"That was a nice visit, wasn't it? And I'm surprised; I think that's the first time we've ever managed to visit your Grandpa without you doing some kind of chore. You even kept yourself from making the tea!"

It was a bright December afternoon, and Tohru and Kyo were slowly making their way back to the dojo after spending several hours with Tohru's Grandpa. It was always one of the first things they did when they came back to Tokyo to visit, as etched into their routine as the inevitable first stop at the dojo. And it had been a delight to see Grandpa for the first time since they'd last been back in the summer for Yuki's wedding. But in spite of the routine visit, things were definitely different from their previous visits, as Kyo had been only too quick to point out.

Tohru sighed, holding on tightly to Kyo's arm as they walked along the sidewalk. Compared to the weather they'd left back home in Hibe, it was practically tropical; there was no snow, and no ice. But it was still cold, and she was grateful for her warm coat and scarf. And she still felt extremely awkward, ungainly, and slow. Never before had the walk to and from her Grandpa's house felt so slow, or so difficult; never before had she been so dependent on Kyo to keep her steady. It was almost enough to make her wish she'd taken up Kyo's suggestion to take a taxi, even if felt ridiculous to take a taxi for such a short distance.

Kyo was right; it had been a nice visit. She had been so excited to finally see her Grandpa, to sit with him and see his excitement about the baby. Because of Grandpa's health, he'd never been able to come visit them since they'd moved, and while they always came to see him when they were in Tokyo this visit was their first since the summer. Grandpa had learned about the baby over a video chat, and while he'd been excited, it hadn't had quite the same impact as telling him in person. He'd been asking them about a great-grandchild since the day they graduated, so to say he was happy with their announcement was a severe understatement.

Grandpa hadn't let the mode of telling stop him from being excited, or sharing his excitement with them. All throughout the past months he had been sending both of them regular excited texts, with everything from name suggestions to suggestions of ways Tohru could and should be taking care of herself, interspersed with little bits of wisdom like 'children are the greatest gifts.' It had been sweet, and also funny; Granpa had had a cell phone for a few years, but he'd never been much of a texter. And there had definitely been some mix-ups along the way, with each of them getting messages that either made no sense or were clearly meant to go to someone else. She could only imagine the expression on her random relative's face who must logically have gotten a message about the importance of proper diet while pregnant!

Coming back to Tokyo for New Year's had been an easy decision in Tohru's mind. The dojo and clinic were both closed, so they didn't have to worry about vacation time. Most of the people who they'd want to see in Tokyo would also be on vacation, and there were naturally be the Sohma family gatherings. Master Kazuma always closed the dojo for the new year, so there would be extra time to spend with him. And Tohru wouldn't be so very pregnant that it wasn't safe for her to travel.

Kyo had been skeptical about the last part. He had wanted to go home and visit, very much. All of the reasons for them to go had made sense; it had been four months since his father's visit to Hibe now, and even longer since they'd seen anyone else. But with Tohru only eight weeks away from her due date, he was extremely hesitant. Travelling to Tokyo meant over five hours on assorted public transportation, plus walking; then there was the living out of suitcases for several days, and sleeping on a futon...for him, none of those things mattered, but he was worried about Tohru.

Tohru had been adamant, though. It had been half a year now, and it would likely be that long again before they had another chance to come back. One of the things that most disappointed her about her pregnancy timeline was that they'd have to miss Hiro's graduation in mid-March; there was no way it would be possible with a baby only a few weeks old. She'd never missed a big event for any former Zodiac member; she'd been at Hatsuharu, Momiji, and Kisa's graduations, Ayame, Ritsu, Hatori, and Yuki's weddings. She'd been one of the only Sohmas invited when Arisa had married Kureno the previous fall, and one of the only few people present period when Shigure and Akito had gotten married. And every time, she'd thought back to the conversation she'd had with Kyo the day they moved out of Shigure's house, when he'd reminded her how much everyone loved her, how they'd always think of her and how they were all starting a new banquet.

Even though it was for a good reason, even an excellent reason, she felt sad to know that after all this time, she would be missing an event. And though Hiro himself was sure to understand, or maybe not even care, she cared. Quite a lot.

And because she knew they'd have to miss the graduation, she had been firm with Kyo. She wanted to go home for New Year's, even if it meant sleeping on a futon. She would be fine; she'd mostly been fine all pregnancy long, give or take. Not perfect, because she was pregnant, but fine enough to travel to Tokyo with Kyo there to help her.

So he'd given in, and plans had been made. The two of them had arrived in town late the previous evening, and for the first time in the history of their post-graduation lives, Tohru actually went to sleep at a reasonable hour. But it wasn't a conscious choice; for all of her determination to travel, Kyo had been right. There was a big difference between taking the half-hour bus ride into Nigeyashi twice a day and spending over five hours dealing with Japanese public transportation, and Tohru was completely exhausted. She had been disappointed in how tired she was, even with Kyo and Kazuma repeatedly reassuring her that it was fine, she could and should go to sleep. Her weak protests had done nothing to assuage her fatigue, and in the end she'd resignedly let Kyo help her to bed at only eight pm.

And in spite of that early start bedtime, she'd been exhausted again in the morning. Being this far along in her pregnancy meant long blocks of sleep were no longer possible, and she'd woken several times during the night to reposition herself, or to use the bathroom. In spite of that she'd figured they could still get up and do something that morning before going to visit her Grandpa...but she'd been too tired. Instead, she'd dozed off and on until midmorning, getting up only when it was time to go out.

The visit with Grandpa had been nice, yes, but lingering in the back of Tohru's mind the whole time was the thought that this was not quite how she'd wanted things to go. After so long away, and with so long away to look forward to, she had hoped so strongly to be able to spend lots of time with everyone this visit. And it was already late afternoon; it would be suppertime not long after they made it back to the dojo. She wanted so badly to do some more visiting, to see some other friends. But at this point would she even have enough energy?

When Kyo had pointed out she hadn't done any chores or made tea at her Grandpa's house, he'd been teasing her about her notorious need to help out whenever they went anywhere. It was something he'd always found equal parts aggravating and endearing about her, and she was sure he was glad to see her sitting and actually visiting the whole time, rather than getting up and doing other people's housework. But for Tohru herself it was another disappointment; it made her feel extra clunky and useless, not being able to even easily make tea! But making tea in Grandpa's kitchen involved bending, and there was no way she could do that easily, not right now. So she'd just sat. Even though Kyo had made tea in her place, it hadn't felt right.

Kyo looked sideways at Tohru as they walked along, trying to read her expression. She'd been so excited when they'd first gotten to her Grandpa's, but over the course of the several hours they were they he'd noticed her flagging. Both he and Grandpa had suggested at various points that she maybe lie down and take a nap, or that they end the visit early. She'd refused, saying that she wasn't that tired, that she was having fun and didn't want to miss out on anything. Kyo hadn't been sure if he believed her or not, but if she wasn't tired, then there was something else. And he hated seeing it, knowing how much she'd been looking forward to this visit.

So Kyo had done his best to keep things light-hearted and fun. Even the comment about her not doing any housework was meant to be a light-hearted tease, since literally every time they went literally anywhere Tohru started doing other people's chores. As far as Kyo was concerned, her having to sit and relax was one of the best side effects of her pregnancy so far.

But he hated seeing the look of quiet dejection on her face, and as the two of them came up to a bench, he stopped her.

"Ok, Tohru, can you please tell me what's going on?"

Tohru shot Kyo a guilty look. He had been having such a good day, she hated to know she was bringing him down with her petty worries. Especially since she knew he had been worried about her travelling, and that he'd worried it would drain her. She knew she should be grateful they were here at all, and they'd be here for several days. She'd have a chance to see more of the Sohmas, just maybe not as much as she'd hoped. It was still enough. She was just being selfish.

But she could still feel the tears starting, and she allowed Kyo to guide her to the bench before they finally overflowed.

"I'm sorry, Kyo, I know I should be happy just to be here, and to get to do as much as we are. But I'm just so...so...frustrated!" She sobbed the word out almost angrily, Kyo's question feeling like the opening of a pressure valve. "Because I have so much more I want to do, and I can't. I can't do as much, I can't be as many places. I can't even make tea! We've been here for almost a full day, and I've only talked with Master Kazuma for maybe two hours, if that. And it's nearly suppertime, and we have the whole evening still, but all I can think is how far away everything is. Everything, even the main part of the estate!" Considering that the dojo was actually on the main estate, that was a little bit of a stretch. But they both knew that Tohru meant the 'inside;' more specifically, the parts where any of their particular friends lived.

"And it's not about a taxi, Kyo. I know we could take a taxi. But it's not the same. Everything is harder, and different, and I should have known that, but I guess I didn't want to think about it. Not really. And I'm so disappointed in myself for feeling this way." Tohru was looking down, too frustrated with herself to even look at Kyo right now. But she felt him, as he pulled her into him and his arms wrapped around her.

Kyo knew he shouldn't be surprised, and he wasn't, not really. Hadn't he been worried about Tohru pushing herself too hard on this visit? But he hadn't really thought of the other side of that, the possibility that she wouldn't, and how that would make her feel. Maybe yes, they should have realized how different things would be. But if she hadn't, that didn't make figuring it out any less difficult for her. And he hated to see her beating herself up like this.

"It's ok, Tohru. All of it. It's ok to be bummed that things aren't happening quite the way you wanted. And I'm sorry it's going this way." Even if he would infinitely prefer this pattern of events over the one where she pushed herself too hard. "But we're here for a whole week, remember? Maybe yes, we don't do as much visiting. Maybe we don't stay out until midnight every night. And maybe you stay in bed longer in the mornings. But it's ok. Everyone will be happy to see you, whenever and as ever you can. And they can walk their own asses to the dojo if need be."

Tohru made a choked laugh at that comment, and sat back up. "I guess that's all true, isn't it?"

"Duh."

She smiled at him, and he smiled back, wiping her eyes with one of his gloved hands. "It's ok to be upset, Tohru," He repeated. "But I promise, you're going to get your chance to see everyone. We're just going to have to take it slow, that's all."

They stood up from the bench, and started walking again. Tohru leaned her head against Kyo's shoulder as they walked, thinking for the millionth time how lucky she was to have him. He was always so practical, righting her whenever she started to tip over under the weight of her own worries and frustrations. Or even just literally tip over, which felt like more than ever these days.

As they rounded a corner and the dojo came into view, Tohru looked over at Kyo and smiled. "You know, I hadn't really thought about asking people to come over to the dojo. I'm so used to us walking around and visiting other people that asking them to come to us seems a little strange. Are you sure Master Kazuma wouldn't mind having extra guests, though, especially with the dojo closed?"

Kyo gave her an amused look. "Seriously, Tohru? You know what a revolving door policy Dad's always had. And I don't think it anything would make him happier than knowing he could do something to help you feel better." He kissed her temple as they approached the gate, a big smile on his face. "And I know that no one would have a problem coming here to see you."

"He's right, Tohru."

Tohru stopped short, her hands flying up to cover her mouth in stunned surprise as the blonde young man emerged from around the dojo gate. Then she was laughing and crying all at once, practically throwing herself into Momiji's arms.

"Momiji! What are you doing here?" She hugged him fiercely, so happy to see him that she could hardly stand it. Behind her, Kyo stood with his arms crossed, smiling, and Momiji laughed as he hugged her back.

"I came to see a girl back home, of course. Why else would I be here?" Beaming, Momiji let go of Tohru, stepping back to take in the sight of her. It had been over six months since they'd last seen each other for Yuki's wedding, and before that it had been almost a year. Momiji's university studies in Germany had been amazing, but the distance meant that visits were necessarily few and far between.

Which was also why Momiji always made a point to let Tohru know when he was going to be back in Japan, up until now.

She was shaking her head in amazement. "You never said a word, not a word! In fact," She said in a somewhat accusatory tone, "You specifically said you'd be staying in Berlin for the holidays. I know you're the one with a degree, not me, and geography was never my strong suit" she added with a smile, "But this is most definitely not Berlin."

Momiji laughed again and waggled a finger at her. "Ja, but I never told you which holidays, did I? And I was in Berlin for Christmas, and Oktoberfest, and your birthday...so I wasn't lying."

Tohru wasn't going to complain, not when seeing him was such an amazingly wonderful surprise. She couldn't help beaming at her friend, this tall, confidant young man. He'd grown even taller since his high school graduation, and was actually taller now than Kyo. He'd filled out a little bit too, no longer having that spider-like quality to his arms and legs. But he had the same blonde curls, and the same big smile; he might be a grown man in graduate school now, but he was still the same Momiji, and still her friend.

"I'm so happy you're here, Momiji, this is such a wonderful surprise! Did Hans come, too?" She tried to peek around Momiji, looking for a sign of Momiji's boyfriend. Though it had been over a year since she'd first 'met' Hans via video chat, her trip to Germany for Momiji's university graduation this past spring had been her first change to meet him in person. It had been one of the highlights of her visit, even though they'd had to struggle a bit with the language issue since Tohru hadn't done the best job keeping on top of English since graduating high school, spoke maybe ten words of German, and Hans only knew the most rudimentary bits of Japanese. But she had been excited to meet him, and the prospect of seeing him again was delightful.

Momiji shook his head. "Nein, he's still in Berlin; he has a big project due next week, so couldn't manage the trip. But I'll be sure to tell him you asked after him, and he sends his love. And congratulations, of course," Momiji added with a laugh as he took Tohru's hands and held them up so he could take a better look at her pregnant belly. "I can't believe how adorable you look, Tohru!"

Tohru blushed self-consciously. "I do not look adorable, Momiji, I look like a cow."

"Nonsense. Haru only wishes he could look as adorable as you do."

That wasn't what Tohru had meant, but she cracked up anyway, Kyo and Momiji both joining in with chuckles. And now that Tohru had had her moment, Kyo walked up beside her.

"Thanks, Momiji. I keep telling her that, but I don't think she really believes me, dumb as that sounds." Kyo gave Momiji a big hug too, along with a smile. "It's great to see you." And he meant it, too; it had taken literal years, but the two men had finally, finally reached the point where Momiji's very existence didn't annoy Kyo. A few thousand miles had only helped in that respect.

And Momiji was happy to see Kyo as well. "Well, she probably thinks you're too biased. Though I don't know if that makes me any better, since I've always been biased where Tohru is concerned, too." He smiled from one of them to the other, then rubbed his hands together as though something was only just occurring to him. "But why are we just standing out here in the cold? You have to be freezing, Tohru, and here I am making you stand, too. I'm turning out just as inconsiderate as Kyo," He said with a teasing grin.

"Don't even start with me, Rabbit," Kyo said, grinning himself. Neither one of them was serious, but the teasing still felt...right. "But yeah, we should probably head inside and Tohru should sit down."

Momiji and Kyo fell into step on either side of Tohru as the three of them crossed the dojo courtyard, and Tohru couldn't help but smile. This was such a wonderful, unexpected surprise; although Momiji had graduated with his bachelor's degree this past spring, he was staying in Germany to complete a Master's program and to get some experience working with a German-based company with business in Japan. He had mostly kept to his post-graduation plans; his degree was in international business and management, and he was pursuing an MBA with an eye to step into business with his father a little further down the road.

And he'd also stuck with his violin. That was actually how he'd met Hans, a talented cellist who had been part of a string quartet Momiji had joined in his first semester in Germany. Nothing had happened between them for a year, but in the two years since the two had become inseparable. Almost, anyway, seeing as how Momiji was here alone. She wasn't about to complain, though!

As they climbed the steps to the dojo proper, Tohru turned to smile at Momiji. "Can you stay long today, Momiji? I know you have to have a lot going on if you're only back in Japan for a short visit, but I really hope you're planning to stay here and talk with us for a while!"

Momiji's eyes flicked to Kyo for a moment, filled with something Tohru couldn't quite catch. Then he looked down at Tohru, smiling brightly. "Ja, of course! Didn't I tell you I had to come back to see a girl?" He gave her hand a squeeze, then sighed regretfully. "I only wish I had more time to properly talk!"

She frowned at that. "It's not even dinner time yet, Momiji, so unless you do have to leave, I'm sure there will be lots of time!"

"Maybe in general," Momiji said as they walked down the hallway that led to the dojo's main dining hall, "But I would have liked a little more time to have you to myself." He shook his head ruefully, then reached out an arm and slid open the door. "She's here!"

"SURPRISE, TOHRU!"