"Tohru!" Kyo caught her before she hit the ground. Dammit, he knew something was up. He should have just told his family they'd do this some other time, but she was so happy to be sharing this moment with him and he had been too. "Baby, I got you." But even so, Yuki was stepping towards him with a pained expression that reminded him someone would have to take her away because he couldn't hold her for long.

"Son, give her to Yuki, please." But his arms just tightened as he held her. Why? Why did he have to be like this?

"Nii-chan, don't change." Chelsea's small plea tearing at him more. Dammit! He couldn't put Chelsea through that again.

How shitty was this? Was he? He couldn't even hold his girl for long after she collapsed. In her moment of need, all he could do was catch her for a moment before handing her to another guy. Kyo couldn't look at Yuki as he gave him Tohru, it was killing him that he couldn't hold her longer, he started to feel his eyes burning. It just felt like he was failing her. "Kyo, don't listen to those thoughts. Tohru wouldn't see it like that at all." Hana called out to him as Uo hushed her. Wait...what? Kyo turned towards the couple currently trying to cheer up his sister, both females obviously ignoring his shocked expression." It's okay, Chelsea. Your brother caught her, so she wasn't injured. That just happens sometimes to her because she got hurt a long time ago."

"W-what happened to Tohru?" Chelsea reached out to her brother for his hand which he took.

"She was in an accident, Chelsea." Kyo stated. "A bad one." Chelsea gasped at the thought. "It was a long time ago, even before Yuki met her."

"So, you know?" Uo asked. And Kyo nodded to her as he watched Yuki put his girlfriend in his father's vehicle. What else had Tohru told him? 'My thoughts exactly.' Uo looked at her girlfriend. They needed to have a conversation with Kyo, but first they needed to get home. "Well, since your dad took Tohru, Yuki, and Machi, guess we're walking." Kyo started heading in the direction of the house with his sister in tow.

"So, when was Tohru in an accident?" Chelsea looked up at Hana as the four of them headed to the house.

"Right before we started living together at the end of middle school. She was very lucky. According to the reports, someone was able to pull her out of the mangled vehicle she was in." Hana watched as Kyo stopped dead in his tracks. She wanted to pick at his brain, but she swore she'd stop that unless absolutely necessary though he was basically throwing his thoughts at her. It was a bit painful, if Hana was being honest and too jumbled together to make any real sense except for the pain he felt for letting Tohru down. That feeling was coming through loud and clear. "Kyo, please calm down. You know Tohru isn't going to see this like that. She'll honestly just be grateful you caught her in time because that hasn't always been the case in the past when this has happened."

"Nii-chan saved a girl once!" Chelsea chimed in. "But he never learned her name. It was back before he moved to America and met me." Chelsea thought the similarities were cool. "Nii-chan, what if Tohru was the girl you saved, that would be so cool! And romantic." But Kyo just couldn't get past all this. There was just no way. That would be too big of a coincidence, right? Right?! Seeing that Kyo wasn't participating in the conversation, Chelsea turned to the other two women. "Wouldn't that be the coolest if Nii-chan had met Tohru that long ago?"

"That would be cool." Uo smiled at the little girl's excitement. "But Tohru doesn't know anything about the person who saved her. She was unconscious for the whole thing and no one could tell her about him."

"Tokyo is a very big city, Chelsea, and accidents happen every day, all the time." Kyo had to be the voice of reason because the thought that Tohru could have been that girl was crazy, right? That would be too crazy of a coincidence, right? Right?!

"I know, Nii-chan. Just thought it would be cool, that's all."

"It would be." Kyo told her. And fucking crazy! "I just hope that girl, whoever she was, ended up okay and happy." Because she had that chance since she was alive.

"Well, if it had been Tohru." Uo piped up. "Carrots, at least you'd know, she did end up happy. She's kinda crazy about her boyfriend and has never been happier." She chuckled at Kyo's blushing face and seeing Saki's shoulder relax meant it had done the trick and he wasn't blaring his thoughts at her. 'I think we should tell him. You know, since him and Tohru are definitely serious about each other.' Saki nodded. 'And maybe, we can learn about everything Tohru's told him because even you said, she seems to be getting back to normal. Maybe he's been helping out.'

Tohru looked at herself in her small compact mirror. Maybe she should do bangs again, she always disliked her forehead, felt it was too big. She could pull off bangs, she used to have them as a child but had let them grow out a couple years ago. And maybe her parents would let her get Lasik. They had talked to her about it last year on her birthday, but she had shrugged the idea off, not really minding wearing glasses. But with what she and her friends had been doing, glasses really did have her at a disadvantage, not that anyone has come close to her face yet, thanks to Hana.

"Tohru." Her father's voice threw her out of her thoughts. "So, we called Hana-chan's house last night, because that's where you said you'd be at." Tohru tensed in her seat as the father looked at her through the rear-view mirror as he rolled the vehicle to a stop at the light. But why had they called for her, they never did before. Unless...crap, did they try calling her during one of the rounds when her phone had been off?

"O-oh, I'm so sorry, Dad. We changed plans and stayed at Uo-chan's for a girl's night instead." That was partially it, but she could tell from the look on her mother's face as she turned towards her, she wasn't completely sold on her answer.

"That what Hana's parents told us too." Her mother stated. "So, we called Uo's father and he said she was no daughter of his and good riddance to a daughter like that." He had said unpleasant things too about her daughter and the way they were raising her which had had Kyoko and Katsuya heated. Tohru was great, loving, and considerate to others. Always helping in anyway she could, especially her friends. Personally, Kyoko felt they raised their daughter very well. "Tohru, what's going on? You've been spending the night at Hana or Uo's a lot for the past two months, like every single weekend in fact."

She should just tell them. Tohru hated keeping things from her parents, it just never seemed right, but how would they react. Especially her mom. Kyoko had taught her daughter to fight and fight well and Tohru knew this hadn't been what they had planned when her mom had taught her, but Uo was in trouble and it was the only thing they could think of to get the money she needed for her to get a place soon enough. "Yeah." Tohru sighed as decided to come clean. "Uo's dad found out she was dating Hana, kicked her out, and disowned her. But I really was at Uo-chan's last night. She got a small place."

"How did she get the funds to afford a place so quickly?" Kyoko asked her daughter.

"S-she's been saving since she started dating Hana because she knew how her father was towards the LGBT community so she sort of knew this might happen." But it hadn't softened the hurt that came from losing her other parent. And that wasn't the complete truth because not many places would hire a 15-year-old.

"Kyoko, dear, show her. No point of beating around the bush." Katsuya continued on home from the mall where they had just kicked up Tohru, who now fidgeting in her seat even more. It wasn't like her to keep them in the dark, he thought as a huge roar of thunder spooked them all. "Wow, it's getting really bad."

Kyoko handed her daughter her phone. "An old gang member sent this to me last night. Said she'd notice my moves from anywhere and asked if this person was related to me." Tohru looked in horror at the video as she sent an opponent flying over her body before dodging the next blow before Uo took out the corporate with a punch to the jaw. How!? There were strict rules of no phones or cameras, but Tohru could tell from the location that this had been one of the judges. "So, I'm going to ask again, Tohru, what's going on? Why are you and your friends in underground ring fights? You...you haven't joined a gang, have you?"

Tohru couldn't help as the tears started rolling down her face. What would her parents think of her, of her friends, of what they did? "No... we're not."

Katsuya pulled the car into an incoming parking lot, knowing he was going to need to give this conversation his full attention. "I'm confused. Kyoko dear, didn't you say these fights were only known amongst gang fighters."

"They are." Because she had fought in them. It was been a long time since she had to be stern with Tohru. "Tohru, the truth."

"We aren't, I promise." She knew it looked bad. "We don't partake in any gang activities, I swear. Uo-chan's old senpai reached out to Uo a few months back around the time her father kicked her out. Uo still talks to her from time to time, you know to catch up and stuff." I'm sorry Uo-chan, I know you didn't want to tell mom any of this yet but I just can't keep it from them anymore. Forgive me. Tohru sent the thought out to her best friend. The whole thing made her feel bad all around. "Anyways, apparently the team they were going to enter, one girl got arrested, another broke her leg in a fight, and their backup team really wasn't that good, so Uo's senpai asked her if she wanted to enter, not be in the gang but use their name to promote them and take the spot."

"Yeah, it would be hard to recruit new members if you aren't being represented in those." Kyoko mumbled to herself though Tohru and her dad caught it. Katsuya looked confused. "It's a harsh tournament. Gangs enter teams to fight one another. Duos or trios. Goal is to get the other team out of the circle by whatever means necessary. Tohru, these are dangerous. People go to the hospital all the time because of these. Hell, I've got scars from them and some have died. And I don't see how you and Uo are managing in the duos." Kyoko saw the look on Tohru's face as she looked away from her parents. "It is you and Uo, right?"

"A-and Hana-chan. Me and Uo's been teaching her defense since we signed up and she's caught on very quickly." Tohru couldn't look her parents in the eye as she admitted this next part. "This weekend was the last round and though Uo-chan's old gang asked us to join after we won and thanked us for the help, we turned it down. But mom, dad...I-I like to fight. And I'm really good. I mean, I like fighting, pushing myself, doing something I never thought I could. So, I was wondering... I mean if I'm not in too much trouble for keeping all this from you, if I could join a dojo or something. Of course, I'll still do music, I love it and that's where my heart truly lies, but... I don't know, I like this too."

"..." What was her mom saying? Why couldn't she remember this part. Tohru had been too scared to see their faces as she asked this of them. "I'm disappointed, Tohru..." Why could she only remember that part and the feeling that she had done wrong as her mother said that. Could she not remember what came after because it had hurt more?

"... don't fight..." What else was her dad saying as he pulled the car out of the parking lot. Why couldn't she fight? Tohru had always followed every path laid in front of her and walked it beside her parents but this, fighting, defending herself and her friends, it had tested her in a way she had never experienced before. It made her feel confident, like nothing could stand in her way and the confidence bled into all aspects of her life, especially music. She wasn't doubting herself anymore, doubting her abilities and she was liking that. Enjoying it. With fighting, she didn't have time to second guess herself, she had to be sure or she'd get hurt. There was no room for errors. So, Tohru took that same mentality to music. Just be sure, give it her all, and stop doubting herself. And it worked and she improved so much. But she hated this. Hated that all she could remember was the words that tore at her heart. Hated that last thing she remembered of her parents was the feeling of disappointment she had given them. That they had left this world possibly ashamed of her and she couldn't apologize for it. I'm sorry. So badly Tohru wished she could say that to her parents. Sorry, she tried to live like the daughter she should have been. Sorry that she couldn't do it completely because she was selfish and couldn't give it up fighting completely like she should, like she felt they wanted.

Her head was killing her as she slowly opened her eyes, but the feel of a familiar hand helped bring her back, back to the present and out of that memory, grounding her. "Kyo-kun." Normally she felt worse than just a terrible headache, but seeing Kyo's hand in hers, having him by her, it helped. He looked uncomfortable as he stirred, being propped up by pillows so she could rest her head on his lap.

"About time you woke up, Tohru. Jeez, I was going to call Shishou for his car if you stayed asleep much longer." Kyo whispered as he gently stroked his hand through her hair.

"I'm sorry, Kyo-kun." Tohru squeezed his hand before turning away and curled into herself. Why couldn't she stop making people worry about her? Their roommates were probably worried sick about her too.

"Hey, hey, hey." Shit, he hadn't meant for her to get upset. "Don't do that, babe." Tohru turning away was way worse than anything he had experienced since she passed out. Worse than the feeling that he let her down. "Please, look at me."

"I just don't want you to see me looking so pathetic, Kyo-kun." But she turned back towards him. "I'm sorry. I know I caused you and everyone so much trouble."

"Tohru, you're fine. Everyone has days like this." Though she was awake, Tohru still looked so exhausted but Hanajima and Uotani had told him that was to be expected. Apparently even Yuki had witnessed this happening to her before, once in high school.

"Days?" Tohru thought for a moment. "Kyo-kun, what day is it?" Gosh, how long had she been out. Hopefully not too long and she hadn't missed days of classes. But apparently long enough, as her stomach started growling. "Sorry." Tohru covered her face as she tried to turn away again to hide her embarrassment.

"It's Saturday." Kyo looked at his watch. "4:37am."

"What?!" Tohru sat up quickly in shock but grabbed her head immediately when the room started spinning, and Kyo coaxed her to lay back down. "B-but classes...and work and...and our date!" She had been looking forward to the last one.

"It's fine. Everything is fine, Tohru." Kyo gently stroked her head as she looked up at him. "I called the Cafe and they said if you were feeling better, you can make the two hours up on Sunday at any time. Yuki is going to let us borrow his notes and he explained our absences to the professor. We didn't have any tests or quizzes so nothing to make up." Kyo gave her a reassuring smile. "It's okay to miss a day of classes when you're sick, Tohru."

"You missed classes for me?"

"Of course. Someone had to watch over you." Kyo's face turned sad and Tohru didn't like that. "It's the least I could do since I wasn't that much help when you fainted."

"Yes, you were." Slowly, Tohru rose up. How could he think that? He stayed with her, missed his classes and ensembles for her, called her work for her, and had caught her so she didn't get hurt. "I'm so happy you caught me, Kyo. I'm not injured because of you." Gently, she leaned into him and kissed him softly on the lips.

"But you cried a lot over the last day and a half." And he couldn't hold her and comfort her like he wanted.

"Only cried?" Kyo nodded. "That's a lot better than the past times." Again, she gently kissed him. "I've been known to scream in the past and I was only out for a bit more than a day. That's better too. Guess I'm just better with you by me." Tohru pushed the familiar button before wrapping her arms around her boyfriend. "Thank you, Kyo. Thank you for taking care of me."

You know Tohru isn't going to see it like that. Yeah. He did know but he couldn't help that he had, but here was Tohru, doing what she did best and destroying those silly doubts and like always, he couldn't help smiling back at her. "It's no problem. I'll take care of you any time this happens."

As the alarm went off, Tohru wiggled away. "You must be tired, Kyo." He shrugged at the statement. "You should lay down properly." But then her stomach started growling again causing her to blush.

"Or, we can feed you. You good to walk?" But Tohru shook her head. The room was still spinning a lot and she just wanted to lay down again. "Well then you stay here, and I'll go make you something real quick." As he removed himself from her bed and helped her into a comfortable position, Kyo thought about what he could make. "You good with rice porridge?"

"Yeah, thank you, Kyo." But she grabbed his shirt before he could leave too far. She needed to apologize. "I'm sorry."

"Tohru, I can make porridge and other things. I can cook just fine, unlike Yuki." That had her smiling a bit.

"About the date. I'm sorry. I was really looking forward to it. And I'm sorry I ruined your evening with your family. I really didn't mean t-" He couldn't take her apologies so he stopped them by sealing her mouth with his. Even in her time of need, she was thinking about him. God, why was she just so unbelievably precious.

"Tohru, don't apologize for any of that. You didn't ruin anything. Everything is better with you there."

"But your family-"

"Is very understanding." Kyo interjected. "You forget, Amelia is a doctor. She tended to make sure you were okay before they left. Shishou drove you home and carried you upstairs. And Chelsea made you a card." He pointed to the picture beside her on the nightstand. "Uotani and Hanajima gave her stuff to make it. I think they are a bit smitten with her, more so than the rest." That had him grinning. And he had been very grateful towards them, helping distract Chelsea like they had while he had been completely caught up in tending to Tohru. He should get them something. "Maybe when you're feeling better, you can call them? They were really concerned as well."

Tohru picked up the picture. She had never gotten something like this from a kid and it melted her heart. She could identify everyone in the picture very quickly, though the different color on the hair helped. She had drawn everyone. Tohru and Kyo were holding Chelsea's hands with Amelia and Shishou beside Kyo and beside Tohru were all their roommates. "Okay. I'll call them later today." But there was more. "I'm sorry about ruining our date too, Kyo-kun."

"Once again, no need to apologize. That's the neat thing about dating someone." Kyo lifted Tohru's face to look at him. "You'll get more chances for more dates. Plus, my professor said the offer still stands as long as the program is running, which should be two more weeks."

"Program?" What was running that the professors were working on.

"My professor and I think a few others are playing in the ensemble for Wicked." Tohru gasped, that was right. Anytime a new Broadway came to the city, many of the professors were recruited into the ensemble. "And as a thanks for being in his recital, my professor said, anytime I wanted I could join them in the pit, see what it's like from a musician's view. I asked if I could bring you too and he was totally fine with it. I didn't know if you have seen the musical or not but I thought it would be a neat thing to experience." He thought it was cool. He'd seen the musical before but to be surrounded by the music sounded unbelievable.

Tohru was in awe of the idea. She'd seen the musical before but to experience it like a true musician sounded great. "I would have loved that, Kyo. Thank you. Thank you so much." And that he wanted to share that experience with her, she just loved so much. "So, when can we try again? I don't think I've ever been so excited to experience a musical before."

"Next Saturday. Apparently, four people is the max they can bring down to the pit and I think Kakeru, Komaki, Yuki, and Machi are going on Friday together." Kyo thought for a moment. "I don't think the horn or trumpet professors are in this ensemble."

"No, mine had to turn it down because he and his wife had previous engagements on the next two weekends." She had been bummed because her professor only offered those special things to juniors or higher so she and Isuzu had been upset they couldn't experience it. "And I think the trumpet professor is going to be out of town this next week for a convention in the states." Oh, she was so excited about this next weekend. "Kyo?"

She was smiling again. He was so thankful. She still needed more sleep but right now, he was just happy she was smiling again. "Hmmm?"

"Thank you." She motioned for him to get closer and he did as she rose up for a quick kiss. "For everything, helping me, being with me, the date. Just, thank you so much."

"You're welcome, Tohru." So precious. That much was obvious to him as he stroked her lips before taking them again. But he started laughing as soon as her stomach started growling, reminding him of what he was supposed to be doing. "I'll be back in a bit."

How embarrassing. "O-okay." Tohru stammered as she took a pillow to cover her face.

But before Kyo walked out, he remembered something. "You know, sometimes when I was feeling down about things in America, instead of saying sorry about something, I liked to thank them instead. I know it's weird, but it helps. I'll be back in a bit." And he headed downstairs. It had helped for him when he got really down and lonely when he had to go away. Kyo had wanted to apologize to Yuki for having to leave and not being there for him like he had but he instead thanked him for helping him with the wreckage and helping him escape, for being the greatest friend a guy could ask for. He wanted to apologize to Shishou for uprooting his life but instead he thanked him for loving him so much that he had done everything in his power to protect to Kyo. He wanted to apologize to that girl, for having to leave her on the ground like he had but instead he thanked her. Thanked her for needing someone like him. Thanked her for surviving and not being a casualty. Thanked her for letting him, the stupid unwanted cat all the elders called him, show all those Sohmas that he wasn't going to be tied down by the curse and live the life they had laid out for him. Yeah, it had been lonely and he had gotten down about his luck sometimes, and still did, but Kyo was a fighter. Always had been. He'd fight from his freedom. Fight to break this curse that still had him. And as he started cooking, he couldn't help smiling because he had another thing he wanted. A life with Tohru. Yeah, he was going to fight like hell for that one most of all. Shishou warned him about the Sohmas still monitoring him. Let them, he didn't care. His life was here now and he'd be damn if they tried to take that from him again.

A/N: You guys, I love how sweet Kyo is to Tohru in this one. I'm so glad I got past my hang up on this one. This one is a bit dear to me because I went to college for music. Lol. French horn baby!

Anyways, follow, favorite, review, whatever you like to do. Be kind, have a good time, and always let that love fore Kyo and Tohru SHINE!~~~~cithara0211

PS. Always Only You upload tomorrow!