I've been away for a wonderful birthday week with my husband, son, and my family:) But back to writing and school starting!

Chapter 29

The next morning, Kyomi was up before the rest of the house. She was in the middle of prepping lunches for the teens with leftovers when Tohru came in.

"You didn't need to do that Mi-Chan. I came home early to do it." Tohru said kindly.

"It's no problem Tohru. As long as you don't mind American chicken and dumplings for lunch." Kyomi said with a smile. Kyomi saw something in Tohru's eyes that caught her attention. "What's wrong? You seem off this morning. You can talk to me about anything you know." Kyomi spoke quietly.

Tohru looked startled and then hesitant. "How would you feel if I said I think the curse is breaking?" She asked carefully.

Kyomi's eyes widened a touch before answering. "Not surprised since Gure and I had already surmised as much, but who told you that?" Kyomi asked.

"Do you know Kureno?" Tohru asked hesitantly.

"Of course, he played with us sometimes as kids. Not very often cause those three were difficult, but I remember him well. I was told that he was kept close to Akito's side these days." Kyomi said. There was a beat or two of silence before Kyomi swung back around to face Tohru.

"His curse broke, didn't it?" She all but whispered.

Tohru just nodded.

"That makes sense. Of course, Akito would keep him close because she technically has no hold over him anymore. Crafty girl…" Kyomi said the last statement under her breath and Tohru's eyes widened.

"You know?" Tohru whisper yelled.

"Of course, Kureno, Hatori, Gure and Aya found out when she was first conceived so I was there when they talked about how her parents had decided to raise her as a male." Kyomi shook her head. "Choosing to do so yourself is one thing but forcing anything like that onto a child is cruel." Kyomi brought the tea pot to the table and Tohru followed Kyomi in sitting down. "I can't even bring myself to blame Akito for all that has happened. It truly is the curse at the heart of it all. Akito has undoubtedly done some horrific things and caused so much pain. Those are things that she will have to bear the consequences of. However, if she truly chooses to turn over a new leaf, I will not begrudge her that." Kyomi said with finality.

"I think I understand. It's almost like she's a child that just doesn't know right from wrong and just needs someone there for her too." Tohru said better understanding Akito after their conversation. Just then Shigure's door opened, and he came out.

"My Kyomi is a better person than I am." He said kissing the top of her head. "I don't think I will ever be able to forgive what she has done." He said menacingly as he went to the kitchen to get himself a cup.

Tohru finally noticed the scarf sitting on the other end of the table. "That's my scarf!" She said, grabbing it and throwing it around her shoulders.

Kyo walked into the kitchen just as she did so. "Is that yours? I found it in the street last night and thought it might be yours, so Luc and I grabbed it. He helped me wash it too. It's probably still wet though." Kyo said drying his hair in the doorway. Tohru walked up to him and whacked him with the puff ball on the end of her scarf.

"It's just perfect. Thank you so much for finding it!" She said beaming at him.

Yuki followed down the stairs holding a yawning Luc and their day began.

…

The kids were off to school and Luc was playing while Kyomi folded some laundry at the table. Shigure was writing at his desk, but the door was open. Kyomi looked at her son and figured he was preoccupied enough to have this conversation. She went into Shigure's room and sat on the bed, crossing her legs, and perching her chin in her palm with her elbow on her knee. Her eyes bored a hole in the back of his head as she waited quietly, but with an air of impatience as he finished his train of thought.

He finally turned to look at her. "What did you want to talk about?" He asked, knowing he was in for something with the way she was acting.

"Kureno's curse broke." She said bluntly, gauging his reaction.

"So he said a few days ago." He replied.

Kyomi stood up and started pacing. "You knew and you didn't tell me?" Anger beginning to color her words.

Shigure just watched her knowing there wasn't much he could do to calm her down. "I suspected something had been different with him for a long time, but I didn't know anything until he called me a few days ago." Shigure said pausing. "I used to hate him because Akito chose him, but now it all makes sense as to why." He finished watching her carefully. Given the mood she was in, he knew his words might cause volcanic activity to spout from her head talking about his previous love.

Kyomi just stopped in the middle of the room, her fingertip picking at her lip. "So it is beginning." Was all she said. Shigure was a little surprised at the lack of anger.

"You aren't angry with me?" He said standing and slowly walking over to her.

"Oh, I'm irritated with you, but this news is more important than what you choose to tell me right now. That is a conversation for another time." She said, fire coming from her eyes as she stared him down. Shigure appropriately looked like a chastened puppy.

"Why did he call you anyway?" She asked curious.

"He was wanting to talk to Tohru, but I answered instead. He wasn't exactly thrilled to speak with me." Shigure chuckled. Kyomi just looked at him with confusion.

"Why would he not want to talk to you?"

"I used to make it very apparent I was anything but thrilled with him being so close to Akito." He got a dangerous gleam in his eye. "Much like how I would feel now if someone were to go after you." He said as he dipped his head to catch her lips with his own. Kyomi had the fleeting thought that he was staking his claim, but the thought was chased away by the deepening of their kiss. She broke away from him to lay her forehead on his chest.

"I feel like things are only going to get worse before they get better. I feel like something big is coming and I just pray everyone comes out on the other side." Kyomi whispered into his chest.

Shigure sighed, holding her elbow with one hand and playing with her hand with his other hand. "I feel the same. Circumstances keep progressing the way they have been, and they will reach a breaking point."

Kyomi clutched his shirt tighter. "Don't push things too much." She knew he would try to guide circumstances and events into his favor, she just didn't want anyone irreversibly hurt.

"I will do my best." He responded.

Luc came into the room and said, "Mama lunch pease!" Then he ran into the kitchen to try to open the fridge to make his own lunch. Kyomi shook her head at him and followed him to make them all some lunch.

….

The weeks passed without much excitement until it was nearly Valentine's Day. Kyomi and Shigure didn't want to go out and do anything, but the teens secretly colluded with Shigure to leave the couple for the evening anyway and planned to take Luc with them. Tohru and Kyo were planning on taking Luc to Kazuma's for the evening and Yuki was going to spend the evening with Manabe. Shigure had ordered a dinner to go from their favorite sushi place and had a simple evening together planned. However, he also had a small box tucked in his pocket.

Kyomi had returned home after her day at the shop with Ayame to all the minors in the house running out as she opened the door to enter the house.

"Bye Mi-chan! We will see you tomorrow!" Tohru said cheerfully.

"Kazuma invited us over for the night. He said it's been too long since he's seen Tohru and Luc has a late class this evening anyway. So we are staying over." Kyo said lifting the toddler in question onto his shoulders.

"Bye mama! I wuv oo! Mmmm pah!" Luc said, blowing Kyomi a kiss which she responded to by pulling her son down to give him a kiss, nearly throwing her brother off balance. She was in a bit of a confused daze as she waved good bye to them. Then clarity returned.

"Shigure Sohma!" She said throwing the door closed behind her and bending over to take her boots off. "What exactly are you planning? We said we weren't going to do anything special and I didn't have anything…" She trailed off as she looked up. The Christmas lights were strung along the walls like garland and led into the living room. Standing in the doorway was Shigure, dressed in a simple white shirt with the sleeves rolled up and tucked into his navy pants. He carried a small bouquet of white gardenia, orange and lavender roses.

"Remember when Ayame bought that stupid book about the meaning of flowers?" Shigure said as she walked up to him. He took her hand and led her into the living room which had the lights all around the ceiling.

Kyomi laughed at the memory. "Yes! He asked me what all my favorite flowers were and then told me what they all meant. Orange roses were one of them actually." She said smelling the rose. "It means passion, desire, and the wish to move a relationship forward among other things. Ayame made sure to not let me forget that meaning." She finished dryly, eyeing him with a little suspicion.

"What about the lavender rose?" He asked smiling.

Kyomi again couldn't hold back laughter. "This is not the first lavender rose you have given me! You gave me a lavender rose right after Ayame told us what it meant. It means love at first sight." She said smiling up at him. He was still holding the bouquet, but her hand had wrapped around his now and she was standing as close to him as she dared.

"And what about the gardenia?" He said.

Kyomi tilted her head to the side to think. "Ayame never really talked much about gardenias. None of us had a particular liking for them." She answered.

He guided Kyomi to sit down and he sat next to her. "This one has a twofold meaning for us. It symbolizes trust and respect, the idea of new beginnings and hopes and dreams. However, it also symbolizes secret love." He said raising her hand to kiss it.

"So, you want to move our relationship on to the next level?" Kyomi asked him dryly. "What exactly do you expect that to entail my little puppy?" She questioned suspiciously. Shigure chuckled into her palm where he had turned her hand over to kiss.

"As much as I long for that development, you are correct in that we should wait until we can enjoy each other with abandon. No, this step forward is something a little more important than that. I actually had a discussion with your brother about you as a matter of fact." Shigure said lifting her chin to give her a slow, soft kiss. Soft though it may be, the passion Kyomi felt behind it made her heart race and her brain cease to think. Kyomi came back to herself when she felt something slide onto the ring finger of her right hand. She looked down to see a seemingly simple band. However, inlaid in the band was the Celtic trinity knot wrapped around small diamonds spaced evenly around the band. It was all set into the band, so nothing was raised and all in white gold.

"Gure… What do you mean?" She asked softly, looking up at him. He held onto both of her hands in his and laid his forehead on hers.

"Even though we can't announce it for all our safety, I want to claim you as my own. Your brother approved of my proposal, and now I just need your consent. Will you marry me?" He whispered.

Kyomi had a single tear spill over and Shigure wiped it away with the swipe of his thumb. "Of course, you silly man. As if there were ever a question as to what my answer would be." She said and he captured her face in his hands and pressed his mouth to hers in a searing kiss that brought to the forefront the passion Kyomi felt lurking only a minute before.

They kissed until they were breathless and Kyomi pulled back with a slight growl in her throat to catch her breath. "So, you really want to be stuck with me for the rest of your life, huh?" She teased him laying her head on his shoulder. She was holding the hand of the arm she was laying on and his other hand was playing with the ends of her long hair.

"What should surprise you is that you want to do so with me." They chuckled a little at the truth of that statement. "Hatori told me this would never happen. He said you were too good for me." Shigure teased.

"When did he say that? If it was in the last few years, I'll punch him." She teased right back, although she was partly serious about the punching part.

"It was elementary school right after I gave you that lavender rose actually. I must have seemed sincere to him since he decided to corner me and threaten bodily harm if I ever did anything to hurt you." He chuckled into her ear in between soft kisses to the top of it.

Kyomi sighed and slightly shook her head. This caused Shigure to grumble deep in his throat and hold her head still. Kyomi's shoulders shook in silent laughter at his antics. He trailed his kisses down the side of her ear to her neck. She unconsciously rolled her head to the side so he could have better access and a hum escaped her throat. He kissed all the way down eliciting more hums from the love of his life before ending at the collar of her shirt. She pulled his head up and pressed a searing kiss to his lips. They were interrupted by Kyomi's stomach growling earning laughter from Kyomi and a heavy sigh from Shigure at his reluctance to end his ministrations despite the inevitable dissatisfaction it would give him.

"There is dinner I hope." She teased him with a quick kiss to the tip of his nose. He tapped her nose in return and went to pull the carryout and a bottle of champagne from the fridge much to Kyomi's excitement. She jumped up to grab the bottle opener, glasses and plates for him and they sat down together to eat. Sharing food with each other as they wanted. Shigure caught Kyomi staring at her ring in the lights and teased her a little, but also felt very proud and relieved she liked it as much as she did. He then realized they hadn't talked about keeping the relationship secret.

"Are you really okay keeping this just in the house?" Shigure asked her. She had just taken a bite of food so her mouth was full, but that gave her time to formulate her answer.

"Not particularly, since I would also like to claim you for myself. However, it is very necessary right now and obviously we both know that. You were very smart choosing a ring that fits into my family history and isn't likely to raise suspicions. I'm assuming Kyo knows. Will we tell Aya and Tori?" Kyomi rationalized and questioned her now fiancée.

Shigure nodded. "Yes, I would like to keep it just between us five for now. I don't want Yuki and Tohru to keep unnecessary secrets. Those two already have too many secrets to keep." Shigure commented.

"All of us do, but you are right. If they find out, I wouldn't mind. But I don't want to add to their burden." Kyomi agreed.

"You are a burden I will gladly bear until the day I die." Shigure said sappily and Kyomi just laughed in his face, her head falling onto his shoulder. He just smiled and kissed the top of her head in contentment. She wasn't completely his, but she was as close as she could be for now.

If you want to see the ring I'm describing, go to my Irish jeweler and find the white gold diamond trinity band:) Super pretty! Also, instead of giving Akito a paper flower, he gave Kyomi a bouquet and a ring! Sigh:) That's also where we are in the story. Finding Rin comes soon!