There was no doubt about it, moving was tough. Packing, unpacking, getting everything to the new place. Figuring out what rooms to put it in. And then there was the 'how do we want to arrange the furniture' and 'do you think this would work better in here, or out there?' And that didn't even begin to touch on the actual travel from the old place to the new place, or all the related complications if you happened to be Tohru Honda, leaving Tokyo for the first time in her life.

Or if you were Tohru Honda's beloved but completely exhausted boyfriend.

But finally, days after saying their goodbyes and trekking northwards to their new home and life in Aomori prefecture, they were done. Everything was sorted, everything was put away. New things were washed, old things displayed. They had gone over and through every single possession they had, debating whether this would be better displayed in the living room, or whether that would look nicer on the wall in the kitchen.

They'd even managed to finish unpacking the cascade of care packages sent from back home.

But now, at last, there was nothing else that needed to be done at the house. Now they could finally sit back, look around, and breathe.

Or, if you were Kyo, you could finally punch something.

They had been sent a truly staggering number of gifts. It didn't exactly surprise them, especially not Kyo; part and parcel with loving Tohru Honda was the understanding that almost everyone else loved her, too, and that meant they'd periodically have to deal with that love, whether in visits or gifts. And he didn't delude himself into thinking that most of the gifts were chosen with him in mind. He was Tohru's 'gift with purchase' in the eyes of many, and he was ok with that. He was the one who got to be with her, the one who got to hold her in his arms at night. And that was all that mattered.

But there were a few people who were actually in Kyo's corner, who had clearly considered him when assembling their care packages. And his absolute favorite, the thing he'd most been most excited about, was a punching bag.

Tohru and Kyo had been a little surprised to open the large package and discover a punching bag. As a pair of young people off on their own for the first time and setting up their first house, they were working with a small budget and limited space. It was only because they were living in such a rural area that they could afford a house at all; both of them were well aware that trying to live in pretty much any city would have meant a dingy little shoebox apartment, and they were grateful with what they had. But it still wasn't all that big, and that they hadn't wanted too many 'non-essentials' starting out.

That was why Kyo had been so excited about the punching bag. He'd always wanted one; even though he went running every morning and had a set of weights, he'd always wanted to do some more sparring practice at home. He'd already started training at his new dojo, though he didn't start his teaching job for another couple of days, and he was ready to prove himself. He'd gotten this position through Kazuma's connections, and while he was grateful, he wasn't thrilled. At this point in his life, Kyo was ready to stand on his own feet, not hide behind his father.

But what was done was done, and all Kyo could do was work every day to justify his new Sensei's faith in Kazuma, and Kyo by association. This meant doing his best to push himself, to be the best teacher and karateka he could be. To be in the best shape he could be.

Figuring out where to put the punching bag had been a trick at first. While spacious compared to an apartment, Tohru and Kyo's house was pretty small; the only real options were either their actual bedroom, or the small room just behind the bedroom that opened out onto their miniscule balcony. With those choices, the answer ended up obvious: the little room would become Kyo's exercise room.

"Our exercise room," Tohru had stressed. "Because I might want to work out, too!"

Kyo had his suspicions about that, but he agreed; it would be their exercise room, available for both of them to use when wanted. In went the punching bag, his weights, the athletic tape and the two sets of punching gloves that Hatsuharu and Rin had sent along with the bag itself. He was pretty sure that was what had gotten Tohru interested; in the letter Haru sent along, he specifically mentioned that it might be a good idea for Kyo to teach Tohru how to hit.

And she was certainly intrigued, although initially, she was mostly intrigued by Kyo.

He felt weirdly self-conscious as he put on his gloves for the first time, glancing over at Tohru sitting in the opposite corner of the little room. "So, you're just gonna sit over there and watch me the whole time?"

She nodded, resting her hands on her knees. "I will as long as you don't mind! I've never actually seen anyone use a punching bag before, and I'd like to watch before I try it out myself."

That made sense. "Well, make sure you stay right in that corner, ok? I don't want to kick you or anything by accident. If you get bored or need to get up at all, make sure you say something and I hear you, ok?" He was still a little nervous; the room wasn't all that big. But Tohru nodded, settling back even further into her corner.

"How's this?"

He looked at her for a long moment, then nodded. "Should be good. I'm gonna just start then, ok?"

"Ok!"

Kyo turned to face the punching bag, settling himself into a comfortable stance and drawing up his hands. The gloves felt a little bit weird, even as thin as they were, but he knew his knuckles would appreciate it if he planned to keep this up. Slowly, he mapped out his first strikes, then he was off.

It felt good, his hands connecting with the bag. Solid and satisfying, each strike rapidly leading into the next. He had a little bit of experience with punching bags; this one was a little stiff, being so new. But it still made a nice sound when he hit it, still provided satisfying resistance.

Once he'd settled into a good rhythm of punches, he started to throw in a few strikes, as well. Away from him. Towards him. With the heel of his hand, pushing straight away. More punches.

Kyo felt the familiar surge of adrenaline rising, the one that always came out when he fought. Punch. Punch. Strike. Kick. Strike. Another kick. One connection after the next, all of them landing with speed and precision.

In her corner, Tohru watched Kyo with interest. She was always fascinated when she watched him fight, to see how strong and precise his movements were. He never seemed to have to think; everything moved with such speed, and such fluidity. She knew it was different now, him striking a bag instead of an opponent; it had to be easier like this, not having to watch and counter. But he was every bit as focused as ever, his eyes never leaving the bag for even a second.

She knew this was the product of years of training; it wasn't like he'd woken up one morning and suddenly known how to do any of this. But he made it all look so effortless, so easy; even when the sweat began to run down his face and dampen his t-shirt.

Tohru let Kyo go for a while without saying a word. She knew how excited he'd been about this punching bag; he'd looked like a little boy on Christmas morning when they opened it up. And she was glad, watching him, that he was enjoying himself so much.

But it wasn't just for him, and she wasn't going to let him hog it, either.

"Kyo?"

Kyo landed his roundhouse kick and dropped back into a normal standing position, turning to look at Tohru. "Yeah?" He was a little breathless, but he was grinning from ear to ear.

"I was wondering...would you be willing to let me try that?"

Kyo's eyebrows raised, then he grinned at her. "I'm making it look too fun, huh?"

She giggled, taking in the sight of Kyo practically drenched with sweat, unable to take a deep breath. It was a look that suited him well, though she doubted it would be even half as attractive on her. But he was right; he did make it look fun.

"Something like that. I think it would be fun, and Hatsuharu did send along those gloves for me, too!" She grinned at him, then quickly added, "But it doesn't have to be right this second, if you wanted to keep going."

Kyo shook his head at her, bringing up one arm to wipe at his face. "Nah, I'm good. I probably ought to ease into using this thing a little bit more, so it's a good time for me to stop. Besides, I need to see this," he said, giving her a grin.

Tohru bristled defensively. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means I've seen you try to throw a punch, and I've got doubts."

Tohru knew he came to those doubt justifiably, but she still huffed a bit as she got up and walked over to pick up her own gloves. They were small and fingerless, just like Kyo's, with a thin layer of padding to protect her hands. She'd wear them, and she'd be fine! It definitely wouldn't feel anything like the time she tried to split a watermelon with her bare hands.

"Tighter," Kyo commented, the suddenness of the word making her jump.

"Eh?"

"Tighter. The fastening at your wrist. Believe me, you don't want them to slide around at all." He had stepped back from the bag and was watching her, arms crossed over his chest and a big grin on his face. Tohru found that grin to be a challenge, and she jutted her chin out slightly as she tightened her gloves. She could do this, she could punch!

Tohru stepped up to the bag and took a breath, then raised her arms like she'd seen Kyo do. But she didn't get a chance to even finish making a fist before Kyo stopped her.

"Back up, Tohru."

She looked down at her feet, at the punching bag, and back at Kyo. "Why? I thought you needed to be close to hit it."

"Close, yeah, but not that close." Kyo abandoned his vigil, stepping up right next to Tohru and taking one of her hands. "Look at what happens when you fully extend your arm." He stretched out her arm, and but couldn't get it even close to straight before her fist was touching the bag. "Either you're gonna end up connecting with the back of your hand and possibly breaking your wrist, or," he tucked her arm back in and drew it out again, this time angling it slightly upward, "you're gonna hurt your elbow. You want to be back far enough that just your knuckles are connecting. And you don't want to be standing square like that, either," he added, gesturing to her feet. "You'll have more leverage if you have one foot back, like this."

Ok, all of those things made sense. Tohru nodded, stepping back to the distance Kyo had indicated, and into a better stance. "Like this?"

It wasn't perfect, but it was a lot better, and Kyo grinned. "Like that." He started to step back again, then paused. "But before you try to actually hit anything, I want you to show me a fist."

Tohru gave him a baleful look. "Everyone knows how to make a fist, Kyo."

Now he really wanted her to show him a fist. At her statement, Kyo firmly shook his head. "Nope. Not even close. A fist where their fingers are all bunched up? Maybe. A fist where they can punch without hurting themself? Hell no." He crossed his arms again, still standing slightly between Tohru and the punching bag. "Humor me. Show me a fist."

Tohru huffed a little bit, but obediently made her hands into fists. "See? Fists!"

Kyo was torn between amusement and incredulity. "Geez, Tohru, after all the time you've spent watching me, how can you be so bad at this?"

She knew he meant it kindly, but that stung just a little bit. She was doing her best!

Frowning, Tohru looked down at her hands. "What's wrong with them?"

"What isn't wrong with them?" Kyo reached out and gently took one of her hands, unfolding the fingers she'd wrapped around her thumb. "Never, ever make a fist with your thumb on the inside. You do that, you connect really solidly, and you're looking at a broken thumb. It also makes your fingers sit weirdly, see? You always want your thumb on the outside, like this."

He demonstrated, and Tohru readjusted her own fingers. "Like this?"

Kyo shook his head again. "Better, but you want your thumb curled down by your fingertips. Look at my hand again," he said, showing her his fist. "You want your thumb out and away, where you don't have to worry about it hitting anything. See how your thumb is sticking up past your knuckle?" He said, poking at her hand. "When you punch, most of the force should be going into your first two fingers. You want those knuckles to be the first thing that connects, because the first connection will take the most impact. If your thumb is sticking out..."

"Let me guess, I could end up with a broken thumb?" Tohru's voice was incredibly dry, and Kyo had to laugh at her.

"Hey, you're the one who wanted to try! I'm just making sure you don't hurt yourself too badly."

Already, this was proving a lot more complicated than Tohru had expected. She'd thought it would be fun to take a few hits to the punching bags, but so far, all she seemed ready to do was break a bone. But she wasn't going to back down now.

"Ok, so...like this?" With great concentration, Tohru shaped her fist into the same form as Kyo's, right down to the curled thumb. And this time, he smiled approvingly.

"Like that! Just...make it a little bit tighter, ok? And you want to hold it more like this," he said, correcting her wrists.

"Ok. So, can I hit it now?" Her voice was hopeful, and Kyo laughed again. It was such a strange sight, Tohru standing there in her cute little outfit, bright red punching gloves on her hands.

"Yeah, just one sec." Kyo stepped back and pulled out his phone. "Try to look fierce, ok Tohru?"

She wanted to laugh, but instead put on her most intimidating 'fight' face.

"Is that fierce, Tohru?" Kyo's voice was teasing, and Tohru dropped her stance.

"That was incredibly fierce! I was trying to look like you!"

Kyo chuckled at that, looking at her with dancing eyes. "If that's me looking fierce, then I have to seriously up my intimidation factor."

"Well, just take your picture," Tohru said, sticking her tongue out at him as she stepped back into her fighting stance.

"Already did. I figured that Haru and Rin would appreciate seeing you putting their gift to good use."

It was such a sweet idea that Tohru had to smile. "That's so nice of you, Kyo! I bet they'll be very impressed."

"They'll be very something, alright," Kyo said with a grin as he put his phone back away. "But now, if you're ready you can try a few punches. Just don't try to hit it too hard or too fast right away."

Tohru nodded and drew up her fists, concentrating on the punching bag. Then she let fly her first punch. "Ha!"

Kyo was trying to keep a straight face, but it was very hard. Tohru was so focused, and so sincere in her desire to do well; he didn't doubt that she was trying. She wasn't playing with him, pretending to be bad so that he could 'help' her.

She was just genuinely that bad.

"Tohru, stop." She did, looking over at Kyo with exasperation.

"What now?"

He stepped back up next to the bag. "When you punch, you want to be connecting with those first two fingers, remember? You want your fist to hit like this," he demonstrated with his own fist, bringing it up to the bag and connecting in super slow motion. "You want to be aware of where your fist is landing, and how. You also want your wrist to rotate when you're punching. So if your hands start here," he said, taking her wrist and moving to stand right beside her, "as you hit, your hand should turn, like this, so your fist connects like this. Just follow my lead."

With his hand guiding hers, the punch landed squarely in the center of the bag. Granted, it was incredibly slow and the bag didn't so much as wrinkle, but the form was good.

"Think you can do that, Tohru?"

Of course she thought she could. But she was starting to suspect that there was a lot more technique that went into this punching thing than she'd thought. She knew that actual martial arts, or even actual fighting, took skill, but she hadn't expected it to be so hard just to hit a punching bag!

But she was going to get this, eventually. "Yes, I can. I'll just go a little slower."

Or a lot slower, as the case might be. Tohru drew back her fists as Kyo stepped to the side, murmuring softly to herself. "Thumbs down. Rotate wrist. First two fingers first..." Then she reached out, her punch almost agonizingly slow. But it was sound, and both Kyo and Tohru were smiling when she looked at him, her eyes alight with excitement. "I did it!"

Her enthusiasm was adorable, and Kyo was happy to see it. "You did! Now try to do it again, just faster."

She nodded, returning to her starting position, and took another, slightly faster punch. Another solid hit, another smile from Kyo.

"Can I try the other hand?"

"Sure, if you want to! Same thing; watch your thumbs, rotate your wrist, connect."

This time, Tohru's hand went a little crooked, and she yelped as she connected with her pinky. "Ouch!"

"Remember, it's the opposite hand, so you want the force to be mirrored from before. You still want to connect with the first two fingers, not the baby ones." Kyo gave her a sympathetic look. "You ok?"

Her pinky finger tingled, but she wasn't going to let that deter her. "Yes, I'm fine. Let me just try that again." She squared up again, bringing up her hands, then took a firm punch with her off-hand. That time, her strike was true, if a little slower. "Ha, got it!"

"Yeah, you did! Why don't you try a couple on both sides, see what you can do?"

Tohru didn't need much more of an invitation, striking out with first her right hand, then her left. None of her punches had much force behind them, but they were all landing correctly, and Tohru's eyes were shining. She was doing it, she could punch!

Kyo leaned against the wall, watching Tohru fondly. He hadn't expected her to be so excited about this; in fact, he'd kind of expected she'd take one or two strikes and decide she was done. She didn't have the greatest track record when it came to any kind of fighting, though now he was wondering if that was more due to hatred of violence than anything. Tohru had always shied away from the idea of hitting someone, even in practice!

But she was sure having fun now, her big grin contagious as she punched away at the bag. Yes, her form left something to be desired, but he didn't have to worry about herself hurting herself any more. And if she really decided she liked this, there'd be time to work on that later.

Tohru was feeling incredibly encouraged by each successful hit, and with that encouragement came boldness. She wanted to try more, to do more! To show that she could pay attention, and she could learn.

It was a wild impulse, nothing more, but Tohru leaned into it, shifting her weight and bringing up one leg into what was meant to be a roundhouse kick, just like Kyo had done. "Ha!"

Kyo hadn't expected that, so he wasn't in a position to do anything more than watch as Tohru's leg went up too high, the momentum from her kick continuing up and back towards her body, almost literally sweeping herself off of her other foot and sending her crashing to the floor.

"Tohru! Are you ok?" He was down on the floor with her in an instant, looking at her with anxious eyes. Tohru's own eyes were closed, and at first, he was concerned. Just how hard had she landed?

After a moment, Tohru opened her eyes with a wince. "Owww..." she looked up at Kyo's concerned face, attempting to smile in a way that didn't look too pained.

"I don't think I did that quite right, Kyo."

"You can say that again. Geez, Tohru, try walking before you run, ok?" Kyo took Tohru's hands and gently pulled her up into a sitting position. "But seriously, are you ok? How's your hip? Did you pull a muscle or anything?" That kick had been impressively high, everything else aside.

Gingerly, Tohru stretched out her legs and arms. She was a bit sore from her crash, but the tatami had done a good job of softening her landing. "I think I'm ok. I'll probably be a little stiff for a bit, but I'll be ok." She let Kyo help her to her feet, rubbing the hip she'd landed on with a rueful look. "But I think I'm done with the punching bag for now."

Kyo chuckled and reached for the fastenings of her gloves. "Well, you were doing a good job there, right before the end. I think this is the first time I've ever seen you land a decent punch!"

In spite of her aches, Tohru lit up at the compliment. "Really?"

"Yeah. You might not have been very fast, but at least you weren't in any real danger of hurting yourself. Until you decided to get stupid," he said, giving her a somewhat reproachful look.

Tohru blushed. "I just wanted to give it a try!"

"Well, next time, ask me, ok? I can show you how to try so you won't actually hurt yourself." Though Kyo had his doubts about Tohru doing any kicks; balancing had never been her forte, and even with proper form he could easily see her toppling over.

Tohru sighed. "I just wanted to show you I could learn something from you, Kyo. I was watching you the whole time you were practicing, you know."

"Hey, some people can pick stuff up easily by watching, others need a little more hands-on instruction. And no offense, Tohru, but you've always been the latter." He was grinning at her to soften the blow, and set her gloves down by the wall with his own. "But that's ok, I like teaching you. And I'll probably always like teaching you, as long as you want me to."

"Even if I can't make a proper fist?"

"Even if you can't make a proper fist."

A/N: I was once asked if I'd have Kyo teach Tohru how to fight, and this is what popped into my head.