Kyo leaned against the side of a brick building, still in the alleyway Tohru had left him in. The sky was now dark, the only light coming from the bulbs strung above him. His legs were curled against his chest, his head resting against his knees. He wasn't sure how much time had passed, and frankly, he didn't care.

Soon, he heard the clicking of sandles on the stone approaching him. A gentle hand landed on his shoulder.

"Come on, Kyo. Let's go." Shigure's voice was gentle, and he spoke as if to a child.

Kyo remained motionless. Shigure let out a long sigh.

"I really don't want to have to carry you to the car, Kyo. But I will if I have to." Kyo's glazed eyes found the source of the voice.

"What are you doing here?" He asked weakly. Shigure raised an eyebrow.

"Tohru called me, of course."

Kyo scoffed, resting his head back on his knees.

"Of course, she calls on the other Sohma men for rescuing."

Suprised and annoyed at his hostility, Shigure spoke in a stern, low voice.

"Or, she was worried about you and she just so happened to suspect you would still be here. And she was right. Don't say things that you will regret." The threat in Shigure's voice was alarming.

Shigure grabbed firmly onto Kyo's arm, dragging him to his feet. "Let's go home." He commanded.

Home? His home wasn't with Shigure anymore. Right?

"Where's Tohru?"

"I imagine she is at your house."

Alone? No. She would want someone with her. But who?

"Who is she with?" Kyo asked urgently, as jealousy stirred once again in his stomach.

"I'm honestly not sure." Shigure shrugged. "But that doesn't really concern either of us."

Before Kyo could get a chance to argue, Shigure turned the corner. Kyo was once again struggling to keep up, silenced by his thoughts.

His mind flashed back to her pained expression. Yea, she wanted to be with someone. But not you.

Not long later he found himself in the doorway of Shigure's house.

Yuki looked up from his book, dripping with contempt. Kyo scowled in return.

Good. At least she wasn't with Yuki.

"I'm going upstairs." Kyo proclaimed, burning under Yuki's judgemental stare.

As he ascended the stairs, Yuki's words from a week ago rang in his head.

' Cherish her, Kyo. For some strange reason, she loves you. Just don't screw it up.'

Scoffing, he headed for Tohru's old room. Surprisingly, it still held her scent, the faint smell of strawberries lingering in the air. He collapsed on the bed, allowing the scent to envelop him.

"Damn it!" He shouted at the ceiling, covering his face with his arm.

Minutes later, a light knock sounded on the door. Kyo sat up quickly, hoping to see Tohru. The door opened to Shigure. Kyo's disappointment was evident.

"I know, you don't want to see me. But you have a guest." As Shigure stepped to the side, Kyo's master, Kazuma, strolled inside.

Kyo's face lit up at the sight of him, and he bolted towards him, embracing him as if he were a child again. "Master!" He cried out.

Kazuma nodded at Shigure, who closed the door on his way out. He grabbed Kyo's shoulders and held him at arms length, giving him a once over. He knew this look well. Kyo's spirit was broken.

Kyo's brow furrowed when he saw Kazuma's pitying expression.

"Don't look at me like that." He said coldly. "She left me. She... she didn't even look back."

Kazuma let out a loud sigh. "Let's talk, Kyo."

Kyo sat cross legged on the floor, recounting the nights events to Kazuma in detail. Kazuma tapped his fingers on his chin as he processed the tale. Finally, he spoke.

"So, Kyo. Who do you think is at fault in this fight?"

Kyo froze. What? Tohru of course. She's the one who left. He remembered her torn expression once again. Well maybe..

"Was it... my fault?"

Kazuma shook his head.

"Not quite."

"But I hurt her."

Kazuma's eyebrows raised at his confession.

"And how did you hurt her?" He probed.

Kyo was lost once again. She slapped that girl. She was really pissed off. What did I say to her? What did I do? Kazuma shook his head again, as if reading his mind.

"Kyo, I think its great that you acknowledge that you hurt her. But I also want you to address that she hurt you too. Truthfully, I don't think that just one of you is at fault."

Kyo's eyes widened at his words. Kazuma continued.

"Relationships are all about communication. Though it may sound cliche, you will never have a successful marriage, or any relationship without it."

"Well how do I communicate, then?" Kyo asked urgently, hanging onto every word. Kazuma chuckled.

"Well first off, tell her when something is bothering you. Tohru may seem like she has superpowers, but she's not a mind reader. Honestly, I don't believe her thoughts for Momiji or Yuki were adulterous. I can say with confidence that she loves you, because I have seen it with my own eyes. Once you begin to compare yourself with others, you enter a downward spiral of jealousy. You become blinded to what's right in front of you." He paused, guaging Kyo's response. "She called me, Kyo."

Kyo seemed taken back by his confession.

"She did?" He mumbled.

"Yes. She was worried that you wouldn't talk to anyone else, and she wanted you to have a friend as well." Kazuma said softly.

As well? Good. Kyo sighed in relief. She was with a friend.

He fell onto his back, sprawled on the floor.

"Its great that I know what went wrong and all, but that doesn't help me fix what's already happened. What if her friends are telling her to dump me for good? I know Yuki hates my guts right now. I'm sure whoever she's with does too."

"Would this be the first time someone has tried to convince her to hate you?"

Kazuma's words cut deep. Of course not. Plenty of people have tried. Even he himself had tried. He flinched recalling the night she saw him transform into that beast. His assault as he pushed her away.

"Have some faith in her, Kyo. I think she deserves that much." Kazuma said before standing to leave.

"Wait, where are you going?" Kyo asked, sitting up.

"I think you had better get some rest, Kyo." He said calmly, a warm smile tugging at his lips.

Kyo glanced at the clock, surprised to see that it was long after midnight. He didnt eat supper, but he wasn't hungry. He bid farewell to Kazuma before stripping down and climbing into the bed.

That night he dreamt of strawberries, Tohru, and forgiveness.