Hey guys! Here's a new Toradora story from me! This one is an alternative ending to the anime - which is written for those who ship Ryuuji with Minori! If you like this pair, I hope you'll enjoy this story! :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Toradora.

Minori let the tears that were filling her eyes fall to soak the pillow she had buried her face into. She had just collapsed onto her bed, unable to stand it sit up bright from her broken heart. She felt it filling with the agony that was creeping through it as her soft sobs filled her bedroom.

It was completely unlike the redhead to be so upset and devastated. Her nearest and dearest friends were so used to seeing her being so upbeat and cheerful. That was why she had waited until Ryuuji and Taiga had left Ami's house before letting the tears fall. Her wish to see the tall, gentle boy and the short, brash girl had been furious at last. She had succeeded in her mission to help them find her happiness - at the cost of her own.

Now Minori had returned to her own house. She was all alone in her bedroom - as she believed herself to be from now on after pushing Ryuuji and Taiga together. As far as the red-haired girl was concerned, the best friend really needed the kind-hearted boy they both liked far more than she did. Being in her own was something she felt sure she could handle - but that didn't make letting go of the love of her life any less painful.

Minori rolled over on her bed, tears still streaming down her face. She was taking no notice of anything happening around her, too numb from her broken heart to do so.

"I hope you'll be happy, Takasu," she murmured in a low broken voice which contrasted with the high-pitched hyper tones she often spoke in. "You deserve to have everything that will make you the happiest you could ever feel. More than anything, that's what I want you to have for the rest of your life."

"In that case, will you be with me?"

Minori froze. She was startled at the voice which had just abruptly filled her room. It was a voice she recognised all too well. Sitting straight up on her bed, she turned around to see who had entered her room without her hearing - before her teary eyes widened upon seeing who it was.

"Takasu?!"

Ryuuji gazed down at the redhead. He had managed to climb the wall of her house and slip through her open window to enter her bedroom without hear hearing. It was a truly awful sight for him to see the girl who was usually so bright and cheerful breaking down in tears. His scary eyes he had inherited from his father looked softly down at her as he sent her a warm smile.

It was such a smile from Ryuuji which made Minori one of the few people to be aware that underneath the his thuggish-looking appearance was actually a gentle soul with a heart of gold. It was why she had fallen for him - to the point of being willing to sabotage her happiness for his own.

"I'm glad I found you here, Kushieda" he said, smiling humorously. "If people saw me climbing the wall to get in your house while you weren't here, everyone would think I truly am a delinquent."

Minori's eyes were filled with shock as well as tears. What was the boy who had gotten hitched with her best friend doing here? Just two hours ago, he had left her to go with Taiga so the pair of them could run away together. Now he was here in her bedroom - without the girl he had chosen over her in tow.

"What are you doing here, Tasaku?" Minori cried, looking all around for any trace of the small brunette girl. "And more importantly - where is Taiga?!"

"Taiga…" Ryuuji lowered his tone as he repeated the word of the girl who he had proposed to that night. "I'm afraid she's not sticking with me…"

"Wha-?" Minori gaped with disbelief over what the boy had told her about his fiancé. "What are you talking about?"

"You know how we were planning to ditch town and run away together?" Ryuuji reminded her. "Well as it turned out, she got on the train and left - without me."

"Left without you?" Minori stared. "What do you mean? Did you miss the train?"

"I sure did…" Ryuuji nodded. "Although that was only because Taiga wouldn't let me get on it. She was pretty rough as she blocked the carriage doorway, prodding and poking me to stop me from boarding. It sure hurt, I can tell you!"

"Taiga wouldn't let you get on the train?" The redhead cried, shocked to hear that the small girl had pushed away the boy who had asked her to marry him that night. "Why would she do that?"

"Because she didn't want me to go with her," Ryuuji explained. "Instead, she wanted me to go after the one who makes me happy - which she very forcefully demanded me to do."

A small gasp escaped Minori. She was staggered to hear that Taiga had made Ryuuji stay behind while she left town. She couldn't believe her best friend had given up her chance to be with the boy - which was exactly what the redhead had tried to do to push them together.

"And you did that?! You let her go off on the train without you?!"

"I wasn't sure if she was serious. I tried to board the train to talk it out with her - only to for her to yell rot me to shut up and lash her foot out at me to stop me getting on!" Ryuuji shuddered at the memory of Taiga's painful method of literally kicking sense into him. "She told me that to go after the one I really belong with was the last order she'd ever give me. She insisted as her dog, I had to do exactly as she told me."

"But-But-But-"

Minori's stuttering protest was cut off as Ryuuji gently placed a hand onto her lips. He gazed adoringly down at the girl, his dark eyes gazing into her magenta ones.

"No more buts, Minori," he said, voicing how he felt about about her by using her first name. "No more tears, no more giving up your chances to be happy. That all stops from now on for as long as I will be with you - which will be for the rest of our lives. You've done everything to try to get me to chase my own happiness - but the only way I'll ever get it is if I'm sharing it with you."

Minori's heart raced inside her chest. She could feel the pain it had been full of which she'd thought would last forever already beginning to heal. She stared up at the tall boy who was saying such moving things to her in all his kind nature. Her eyes were still shining with disbelief along with tears. Having someone as wonderful as Ryuuji dedicating his entire life to her was something she didn't believe she deserved.

"Takasu…"

"Call me, Ryuuji." The blue-haired young man smiled at the redhead he adored so much. "It wouldn't be right to spent our futures together forever - without using our first names."

It was at that moment when a smile found its way onto Minori's face. It was filled with all the bright happy nature that she was known for. The tears streaming down her face were now made of joy. Regaining all her strength, she stood up from the bed - to throw herself up at Ryuuji. She wrapped her arms around him, embracing him tightly.

"You remember how I told you I'd like to see a ghost?" she asked, burying her face k to his chest. "I realise now that all this time I was looking for one, it was right in front of me all along. Now that I know that, I want to hold onto this ghost tight and never let ever go!"

Ryuuji smiled as he wrapped his own arms around Minori. He remembered the conversation they'd had at Ami's summer house, where she had told him about her wondering about the existence of ghosts and the possibility of her finding one - which had actually been a metaphor for love. He was pleased that she could finally see that such 'ghosts' were indeed real, as he had turned out to be the one she was hoping to see.

"Don't worry," he whispered, hugging her closely as he gently ran his hands through her red hair. "This ghost doesn't intend to ever let you go either."

Minori lifted her gaze from Ryuuji's chest to look lovingly up at his face. No matter how cheerful she had appeared to others, never before had she ever felt as happy as she was feeling now. She beamed brightly at him as she fixed her gaze with his - as they pressed their lips against one another's.

Silence filled the room as the two lovers kissed. They remained locked in their embrace as they passionately showed how much they loved each other. After such a roller coaster of confused feelings, self-deprecating and fluctuating emotions, they had finally received what they had both wanted for a long time.

The pair pulled away, their cheeks burning bright red as they gazed at one another. Both of their faces were glowing and overflowing with happiness. Ryuuji placed a finger tenderly underneath Minori's The shy, gentle boy exchanged warm smiles with the beautiful, kind-hearted girl who he had believed would never be with him - until now.

"I love you, Minori."

"I love you too, Ryuuji."

Thanks for reading this story. I sure hope you like it. My motivation for writing it has been from a feeling that's been lingering inside me since finishing the series. While I did enjoy the story for what it was and was happy to call Toradora a favourite anime of mine, I couldn't help but wonder; what if Ryuuji had ended up with Minori instead of Taiga? They had mutual feelings for each other and both were such kind, fun characters - so I thought they would have made a great couple. I couldn't shake off thinking how things would have played out had they gotten together, so I decided to scratch that itch and write this alternate ending where Ryuuji chooses Minori (with Taiga's blessing), thus giving her the happy ending she deserves. :)

Hope those who like this pairing enjoyed this. Thank you again for reading. ^^

Cheerio!