just like his father, like a beautiful prince, and all the girls would be swooning over him in a few years.
And just like his father, he was very shy and quiet. Yuki had once told Tohru that he had trouble making friends and that the only person he thought Daisuke was comfortable with was Kyoko.
"So..." Kyo trailed off, his crimson eyes roving around the room. "Can we sit down or what?"
"Of course," Yuki replied, his teeth grit because of Kyo's rudeness. He cleared a path with his feet, and directed them to the table. Everyone plopped down around it, Kyoko and Daisuke sitting in their fathers' laps.
"I didn't really get a good chance to talk to you last time, Tohru. What's new?" Yuki asked politely, his hand resting on his son's head. Daisuke didn't seem to notice; he was too focused on Kyoko.
"Mommy and Daddy have been telling me fun stories," Kyoko interjected in a matter-of-fact tone. "I even made up one to tell them."
Kyo grimaced and Tohru laughed lightly. Kyoko looked at her mother with confused eyes, but her attention swung back around when Daisuke finally spoke, "What kind of stories?"
"You wouldn't get it..." The little girl answered calmly, "It's like Cinderella-san and her prince."
"I would get it," Daisuke challenged, but his voice was only a whisper. "Do you get it?"
"Yeah!" Kyoko stuck her tongue out at him.
Yuki watched the exchange with raised eyebrows, and then he looked at Tohru, "Which stories? Like fairy-tales?"
Tohru scratched the back of her neck, "Um...I guess you could call them that. They were about when Kyo and I were younger. Some of them were kind of embarrassing, so I really don't think-"
"Embarrassing? Then I take it you told her about the karate incident?" Yuki asked, cracking a smile.
"No!" Tohru blurted out, but it was too late.
"What?" Kyoko's head snapped over to Yuki, a smile lighting up her adorable face. "Tell me, Uncle Yuki! Please?"
Kyo glared at the former rat, while Tohru let out a shaky laugh. Yuki flashed Kyoko's parents an apologetic look, but began anyway.
"Well, one day..."
((Flashback))
Tohru stood out on the back porch, a light afternoon breeze ruffling her long hair and clothes. She sighed, closing her eyes and let the breeze caress her face. She heard a grunt, followed by a loud exhale, and her eyes flew open. They quickly darted over to the direction of the noise, and widened when they landed on the source.
Kyo was training, and unintentionally mesmerizing Tohru, but that always happened when she watched him. He truly had no idea how much he mystified her.
He turned to the side, one of his legs lifting up into the air and falling down in a swift motion. He mimicked the movement with his other leg and followed that with two swift punches.
Tohru stared, watching beads of sweat trickle down his forehead. She gazed at his muscles that flexed every time he moved. When he finally glanced up, panting slightly, she looked away to conceal her pink cheeks.
I wish I could do that... She thought, the heat on her face spreading.
"Tohru?" Kyo breathed. He was still winded.
Tohru peeked up from under her long, brunette bangs, "Y-yes? Do you need something, Kyo-kun? I could get you some water..."
Anything to get out of there.
Kyo scratched his chin for a brief second and then nodded. Tohru quickly turned on her heel, scampering off to the kitchen. She reached for the first glass she saw, turned on the faucet and stuck it under. When the glass was nearly full, she yanked it out and shut the water off.
Tohru made her way out to the back, moving a little slower this time to prevent spilling that water. Kyo looked relieved when she returned and plopped down in the grass. She reached down, handing the water to him. He took it and drank it in three gulps.
"Sit down," He offered when he had finished off the glass.
Tohru tentatively eyed the spot he was patting and then slowly sat down beside him. He smirked a little behind the glass, "You okay? You look like you're going to pass out..."
"I'm all right," Tohru answered, though her voice was shaky. "I was just watching you practice and I was... impressed."
Probably not a good idea to tell him I was AMAZED... She thought, shaking her head.
"Thanks," A crooked grin spread across his face and Tohru's cheeks turned a very light shade of pink. She tucked a few stray pieces of hair behind her ear and then folded her hands in her lap.
Kyo leaned back, his knees propped up. He closed his eyes and allowed the sun to warm up his face. Tohru scooted closer to him, her blush deepening when her fingers brushed up against the side of his hand, "A-are you done training?"
"For now," Kyo answered without opening his eyes. "Why?"
"Well I um... like watching." She mumbled, her head dipping down. "It's fun."
Another smile appeared on his face, "I didn't know that. It never seemed like something that would appeal to you. I didn't think you could like something that involved fighting..."
"W-well..." Tohru frowned, drawing her knees up to her chest.
Truth be told, she didn't really like anything that related to fighting. However, if it was something that could bring her closer to Kyo, she would try it. She would do whatever she could to be closer to him and learn more about him. They only had so much more time together...
Tohru shook her head, trying desperately not to think about that. She couldn't think about that. Not now.
"Well what?" Kyo asked, rolling over on his side, so he was facing her.
"I thought I showed you some of my moves already? Remember when Kagura came and we were up on the roof? I thought my punch was pretty good and you even taught me more..."
Kyo laughed, his fingertips sweeping across the back of her hand, "How the hell could I forget that punch?"
"I thought it was good," She repeated, her head still bowed.
"Tell you what," Kyo said suddenly and sat upright. This caused her to perk up, staring at him instead of the grass beneath them. Kyo continued, "I'm supposed to go to Kazuma's dojo later to keep practicing. Wanna go with me?"
"Sure!" Tohru beamed trying to conceal the pounding of her heart.
--
"Where is everyone, Kyo-kun?" Tohru asked tentatively.
Kyo glanced over his shoulder and back at the petite girl, "Out back. That's where we hold most of the practices. You'll see."
They were standing in the front of Kazuma's dojo, Tohru somewhat hesitant. She had never been to martial arts practice before, and she certainly didn't want to intrude. So she lagged behind Kyo, always staying one step behind him.
She loped along behind him as they made their way around the building and towards the backyard. Kyo opened up the entrance in the high fence and Tohru let out a tiny gasp when her she saw what was behind the gate.
Tohru had seen Kazuma's yard before, but never like this.
The yard was completely barren, and when she said completely, she meant it. There was nothing but dirt, except for a few patches of olive green grass sprouting up in patches. There were also a few sapling scattered about the yard, but other then that, the yard was an odd shade of brown and tan. But that's probably what made them stand out so much.
Standing in the center of the yard was a group of about twenty kids. Tohru guess that their ages ranged from about 12 to maybe 18 and there was an equal mix of boys and girls. They were all dressed in identical white robes and cropped, loose, black pants. Around each ones midsection was a tied belt. She noticed that the belts ranged in colors; there were some red, some yellow, and even some black belts. The group formed two even, straight rows and focused their attention on someone standing in front of them.
"Kazuma-san!" Tohru beamed when her eyes landed on Kyo's surrogate father. Everyone's attention was momentarily diverted from their training and they all simultaneously glanced over to Kyo and Tohru. This made Kyo blush.
Kazuma simply smiled back, his short white hair swaying in the breeze. He waved to the duo, inviting them over to join the group.
Tohru flashed Kyo a questioning look, and the red-head simply nodded. Tohru fidgeted still unsure if it was right to interrupt. Kyo sighed, losing the rest of what little patience he had, and grabbed her hand. He led her over to the group, stopping in front of his shishou.
"Honda-san," Kazuma greeted, bowing formally. "How have you been?"
Tohru quickly ducked down, bowing in response, "G-good!"
She blushed when she noticed a few of the students stop their training so they could stare at the newcomers. Tohru straightened up, averting the group's questioning gaze. Kyo saw her embarrassed flush and moved to block her from everyone's view.
"What the hell are you staring at?" He snarled under his breath, and the students immediately went back to work.
Kazuma waved him off, chuckling lightly, "Don't mind him, everyone. Now, I'm sure you've seen her around here before, but I've never formally introduced her. She is a good friend of Kyo's, so please treat her with the same respect. This is Tohru Honda."
Tohru's blush darkened when Kazuma mentioned that she was a good friend of Kyo's, but she managed to smile at the students. A few of them waved back and some of them smiled at her.
"So what brings you here, Honda-san?" Kazuma asked, his arms folded across his chest.
"Kyo-kun said he had to come train today and he invited me to come too," Tohru explained, occasionally glancing at the still curious group of students.
"How nice," Kazuma's smile grew and Kyo turned his back on them so that nobody could see his red-face. Kazuma glanced back at the group of students, "Just let me finish up this lesson and I'll be right with you."
"Sure," Kyo said hastily, grabbed Tohru's hand, and stomped off before he could get embarrassed any more. He led her around the side of the house. Once he felt they were safely out of earshot, he released her hand.
"What do you want to do until they're finished, Kyo-kun?"
"I don't know," He scratched the back of his neck and then paused, trying to think of a way to entertain her. A grin spread across his face, as if he had just remembered something funny. "How about I teach you some real moves?"
"Huh?" Tohru's chocolate eyes widened, and her mouth fell open slightly.
"I'll teach you some self-defense moves. With all the trouble you get into it couldn't hurt." Kyo explained and her mouth slowly closed when she realized what he meant.
"Okay," She smiled and tried to position her body into what she thought was a fighting-stance. It was hard because she was only working from memory, memories of how Kyo looked when he was training.
Kyo chuckled, "Just wait, I'll show you how to stand. Just be careful not to get to close, okay?"
Tohru blushed and nodded meekly. She had nearly forgotten that if she made one wrong move, then Kyo would turn into his zodiac form. Not to mention he would be royally ticked off at her for turning him into a cat.
Kyo gently grabbed both her wrists and positioned her arms in the correct way, all the while keeping a safe distance from her. He twisted her torso so that her right side was farther away from him.
"Keep your hands up by your face. And always lead with your left hand." He instructed, mimicking the motions a few feet away from her. Tohru repeated what he did, only her punches were much slower and not as hard.
"Good," Kyo said and Tohru relaxed.
I'll still probably have to keep an eye on her. He thought, his mouth twisting into a slight frown. I definately don't want to repeat that little incident from in the hallway at school. Those assholes thought they could pick her up just because she spaced out a little...
Kyo glanced over at her and sighed when he saw that she was absentmindedly staring up at the sky. He muttered her name and she was jerked from her thoughts.
"Let's try something else," He suggested. "I showed you what to do if someone comes at you from the front, but if they try to grab you from behind..."
He quickly moved behind her, careful not to let his chest touch her back, and lifted up her arms. He slipped his arms underneath hers.
"I can't get any closer." He mmbled, wishing that he was rid of the stupid curse. "But pretend that my arms are around your waist. You just push down on my wrists and try to squat down as much as you can..."
Tohru could barely hear his directions over the sound of her heart. It was thumping madly in her ears, chest and throat. She couldn't remember the last time she had been this close to Kyo.
FOCUS! Her attention snapped back to whatever it was that Kyo had been saying.
"... stomp on their toes. Whatever you can to get them to back off."
She watched her own shaking hands slowly raise into the air, trying desperately to follow his instructions. Her fingers latched onto his wrists, but there wasn't much force behind it. She gently squeezed his arm, her fingers slowly trailing across his hand until their fingers became intertwined.
"Tohru," He whispered shakily, followed by a loud gulp.
Tohru, thinking that she was doing something wrong, immediately released her hold on his hand. She whipped around, apologies streaming from her throat. However, she turned around a little too quickly and caught Kyo off guard.
Their bodies collided and a loud 'poof' drowned out Kyo's string of profanities. Tohru became engulfed in a cloud of orange smoke and in a instant, Kyo was replaced by a tiny, orange cat. When the smoke cleared, Tohru fell to her knees, apologizing even more, "I'm so sorry, Kyo-kun! I shouldn't have turned around! I should've been more careful!"
"It's okay," The cat muttered, his tail curling around his body, "I should've put more distance between us. My mistake."
Tohru wiped her eyes and stood up, dusting the dirt off of her knees. Just as she was about to lean down and pick Kyo up, she heard voices around the corner.
"Shit!" Kyo muttered, scurrying behind Tohru's legs. There were no bushes or anything for him to hide in around here. He could try to make it into the house, but he would probably be spotted by someone. If someone saw him transform back into a human...
"What do I do?" Tohru whispered hoarsely.
"Don't say anything. Maybe they'll leave." Kyo muttered back, but he would have no such luck.
A boy rounded the corner. He appeared to be around their age, maybe a little younger. He was dressed in sweats and had a black gym bag thrown over one shoulder. His dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail, that stuck out like a little stub near the nape of his neck.
"Hey, you're that Tohru girl from before, right?" He asked, when his eyes landed on her. Tohru nodded meekly, her fingers balling up into tight fists. Kyo hissed from behind her.
I have a bad feeling about this... The cat thought.
The boy moseyed over, taking his sweet time, until he was mere inches from her. He eyed her suspiciously, stopping at her feet. Tohru watched as his brows slanted forward and his mouth formed a thin line, "What's with the cat?"
"U-um..." Tohru gulped and silently prayed that he would just leave.
She could only watch in horror as the boy squatted down, "That's a strange color. Do you know if it's a stray? Is it yours?"
"N-no..."
"Maybe I'll just take it-"
"NO!" Tohru blurted out, her fists tightening. She couldn't let that happen, no matter what...
The boy straightened up and frowned at her, "Why not? You said it wasn't yours."
"I k-know but-"
"So then, I'll just take it and be on my way. My girlfriend's birthday is coming up-"
Tohru didn't want to hear anymore. She had to do something to make this guy leave. If he stayed, he could see Kyo transform and then the secret of the curse would be let out. Also, if she didn't do something, he would take Kyo away, and she didn't want that either.
Tohru lifted her left hand up, her fist sailing through the air. She couldn't think of anything else to do. Her hand landed with a light thud on the boy's chest and it only took a minute for her to feel a sharp pain course through her fingers. She immediately removed her hand and began to shake it, trying to relieve some of the pain. The boy watched her for a moment, and then burst out laughing, "Did you just try to punch me?"
She whimpered a tiny yes, all while still clutching her bruised hand. The boy chuckled one last time before running his fingers through his hair, "Wow. I guess you REALLY want that cat. Sorry I bothered you."
He laughed again, shook his head, and then left. Tohru could only stare down at her shoes, trying to conceal the redness on her cheeks. However, she lifted her head up when she realized that Kyo wasn't standing behind her anymore, "Kyo-kun? Where are you?"
There was a loud 'poof' and Kyo appeared in the bushes. Tohru quickly turned her head and smacked one hand over her eyes, "S-sorry! I didn't see anything! I promise!"
"It's okay," Kyo muttered, pulling his shirt back on. He walked out of the bushes, fully dressed. "So... what the hell was all that?"
"Huh?" Tohru asked, confused about to what exactly he was referring to.
"You were going to fight him?" Kyo replied skeptically, while buttoning the remaining button on his shirt.
"O-oh..." Tohru stammered, glancing down at her shoes. "Y-yes."
Kyo sighed and placed one hand on her head, ruffling her long brown hair lightly, "I guess I didn't teach you well enough. Maybe you should leave all the fighting to me, kay'?"
She brushed a few stray hairs behind her ear, all while still focusing on her shoes, "Y-you don't have to-"
"Apparently I do. I mention that you can't stay out of trouble and what happens 5 minutes later?" He scoffed, allowing his hand to fall back to his side. He would do whatever he could to make sure she was okay, safe, and happy. "Besides, we can't have you screwing up your hand every time, can we?"
When she realized that she was still cradling her battered hand, Tohru quickly moved it behind her back, in a pathetic attempt to hide it from him. She smiled sheepishly, her cheeks turning an odd shade of pink, "It's okay, Kyo-kun."
But her words didn't convince him. Not one little bit. He brushed past her, carefully taking her left hand in his own. Tohru winced when his fingertips gently brushed over her knuckles, which were red and swollen. He frowned, muttered something about getting back at the guy later, and then looked into her eyes, "That doesn't look okay to me. Come on, let's go get you fixed up."
Before she could answer, he grabbed her good hand and led her to the inside of dojo. She loped along behind him, without muttering a word. A few moments later, they were standing in Kazuma's kitchen, and Kyo was rummaging through the cabinets.
"Where the hell is it..." He mumbled, slamming another door closed. Finally, after opening and closing several doors, he pulled out a clear white case. Tohru watched silently as he popped it open and pulled out a role of bandages and a tube of some unknown substance.
"Sit down." He ordered quietly.
She plopped down on the floor. He twisted the blue cap off the tube, and squirted some of the greenish-colored gel onto his fingers. Kyo sat down across from her and motioned for Tohru to give him her bad hand. She hesitated for a moment before lifting it up. He grabbed it, only this time he held it very loosely, so he wouldn't aggravate her wound. Tohru gazed down at his nimble fingers, astonished at how gentle he was being. He was treating her as if he applied any pressure at all, she would break into a thousand tiny pieces. She tried to find her voice, but found that it was caught up in her throat. So instead of trying to say something to him, she just sat there dumbly and watched him apply the rest of the ointment.
In a matter of seconds, she could feel the ointment beginning to work. Her wound began to feel much cooler and the stinging was fading. After clearing all the congested words out, she found her voice. She squeaked out a tiny, "Thank you Kyo-kun. It feels better already."
Kyo blushed lightly, "S-sure."
He reached for the bandages and began to wrap them around her hand. Once again, Tohru found herself mesmerized by the mere movement of his fingertips. She also couldn't help but notice how nice his fingers felt when they brushed against her bare skin. Maybe that was just an effect of the ointment. They held hands all the time, and Tohru was always faintly aware of the tingling feeling it gave her, but had never been like this before.
This was a thousand times better. Every little movement that his hands made she was hyper-sensitive to. His hands felt rough and calloused, but there was also a warmness and a gentleness to his touch. Like she thought before, maybe the medicine was making her skin extra vulnerable. Maybe it was the fact that were sitting right next to each other and slowly gravitating even closer. Maybe it was just because they were together. Alone.
"There."
His voice tore her from her daydreams and back into reality. Kyo had finished wrapping the bandage around her hand. Tohru held up her hand and turned it over, examining his workmanship. The bandages were wrapped around her fingers and palm in neat little rows, ending at her wrist. She flexed her hand before shyly glancing at the redhead across from her, "T-thank you, Kyo-kun."
Kyo finally noticed the extra color burning on cheeks. Her knees were folded under her body and her hands were now firmly folded in her lap. She was staring at something on the floor, chewing on her bottom lip. How had he not noticed how uncomfortable she looked before? How had he not seen how close they were sitting together?
Oh...OH CRAP. He thought, his own face turning a bright shade of red.
"Um..." She whispered shyly
"Y-yeah." He replied bashfully, staring at the ceiling. If he looked at her face, he would've melted right then and there. Why did he have to see how damn cute she looked when she was embarrassed? More importantly, why did he have to turn to mush when she looked like that?
Tohru shifted her weight. Her fingers tapping idly against her thigh. She was already missing the warmth of his hand, so slowly, with her good hand, she reached out and wrapped her hand around his. Her mind flashed back to when he was teaching her before and all she could do was hold his hand.
He reached up with his free hand and cupped her cheek, "Feeling better?"
She nodded weakly and leaned into his hand, ignoring the shivers that ran up and down her spine. He chuckled lightly at her expression, flipping his hand over and allowing the back of it to caress the side of her face, "Just don't turn me into a cat this time, okay?"
She smiled, closing her eyes, "I'll try not to."
"Good-"
"Kyo? Is that you?" Kazuma's deep voice asked from the doorway.
"SHIT!" Kyo cursed, pulling away from her and jumping to his feet. Tohru nearly fell over, but quickly regained her composure and sat up straight. She beamed at Kazuma when he walked into the kitchen, a questioning look on his face.
"What's going on?" He folded his arms across his chest.
"N-nothing!" Kyo stammered, racking his brain for and excuse as to why he and Tohru were alone when he should've been with the other students. That's what they had come for in the first place.
Kazuma glanced down Tohru, who was still smiling, and his eyes widened when he saw her wounded hand, "What happened to you, Honda-san?"
Tohru limply held up her hand and said gleefully, "I punched someone."
Kazuma's worried gaze quickly flashed to his son, "Kyo, did you try some-"
"It wasn't like that!" Kyo interjected, blushing furiously. "Some guy tried to pull one over on her, so she punched him in the chest. It didn't work as well as she thought it would and she ended up hurting her hand. I took her in here to fix it up."
His father studied the two of them for a moment before a smile spread across his face, "I can't imagine Honda-san being violent."
"It was actually kind of funny," Kyo mused, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he remembered the scene. "I told her to just let me handle all the fighting from now on."
Tohru jumped to her feet, "I-it wasn't that funny..."
"Well anyway," Kazuma's began, trying to get a frazzled Tohru to settle back down. "If it was taken care of then I guess I'll leave you two alone. If Kyo plans on taking care of you, Honda-san, then there's nothing to worry about. You're in very capable hands and won't have to worry about punching anyone anymore. Especially because you are so important to-"
"Okay! Time to go!" Kyo interrupted and began to push his shishou out of the kitchen. Kazuma quickly waved goodbye to Tohru as he was pushed out the door. Tohru scrambled after him but stopped in the kitchen doorway.
Because you're so important.
"Tohru, are you coming or what?" Kyo called from outside, not bothering to hide the aggravation in his voice. Tohru smiled to herself before running outside to walk home with her one and only protector.
((End Flashback))
The ending of Yuki's story was cut off by a fit of giggles.
"Mommy punched someone!" Kyoko laughed, holding her tiny belly.
Tohru smiled sheepishly, while her husband just shook his head. Nobody should be encouraging Kyoko to listen to these awful and embarrassing stories. It would only figure that Yuki would be the one to tell her one of the worst ones.
During the course of the story, Daisuke had moved from his father's lap to his mother's. He now shifted to a more comfortable position, "You shouldn't laugh at your mom. She was just trying to help..."
Kyoko sat up and snapped, "I know that!"
"Okay, okay..." Tohru soothed. "How about you me, Daisuke and his mom go get some more things to eat?"
"Kay'" The two children agreed begrudgingly. Daisuke and Kyoko jumped off their parents' laps and raced each other to the kitchen. Tohru giggled at their behavior and Machi cracked a smile. The two mothers followed the kids through the door into the kitchen.
Kyo watched Tohru's retreating figure and when she was gone he let out a heavy sigh. He let his head fall so that all he could see was his feet.
Yuki picked his cup that was perched near the end of the table, "Something on your mind?"
"Yeah." Kyo muttered.
Yuki took a sip of tea, his brows furrowing. Even after all these years it was still hard to get Kyo to talk about his problems. He guessed that the only one that Kyo really opened up to a lot was his wife. "You mind elaborating?"
Kyo took a deep breath and, without looking up, "I got a phone call this morning. It's nothing that you or I might think is bad, but Tohru..."
Yuki set his cup back down on the table and prodded Kyo to continue. Kyo bit his lip and kept talking, "I've been trying to push it into the back of my head, not think about it, but the story you just told reminded that I still need to tell her. I don't think I can tell her because I know she'll freak out and get all worried."
"Kyo, just tell me what it is." Yuki said, his patience disappearing.
"Well..."
((End of Chapter 6))
ANOTHER CLIFFHANGER MWHAHAHA!!
The thing that Kyo has to tell her isn't that bad, I promise. :)
Anyway, I am so SORRY that it took me so long to update, but I couldn't seem to get around to finishing this chapter (which is why it probably turned out so rushed and crappy). I just started college, so all my time has gone to hanging out with new friends and homework. I'll try to get a move on the next one. Again, I'm sorry for the wait.
I'd like to get to at least 75 reviews before I update!