"Now, are you sure you'll be ok?" Tohru asked, handing Kisho to
Shigure. He had been at their home for two months and had all of them
wrapped around his tiny finger. "I mixed enough formula for the next four
bottles, it's in the refrigerator. I just changed him, so he should be good
for a while, and I'll bath him when we get home. Gizmo and Aya have been
fed too, so you don't have to worry about it." She said, ticking off the
different points on her fingers. Yuki and Kyo just sighed.
"We'll be fine." Shigure said. "I have Hatori's number, the paramedics, the fire department, and the army." Shigure said, smiling. "Go! Have fun!" he said, pushing them out the door and slamming it behind them. He sighed and looked down at Kisho, who was staring up at him with wide blue eyes. "It's just you and me, Kisho." Shigure said.
* * *
"I don't know if we should have left Shigure alone with Kisho." Tohru said. "It's too soon!"
"He can't corrupt him this early." Kyo said. "Don't worry."
"Besides, you need a break. You haven't been out of the house in a week." Yuki said. "You're becoming a hermit."
"No I'm not!" Tohru said, blushing. "I went to my base yesterday to pull some weeds and trim the grass!"
"And you took Kisho in his buggy to get some air." Kyo said. "You may have to raise him, but your whole life doesn't have to revolve around him."
"Tonight is your night off." Yuki said. "No more talking about Kisho."
"Who's Kisho?" Kyo asked, smirking.
Tohru smiled. "You know what, Kyo? You and Kisho have the same name." She put a finger to her chin. "You just have to sneeze when you say yours!"
Kyo snorted and Yuki rolled his eyes. "You've been spending entirely too much time with my brother." He said, pulling on one of her ribbons playfully. "I still don't know why I agreed to let him organize the wedding."
"He has that damn picture." Kyo muttered. No amount of beating was going to convince Ayame to give it up, either.
"I'd still like to know where he got the blue roses." Yuki said.
"And I'd like to know where he got the idea of a white and blue wedding."
"I think it's pretty!" Tohru said, smiling. "Just like snow!"
"But I'm in a white tux!" Kyo said, frowning.
"With a blue cummerbund." Yuki said, shuddering. "I'm just grateful you talked him out of the top hats."
"Me too." Kyo said. "Could you imagine me in a top hat?"
"It's a little scary to try." Tohru said, frowning. "You're just not the top hat type."
"Is your dress finished?" Yuki asked. "I know he brought it over for a fitting yesterday."
"Yeah, Shigure threw us out of the house for the afternoon." Kyo said, frowning. "The one day a week I'm home, and I'm thrown out."
"I'm sorry, but Shigure and Ayame said the grooms shouldn't see the dress until the wedding."
"And you're listening to them?" Yuki asked in amazement.
Tohru just shook her head. "Where are we going?" She asked, kicking a rock down the path. "You never told me."
"We thought we could go take a look at your wedding present." Kyo said, smirking. "It's finally done."
"Another present?" Tohru asked. "You two ARE trying to spoil me!"
"You deserve it." Kyo said, smiling at her. They led her right to the clearing, then stopped her. "Close your eyes." Kyo said, putting his hand over her eyes. He nodded at Yuki, then pulled her forward into the clearing. It had taken more than a month, but the construction crew had worked overtime to get the house finished in time for the wedding, two weeks from now. Ayame had refused to let them get married any sooner, saying there was no way he would be able to get everything arranged in less than two months! He simply HAD to have AT LEAST two and a half months, if not more! But that had worked out perfectly, since the build crew had run into some complications with the house that had really taken some time.
They took her hands and Kyo pulled his hand away from her closed eyes. She opened them slowly, anticipating what she might see. Her eyes grew wide and a single tear rolled down her face as she brought shaking hands up to cover her mouth. It was a lovely home. Someone had landscaped, putting down sod to cover the work ravaged clearing. Trees and bushes had been scattered artfully over the area. Flowerbeds could be seen here and there, with seedlings already in. She could see the screen doors were open, letting in the cool mid-march air and bringing the smell of fresh paint to her astonished nose.
"What do you think?" Yuki asked softly, putting a hand on her shoulder. "They finished it yesterday."
"It's beautiful." Tohru said, shaking her head. "Why? I don't deserve it!"
"You deserve anything good that happens to you and more." Yuki said, pulling her to him and letting her tears soak his shoulder.
"Do you have any idea how special you are?" Kyo asked, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind. "How much you mean to us?"
"You were the first person to ever be my friend, even after you saw the transformation." Yuki said, running a soothing hand over her hair.
"You didn't mind my cursed form." Kyo said. "Even my own mother rejected me, but you accept me." He smiled. "Do you know, you're the first person who ever really made me want to control my temper?" She laughed shakily. He pulled her away from Yuki and pushed her towards the porch. "Now, let's go see your new home." He said.
Both boys took a hand and led her on a guided tour of the house. It was laid out very similarly to Shigure's, with one or two differences. The biggest difference was the sunroom. It was a large, glassed in room right off the kitchen, with shelves lining the sills. "I asked the workmen to put in those shelves, so we could grow things even in the winter." Yuki said, smiling. Tohru smiled back at him.
The upstairs was just as spacious as the down. Four bedrooms and two baths, it was a wonderful place for a family. Kyo pulled her to one of the rooms. "We got this house because it had a room for everybody. I get the big room downstairs for a workout room, Yuki can grow stuff in the sunroom, and.well, we thought you might like a room of your own, too. Just in case you wanna get away from us, ya know?" He said, rubbing the back of his neck. "You can fix it up however you want to, and we won't come in unless we're invited." He pushed the door open to reveal a medium-sized room, with large bay windows complete with window seats on the east and west walls.
"It's so nice, thank you!" Tohru said, hugging them both. "What about these rooms?" She asked, going farther down the hall.
"Those are bedrooms to the left, and the first door to your right is a bathroom." Ykui said. "The second door is our bedroom."
Tohru froze, her hair frizzing. "OUR bedroom?" She asked, voice cracking.
"Of course. Unless you want separate rooms." Yuki said, concerned. "Are you all right?"
"I just never thought about.THAT aspect of getting married." Tohru said, laughing nervously.
"Tohru, we won't ask you to do anything you aren't ready for." Kyo said. "If you want separate bedrooms, we'll get 'em."
"No, it's not that. I actually liked sleeping between you two at Yuki's house. I felt so safe." She said, blushing. "But."
"Are you worried about the.physical aspect of our relationship?" Yuki asked softly. Tohru blushed to the roots of her hair and nodded. "Don't be. We won't ask you to do anything you aren't completely ready for." He said, taking a hand and laying a kiss on the back of it. Her blush intensified, going down her neck and into the collar of her blouse.
Kyo found himself wondering just how far down that blush went and smacked himself mentally. "Yeah, we're waiting for you to give the go-ahead for ANYTHING."
"Ok." Tohru said, the blush not abating. "I guess the same room will be ok."
"Good." Yuki said. "If you like, we can go shopping later, to get furniture and linens."
"Um, we might wanna wait until after the wedding, to see what everyone gives us." Tohru said, frowning thoughtfully. "I know I heard Ayame say something about silk bed sheets." Yuki groaned while Kyo smacked his forehead. "Why? What's wrong with silk sheets?" She asked. "I thought they'd be pretty, just really hard to wash."
Yuki shook his head, smiling faintly. "Nothing Tohru. There's nothing wrong with them." He said. "Shall we look at the rest of the house?"
"We've seen the upstairs and downstairs, what more is there?" She asked, looking around.
"Well, there's this." Kyo said, opening a door on one side of the large master bedroom. It was a bathroom, but WHAT a bathroom! Coming in, the first thing you noticed was the mirror. Facing the door, it stretched the entire length of the sink, which had three different taps. The toilet was at one end, behind a small ledge, while the shower and a Jacuzzi tub was at the other. The whole room was done in soothing green and blue. Tohru marveled at the sheer luxury of the room, then Kyo pulled her out to see the rest of the house.
"You haven't seen the attic." Yuki said, tugging her towards some narrow stairs that led upward. She went willingly, eager to see the rest of the evening's surprise. Her mouth fell open when she saw the upstairs. A child's playroom dominated the space, with animals from the zodiac painted on the walls and ceiling. Dark carpeting covered the floor, the better to hide any spills or messes accidentally made. A child-sized table and chairs were in one corner, and a toy chest was in the other. A ledge beneath the window acted both as a window seat and a bookshelf, full of children's books.
"We thought Kisho would like a play room." Kyo said. "He won't get to use it for a few years, but by the time he's ready for it, he might have a couple of playmates." He glanced over at Tohru, who blushed.
"Maybe." She said, not looking at either of them. "Ohh!" She rushed over to the little table. "Look! It's got a little tea set!" She said, obviously trying to change the subject.
Yuki and Kyo exchanged smiles and followed her around the room, watching her exclaim over the various little odds and ends in the playroom.
* * *
"So you're back!" Shigure called from the sitting room. "He's been good as gold all night." He said, rocking Kisho's cradle with his foot while he read the paper.
"That's good." Tohru said, coming into the room. "Did you burp him?"
"Yes, and changed him once." He looked at Yuki and Kyo. "You should give this girl a medal every time she has to do that. It would take a stronger person than myself to do it more than once!"
Tohru laughed and picked up a drowsy Kisho, whose eyes opened slightly when he was shifted, then drifted shut again. He had finally gotten his nights and days straight, for the most part. He still woke up periodically through the night, but usually went right back to sleep after eating. "I'd better put him in the bed while I can." She said softly. "He'll wake up and want to eat in a few hours." She carried the sleeping infant upstairs and tucked him into his crib. She turned around to see Yuki and Kyo standing behind her, watching her with tender little smiles on their faces. "What?"
"You just look so natural holding him." Kyo said, leaning against the wall. "I was just thinking how'd you look holding a baby of mine."
"So was I." Yuki said. "Do you want children, Tohru?"
Tohru looked down at the floor. "Yes. I just think I should wait for a while, until I'm ready."
"That sounds very wise, Tohru." Yuki said, smiling gently at her. "Would you like to go downstairs and get something to eat? We haven't had dinner yet."
"Ok." She said, walking out the door past Kyo, who was holding the door open for her. "What are we having?"
"Well, Shigure ordered in." Yuki said, closing the door behind them. "So it could be anything." They wandered downstairs, where Shigure was still reading the paper.
"So what did you think of their surprise, Tohru?" He asked, beaming at her. "I saw the plans, and it seemed very nice."
"It's wonderful!" She said, beaming at him. "It's got so much room, and there's a sunroom for growing things and a workout room for Kyo and a."
"I take it you like it then?" Shigure asked teasingly. She nodded enthusiastically. "Well, that's good. You should enjoy your first house. Decorate it any way you like, and ignore what Kyo and Yuki say." He said, winking.
"Shut up." Yuki said calmly, breaking apart the chopsticks that came with dinner.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you, Aya called and said your dress was finished. He's going to bring it by for a final fitting tomorrow." He grinned at the two boys. "Looks like you'll have to disappear for the afternoon."
"Shut up." Kyo growled. "I was gonna be gone tomorrow anyway. I have to go pick some things up at the Master's house."
"Like what?" Tohru asked.
"Just stuff I've left there because I didn't want it in the house of the Cat." Kyo said, growling. "I thought we could use some of it in the house."
"That's a good idea, thank you Kyo!" Tohru said, beaming at him. "What is it?"
"Some of its artwork, but most of it is just little stuff. Dishes, silver, that kinda stuff. A couple pieces of furniture. An end table, a few lamps."
Shigure looked up in surprise. "Kyo, are you talking about that lovely furniture that belonged to your grandmother? And her silver, the china?"
"Yeah." Kyo said. "Mom put it away before.before she died, and I asked the master to put it at his house." His face darkened. "I didn't trust the people at the main house. Akito might have decided that stuff was to 'valuable' for the Cat, and taken it for his own use."
"I hate to admit it, but you're probably right." Shigure sighed. "In fact, he went to your old house to close it up, and asked where most of the older things were. He said he wanted to protect it from bandits." He smiled at Tohru. "It's lovely furniture, Tohru. You're very lucky to be able to use it."
"Um, just how old IS this stuff?" Tohru asked, eyes white.
"Well, I know for a fact that some of the silver is from eighteen fifty or earlier." Shigure said. "And the china is from about the turn of the century."
"But those are valuable antiques!" She squealed. "I can't use those! What if I BREAK one?!"
"You don't have to use it, Tohru." Yuki said calmly. "You could always just display it. In a china cabinet or something."
"I don't think we ever used it." Kyo said thoughtfully. "I think we just displayed it too. But we used the silver. You can't break that."
"I almost hate to ask.how old is the furniture?" She asked.
"Oh, the furniture is older than the silver!" Shigure said cheerfully. "There's a legend in the family that the dressing table that has been passed down in Kyo's family for generations was a gift from the emperor. I think Kyo's several times great grandmother was one of his concubines, and she pleased him so much, he gave her a house on his grounds. One of the many things decorating it was the dressing table. And it was the only thing that survived a massive fire that decimated her home. They say one of the other concubines paid to have the fire set."
"That's an incredible story!" Tohru gasped. "Are you sure it shouldn't be in a museum somewhere?"
"No, it was a gift of love, Tohru." Yuki said. "They say that the emperor would go down and just watch her sit at that table for hours, brushing her hair."
"That means it should REALLY be in a museum!" She said, hair sticking straight up.
Kyo sighed and got up from his cushion. He turned her head so she would look at him. "Tohru. Do you know how that dressing table came to me?" He asked. She shook her head. "It was a present to my mother from my father. And his mother got it from her husband. Every time it's been passed down, it's been for love." His eyes softened. "That's why I'm giving it to you." He whispered in her ear, causing it to turn a rosy red to match the rest of her face.
"Oh." She said, writhing in embarrassment. "Ok."
"No more arguments?"
"Uh uh." She said, shaking her head jerkily. "I'm sorry, I don't want to appear ungreatful."
"Good." He said, dipping his head to catch her mouth in a quick, chaste kiss. "Then shut up." Shigure started to applaud while Yuki rolled his eyes and Tohru blushed a burning red usually reserved for volcanoes. She ran out of the room, babbling something about hearing Kisho.
"I suppose that's one way to stop her apologizing." Yuki said, smiling. "Especially if it isn't her fault."
"I don't suppose you'd let ME try that method?" Shigure asked teasingly.
"Try it and die like the dog you are." Yuki said coldly. Shigure shivered and went silent.
Tohru came back in, carrying a whimpering Kisho. "I thought I heard him." She said. "He shouldn't be hungry already."
"Perhaps he needs a change." Shigure said. "Would you like me to get a diaper?"
"That can't be what it is." Tohru said. "I changed him upstairs!"
"Let me see." Shigure said, reaching out for the baby, who had started to squirm. "Do you think he's sick?" Tohru asked, eyes white. "Do we need to call Hatori?" By now Kisho was screaming, red faced and furious.
"No, I don't think so." Shigure said, rubbing Kisho's tiny abdomen softly. It was rock hard. "I think he just has a little gas. Watch." He said, putting Kisho face down on his legs. He rubbed the tiny back rhythmically until a rumbling belch erupted from the howling child. Slowly the cries tapered off until the baby was asleep, peaceful now that the pressure was off his stomach.
"See?" Shigure said quietly. He handed the sleeping baby off to Tohru, who put him in his cradle.
"How did you know?" Yuki asked quietly.
"Who do you think was the babysitter for the younger members of the zodiac?" Shigure asked grinning. "I changed my share of your diapers, Yuki."
Yuki flushed horribly. "Shut up." He said, glaring at a smirking Shigure. He turned to Tohru. "Tohru, if you like, we can go shopping for furniture tomorrow morning. Before my brother gets here and Kyo and I are thrown out."
"Um, can we wait until Kyo gets home?" She asked hesitantly. "That way we can match things."
"That can work too." Yuki said.
"We could always go tonight." Kyo said, finishing his dinner. "The master has a van, for meets. We can always pack the stuff in there. It's not very big, we'd have to bring some blankets to pack around it."
"Wouldn't it disturb him to come this late?" Tohru asked.
"Nah, we'd have to call and make sure he's in, but it shouldn't bug him." Kyo said.
"I'll go call." Yuki said. "Can you two get the extra quilts and sheets that happen to be lying around?"
"We'd only need to wrap the dressing table and end tables." Kyo said. "The china, lamps, art and silver are in crates already."
"You know, Hatori could probably come along and put the crates in his trunk. That way all the furniture can be put into the van easily."
"Good idea." Yuki said. "He said he would be happy to help."
"Let me call Hari and see if he can help. If not, we can always squeeze one box of china in so we can see what kind of cabinet we need." Shigure said, heading for the phone.
"You know, we might want to wait to go shopping." Shigure said, coming back from the phone. "He said he'd be happy to help, and he'd meet us there. But you really should wait to go shopping until AFTER the wedding. You never know what you're going to get as presents."
"I never thought of that." Yuki said thoughtfully. "There's no telling what they're going to give us." He sighed. "Especially my brother."
"So it's better if you wait to buy anything until you have the wedding." Shigure said. "No problem." He looked up at the sound of a horn outside. "Ah, there's Hari now. I'm going to stay here, so there's more room in the car, just in case." He waved them out the door. "I'll keep an eye on Kisho!" He caroled after them.
* * *
"What are we going to come back with?" Hatori asked later. They were almost to the dojo. Tohru and Yuki had chosen to sit in the back while Kyo sat up front and gave Hatori directions.
"We're gonna put the furniture in the van, and if we can fit 'em in, the lamps. The china and silver can go in the trunk." Kyo said.
"Are you sure there'll be room?" Hatori asked. "It's a very small trunk."
"Well, if nothing else we can put the two crates of china in the trunk and the silver up here." Yuki said. "There's plenty of room."
"Fine." Hatori said. "How do you like your house, Tohru?"
"How do you know about it?" Kyo asked.
"Shigure told me, when he called tonight." Hatori said, smiling. "I'm looking forward to seeing it."
"Turn right here. This is it." Kyo said, pointing suddenly. A large compound was on a hill, enclosed by a large fence. A parking area was at the bottom of the hill, with steps leading up to the front gate. Kazuma stood at the head of the stairs, waiting for the group to reach him.
"Welcome." He said. "Come in, I have tea ready, and the boxes are downstairs. I took them from the attic myself."
"Where did you put the dressing table and stuff?" Kyo asked as they followed Kazuma through the compound. Dirt, sand, concrete and grass made up different patches of ground, presumably for training. A padlocked shed was in the corner, presumably for training weapons. The dojo was straight in front of them, closed for the night. He turned and headed towards a small house in the corner of the compound, surrounded by a small fence.
Kazuma opened the gate and let them in, closing it behind him. "I had those in storage in my spare room." he said. "They can be taken to the van anytime."
"Thank you for letting us come so late." Tohru said. "Was it any trouble?"
"No, not really." Kazuma said dismissively. "Come and have a cup of tea, then we can see if we can get all of it in one trip."
"Ok." Tohru said. She and the others sat at the old, polished table in the sitting room, while Kazuma poured them each a cup of steaming tea. "It's really nice of you to let us come tonight."
"Not a problem." He smiled. "Besides, I wanted to see this house." He finished his tea and stood. "I'm going to get the van and pull it around. Can you three get the furniture out here so we can get it ready to load?"
"Sure." Kyo said. He stood up and gestured for the other two men to follow. They went down the hall and vanished for a minute, then reappeared carrying a dressing table between them. Tohru's eyes grew wide at the sheer delicate beauty of the antique. It was maple, made in the Western style, on long legs, that ended in little paws with golden claws. The mirror arched up into a highly polished oval, a golden lion's head topping it, so it would look down at anyone who was sitting at the table. It's eyes were large rubies, glinting in the light, while it's open mouth revealed diamonds for the teeth. The two drawers on either side of the space left for the stool had smaller lion heads for the handles. The table's top was inlaid with roses, lilies, and violets made of garnets, mother of pearl, and amethysts respectively.
She reached out and touched it timidly when they put it down. "It's beautiful." She murmured. "I don't know if I can use this."
"We've had this discussion." Kyo said. "Don't make me make you stop arguing like I did before." He grinned. "On second thought, go ahead."
Tohru blushed brightly. "N-No, that's ok." She said, looking at the floor shyly.
Kyo snapped his fingers teasingly. "Damn." He said, smirking, causing Tohru's blush to intensify. Hatori and Yuki smiled and went to get the end tables. They weren't nearly as elaborate as the dressing table, but still beautiful. Made out of dark cherry wood, their legs and sides were heavily carved, leaving the tops plain as a startling contrast.
Once all the furniture was out, they brought out the blankets and ropes to tie them securely, so they wouldn't slide around in the back and possibly be damaged. Once they had the tables lashed down, they put the two crates containing the lamps in beside them and tied them down, too. After loading the box of silver and the three boxes of china, they were finished.
"That was easier than I thought it'd be." Kyo said, popping his back after holding two boxes of china for ten minutes, while Yuki and Hatori fussed with arranging the other boxes so they would fit. If Hatori hadn't been working on it too, he would have suspected Yuki was stalling on purpose.
"What time is it?" Tohru asked.
"It's about eight thirty." Hatori said, looking at his watch. "Why?"
"The last show is the day after tomorrow, and I have to be at the Hall by eight." She said, frowning. "Ayame said I was supposed to be in bed by ten at the latest for the next two days to get my beauty sleep."
"Why? You don't need it." Yuki said, then blushed, realizing he had said that out loud.
"You're very lucky Shigure isn't here." Hatori said, smiling. "He would never let you live it down. Are we ready to go?"
"Yeah." Kyo said. He turned to his master. "I'll see you tomorrow, Master."
"No, you won't." Kazuma said placidly. "I'm giving you the next month off. I've gotten someone to take over your beginner's classes, and I'm taking your advanced. You can't be here from seven in the morning to five in the evening and plan a wedding too."
Kyo looked surprised. "Thanks Master!" He said, smiling.
"Not a problem Kyo. Consider it my wedding present." He said, smiling. "I'm going to get you something else, but this is the.less shocking of the two."
Kyo went pale. "Master, don't you dare!" he said, blushing.
Kazuma just smiled at him and got in the van, pulling up beside Hatori. "I'll go first, you follow, that way you can't get lost." He said. He waited for Kyo and Tohru to join Yuki in the backseat of the car, then pulled out.
They traveled in silence for a while, then Kyo cleared his throat. "So you like 'em?" He asked gruffly.
"What, the furniture?" She asked. Kyo nodded, not looking at her. A slight blush highlighted his cheekbones. She smiled at him tenderly. "I love them." She said. "I still can't believe you want to put them in our house, but I'm glad you are."
Kyo blushed harder. "Yeah, well." he said, trailing off. Tohru smiled and put her hand in Yuki's, then leaned her head on Kyo's shoulder. Slowly, she fell asleep, still resting her head on Kyo, her hand in Yuki's. They both turned to look at her with love in their eyes while Hatori watched them in the rearview mirror as the car traveled on into the night, towards home.
"We'll be fine." Shigure said. "I have Hatori's number, the paramedics, the fire department, and the army." Shigure said, smiling. "Go! Have fun!" he said, pushing them out the door and slamming it behind them. He sighed and looked down at Kisho, who was staring up at him with wide blue eyes. "It's just you and me, Kisho." Shigure said.
* * *
"I don't know if we should have left Shigure alone with Kisho." Tohru said. "It's too soon!"
"He can't corrupt him this early." Kyo said. "Don't worry."
"Besides, you need a break. You haven't been out of the house in a week." Yuki said. "You're becoming a hermit."
"No I'm not!" Tohru said, blushing. "I went to my base yesterday to pull some weeds and trim the grass!"
"And you took Kisho in his buggy to get some air." Kyo said. "You may have to raise him, but your whole life doesn't have to revolve around him."
"Tonight is your night off." Yuki said. "No more talking about Kisho."
"Who's Kisho?" Kyo asked, smirking.
Tohru smiled. "You know what, Kyo? You and Kisho have the same name." She put a finger to her chin. "You just have to sneeze when you say yours!"
Kyo snorted and Yuki rolled his eyes. "You've been spending entirely too much time with my brother." He said, pulling on one of her ribbons playfully. "I still don't know why I agreed to let him organize the wedding."
"He has that damn picture." Kyo muttered. No amount of beating was going to convince Ayame to give it up, either.
"I'd still like to know where he got the blue roses." Yuki said.
"And I'd like to know where he got the idea of a white and blue wedding."
"I think it's pretty!" Tohru said, smiling. "Just like snow!"
"But I'm in a white tux!" Kyo said, frowning.
"With a blue cummerbund." Yuki said, shuddering. "I'm just grateful you talked him out of the top hats."
"Me too." Kyo said. "Could you imagine me in a top hat?"
"It's a little scary to try." Tohru said, frowning. "You're just not the top hat type."
"Is your dress finished?" Yuki asked. "I know he brought it over for a fitting yesterday."
"Yeah, Shigure threw us out of the house for the afternoon." Kyo said, frowning. "The one day a week I'm home, and I'm thrown out."
"I'm sorry, but Shigure and Ayame said the grooms shouldn't see the dress until the wedding."
"And you're listening to them?" Yuki asked in amazement.
Tohru just shook her head. "Where are we going?" She asked, kicking a rock down the path. "You never told me."
"We thought we could go take a look at your wedding present." Kyo said, smirking. "It's finally done."
"Another present?" Tohru asked. "You two ARE trying to spoil me!"
"You deserve it." Kyo said, smiling at her. They led her right to the clearing, then stopped her. "Close your eyes." Kyo said, putting his hand over her eyes. He nodded at Yuki, then pulled her forward into the clearing. It had taken more than a month, but the construction crew had worked overtime to get the house finished in time for the wedding, two weeks from now. Ayame had refused to let them get married any sooner, saying there was no way he would be able to get everything arranged in less than two months! He simply HAD to have AT LEAST two and a half months, if not more! But that had worked out perfectly, since the build crew had run into some complications with the house that had really taken some time.
They took her hands and Kyo pulled his hand away from her closed eyes. She opened them slowly, anticipating what she might see. Her eyes grew wide and a single tear rolled down her face as she brought shaking hands up to cover her mouth. It was a lovely home. Someone had landscaped, putting down sod to cover the work ravaged clearing. Trees and bushes had been scattered artfully over the area. Flowerbeds could be seen here and there, with seedlings already in. She could see the screen doors were open, letting in the cool mid-march air and bringing the smell of fresh paint to her astonished nose.
"What do you think?" Yuki asked softly, putting a hand on her shoulder. "They finished it yesterday."
"It's beautiful." Tohru said, shaking her head. "Why? I don't deserve it!"
"You deserve anything good that happens to you and more." Yuki said, pulling her to him and letting her tears soak his shoulder.
"Do you have any idea how special you are?" Kyo asked, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind. "How much you mean to us?"
"You were the first person to ever be my friend, even after you saw the transformation." Yuki said, running a soothing hand over her hair.
"You didn't mind my cursed form." Kyo said. "Even my own mother rejected me, but you accept me." He smiled. "Do you know, you're the first person who ever really made me want to control my temper?" She laughed shakily. He pulled her away from Yuki and pushed her towards the porch. "Now, let's go see your new home." He said.
Both boys took a hand and led her on a guided tour of the house. It was laid out very similarly to Shigure's, with one or two differences. The biggest difference was the sunroom. It was a large, glassed in room right off the kitchen, with shelves lining the sills. "I asked the workmen to put in those shelves, so we could grow things even in the winter." Yuki said, smiling. Tohru smiled back at him.
The upstairs was just as spacious as the down. Four bedrooms and two baths, it was a wonderful place for a family. Kyo pulled her to one of the rooms. "We got this house because it had a room for everybody. I get the big room downstairs for a workout room, Yuki can grow stuff in the sunroom, and.well, we thought you might like a room of your own, too. Just in case you wanna get away from us, ya know?" He said, rubbing the back of his neck. "You can fix it up however you want to, and we won't come in unless we're invited." He pushed the door open to reveal a medium-sized room, with large bay windows complete with window seats on the east and west walls.
"It's so nice, thank you!" Tohru said, hugging them both. "What about these rooms?" She asked, going farther down the hall.
"Those are bedrooms to the left, and the first door to your right is a bathroom." Ykui said. "The second door is our bedroom."
Tohru froze, her hair frizzing. "OUR bedroom?" She asked, voice cracking.
"Of course. Unless you want separate rooms." Yuki said, concerned. "Are you all right?"
"I just never thought about.THAT aspect of getting married." Tohru said, laughing nervously.
"Tohru, we won't ask you to do anything you aren't ready for." Kyo said. "If you want separate bedrooms, we'll get 'em."
"No, it's not that. I actually liked sleeping between you two at Yuki's house. I felt so safe." She said, blushing. "But."
"Are you worried about the.physical aspect of our relationship?" Yuki asked softly. Tohru blushed to the roots of her hair and nodded. "Don't be. We won't ask you to do anything you aren't completely ready for." He said, taking a hand and laying a kiss on the back of it. Her blush intensified, going down her neck and into the collar of her blouse.
Kyo found himself wondering just how far down that blush went and smacked himself mentally. "Yeah, we're waiting for you to give the go-ahead for ANYTHING."
"Ok." Tohru said, the blush not abating. "I guess the same room will be ok."
"Good." Yuki said. "If you like, we can go shopping later, to get furniture and linens."
"Um, we might wanna wait until after the wedding, to see what everyone gives us." Tohru said, frowning thoughtfully. "I know I heard Ayame say something about silk bed sheets." Yuki groaned while Kyo smacked his forehead. "Why? What's wrong with silk sheets?" She asked. "I thought they'd be pretty, just really hard to wash."
Yuki shook his head, smiling faintly. "Nothing Tohru. There's nothing wrong with them." He said. "Shall we look at the rest of the house?"
"We've seen the upstairs and downstairs, what more is there?" She asked, looking around.
"Well, there's this." Kyo said, opening a door on one side of the large master bedroom. It was a bathroom, but WHAT a bathroom! Coming in, the first thing you noticed was the mirror. Facing the door, it stretched the entire length of the sink, which had three different taps. The toilet was at one end, behind a small ledge, while the shower and a Jacuzzi tub was at the other. The whole room was done in soothing green and blue. Tohru marveled at the sheer luxury of the room, then Kyo pulled her out to see the rest of the house.
"You haven't seen the attic." Yuki said, tugging her towards some narrow stairs that led upward. She went willingly, eager to see the rest of the evening's surprise. Her mouth fell open when she saw the upstairs. A child's playroom dominated the space, with animals from the zodiac painted on the walls and ceiling. Dark carpeting covered the floor, the better to hide any spills or messes accidentally made. A child-sized table and chairs were in one corner, and a toy chest was in the other. A ledge beneath the window acted both as a window seat and a bookshelf, full of children's books.
"We thought Kisho would like a play room." Kyo said. "He won't get to use it for a few years, but by the time he's ready for it, he might have a couple of playmates." He glanced over at Tohru, who blushed.
"Maybe." She said, not looking at either of them. "Ohh!" She rushed over to the little table. "Look! It's got a little tea set!" She said, obviously trying to change the subject.
Yuki and Kyo exchanged smiles and followed her around the room, watching her exclaim over the various little odds and ends in the playroom.
* * *
"So you're back!" Shigure called from the sitting room. "He's been good as gold all night." He said, rocking Kisho's cradle with his foot while he read the paper.
"That's good." Tohru said, coming into the room. "Did you burp him?"
"Yes, and changed him once." He looked at Yuki and Kyo. "You should give this girl a medal every time she has to do that. It would take a stronger person than myself to do it more than once!"
Tohru laughed and picked up a drowsy Kisho, whose eyes opened slightly when he was shifted, then drifted shut again. He had finally gotten his nights and days straight, for the most part. He still woke up periodically through the night, but usually went right back to sleep after eating. "I'd better put him in the bed while I can." She said softly. "He'll wake up and want to eat in a few hours." She carried the sleeping infant upstairs and tucked him into his crib. She turned around to see Yuki and Kyo standing behind her, watching her with tender little smiles on their faces. "What?"
"You just look so natural holding him." Kyo said, leaning against the wall. "I was just thinking how'd you look holding a baby of mine."
"So was I." Yuki said. "Do you want children, Tohru?"
Tohru looked down at the floor. "Yes. I just think I should wait for a while, until I'm ready."
"That sounds very wise, Tohru." Yuki said, smiling gently at her. "Would you like to go downstairs and get something to eat? We haven't had dinner yet."
"Ok." She said, walking out the door past Kyo, who was holding the door open for her. "What are we having?"
"Well, Shigure ordered in." Yuki said, closing the door behind them. "So it could be anything." They wandered downstairs, where Shigure was still reading the paper.
"So what did you think of their surprise, Tohru?" He asked, beaming at her. "I saw the plans, and it seemed very nice."
"It's wonderful!" She said, beaming at him. "It's got so much room, and there's a sunroom for growing things and a workout room for Kyo and a."
"I take it you like it then?" Shigure asked teasingly. She nodded enthusiastically. "Well, that's good. You should enjoy your first house. Decorate it any way you like, and ignore what Kyo and Yuki say." He said, winking.
"Shut up." Yuki said calmly, breaking apart the chopsticks that came with dinner.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you, Aya called and said your dress was finished. He's going to bring it by for a final fitting tomorrow." He grinned at the two boys. "Looks like you'll have to disappear for the afternoon."
"Shut up." Kyo growled. "I was gonna be gone tomorrow anyway. I have to go pick some things up at the Master's house."
"Like what?" Tohru asked.
"Just stuff I've left there because I didn't want it in the house of the Cat." Kyo said, growling. "I thought we could use some of it in the house."
"That's a good idea, thank you Kyo!" Tohru said, beaming at him. "What is it?"
"Some of its artwork, but most of it is just little stuff. Dishes, silver, that kinda stuff. A couple pieces of furniture. An end table, a few lamps."
Shigure looked up in surprise. "Kyo, are you talking about that lovely furniture that belonged to your grandmother? And her silver, the china?"
"Yeah." Kyo said. "Mom put it away before.before she died, and I asked the master to put it at his house." His face darkened. "I didn't trust the people at the main house. Akito might have decided that stuff was to 'valuable' for the Cat, and taken it for his own use."
"I hate to admit it, but you're probably right." Shigure sighed. "In fact, he went to your old house to close it up, and asked where most of the older things were. He said he wanted to protect it from bandits." He smiled at Tohru. "It's lovely furniture, Tohru. You're very lucky to be able to use it."
"Um, just how old IS this stuff?" Tohru asked, eyes white.
"Well, I know for a fact that some of the silver is from eighteen fifty or earlier." Shigure said. "And the china is from about the turn of the century."
"But those are valuable antiques!" She squealed. "I can't use those! What if I BREAK one?!"
"You don't have to use it, Tohru." Yuki said calmly. "You could always just display it. In a china cabinet or something."
"I don't think we ever used it." Kyo said thoughtfully. "I think we just displayed it too. But we used the silver. You can't break that."
"I almost hate to ask.how old is the furniture?" She asked.
"Oh, the furniture is older than the silver!" Shigure said cheerfully. "There's a legend in the family that the dressing table that has been passed down in Kyo's family for generations was a gift from the emperor. I think Kyo's several times great grandmother was one of his concubines, and she pleased him so much, he gave her a house on his grounds. One of the many things decorating it was the dressing table. And it was the only thing that survived a massive fire that decimated her home. They say one of the other concubines paid to have the fire set."
"That's an incredible story!" Tohru gasped. "Are you sure it shouldn't be in a museum somewhere?"
"No, it was a gift of love, Tohru." Yuki said. "They say that the emperor would go down and just watch her sit at that table for hours, brushing her hair."
"That means it should REALLY be in a museum!" She said, hair sticking straight up.
Kyo sighed and got up from his cushion. He turned her head so she would look at him. "Tohru. Do you know how that dressing table came to me?" He asked. She shook her head. "It was a present to my mother from my father. And his mother got it from her husband. Every time it's been passed down, it's been for love." His eyes softened. "That's why I'm giving it to you." He whispered in her ear, causing it to turn a rosy red to match the rest of her face.
"Oh." She said, writhing in embarrassment. "Ok."
"No more arguments?"
"Uh uh." She said, shaking her head jerkily. "I'm sorry, I don't want to appear ungreatful."
"Good." He said, dipping his head to catch her mouth in a quick, chaste kiss. "Then shut up." Shigure started to applaud while Yuki rolled his eyes and Tohru blushed a burning red usually reserved for volcanoes. She ran out of the room, babbling something about hearing Kisho.
"I suppose that's one way to stop her apologizing." Yuki said, smiling. "Especially if it isn't her fault."
"I don't suppose you'd let ME try that method?" Shigure asked teasingly.
"Try it and die like the dog you are." Yuki said coldly. Shigure shivered and went silent.
Tohru came back in, carrying a whimpering Kisho. "I thought I heard him." She said. "He shouldn't be hungry already."
"Perhaps he needs a change." Shigure said. "Would you like me to get a diaper?"
"That can't be what it is." Tohru said. "I changed him upstairs!"
"Let me see." Shigure said, reaching out for the baby, who had started to squirm. "Do you think he's sick?" Tohru asked, eyes white. "Do we need to call Hatori?" By now Kisho was screaming, red faced and furious.
"No, I don't think so." Shigure said, rubbing Kisho's tiny abdomen softly. It was rock hard. "I think he just has a little gas. Watch." He said, putting Kisho face down on his legs. He rubbed the tiny back rhythmically until a rumbling belch erupted from the howling child. Slowly the cries tapered off until the baby was asleep, peaceful now that the pressure was off his stomach.
"See?" Shigure said quietly. He handed the sleeping baby off to Tohru, who put him in his cradle.
"How did you know?" Yuki asked quietly.
"Who do you think was the babysitter for the younger members of the zodiac?" Shigure asked grinning. "I changed my share of your diapers, Yuki."
Yuki flushed horribly. "Shut up." He said, glaring at a smirking Shigure. He turned to Tohru. "Tohru, if you like, we can go shopping for furniture tomorrow morning. Before my brother gets here and Kyo and I are thrown out."
"Um, can we wait until Kyo gets home?" She asked hesitantly. "That way we can match things."
"That can work too." Yuki said.
"We could always go tonight." Kyo said, finishing his dinner. "The master has a van, for meets. We can always pack the stuff in there. It's not very big, we'd have to bring some blankets to pack around it."
"Wouldn't it disturb him to come this late?" Tohru asked.
"Nah, we'd have to call and make sure he's in, but it shouldn't bug him." Kyo said.
"I'll go call." Yuki said. "Can you two get the extra quilts and sheets that happen to be lying around?"
"We'd only need to wrap the dressing table and end tables." Kyo said. "The china, lamps, art and silver are in crates already."
"You know, Hatori could probably come along and put the crates in his trunk. That way all the furniture can be put into the van easily."
"Good idea." Yuki said. "He said he would be happy to help."
"Let me call Hari and see if he can help. If not, we can always squeeze one box of china in so we can see what kind of cabinet we need." Shigure said, heading for the phone.
"You know, we might want to wait to go shopping." Shigure said, coming back from the phone. "He said he'd be happy to help, and he'd meet us there. But you really should wait to go shopping until AFTER the wedding. You never know what you're going to get as presents."
"I never thought of that." Yuki said thoughtfully. "There's no telling what they're going to give us." He sighed. "Especially my brother."
"So it's better if you wait to buy anything until you have the wedding." Shigure said. "No problem." He looked up at the sound of a horn outside. "Ah, there's Hari now. I'm going to stay here, so there's more room in the car, just in case." He waved them out the door. "I'll keep an eye on Kisho!" He caroled after them.
* * *
"What are we going to come back with?" Hatori asked later. They were almost to the dojo. Tohru and Yuki had chosen to sit in the back while Kyo sat up front and gave Hatori directions.
"We're gonna put the furniture in the van, and if we can fit 'em in, the lamps. The china and silver can go in the trunk." Kyo said.
"Are you sure there'll be room?" Hatori asked. "It's a very small trunk."
"Well, if nothing else we can put the two crates of china in the trunk and the silver up here." Yuki said. "There's plenty of room."
"Fine." Hatori said. "How do you like your house, Tohru?"
"How do you know about it?" Kyo asked.
"Shigure told me, when he called tonight." Hatori said, smiling. "I'm looking forward to seeing it."
"Turn right here. This is it." Kyo said, pointing suddenly. A large compound was on a hill, enclosed by a large fence. A parking area was at the bottom of the hill, with steps leading up to the front gate. Kazuma stood at the head of the stairs, waiting for the group to reach him.
"Welcome." He said. "Come in, I have tea ready, and the boxes are downstairs. I took them from the attic myself."
"Where did you put the dressing table and stuff?" Kyo asked as they followed Kazuma through the compound. Dirt, sand, concrete and grass made up different patches of ground, presumably for training. A padlocked shed was in the corner, presumably for training weapons. The dojo was straight in front of them, closed for the night. He turned and headed towards a small house in the corner of the compound, surrounded by a small fence.
Kazuma opened the gate and let them in, closing it behind him. "I had those in storage in my spare room." he said. "They can be taken to the van anytime."
"Thank you for letting us come so late." Tohru said. "Was it any trouble?"
"No, not really." Kazuma said dismissively. "Come and have a cup of tea, then we can see if we can get all of it in one trip."
"Ok." Tohru said. She and the others sat at the old, polished table in the sitting room, while Kazuma poured them each a cup of steaming tea. "It's really nice of you to let us come tonight."
"Not a problem." He smiled. "Besides, I wanted to see this house." He finished his tea and stood. "I'm going to get the van and pull it around. Can you three get the furniture out here so we can get it ready to load?"
"Sure." Kyo said. He stood up and gestured for the other two men to follow. They went down the hall and vanished for a minute, then reappeared carrying a dressing table between them. Tohru's eyes grew wide at the sheer delicate beauty of the antique. It was maple, made in the Western style, on long legs, that ended in little paws with golden claws. The mirror arched up into a highly polished oval, a golden lion's head topping it, so it would look down at anyone who was sitting at the table. It's eyes were large rubies, glinting in the light, while it's open mouth revealed diamonds for the teeth. The two drawers on either side of the space left for the stool had smaller lion heads for the handles. The table's top was inlaid with roses, lilies, and violets made of garnets, mother of pearl, and amethysts respectively.
She reached out and touched it timidly when they put it down. "It's beautiful." She murmured. "I don't know if I can use this."
"We've had this discussion." Kyo said. "Don't make me make you stop arguing like I did before." He grinned. "On second thought, go ahead."
Tohru blushed brightly. "N-No, that's ok." She said, looking at the floor shyly.
Kyo snapped his fingers teasingly. "Damn." He said, smirking, causing Tohru's blush to intensify. Hatori and Yuki smiled and went to get the end tables. They weren't nearly as elaborate as the dressing table, but still beautiful. Made out of dark cherry wood, their legs and sides were heavily carved, leaving the tops plain as a startling contrast.
Once all the furniture was out, they brought out the blankets and ropes to tie them securely, so they wouldn't slide around in the back and possibly be damaged. Once they had the tables lashed down, they put the two crates containing the lamps in beside them and tied them down, too. After loading the box of silver and the three boxes of china, they were finished.
"That was easier than I thought it'd be." Kyo said, popping his back after holding two boxes of china for ten minutes, while Yuki and Hatori fussed with arranging the other boxes so they would fit. If Hatori hadn't been working on it too, he would have suspected Yuki was stalling on purpose.
"What time is it?" Tohru asked.
"It's about eight thirty." Hatori said, looking at his watch. "Why?"
"The last show is the day after tomorrow, and I have to be at the Hall by eight." She said, frowning. "Ayame said I was supposed to be in bed by ten at the latest for the next two days to get my beauty sleep."
"Why? You don't need it." Yuki said, then blushed, realizing he had said that out loud.
"You're very lucky Shigure isn't here." Hatori said, smiling. "He would never let you live it down. Are we ready to go?"
"Yeah." Kyo said. He turned to his master. "I'll see you tomorrow, Master."
"No, you won't." Kazuma said placidly. "I'm giving you the next month off. I've gotten someone to take over your beginner's classes, and I'm taking your advanced. You can't be here from seven in the morning to five in the evening and plan a wedding too."
Kyo looked surprised. "Thanks Master!" He said, smiling.
"Not a problem Kyo. Consider it my wedding present." He said, smiling. "I'm going to get you something else, but this is the.less shocking of the two."
Kyo went pale. "Master, don't you dare!" he said, blushing.
Kazuma just smiled at him and got in the van, pulling up beside Hatori. "I'll go first, you follow, that way you can't get lost." He said. He waited for Kyo and Tohru to join Yuki in the backseat of the car, then pulled out.
They traveled in silence for a while, then Kyo cleared his throat. "So you like 'em?" He asked gruffly.
"What, the furniture?" She asked. Kyo nodded, not looking at her. A slight blush highlighted his cheekbones. She smiled at him tenderly. "I love them." She said. "I still can't believe you want to put them in our house, but I'm glad you are."
Kyo blushed harder. "Yeah, well." he said, trailing off. Tohru smiled and put her hand in Yuki's, then leaned her head on Kyo's shoulder. Slowly, she fell asleep, still resting her head on Kyo, her hand in Yuki's. They both turned to look at her with love in their eyes while Hatori watched them in the rearview mirror as the car traveled on into the night, towards home.