Author's note: This chapter was a bit of a bitch to write and it turned out a little angstier than I'd originally intended, but that's just what happens sometimes. And I apologize for some of the formatting; FFN was not playing nice with me when I was trying to get this one up.
"Good morning, Mrs. Sohma, how are you feeling today?"
Like I really don't want to have to talk to you right now...
The nurse's voice was exceptionally chipper, and it was hard even for Tohru not to be grouchy when she was woken up for what felt like the millionth time since she'd first tried to go to sleep. She'd done copious amounts of reading in preparation for Hajime's birth, and asked her doctor every question she could think of about what to expect. She'd even grilled Riko, the only local 'mom-friend' she had, about what less-obvious things she should prepare for.
In spite of all that preparation, she had no idea they wouldn't let her sleep while she was in the hospital. All night it had been what felt like a constant procession, either nurses coming in to check on her or else bringing in Hajime to try to nurse. And while she'd been excited about the nursing initially, it had lost its charm after about the fourth wake up.
Also, it hurt. Why had no one ever mentioned that nursing hurt?
So even though she could see sunlight streaming in through the bottom of the curtains and logically knew it was morning, she wasn't happy with the chipper-voiced nurse for waking her up.
Still, it was hardly the nurse's fault, and Tohru knew that she should do her best to be polite. After taking a few moments to gather herself and think some cheerful, calming thoughts, she gave the nurse a small, exhausted smile.
"Good morning! I'm...tired, really. A little sore." A lot sore, actually, but she didn't want to complain about it.
"Well, that sounds pretty normal after your first night, Mrs. Sohma. Let me just check your vitals, and I also have some pain medication for you."
Consulting her chart, the nurse quickly skimmed down the screen, then looked at Tohru and smiled. "And we should also have you take another little walk! Remember, it's important that you get up and moving, regularly."
It was very hard for Tohru not to groan at that; while the doctor had explained the many reasons she needed to be up and moving around, getting out of bed was a monumental challenge of the highest degree. Even with pain medication her abdomen ached; not just her incision, but the whole thing. And while she knew they were trying to be helpful, hearing the nurses cheerfully chirp 'this is all perfectly normal!' only made her want to burrow further into the blankets.
While the blood pressure cuff squeezed up on her arm, Tohru looked over at the chair where Kyo had slept the night before. It had taken a little while for her to register he was gone; her night of perpetually interrupted sleep meant that she wasn't the most observant. But now that she noticed, she wondered where he'd gone. Maybe the cafeteria? Or maybe he'd gone for a walk, too.
She hoped he'd be back soon, wherever he'd gone. His presence never failed to lift her spirits, and right now they were very much in need of lifting.
"Well, your blood pressure is looking really good again this morning, Mrs. Sohma, so hopefully we see that trend continue. And everything else is looking good too, so...how about that walk?"
Tohru tried not to grumble too much as the nurse helped her out of bed, tucking her feet into slippers and wrapping a warm robe around her. But it was hard, she reflected, not to feel depressingly invalid when she needed to cling to her IV stand just to stay upright!
"Alright, Mrs. Sohma, why don't you just walk down the hall and back again, just like last night? I'm going to take this back to the nurse's stand, then I'll be back to help you get back to bed."
With a sigh, Tohru steeled herself and started down the hall.
It was a very slow walk, but that probably wasn't the worst thing. She'd hated having to get out of bed, but now that she was up it was nice to be able to move, even just a little bit. Lying in bed by herself was boring, and any change of scenery was bound to be an improvement.
Especially if that scenery included Hajime!
When she reached the nursery windows, she smiled as she scanned the bassinets. Nigeyashi General wasn't a very big hospital, so there were only about eight mothers in the maternity ward. That should make it very easy to find, Hajime, especially with his orange hair.
Except...
She frowned as first one sweep of the nursery, then a second came up empty. Obviously there was a perfectly valid reason Hajime wasn't there, but her pace was just a tiny bit faster as she made her way to the nurses' station.
"Oh, good morning Mrs. Sohma! It's good to see you up and walking."
Tohru smiled quickly in response to the greeting. "Yes, good morning! I thought I'd stop by and see Hajime, but I didn't see him in the nursery?" It was both a statement and a question, and she hoped she didn't look too anxious. She didn't mean to be anxious.
But she was still anxious.
The nurse blinked at her and glanced over towards the nursery. "Well, let me just check really quickly. He might be with the pediatrician right now." Stepping up, the nurse disappeared through a doorway behind her, and Tohru was left to wait.
She didn't have to wait long, fortunately.
"Hajime is actually with his father, Mrs. Sohma!"
Whatever Tohru had been expecting, it wasn't that. But that one sentence was more than enough to banish any traces of her bad mood, and she felt herself smiling her first genuine smile of the morning.
"Oh, that's so sweet! Where are they?"
The nurse pointed down the hall. "They should be in the lounge; it's the open doorway on the right, just past the vending machines."
Tohru was still smiling as she made her way down the hallway. When she'd wondered where Kyo had gone, it hadn't once occurred to her that she'd find him with their son. But knowing he'd gone off to spend time with Hajime all on his own warmed her heart and lifted her spirits in a way that all the pain medication in the world couldn't touch.
She knew Kyo had a lot of Feelings about how the previous day had gone down, and she could understand that. She had a lot of Feelings herself, and she knew it would take some time before she'd be ready to properly sit down and discuss them. But in the meantime, she was finding Kyo's obvious bond with Hajime to be a welcome and endearing distraction.
As she approached the lounge door, Tohru could hear the low sound of Kyo's voice, and she stopped so she could listen to what he was saying:
"I think you're gonna like it, when you're older. Mommy thinks you need to learn how to control yourself first, and Mommy probably has a point. But I bet you'll be good at it, maybe even better than Daddy. Maybe even better than Grandpa! But probably not for a while."
Tohru smiled, leaning her head against her IV stand. She hadn't been sure how well Kyo would adjust to parenthood; while he'd thrown himself into getting ready and had been the most supportive partner imaginable during her pregnancy, she'd had no idea what to expect when the baby actually arrived. But if anything, Kyo had proved even more 'parental' than Tohru, at least so far.
She felt a minor twinge of guilt at that. Hajime was her son too, and she knew she should have been ecstatic to have him with her so much. But it had been very, very hard to be excited about anything after her fifth night wake-up, newborn included.
It would get better after she'd had more time to rest and recover, she told herself. Then she took a deep breath and stepped carefully into the lounge. "Well, good morning, you two!'
Kyo looked up in surprise; he wasn't expecting to see Tohru up and about already, and he immediately felt a wave of guilt he hadn't been there to help her get moving. "Hey! I didn't know you were up already, I'm sorry." Standing up, he crossed the lounge over to where Tohru was standing and gave her a kiss. "How are you feeling?"
Tohru smiled, returning the kiss affectionately. "Sore. Tired. Achy. Like I just had a baby and no one would let me sleep afterwards."
Kyo winced; it was highly unlike Tohru to complain, so he knew that if anything, she was downplaying how she felt. "I'm sorry," he repeated, but Tohru shook her head.
"It's fine, Kyo, it's not your fault. And good morning, Hajime," she cooed to the baby in Kyo's arms. "Have you been having a nice time with Daddy?"
Kyo grinned down at Hajime, then looked at Tohru. "I think so! He's pretty much slept the whole time, but I think we got in some good bonding time."
"Trying to talk him into karate at a young age?"
He blinked at her, then laughed. "You heard that, eh? Well, yeah, of course I'm gonna try to get him interested. What do you expect me to do, try to scare him away?"
Tohru giggled; in all honesty, she expected him to do exactly what he was doing. Even when Hajime was still in the womb Kyo had been talking about how strong his kicks and punches felt; she knew that the moment she was onboard with the idea Kyo would have Hajime in a gi.
At that moment, the nurse walked into the room, stopping when she saw them standing together. "Mr. Sohma, remember you're not supposed to carry around the baby outside of your room!"
Kyo stared at her for a moment, then glanced back at the bassinet sitting next to his chair. "Right, sorry, my bad. I'll set him down." He made a move to return to the couch, but the nurse quickly ducked past him.
"No, it's alright Mr. Sohma, I'll get it."
Kyo gave Tohru an embarrassed look as the nurse brought over the bassinet; even though they'd been told several times that Hajime wasn't supposed to be moved without the bassinet, it was surprisingly hard to remember. Kyo personally thought it was dumb; they'd be going home in a couple of days, and at that point they could literally walk Hajime across Japan and no one would say a word. But at the hospital, he would try to follow the rules.
"And how are you doing, Mrs. Sohma? Everything feeling ok still?"
Tohru gave her a nod. "Yes, I'm still doing fine, thank you!"
"Alright then. Would you like me to walk with you at all?"
Tohru glanced at Kyo as he set Hajime down in the bassinet and smiled at him. "No, I think I'm ok."
Kyo returned the smile as he stood up, then looked at the nurse. "Yeah, Hajime and I will walk with her. And the bassinet," he hastened to add, even though no one had been about to bring that up. "We'll make sure she gets back safely."
Dweedly-doot
At the sound, Tohru looked up from her breakfast and shot Kyo an amused look, followed by a giggle at the second chime only a moment later.
Dweedly-doot
"You know, I still haven't even looked at my phone yet. There was so much going on last night, and I was just so tired! But it would be nice to see what everyone has said, don't you think?"
Kyo was eating his own food and trying not to grimace; life with Tohru had spoiled him when it came to food, along with just about everything else. But he was also amused by the twin notifications; no doubt someone had made a comment in the Hajime group message he'd made last night. Even though he hadn't been awake for much longer than Tohru, there had been a several times that morning when his phone had chimed.
He'd ignored all of them.
"I haven't looked yet, either. I figured there'd be so much that it would take a bit to go through, and we might like to read them together," he said with a smile at her. "Kinda like the next best thing to doing this in person, you know?"
"Aww, that's so sweet, Kyo! I didn't even think about waiting to read them together, I'm sorry," Tohru said with a guilty expression
"Nah, it's ok! It's not like I mentioned it or anything, and since you didn't read them anyway we can still do it," Kyo said as he set down his bowl. "How about after you're done eating?"
"You mean now?" Tohru grinned, setting down her chopsticks and moving her tray aside. Then she patted the bed next to her. "Come sit with me, it'll be cozier that way."
Kyo was never going to argue with snuggling, and he passed Tohru her phone as he carefully settled down beside her. "Alright, let's see what we got."
Message from: Kyo. Yesterday, 8:17pm
After years of trying, Tohru finally gave up on attempting to beat her own chocolate game and decided to do something different for Valentine's Day this year. Introducing Hajime Sohma, born at 2:47pm on February 14th, 21 inches long, 8 pounds 1 ounce. Yes, that's his natural hair color. He and Tohru are both doing great, but Tohru is very tired. We'll send more details later.
Message from: Kisa Sohma/Kisa. Yesterday, 8:18pm
OMG WHAT? THAT'S SO EXCITING! I'M SO HAPPY FOR YOU TWO, CONGRATULATIONS!
Message from: Uo-chan/That damn Yankee. Yesterday, 8:18pm
Already? Damn, that kid's as impatient as his dad. Congrats!
Message from: Hana-chan/Goth Girl. Yesterday, 8:18pm
Congratulation, dear Tohru, and Kyo. It looks like you have a fine son.
Message from: Kisa Sohma/Kisa. Yesterday, 8:19pm
TOHRU, I HOPE YOU'RE MAKING SURE TO REST!
Message from: Momiji/Bunny Boy. Yesterday, 8:19pm
The baby ist here! This is such good, good news!
Message from: Uo-chan/That damn Yankee. Yesterday, 8:19pm
Tohru, u look great. I'd never be able to guess u just pushed out a baby!
Message from: Momiji/Bunny Boy. Yesterday, 8:20pm
Kisa, why so many caps? But yes, Tohru, make sure to rest! You need your strength back!
Message from: Hana-chan/Goth Girl. Yesterday, 8:20pm
Kyo, make sure you're ensuring Tohru is properly fed and nurtured. It's important you strongly advocate on her behalf while she's recovering. Meat is good for healing.
Message from: Kisa Sohma/Kisa. Yesterday, 8:20pm
Srry Momiji, I'm just excited. I didn't think the baby was coming for two more weeks!
Message from: Uo-chan/That damn Yankee. Yesterday, 8:20pm
Kyon, U'd better be kissing Tohru's ass right now after she just did this. Seriously.
Message from: Momiji/Bunny Boy. Yesterday, 8:21pm
I hope Tohru isn't in too much pain. Make sure you manage your pain, Tohru! There's no shame in taking drugs!
Message from: Hatori Sohma/Hatori. Yesterday, 8:22pm
Congratulations, Kyo and Tohru. He looks like a fine baby, and Tohru looks very well. I hope it wasn't too difficult of a delivery.
Message from: Mayuko Sohma/Hatori's wife Mayuko. Yesterday, 8:22pm
Congratulations! He's really cute. Hope Tohru has a fast recovery
Message from: Hana-chan/Goth Girl. Yesterday, 8:22pm
I never would have thought orange hair was dominant. You are full of surprises, Kyo.
Message from: Hatori Sohma/Hatori. Yesterday, 8:23pm
Kisa, it's normal for babies to be born within a week or two on either side of their due date.
Message from: Uo-chan/That damn Yankee. Yesterday, 8:23pm
Never thought I'd hear you advocating drugs, Momiji; I guess Germany's loosened u up even more!
Message from: Hiro Sohma/Hiro. Yesterday, 8:23pm
Congrats! U'd never guess that kid was Kyo's (LOL)
Message from: Hatori Sohma/Hatori. Yesterday, 8:24pm
This also answers the question about the hair. Interesting.
Message from: Kisa Sohma/Kisa. Yesterday, 8:24pm
Oh, thanks Hatori! I didn't realize that.
Message from: Momiji/Bunny Boy. Yesterday, 8:24pm
Pain management is always a valid use for drugs, Arisa, and that's all I'll say 😜
Message from: Uo-chan/That damn Yankee. Yesterday, 8:24pm
There was a question about Kyon's hair? I never did totally believe it was real, but I guess I have to now. U sure are stubborn, Kyon
Message from: Yuki Sohma/Rat Boy. Yesterday, 8:25pm
Congratulations, Tohru and Kyo, he's a beautiful baby. Even if he does take after his father 😉 I hope you have a fast recovery, Tohru, and no lasting complications.
Message from: Hana-chan/Goth Girl. Yesterday, 8:25pm
Yes, I also recommend proper utilization of pain medications, Tohru. You've been through a lot, don't push yourself too far. Now is a time for healing and rest.
Message from: Yuki Sohma/Ray Boy. Yesterday, 8:26pm
Did the baby just come early? I hope everything else is ok with you both, Tohru.
Message from: Machi Sohma/Kuragi. Yesterday, 8:26pm
Congratulations!
Message from: Kisa Sohma/Kisa. Yesterday, 8:26pm
I love his name, too! It's perfect for a first baby.
Message from: Momiji/Bunny Boy. Yesterday, 8:26pm
Do you know how long you'll have to stay in the hospital? Will you get to go home tomorrow?
Message from: Akito Sohma/Tohru Emergencies Only. Yesterday, 8:27pm
Congratulations to you both.
Message from: Shigure Sohma/Damn Dog. Yesterday, 8:27pm
Even exhausted, you are a vision of maternal beauty and grace, Tohru. Congratulations!
Message from: Ritsu Sohma/Freak-out Boy. Yesterday, 8:27pm
Congratulations on your exciting new addition, Tohru and Kyo! I hope he brings even more joy into your joyful life than any other baby in the history of the entire world!
Message from: Kagura Sohma/Kagura. Yesterday, 8:28pm
Aww, it's a little baby Kyo!
Message from: Ritsu Sohma/Freak-out Boy. Yesterday, 8:29pm
I apologize for any insult my previous comment might have caused to any other parents, expectant parents, or intended future parents! I didn't mean to suggest that any other babies were any less deserving of joy, and I'm very sorry!
Message from: Ritsu Sohma/Freak-out Boy. Yesterday, 8:31pm
DID I MAKE EVERYONE SO ANGRY WITH ME THAT THEY ALL LEFT THE CHAT? I'M SO SORRY!
Message from: Yuki Sohma/Rat Boy. Yesterday, 8:32pm
It's fine, Ritsu. People are just being quiet, it's nothing at you
Message from: Hiro Sohma/Hiro. Yesterday, 8:32pm
Take a chill pill, Ritsu
Message from: Kagura Sohma/Kagura. Yesterday, 8:32pm
It's not you, Ritsu! Don't worry about it 3
Message from: Ayame Sohma/Ayame. Yesterday, 9:06pm
TOHRU AND KYO, CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR BEAUTIFUL BUNDLE OF BABY JOY! Tohru, dear, you look as radiant and delightful as ever, but whatever is that that you're wearing? I could have sworn that Mine and I sent you a proper maternity nightgown, I DO hope you have the chance to wear it and enjoy some properly comfortable AND attractive rest. Beauty sleep is important for all kinds of things!
Message from: Mine Sohma/Ayame's wife Mine. Yesterday, 9:06 pm
Tohru, that's so wonderful! You look darling, and Hajime is adorable! The orange hair is so cute, I love it. I'd hoped Hibika would turn out with Ayame's hair, but you've seen how that went.
Message from: Ayame Sohma/Ayame. Yesterday, 9:07pm
Mine tells me we definitely sent the nightgowns, so Kyonkichi, make sure that your darling flower of a wife has them to hand. It's your job to take care of her, remember!
Message from: Hatsuharu Sohma/Haru. Yesterday, 9:58pm
Wow, congratulations! Didn't expect the kid would turn up so soon, bummer that you had to miss out on Valentine's sex but nice job with the baby, Honda. He looks great.
Message from: Isuzu Sohma/Rin. Yesterday, 9:59pm
Ignore Haru, he's just an idiot. Congratulations, Tohru! Even if he takes after Kyo, he's still really cute. Make sure you rest up.
Message from: Yuki Sohma/Rat Boy. Yesterday, 9:59pm
Don't be vulgar, Haru.
There were several more messages that came in after that, and by the time they were done reading neither Tohru nor Kyo had a straight face. Tohru was smiling so broadly that her cheeks hurt, and Kyo was so torn between irritation and amusement his face didn't know where to settle. But if Tohru was happy, then ultimately he was happy, too.
Tohru set down her phone with a happy sigh and beamed at Kyo. "Those were some sweet messages, weren't they?"
"Yeah, they were." Some of them. All of the ones directed at her, anyway. Smiling, he reached over and took her hand, interlinking his fingers with hers. "It's like I've always told you, everyone loves you. Even all the way up here. And now they're gonna love Hajime too, if just by default. Even if he does look like me," Kyo said with an exaggerated eyeroll.
Tohru laughed and kissed him. "Well, anyone who thinks Hajime is missing out by taking after you is sorely mistaken; if he grows up to be even half as handsome as his daddy, then he'll be a lucky boy."
"Yeah, yeah," Kyo said with a pleased smile. "We both know you're with me for my good looks."
They exchanged a grin, then Tohru rested her head against Kyo's shoulder. "I think it's a good time for us to respond again...but I'm wondering how much we should say?"
Kyo knew what she was asking without her having to say, and he felt the same familiar roll of guilt. But he was going to do his best to honor her wishes; she said she'd tell him when she was ready to talk about it, and until she did, he wouldn't say a word. So instead, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and rested his cheek against her head. "I think you should tell them whatever you feel comfortable with, Tohru, however much or little you want. You can always say more later, if you want."
Tohru thought about it for a moment, then pulled up her phone. After typing for a little while, she held it up to show Kyo, and he read it quickly, then gave her a smile and nodded.
"Sounds good to me."
Message from: Tohru. Today, 9:32am
Good morning, and thank you all for your kind congratulations and well wishes! Don't worry, I am resting, as much as they'll let me, and Kyo is being a big support. I don't know what I'd do without him here, he's so helpful!
Unfortunately, I'm going to have to be here for at least a couple more days. I'll spare you all the details, but at my prenatal exam yesterday I ended up having really high blood pressure, got sent to the hospital, and ended up having Hajime by an emergency c-section less than an hour later. As you can imagine, it was all pretty stressful and very chaotic. But everything worked out ok, and as Kyo said Hajime and I are both fine. My blood pressure is still a little high, but in a much safer range, and everything went well from a surgical perspective. My doctor actually said I was a 'textbook' case, so thank goodness for that, right? We have to stay longer because of the surgery, but it will be nice to have the nurses to help for a little bit longer even if they don't like to let me sleep.
Within seconds both of their phones were going off again, and they exchanged an amused glance before opening them back up.
Message from: Uo-chan/That damn Yankee. Today, 9:33am
Goddamnit, u had to have surgery? Wtf didn't u think to share that detail yesterday, Kyon?
Message from: Uo-chan/That damn Yankee. Today, 9:33am
R u sure ur ok?
Message from: Akito/Tohru Emergencies Only. Today, 9:33am
I'm glad to hear you're ok, Tohru. That must have been terrifying.
Message from Isuzu Sohma/Rin 9:34am
Seriously? They had to cut you open? Kyo, you dumbass, weren't you supposed to be making sure that Tohru wasn't stressed and stayed calm, what the hell was her blood pressure doing elevating like that for?
Message from: Uo-chan/That damn Yankee. Today, 9:34am
^^This. WTF, Kyon?
Message from: Hatori Sohma/Hatori. Today, 9:35am
I'm sorry you had to endure such a difficult experience, but I'm glad to know your doctor was taking the appropriate steps to keep you both safe. An emergency Caesarion is never undertaken lightly. Make sure that you're taking care of your incision and avoiding lifting anything heavier than the baby.
Message from: Hatori Sohma/Hatori. Today, 9:35am
Isuzu, elevated maternal blood pressure can come from all sorts of things, not necessarily stress.
Message from: Tohru. Today, 9:35am
I promise I'm ok, really!
Message from: Tohru. Today, 9:35am
And it was nothing to do with Kyo. The doctor doesn't know what it was, exactly, just that it was really high. So they were going to monitor me at the hospital, but after I passed out Hajime was apparently in distress, so they just had to go.
Message from Isuzu Sohma/Rin 9:35 am
I'm still blaming him, Hatori
Message from Isuzu Sohma/Rin 9:36am
YOU PASSED OUT?
Message from: Uo-chan/That damn Yankee. Today, 9:36am
U passed out?
Message from: Uo-chan/That damn Yankee. Today, 9:36am
Kyon, wtf?
Message from: Hatori Sohma/Hatori. Today, 9:36am
It sounds like the doctor took necessary steps in a dangerous situation. I'm very glad you're both alright.
Message from Ayame Sohma/Ayame. Today, 9:36 am
My dear Tohru, that must have been absolutely horrifying for you! No wonder you didn't have a chance to ensure you had the proper nightgown. I'm so glad you're alright, you and the baby both.
Message from Ayame Sohma/Ayame. Today, 9:37 am
Although Kyo, you could always go and get your lovely wife her things and bring them to her, if she's going to be in the hospital for that long. She's sure to be much more comfortable if she doesn't have to wear that dreadful hospital gown.
Message from Isuzu Sohma/Rin 9:37am
I'm still waiting for an explanation from the dumbass why he didn't mention this last night.
Message from: Uo-chan/That damn Yankee. Today, 9:38am
^^THIS
Tohru glanced sideways at Kyo, expecting to see him fuming. And honestly, she was a little surprised herself; usually Kyo would have jumped into the fray several messages ago. But instead, he was looking at his phone with a furrowed brow and an unexpectedly somber expression, one that took Tohru by surprise.
"Hey," she said gently, reaching out to touch his hand. "You know Isuzu is just concerned, right? My blood pressure had nothing to do with you, nothing at all. And we both agreed not to mention anything last night because we weren't going to be looking at our phones anymore. So that's not your fault, either. It's just easier for them to go after you than me, that's all."
Kyo looked at her and tried to smile. "Thanks, Tohru. But it's not that, not exactly. I know those things aren't on me, it's just...I just don't think I can talk about this yet. I know you're not ready to talk to me, and that's ok," he hastened to add, not wanting her to feel pressured in any way, "But I can't just downplay it and be like 'oh, it was no big deal' either." He could feel his eyes welling up, and he looked away, blinking aggressively. "You can talk to them, however much you like, but I'm gonna just sit this one out."
Tohru nodded, simply giving his hand a squeeze. "It's ok, Kyo. I can fight this one for you, too."
Message from: Tohru. Today, 9:39am
Kyo didn't mention it because I didn't want him too, that's all. We only had the time to send one message, and I didn't want to make anyone worry.
Message from Isuzu Sohma/Rin 9:39am
You don't always have to be such a martyr, Tohru. And why isn't Kyo answering, anyway? He'd better not have abandoned you at the hospital.
Message from: Tohru. Today, 9:40am
Kyo's here, but he's busy right now. And you have to trust me that everything is fine.
Message from: Tohru. Today, 9:40am
It's so sweet of you all to worry about me, really, but I'll be fine.
Message from: Tohru. Today, 9:41am
It'll be a pain not being able to lift things for a while, but Kyo was already stopping me from almost every heavy lifting chore anyway, so this won't be much of a transition.
Message from: Yuki Sohma/Rat Boy. Today, 9:41am
That sounds so difficult and terrifying, Tohru, I'm glad you and Hajime came through it safely. I don't envy Kyo having to sit through that, either.
Message from: Uo-chan/That damn Yankee. Today, 9:42am
OMG yes! If you had Hajime that fast, was Kyon even there?
Tohru couldn't decide if she wanted to look at Kyo or not. She could tell that he was sitting incredibly still, but couldn't tell from this angle what his face looked like. Then before she could make up her mind, Kyo slid off the bed and slipped his phone into his pocket.
"Hey...do you mind if I head out for a bit, Tohru?"
She could see immediately how bothered he was, and it made her heart break for him. "Kyo, we don't have to talk about it anymore, it's fine. I'll just say we need to go, and you and I can put our phones away again."
Kyo shook his head, his eyes still slightly downcast. "No, I want you to be able to talk, if you want to talk, Tohru. It's fine, as long as it's the truth, right?" They were both silent for a moment, then Kyo looked at the door. "I was thinking Ayame was right; I should probably go get your bag. And some clothes and stuff for me. And the car, with the car seat. We're gonna be here for a couple days, so we might as well be comfortable, right?"
"That's right, Kyo." And clearly he needed to step out for a little while, to be comfortable again himself. So she reached out her hand to him and smiled. "I'll be fine on my own for a while, you go get some air. Tell me what the outside world is like when you get back."
He chuckled at that, taking her hand and squeezing it. "You know it." Leaning over, he gave her a kiss, then started out the door.
"I love you, Kyo!"
Pausing, he glanced back at her and smiled. "I love you too, Tohru. Always and forever."
As the door closed after him, Tohru laid back against the pillows and sighed. No one had told her how hard this would be.
None of it.