"Good morning!" Tohru said as Kyo strolled into the kitchen, yawning
widely.
"Morning." He said. "The rat's still asleep."
"I know." Tohru said, smiling. "He'll stay that way unless something makes him wake up."
"Wasn't it Aya last time?" Kyo asked, bending down to stroke Gizmo, who was chewing a rawhide bone beneath the counter.
"Uh huh. She fell asleep on his face." She said, giggling. She fell silent as Yuki stumbled into the kitchen, still half asleep, carrying Aya, who was purring mightily.
He put her on the floor and stumbled over to the refrigerator, pulling out the carton of orange juice and taking a large drink straight from the mouth of the jug. "She was sitting on my face again." He said when he came up for air. His eyes were still at half-mast.
"Well, good morning anyway." Tohru said, smiling. "You needed to wake up anyway. We're going shopping this morning."
"We are?" he asked, his mind not in full gear yet. "For what?"
"Furniture!" She said, giggling. "Did you forget? Buy it this morning, get it this afternoon, arrange and unpack it tomorrow."
"Now I remember." Yuki said, looking slightly more alert. "When do we leave?"
"As soon as we get ready." Tohru said. "But if we want to get the furniture this afternoon, we have to have it picked out by at least one or two."
Yuki stretched and looked at the clock. "Give me a few minutes to wash, and we'll go."
"That's ok, I still haven't finished breakfast, and we should really make a list of what we need to buy." Tohru said, looking thoughtful. "Like a bedroom suit, a sitting room table, things like that."
"We can work on that at breakfast." Yuki said. "I'll be right back." He left the kitchen and went upstairs, where they heard water start running.
"Kyo, will you help me take this out to the table?" Tohru asked, handing him a large pot of miso soup. She picked up a bowl of rice and a small platter of pickles and fish, then started for the dining room, Kyo following. They had just set the food on the table when Yuki came in, hair freshly combed and face still a little damp from his wash.
"I brought a piece of paper and a pen so we could make the list." He said, putting the paper in the middle of the table. "The first thing we need is a bedroom suit. That way we can go ahead and move in if we need to."
"We need sitting room stuff too." Kyo said, helping himself to the fish and pickles. "And a china cabinet."
"We need some futons for the guest room, and I wanted to turn one of the rooms into a study." Yuki said, chewing lightly on the end of the pen. "We have four bedrooms upstairs, and an unused room downstairs. I thought we could turn one upstairs room into a nursery, one into a guest room, the master bedroom into our room, and the room with the window seat into Tohru's room."
"What about the downstairs?" Kyo asked. "I still want one as a workout room."
"I didn't even figure that one into our plan." Yuki said. "Look, here's the plans." he pulled out the blueprints. "Here's the sitting room, the kitchen, downstairs bathroom, sunroom, workout room, and the spare room." Yuki said. "I think it would make a good study."
"But what about a child's room?" Kyo asked. "I thought we were planning to have more children eventually." He looked at Tohru. "We are, aren't we?" She nodded, blushing slightly.
"I thought of that." Yuki said. "When we decide to have more children, we can turn the study into a guest room too, and the guest room into a child's room."
"That could work." Kyo said. "I like it."
"Good." Yuki said. He added a few things to the list, then looked it over. "How does this sound? A bedroom suit, things for the office, a dining room suit, a china cabinet, a futon and things for the guest room, we already have things for the nursery, and whatever else catches our eye." He said.
"Sounds good to me." Tohru said, finishing her tea. "Are we ready?"
"Yes." Yuki said, standing. "I'll get my credit card."
"Let me just take this stuff to the kitchen, and we'll be ready when Yuki gets back." Tohru said, gathering up the dirty dishes.
"Are we ready?" Yuki asked, coming back downstairs. He glanced out the window and did a double take, his eyes narrowing as he snapped his gaze forward. "Let's go." He said suddenly. Kyo bristled at the order, but Yuki glanced at him with such meaning he didn't argue. They were sure as hell gonna talk about it later, though.
* * *
"I like the cherry wood." Tohru said, running her hand over the four- poster bed. "And it comes with a dresser, a wardrobe, and a set of bed tables."
"But it's so dark." Yuki said. "Are you sure you want something so dark in the bedroom?"
"I think it'll look good next to that blue bedspread Ayame gave us." Tohru said. "What do you think, Kyo?"
"I like it." He said. "It looks.stately."
Yuki sighed. "Fine. I'm outnumbered." He said, smiling. He turned to the salesman, who was practically salivating at his shoulder. "We'll take this one." He said, holding out his credit card. The salesman snatched it away and ran, as if Yuki was going to change his mind. And if he had, it would have devastated him, since they had spent over ten thousand dollars in that store. He was already picturing what to do with the commission.
"So we've got the office stuff, the bedroom stuff, a futon and dresser for the guest room, a couch and stuff for Tohru's room, and dining stuff, complete with a china cabinet."
"I think that's enough to start with." Yuki said. "We've got all the kitchen and bath items, so that's basically it for today. We'll move things around in the house tomorrow if we get the items today, and we'll go shopping for the little things Wednesday."
"Little things?" Tohru asked.
"Waste baskets, mops, brooms, the things you use every day, but you never think about." Kyo said. "Sounds good to me." He sighed and sat down on their newly bought bed table. "Can we go home now?"
Tohru laughed. "Yes. We've got to be home to get the delivery." She said as the salesman came back with the credit card.
"Thank you." Yuki said, smiling. "Would it be possible to have all this delivered today?"
The man looked nervous. "I'm sorry sir, normally we do next day delivery." Yuki looked disappointed. "I suppose we could go to another store." He said, looking at the other two. "We were so looking forward to getting them today."
The salesman looked horrified. "Oh, that won't be necessary!" he said, almost throwing himself at Yuki's feet. "We'll have them at your address by four P.M.!"
"Thank you very much." Yuki said, smiling. "Here's our address, and directions on how to get there. It's a little off the beaten path." He turned to Tohru and Kyo. "Shall we go?" he asked, his smile changing to a slight smirk.
Kyo smirked back. "Sure." He said, sticking his hands in his pockets. "I'm ready." He glanced at his watch. "It's after lunchtime." He said. "You two wanna grab a sandwich?"
"No, I think we should get home." Yuki said, again throwing Kyo a meaningful look. He held back a bit so Tohru could walk on ahead and muttered to Kyo, low enough so she wouldn't hear. "I have a sneaking suspicion we will find our beds back in their usual places."
"How do you know?" Kyo asked, surprised. "And why do ya want to get home so fast?"
"I saw someone in the bushes this morning." Yuki said simply.
Kyo grinned. "Is that why you wanted to leave so quick?" He asked.
"Yes. I figure they gave us fifteen to twenty, maybe even thirty minutes, to make sure we weren't going to come back. Getting the beds in the house, putting them together and making them would probably take about twenty minutes to a half an hour each. We should catch them red handed."
"Ya know, I never thought I'd say this to you, but I like the way you think." Kyo said, smirking.
* * *
"Will you hurry up?" Momiji said, almost dancing with impatience. "We've gotta get out of here!"
"What's the big rush?" Haru asked calmly, smoothing the blankets into place on Yuki's bed. "They can't buy over seven rooms of furniture in an hour, it's not possible."
"You know, we thought that too, but then we got to this big store, and they had everything we wanted." Kyo said from behind them. The two miscreants froze and turned slowly, to find Kyo and Yuki lounging in the doorway, blocking the escape.
"Kyo! Yuki!" Momiji said, eyes darting around for an escape route. "What are you doing home so early?"
"We DO live here." Yuki said, eyes glinting. "And I didn't realize we were on a schedule."
"Well, you're not, but." Momiji was getting desperate; he was eyeing the window now.
"We just thought we'd bring your beds back after Shigure stole them." Haru said from behind Momiji.
"Shigure?" Yuki asked.
"Uh huh." Haru said. "We caught him and Ayame giggling last night. After I.persuaded them to tell us what was so funny, they told me where they'd hid the beds."
"It would make sense." Yuki said, turning to Kyo. But he didn't step away from the door. "Especially since they didn't touch his bed."
"I'm not buyin' it." Kyo said. "Why would they bring 'em back if they didn't take 'em? If Shigure and Ayame had 'em, they woulda made THEM bring 'em back."
"Good point." Yuki said, glancing again at his cousins, waiting for their answer.
"Since when have you two gotten along so well?" Haru asked, looking from one to the other.
"Stop trying to change the subject." Yuki said, smirking. "Here's what I think happened. You two took the beds, sometime before or during the reception, for some reason as yet to be determined. You think you'll bring them back when we're out of the house, and get out before we get back. Am I warm?"
Momiji squirmed under the piercing gazes of his cousins. Then, as if the clouds had broken and sunlight had shown through, he heard Tohru come up the stairs, calling for Yuki and Kyo.
"Momiji! What are you doing here?" she asked, standing on tiptoe to look over Yuki's shoulder. "And Haru too!" She beamed, completely delighted to have company. "Would you two like to come downstairs for tea?"
"All right." Haru said, grinning at Kyo and Yuki, who were fuming slightly. "Is it the chocolate kind with the nuts?"
"Uh huh! And I put cherries on it, come try it!" She said. She smiled at Kyo and Yuki, who parted slowly to let the two greatly relieved cousins through.
Kyo glanced at Yuki. "We know where they live." He said, shrugging. He followed Tohru and the boys to the sitting room, where she had already served them a piece of the cake and tea. Haru was eating slowly, but Momiji had already finished his and was begging for a second piece. A second surprise awaited them. Shigure had come home and was sitting at the table too.
"Kyo, Yuki!" He said, smiling genially. "Come have a piece of cake!"
Kyo growled and plunked himself down on the cushion next to Tohru, who smiled at him. "What time is the moving truck comin'?" He asked, softening his glare.
"About four." Tohru said, glancing at the clock. "It's only two, we have lots of time. Would you like some cake too?"
"Nah, I'm not very hungry." Kyo said. "I think I'm gonna go upstairs and pack."
"Pack?" Tohru asked, looking confused.
"Yeah, I got a couple of boxes from the store and I was gonna box my stuff up to take to the house. I figured we'd be able to get everything unpacked on Thursday, when we're gettin' everything put up how we want it." He said.
"That's actually a good idea." Yuki said. "I think I will too."
"I'll pack tonight." Tohru said, smiling. "When we get back from the house." Kyo nodded and went upstairs, stopping by the hall closet and getting some boxes on his way. Yuki followed after getting some paper bags from the kitchen.
"What did you get?" Shigure asked, once the two boys had gone upstairs.
"Just furniture today." Tohru said cheerfully. "We're going to arrange it and make a list of what we need tomorrow."
"Like what?" Momiji asked.
"Just the little things. Toilet paper, trash cans, a broom."
"Oh, the odds and ends." Shigure said. "I see."
"May we come and see your house?" Haru asked. "We could help you move the furniture in."
"As long as none of it disappears, fine." Yuki said, coming downstairs with his arms full. He piled the bags beside the door and went to sit down.
"Your lack of trust wounds me!" Momiji said, grinning. Yuki snorted. Kyo came down a little while later, also with loaded arms. He set his things down by Yuki's and sat down again as well.
"We should probably get going." Kyo said. "It's three thirty, and the truck'll get there at four."
"Ok." Said Tohru, standing. "Leave the cups here, I'll get them when I get back." She said. "Shigure, do you want to come?"
"No, that's quite all right." He said, smiling. "I'll just stay here with Kisho, and I'll come see the finished product on Friday."
"Ok!" Tohru said, following the four cousins to the door. They left the house and walked quickly down the path, Momiji dropping back to talk to Tohru.
"Do you like the house?" he asked, walking along with his hands behind his back.
"I love it!" Tohru said, grinning at him. "It's really pretty, the sun room is so nice, and we have so much room!" her eyes shone as she described her home to the smiling rabbit. "And wait until you see the playroom for Kisho!"
"A playroom?" Momiji asked. "That sounds like fun!"
"I can't wait for you to see it!" she said, bouncing a little.
"Is that it?" Haru asked, pointing to the house that could just barely be seen through the trees and bushes.
"Uh huh!" Tohru said, running ahead. She pulled the branches aside and bowed them forward playfully. "Welcome to our home!" she said.
"Very nice." Haru said, looking around the landscaped yard. "Did you guys do the planting?"
"Yuki and Kyo did." Tohru said. "Doesn't it look nice?"
"It's beautiful Tohru." Momiji said. "Can we see the inside?"
"Ok! I'll give you the guided tour." She said, pulling the two cousins into the house, stopping just long enough for them to pull their shoes off. She pulled them through the sitting room to the kitchen, then to the sunroom. After they had sufficiently oohed and ahhed the sunroom, she led them through the rest of the downstairs before heading up to view the bedrooms and the playroom.
"This is such a nice house, Tohru!" Momiji said, once they had gotten back to the sitting room, where they sat on the floor, waiting for the truck to arrive.
"It was such a surprise!" Tohru said, beaming. "I never thought they'd build us a house!"
"Why not?" Yuki asked. "All newly married couples need a home of their own."
"And newly married trios need one even more." Haru said, smirking.
"Shut up!" Kyo said, cat ears emerging. They fell silent when they heard a truck come rumbling to a stop outside the door. They stood and went outside to meet the movers, who were just climbing out of the truck.
"Hello, are you.Yuki Sohma?" one of them asked, glancing at his clipboard.
"I am." Yuki said, stepping forward and reaching for the clipboard when it was offered.
"Just sign here sir, and we'll start carrying in the stuff." The man said, pointing to the places Yuki needed to sign. "We carry it to the room you want it in, but you have to do the arranging." He said.
"Not a problem" Yuki said. "What are you starting with?"
"We're starting with the bedroom suit." The second guy said, looking at the shipping list.
"That's fine." Yuki said. "Bring it up here, if you please. Are we allowed to help with it?"
"Yeah." The man said. "You guys wanna get the tables and trunk, while Kenji and I get the bed?"
"That's fine." Yuki said. The four boys followed the two deliverymen up the ramp, then followed them down with Yuki and Kyo carrying the trunk between them while Haru and Momiji carried a table apiece.
"Follow us." Yuki said, heading for the master bedroom. They set the furniture in the middle of the room and went back for another load, this time of office furniture. After about an hour, the truck was empty.
"Now, if you'll just sign this, we'll leave you alone." The second man said, holding out yet another clipboard.
"Thank you very much for all your hard work." Yuki said, signing the last sheet.
"Thank you for your patronage." The first man said, tipping his hat. He and his partner climbed into the cab, and the now lighter truck bounced down the dirt road towards the main highway and out of sight.
"Would you like help arranging the furniture?" Momiji asked, kicking at the box that held an assortment of floor cushions.
"Sure." Kyo said. "Let's get this room set up since we're here." He ripped the first box open and pulled out a pair of large, dark blue cotton floor cushions. He looked up at the others. "Well? Don't just stand there. Get that table put where you want it." He said, rolling his eyes. Yuki sighed and started screwing the legs onto the table, then had Haru and Momiji help him flip it over to the middle of the room, where it landed with a soft thump on the mats. Tohru started setting the cushions around it as the guys opened the boxes. Once the cushions were out, they opened the box of art and hung one of the paintings on the wall, and put one of the end tables in the corner with a vase of flowers on top. The last thing they put up was the china cabinet. They were going to wait until later to put in the china.
They moved to the office and got it arranged, then the guestroom and Tohru's room. The last room they worked on was the master bedroom, and when they had the mattress on the bed, they all collapsed on it, exhausted. They had been working on the furniture for hours, and it was long past ten.
"I've never been so tired in my life." Momiji moaned, throwing his arm over his eyes. Haru said nothing; just lay there, twitching.
"I'm beat." Kyo said. "Do we really need to go home? We could all just sleep here."
"I don't think that would be a good idea." Yuki said, unmoving. "We don't have the heat turned on yet, so we would need to get up and get blankets."
"But I don't want to move." Momiji whined.
"Then I guess we'll turn into Popsicles tonight." Kyo said, hauling himself to a sitting position with a groan. "Ok, I'm up, what about the rest of you?"
One by one they stood up and started downstairs, groaning at the twinges from overextended muscles.
"So you're going shopping again tomorrow?" Haru asked, stopping in the doorway to Tohru's room. "You should get a rug for this room, and the bedroom, that hardwood floor is really cold."
"I thought about that too." Kyo said, tapping his toes against the hardwood floor of the hall. "A runner here would be good."
"We could make the list of things to get now." Yuki said. "We can go to each room and see what they need."
"Well, I can tell you right now you'll need soap, shampoo, and toilet paper." Momiji said, stopping at the hall bathroom.
"By the way, I saw that master bath." Haru said, smirking slightly. "Is it just me, or was that shower big enough for two or three?"
Yuki and Kyo blushed a bright red, while Tohru walked ahead with Momiji, planning the various things they needed to buy. "Shut up!" Kyo hissed, glancing at the oblivious Tohru. Momiji glanced back at them and grinned wickedly. He had heard their conversation.
Yuki ignored him completely. "We'll figure out all that tomorrow." He said. "As it is, I'm tired, I'm going home to bed."
"I'm tired too." Momiji said, yawning widely. "Let's go Haru, I think I'm gonna need a long, hot bath."
"That sounds nice." Tohru said wistfully. "But I think a nice warm bed sounds even better." They locked the house up and sent Haru and Momiji on their way, then made their way home, yawning. When they got there, Tohru fed and changed Kisho, then fell into bed, while Kyo and Yuki crawled in after her after they finished the list of items to be purchased tomorrow. In their exhaustion, it never even occurred to them to sleep in their own beds.
* * *
"Look at this one!" Tohru said, holding up a rug patterned in pink and blue. It looked remarkably similar to the couch in her room.
"It's nice." Kyo said. "How about the hallway?"
"I like this one." Yuki said, holding one up patterned in shades of cream and tan. "It's very neutral."
"But I wanted to hang that abstract in the hall, and it's got lots of colors." Tohru said, biting her lip.
"Then how about this one?" Yuki asked, pulling a blue and green one.
"That IS better, but I was thinking this one." Tohru said, pulling out a rug. It looked very similar to the painting she wanted to put up.
"It's nice, but so loud!" Yuki said. "Maybe we could get a rug that just has one color, that way it'll bring that one out more."
"Ok." Tohru said, instantly dropping the rug. She picked out one in a nice lavender shade.
"That's very nice." Yuki said. "I like it."
"Ok, that's the one." Kyo said. "Now, lets finish getting what we gotta get so we can get the hell out of this store!"
Tohru laughed, but she could understand Kyo's frustration. They'd been shopping all day. From the time they got up that morning (with a lot of teasing from Shigure, who'd found all of them in Tohru's bed), to four in the afternoon. They had spent so much money Tohru's eyes had been spinning by noon.
"All we need now is some cleaning supplies and we can go." Tohru said, patting his arm reassuringly.
He sighed in relief and headed for the checkout, rolling a cart filled with various different household items. He just thanked god that the store was equipped with heavy-duty carts. Trashcans, rugs, lamps, a mop and broom, and various other household items piled it so high he had to look to the side to get to the checkout.
"I think today was rather productive." Yuki said. "We've basically got everything we need, now all we have to do is get the house in order."
"We could probably move in Friday!" Tohru said cheerfully. "Even tonight, if we turn the heat and other things on!"
"I would like to get out of Shigure's house." Yuki said wistfully. They paid for the items they had bought and loaded them into the car, which they had borrowed from Hatori. Yuki knew how to drive, it seemed, he just didn't like to do it very often. It made him nervous. Once they finished their shopping, they headed directly for their house. It took four trips to get everything, and that was with all of them carrying stuff piled to their eyebrows.
"Do you want to get started now, or rest a bit?" Yuki asked.
"Let's go ahead and get started." Tohru said. "The sooner we get done, the sooner we can move in!"
"Speaking of which." Yuki said, heading outside. He came back in a moment later, looking satisfied. "I turned the water and gas on." He said, flicking the thermostat that was on the wall. The heater hummed to life, sending warm air flowing through the vents.
The fact that the house had actually started taking on a homey atmosphere seemed to spur them on. They emptied the bags one at a time, putting everything where it went in the house. Towels went in the bathrooms while extras went in the linen closet. Rugs were spread on the floor. Cleaning supplies were put in a closet in the laundry room. The broom went in the kitchen. The last thing they put down, with a sort of ceremonial feel, was the lavender rug in the hall. They all three stood at one end of the hall and gave the rolled up rug a push. It unrolled down the hall, finally coming to a stop at the head of the stairs.
"And that's everything." Yuki said quietly. He looked around the hall and into the rooms that he could see from his vantage point. Every room had some sort of personal, homey touch that made it feel as if they had lived there for years. The art on the walls, the rugs on the floor, even the smell of the potpourri Tohru had sitting in little dishes in a few of the rooms seemed to radiate comfort and home.
"I can't believe we got at that done before dark." Kyo said, looking out a freshly draped window. "It's not even eight o'clock yet."
"I know." Tohru said, glancing in every room as they passed, making sure they were in order. They made their way down to the sitting room, where a brand new television sat in one corner. They sat on the soft, overstuffed cushions, sighing happily at being off their feet.
"All we need now is to move Kisho's things to his room and we're done." Yuki said, stretching his arms over his head. "We might need some help for that. I'm not entirely sure how that crib goes together."
"I'm sure Shigure does. Him and Hatori put it together last time." Kyo said, standing. "Are you guys ready to head home?"
"Ok!" Tohru said. "I need to fix dinner anyway." She said, standing as well. They started home, walking slowly and enjoying the slightly cooler air outside. It was the beginning of May, and the air was warming during the day, but at night it had a chill.
"Yuki, Kyo, thank you so much." Tohru said, grabbing their hands.
"For what?" Kyo asked, lacing her fingers through his.
"For the house, for taking me in when I was living in a tent.for wanting me in your life." She said, not looking at them, her face burning a red they could see clearly in the fading sunshine.
Kyo and Yuki pulled her to a stop beneath a maple tree. Yuki turned her face up so she was looking at them both, their eyes searching her face. "Tohru, if anyone should be grateful, it's us."
She looked at them in confusion. "Why me?" She asked. "I'm just.me."
"And that's all you have to be." Yuki said, running a finger down her cheek. "Yourself." His seemed to almost glow in the fading light, like amethysts. "You're the greatest thing that ever happened to this family. You've brought a light into our lives that we've never had before, and we can never thank you enough for that."
"No matter if we built a castle." Kyo said, smirking lightly. He turned Tohru to look at him now. "Never ask us to repeat it in public, at least not until we've been married like a decade, but we love you more than anything. We want you to be as happy as you've made us."
Tohru had tears rolling down her cheeks as Kyo pulled her between them. They both wrapped an arm around her one at her waist, the other at her shoulder. This time, Kyo made the first move. He pulled her around to face him and fastened his mouth to hers gently, trying to pour every ounce of emotion he just wasn't comfortable saying aloud into the kiss. She gasped at the sheer intensity of his kiss, almost too much for the innocent Tohru. She had never experienced such a thing, even after the proposal.
With a slight, almost unheard moan, Kyo pressed his mouth a little harder against hers, forcing her lips apart. He took advantage of the slight opening to run his tongue gently over hers, coaxing it into moving tentively against his own. He pulled her more securely against himself, relishing the warmth from her body.
Slowly they broke the kiss, their eyes heavy lidded and faces flushed. Yuki took no time in pulling her against himself and taking advantage of her still slack lips. His tongue slipped slowly in to explore, moaning deep in his throat when her tongue reached out to tangle with his own. Running his hand through her hair, he coaxed her into exploring his mouth just as thoroughly as he was hers.
Kyo didn't bother watching them, he was too busy trying to force his blood to cool. Her innocent explorations had tested his control to the limit, but he was determined not to push her too hard, too fast. He sighed deeply and leaned against the tree they were standing under, running his hand through his hair. He looked over at Tohru and the rat, who had broken their kiss and were currently resting their foreheads against each other, trying to get their breath back. "We should probably get going." He said after clearing his throat a few times. Even then it came out rather hoarse.
Yuki nodded and moved back from the blushing rice ball. They all took a moment to compose themselves, then continued on towards the house, walking close together, with both of them having an arm around her waist and shoulder, her with an arm around both of their waists.
To his credit, Shigure didn't say anything about their disheveled hair or bruised lips, nor the strange light in their eyes when they got home. Until they went upstairs that is. Then he called Ayame.
"Morning." He said. "The rat's still asleep."
"I know." Tohru said, smiling. "He'll stay that way unless something makes him wake up."
"Wasn't it Aya last time?" Kyo asked, bending down to stroke Gizmo, who was chewing a rawhide bone beneath the counter.
"Uh huh. She fell asleep on his face." She said, giggling. She fell silent as Yuki stumbled into the kitchen, still half asleep, carrying Aya, who was purring mightily.
He put her on the floor and stumbled over to the refrigerator, pulling out the carton of orange juice and taking a large drink straight from the mouth of the jug. "She was sitting on my face again." He said when he came up for air. His eyes were still at half-mast.
"Well, good morning anyway." Tohru said, smiling. "You needed to wake up anyway. We're going shopping this morning."
"We are?" he asked, his mind not in full gear yet. "For what?"
"Furniture!" She said, giggling. "Did you forget? Buy it this morning, get it this afternoon, arrange and unpack it tomorrow."
"Now I remember." Yuki said, looking slightly more alert. "When do we leave?"
"As soon as we get ready." Tohru said. "But if we want to get the furniture this afternoon, we have to have it picked out by at least one or two."
Yuki stretched and looked at the clock. "Give me a few minutes to wash, and we'll go."
"That's ok, I still haven't finished breakfast, and we should really make a list of what we need to buy." Tohru said, looking thoughtful. "Like a bedroom suit, a sitting room table, things like that."
"We can work on that at breakfast." Yuki said. "I'll be right back." He left the kitchen and went upstairs, where they heard water start running.
"Kyo, will you help me take this out to the table?" Tohru asked, handing him a large pot of miso soup. She picked up a bowl of rice and a small platter of pickles and fish, then started for the dining room, Kyo following. They had just set the food on the table when Yuki came in, hair freshly combed and face still a little damp from his wash.
"I brought a piece of paper and a pen so we could make the list." He said, putting the paper in the middle of the table. "The first thing we need is a bedroom suit. That way we can go ahead and move in if we need to."
"We need sitting room stuff too." Kyo said, helping himself to the fish and pickles. "And a china cabinet."
"We need some futons for the guest room, and I wanted to turn one of the rooms into a study." Yuki said, chewing lightly on the end of the pen. "We have four bedrooms upstairs, and an unused room downstairs. I thought we could turn one upstairs room into a nursery, one into a guest room, the master bedroom into our room, and the room with the window seat into Tohru's room."
"What about the downstairs?" Kyo asked. "I still want one as a workout room."
"I didn't even figure that one into our plan." Yuki said. "Look, here's the plans." he pulled out the blueprints. "Here's the sitting room, the kitchen, downstairs bathroom, sunroom, workout room, and the spare room." Yuki said. "I think it would make a good study."
"But what about a child's room?" Kyo asked. "I thought we were planning to have more children eventually." He looked at Tohru. "We are, aren't we?" She nodded, blushing slightly.
"I thought of that." Yuki said. "When we decide to have more children, we can turn the study into a guest room too, and the guest room into a child's room."
"That could work." Kyo said. "I like it."
"Good." Yuki said. He added a few things to the list, then looked it over. "How does this sound? A bedroom suit, things for the office, a dining room suit, a china cabinet, a futon and things for the guest room, we already have things for the nursery, and whatever else catches our eye." He said.
"Sounds good to me." Tohru said, finishing her tea. "Are we ready?"
"Yes." Yuki said, standing. "I'll get my credit card."
"Let me just take this stuff to the kitchen, and we'll be ready when Yuki gets back." Tohru said, gathering up the dirty dishes.
"Are we ready?" Yuki asked, coming back downstairs. He glanced out the window and did a double take, his eyes narrowing as he snapped his gaze forward. "Let's go." He said suddenly. Kyo bristled at the order, but Yuki glanced at him with such meaning he didn't argue. They were sure as hell gonna talk about it later, though.
* * *
"I like the cherry wood." Tohru said, running her hand over the four- poster bed. "And it comes with a dresser, a wardrobe, and a set of bed tables."
"But it's so dark." Yuki said. "Are you sure you want something so dark in the bedroom?"
"I think it'll look good next to that blue bedspread Ayame gave us." Tohru said. "What do you think, Kyo?"
"I like it." He said. "It looks.stately."
Yuki sighed. "Fine. I'm outnumbered." He said, smiling. He turned to the salesman, who was practically salivating at his shoulder. "We'll take this one." He said, holding out his credit card. The salesman snatched it away and ran, as if Yuki was going to change his mind. And if he had, it would have devastated him, since they had spent over ten thousand dollars in that store. He was already picturing what to do with the commission.
"So we've got the office stuff, the bedroom stuff, a futon and dresser for the guest room, a couch and stuff for Tohru's room, and dining stuff, complete with a china cabinet."
"I think that's enough to start with." Yuki said. "We've got all the kitchen and bath items, so that's basically it for today. We'll move things around in the house tomorrow if we get the items today, and we'll go shopping for the little things Wednesday."
"Little things?" Tohru asked.
"Waste baskets, mops, brooms, the things you use every day, but you never think about." Kyo said. "Sounds good to me." He sighed and sat down on their newly bought bed table. "Can we go home now?"
Tohru laughed. "Yes. We've got to be home to get the delivery." She said as the salesman came back with the credit card.
"Thank you." Yuki said, smiling. "Would it be possible to have all this delivered today?"
The man looked nervous. "I'm sorry sir, normally we do next day delivery." Yuki looked disappointed. "I suppose we could go to another store." He said, looking at the other two. "We were so looking forward to getting them today."
The salesman looked horrified. "Oh, that won't be necessary!" he said, almost throwing himself at Yuki's feet. "We'll have them at your address by four P.M.!"
"Thank you very much." Yuki said, smiling. "Here's our address, and directions on how to get there. It's a little off the beaten path." He turned to Tohru and Kyo. "Shall we go?" he asked, his smile changing to a slight smirk.
Kyo smirked back. "Sure." He said, sticking his hands in his pockets. "I'm ready." He glanced at his watch. "It's after lunchtime." He said. "You two wanna grab a sandwich?"
"No, I think we should get home." Yuki said, again throwing Kyo a meaningful look. He held back a bit so Tohru could walk on ahead and muttered to Kyo, low enough so she wouldn't hear. "I have a sneaking suspicion we will find our beds back in their usual places."
"How do you know?" Kyo asked, surprised. "And why do ya want to get home so fast?"
"I saw someone in the bushes this morning." Yuki said simply.
Kyo grinned. "Is that why you wanted to leave so quick?" He asked.
"Yes. I figure they gave us fifteen to twenty, maybe even thirty minutes, to make sure we weren't going to come back. Getting the beds in the house, putting them together and making them would probably take about twenty minutes to a half an hour each. We should catch them red handed."
"Ya know, I never thought I'd say this to you, but I like the way you think." Kyo said, smirking.
* * *
"Will you hurry up?" Momiji said, almost dancing with impatience. "We've gotta get out of here!"
"What's the big rush?" Haru asked calmly, smoothing the blankets into place on Yuki's bed. "They can't buy over seven rooms of furniture in an hour, it's not possible."
"You know, we thought that too, but then we got to this big store, and they had everything we wanted." Kyo said from behind them. The two miscreants froze and turned slowly, to find Kyo and Yuki lounging in the doorway, blocking the escape.
"Kyo! Yuki!" Momiji said, eyes darting around for an escape route. "What are you doing home so early?"
"We DO live here." Yuki said, eyes glinting. "And I didn't realize we were on a schedule."
"Well, you're not, but." Momiji was getting desperate; he was eyeing the window now.
"We just thought we'd bring your beds back after Shigure stole them." Haru said from behind Momiji.
"Shigure?" Yuki asked.
"Uh huh." Haru said. "We caught him and Ayame giggling last night. After I.persuaded them to tell us what was so funny, they told me where they'd hid the beds."
"It would make sense." Yuki said, turning to Kyo. But he didn't step away from the door. "Especially since they didn't touch his bed."
"I'm not buyin' it." Kyo said. "Why would they bring 'em back if they didn't take 'em? If Shigure and Ayame had 'em, they woulda made THEM bring 'em back."
"Good point." Yuki said, glancing again at his cousins, waiting for their answer.
"Since when have you two gotten along so well?" Haru asked, looking from one to the other.
"Stop trying to change the subject." Yuki said, smirking. "Here's what I think happened. You two took the beds, sometime before or during the reception, for some reason as yet to be determined. You think you'll bring them back when we're out of the house, and get out before we get back. Am I warm?"
Momiji squirmed under the piercing gazes of his cousins. Then, as if the clouds had broken and sunlight had shown through, he heard Tohru come up the stairs, calling for Yuki and Kyo.
"Momiji! What are you doing here?" she asked, standing on tiptoe to look over Yuki's shoulder. "And Haru too!" She beamed, completely delighted to have company. "Would you two like to come downstairs for tea?"
"All right." Haru said, grinning at Kyo and Yuki, who were fuming slightly. "Is it the chocolate kind with the nuts?"
"Uh huh! And I put cherries on it, come try it!" She said. She smiled at Kyo and Yuki, who parted slowly to let the two greatly relieved cousins through.
Kyo glanced at Yuki. "We know where they live." He said, shrugging. He followed Tohru and the boys to the sitting room, where she had already served them a piece of the cake and tea. Haru was eating slowly, but Momiji had already finished his and was begging for a second piece. A second surprise awaited them. Shigure had come home and was sitting at the table too.
"Kyo, Yuki!" He said, smiling genially. "Come have a piece of cake!"
Kyo growled and plunked himself down on the cushion next to Tohru, who smiled at him. "What time is the moving truck comin'?" He asked, softening his glare.
"About four." Tohru said, glancing at the clock. "It's only two, we have lots of time. Would you like some cake too?"
"Nah, I'm not very hungry." Kyo said. "I think I'm gonna go upstairs and pack."
"Pack?" Tohru asked, looking confused.
"Yeah, I got a couple of boxes from the store and I was gonna box my stuff up to take to the house. I figured we'd be able to get everything unpacked on Thursday, when we're gettin' everything put up how we want it." He said.
"That's actually a good idea." Yuki said. "I think I will too."
"I'll pack tonight." Tohru said, smiling. "When we get back from the house." Kyo nodded and went upstairs, stopping by the hall closet and getting some boxes on his way. Yuki followed after getting some paper bags from the kitchen.
"What did you get?" Shigure asked, once the two boys had gone upstairs.
"Just furniture today." Tohru said cheerfully. "We're going to arrange it and make a list of what we need tomorrow."
"Like what?" Momiji asked.
"Just the little things. Toilet paper, trash cans, a broom."
"Oh, the odds and ends." Shigure said. "I see."
"May we come and see your house?" Haru asked. "We could help you move the furniture in."
"As long as none of it disappears, fine." Yuki said, coming downstairs with his arms full. He piled the bags beside the door and went to sit down.
"Your lack of trust wounds me!" Momiji said, grinning. Yuki snorted. Kyo came down a little while later, also with loaded arms. He set his things down by Yuki's and sat down again as well.
"We should probably get going." Kyo said. "It's three thirty, and the truck'll get there at four."
"Ok." Said Tohru, standing. "Leave the cups here, I'll get them when I get back." She said. "Shigure, do you want to come?"
"No, that's quite all right." He said, smiling. "I'll just stay here with Kisho, and I'll come see the finished product on Friday."
"Ok!" Tohru said, following the four cousins to the door. They left the house and walked quickly down the path, Momiji dropping back to talk to Tohru.
"Do you like the house?" he asked, walking along with his hands behind his back.
"I love it!" Tohru said, grinning at him. "It's really pretty, the sun room is so nice, and we have so much room!" her eyes shone as she described her home to the smiling rabbit. "And wait until you see the playroom for Kisho!"
"A playroom?" Momiji asked. "That sounds like fun!"
"I can't wait for you to see it!" she said, bouncing a little.
"Is that it?" Haru asked, pointing to the house that could just barely be seen through the trees and bushes.
"Uh huh!" Tohru said, running ahead. She pulled the branches aside and bowed them forward playfully. "Welcome to our home!" she said.
"Very nice." Haru said, looking around the landscaped yard. "Did you guys do the planting?"
"Yuki and Kyo did." Tohru said. "Doesn't it look nice?"
"It's beautiful Tohru." Momiji said. "Can we see the inside?"
"Ok! I'll give you the guided tour." She said, pulling the two cousins into the house, stopping just long enough for them to pull their shoes off. She pulled them through the sitting room to the kitchen, then to the sunroom. After they had sufficiently oohed and ahhed the sunroom, she led them through the rest of the downstairs before heading up to view the bedrooms and the playroom.
"This is such a nice house, Tohru!" Momiji said, once they had gotten back to the sitting room, where they sat on the floor, waiting for the truck to arrive.
"It was such a surprise!" Tohru said, beaming. "I never thought they'd build us a house!"
"Why not?" Yuki asked. "All newly married couples need a home of their own."
"And newly married trios need one even more." Haru said, smirking.
"Shut up!" Kyo said, cat ears emerging. They fell silent when they heard a truck come rumbling to a stop outside the door. They stood and went outside to meet the movers, who were just climbing out of the truck.
"Hello, are you.Yuki Sohma?" one of them asked, glancing at his clipboard.
"I am." Yuki said, stepping forward and reaching for the clipboard when it was offered.
"Just sign here sir, and we'll start carrying in the stuff." The man said, pointing to the places Yuki needed to sign. "We carry it to the room you want it in, but you have to do the arranging." He said.
"Not a problem" Yuki said. "What are you starting with?"
"We're starting with the bedroom suit." The second guy said, looking at the shipping list.
"That's fine." Yuki said. "Bring it up here, if you please. Are we allowed to help with it?"
"Yeah." The man said. "You guys wanna get the tables and trunk, while Kenji and I get the bed?"
"That's fine." Yuki said. The four boys followed the two deliverymen up the ramp, then followed them down with Yuki and Kyo carrying the trunk between them while Haru and Momiji carried a table apiece.
"Follow us." Yuki said, heading for the master bedroom. They set the furniture in the middle of the room and went back for another load, this time of office furniture. After about an hour, the truck was empty.
"Now, if you'll just sign this, we'll leave you alone." The second man said, holding out yet another clipboard.
"Thank you very much for all your hard work." Yuki said, signing the last sheet.
"Thank you for your patronage." The first man said, tipping his hat. He and his partner climbed into the cab, and the now lighter truck bounced down the dirt road towards the main highway and out of sight.
"Would you like help arranging the furniture?" Momiji asked, kicking at the box that held an assortment of floor cushions.
"Sure." Kyo said. "Let's get this room set up since we're here." He ripped the first box open and pulled out a pair of large, dark blue cotton floor cushions. He looked up at the others. "Well? Don't just stand there. Get that table put where you want it." He said, rolling his eyes. Yuki sighed and started screwing the legs onto the table, then had Haru and Momiji help him flip it over to the middle of the room, where it landed with a soft thump on the mats. Tohru started setting the cushions around it as the guys opened the boxes. Once the cushions were out, they opened the box of art and hung one of the paintings on the wall, and put one of the end tables in the corner with a vase of flowers on top. The last thing they put up was the china cabinet. They were going to wait until later to put in the china.
They moved to the office and got it arranged, then the guestroom and Tohru's room. The last room they worked on was the master bedroom, and when they had the mattress on the bed, they all collapsed on it, exhausted. They had been working on the furniture for hours, and it was long past ten.
"I've never been so tired in my life." Momiji moaned, throwing his arm over his eyes. Haru said nothing; just lay there, twitching.
"I'm beat." Kyo said. "Do we really need to go home? We could all just sleep here."
"I don't think that would be a good idea." Yuki said, unmoving. "We don't have the heat turned on yet, so we would need to get up and get blankets."
"But I don't want to move." Momiji whined.
"Then I guess we'll turn into Popsicles tonight." Kyo said, hauling himself to a sitting position with a groan. "Ok, I'm up, what about the rest of you?"
One by one they stood up and started downstairs, groaning at the twinges from overextended muscles.
"So you're going shopping again tomorrow?" Haru asked, stopping in the doorway to Tohru's room. "You should get a rug for this room, and the bedroom, that hardwood floor is really cold."
"I thought about that too." Kyo said, tapping his toes against the hardwood floor of the hall. "A runner here would be good."
"We could make the list of things to get now." Yuki said. "We can go to each room and see what they need."
"Well, I can tell you right now you'll need soap, shampoo, and toilet paper." Momiji said, stopping at the hall bathroom.
"By the way, I saw that master bath." Haru said, smirking slightly. "Is it just me, or was that shower big enough for two or three?"
Yuki and Kyo blushed a bright red, while Tohru walked ahead with Momiji, planning the various things they needed to buy. "Shut up!" Kyo hissed, glancing at the oblivious Tohru. Momiji glanced back at them and grinned wickedly. He had heard their conversation.
Yuki ignored him completely. "We'll figure out all that tomorrow." He said. "As it is, I'm tired, I'm going home to bed."
"I'm tired too." Momiji said, yawning widely. "Let's go Haru, I think I'm gonna need a long, hot bath."
"That sounds nice." Tohru said wistfully. "But I think a nice warm bed sounds even better." They locked the house up and sent Haru and Momiji on their way, then made their way home, yawning. When they got there, Tohru fed and changed Kisho, then fell into bed, while Kyo and Yuki crawled in after her after they finished the list of items to be purchased tomorrow. In their exhaustion, it never even occurred to them to sleep in their own beds.
* * *
"Look at this one!" Tohru said, holding up a rug patterned in pink and blue. It looked remarkably similar to the couch in her room.
"It's nice." Kyo said. "How about the hallway?"
"I like this one." Yuki said, holding one up patterned in shades of cream and tan. "It's very neutral."
"But I wanted to hang that abstract in the hall, and it's got lots of colors." Tohru said, biting her lip.
"Then how about this one?" Yuki asked, pulling a blue and green one.
"That IS better, but I was thinking this one." Tohru said, pulling out a rug. It looked very similar to the painting she wanted to put up.
"It's nice, but so loud!" Yuki said. "Maybe we could get a rug that just has one color, that way it'll bring that one out more."
"Ok." Tohru said, instantly dropping the rug. She picked out one in a nice lavender shade.
"That's very nice." Yuki said. "I like it."
"Ok, that's the one." Kyo said. "Now, lets finish getting what we gotta get so we can get the hell out of this store!"
Tohru laughed, but she could understand Kyo's frustration. They'd been shopping all day. From the time they got up that morning (with a lot of teasing from Shigure, who'd found all of them in Tohru's bed), to four in the afternoon. They had spent so much money Tohru's eyes had been spinning by noon.
"All we need now is some cleaning supplies and we can go." Tohru said, patting his arm reassuringly.
He sighed in relief and headed for the checkout, rolling a cart filled with various different household items. He just thanked god that the store was equipped with heavy-duty carts. Trashcans, rugs, lamps, a mop and broom, and various other household items piled it so high he had to look to the side to get to the checkout.
"I think today was rather productive." Yuki said. "We've basically got everything we need, now all we have to do is get the house in order."
"We could probably move in Friday!" Tohru said cheerfully. "Even tonight, if we turn the heat and other things on!"
"I would like to get out of Shigure's house." Yuki said wistfully. They paid for the items they had bought and loaded them into the car, which they had borrowed from Hatori. Yuki knew how to drive, it seemed, he just didn't like to do it very often. It made him nervous. Once they finished their shopping, they headed directly for their house. It took four trips to get everything, and that was with all of them carrying stuff piled to their eyebrows.
"Do you want to get started now, or rest a bit?" Yuki asked.
"Let's go ahead and get started." Tohru said. "The sooner we get done, the sooner we can move in!"
"Speaking of which." Yuki said, heading outside. He came back in a moment later, looking satisfied. "I turned the water and gas on." He said, flicking the thermostat that was on the wall. The heater hummed to life, sending warm air flowing through the vents.
The fact that the house had actually started taking on a homey atmosphere seemed to spur them on. They emptied the bags one at a time, putting everything where it went in the house. Towels went in the bathrooms while extras went in the linen closet. Rugs were spread on the floor. Cleaning supplies were put in a closet in the laundry room. The broom went in the kitchen. The last thing they put down, with a sort of ceremonial feel, was the lavender rug in the hall. They all three stood at one end of the hall and gave the rolled up rug a push. It unrolled down the hall, finally coming to a stop at the head of the stairs.
"And that's everything." Yuki said quietly. He looked around the hall and into the rooms that he could see from his vantage point. Every room had some sort of personal, homey touch that made it feel as if they had lived there for years. The art on the walls, the rugs on the floor, even the smell of the potpourri Tohru had sitting in little dishes in a few of the rooms seemed to radiate comfort and home.
"I can't believe we got at that done before dark." Kyo said, looking out a freshly draped window. "It's not even eight o'clock yet."
"I know." Tohru said, glancing in every room as they passed, making sure they were in order. They made their way down to the sitting room, where a brand new television sat in one corner. They sat on the soft, overstuffed cushions, sighing happily at being off their feet.
"All we need now is to move Kisho's things to his room and we're done." Yuki said, stretching his arms over his head. "We might need some help for that. I'm not entirely sure how that crib goes together."
"I'm sure Shigure does. Him and Hatori put it together last time." Kyo said, standing. "Are you guys ready to head home?"
"Ok!" Tohru said. "I need to fix dinner anyway." She said, standing as well. They started home, walking slowly and enjoying the slightly cooler air outside. It was the beginning of May, and the air was warming during the day, but at night it had a chill.
"Yuki, Kyo, thank you so much." Tohru said, grabbing their hands.
"For what?" Kyo asked, lacing her fingers through his.
"For the house, for taking me in when I was living in a tent.for wanting me in your life." She said, not looking at them, her face burning a red they could see clearly in the fading sunshine.
Kyo and Yuki pulled her to a stop beneath a maple tree. Yuki turned her face up so she was looking at them both, their eyes searching her face. "Tohru, if anyone should be grateful, it's us."
She looked at them in confusion. "Why me?" She asked. "I'm just.me."
"And that's all you have to be." Yuki said, running a finger down her cheek. "Yourself." His seemed to almost glow in the fading light, like amethysts. "You're the greatest thing that ever happened to this family. You've brought a light into our lives that we've never had before, and we can never thank you enough for that."
"No matter if we built a castle." Kyo said, smirking lightly. He turned Tohru to look at him now. "Never ask us to repeat it in public, at least not until we've been married like a decade, but we love you more than anything. We want you to be as happy as you've made us."
Tohru had tears rolling down her cheeks as Kyo pulled her between them. They both wrapped an arm around her one at her waist, the other at her shoulder. This time, Kyo made the first move. He pulled her around to face him and fastened his mouth to hers gently, trying to pour every ounce of emotion he just wasn't comfortable saying aloud into the kiss. She gasped at the sheer intensity of his kiss, almost too much for the innocent Tohru. She had never experienced such a thing, even after the proposal.
With a slight, almost unheard moan, Kyo pressed his mouth a little harder against hers, forcing her lips apart. He took advantage of the slight opening to run his tongue gently over hers, coaxing it into moving tentively against his own. He pulled her more securely against himself, relishing the warmth from her body.
Slowly they broke the kiss, their eyes heavy lidded and faces flushed. Yuki took no time in pulling her against himself and taking advantage of her still slack lips. His tongue slipped slowly in to explore, moaning deep in his throat when her tongue reached out to tangle with his own. Running his hand through her hair, he coaxed her into exploring his mouth just as thoroughly as he was hers.
Kyo didn't bother watching them, he was too busy trying to force his blood to cool. Her innocent explorations had tested his control to the limit, but he was determined not to push her too hard, too fast. He sighed deeply and leaned against the tree they were standing under, running his hand through his hair. He looked over at Tohru and the rat, who had broken their kiss and were currently resting their foreheads against each other, trying to get their breath back. "We should probably get going." He said after clearing his throat a few times. Even then it came out rather hoarse.
Yuki nodded and moved back from the blushing rice ball. They all took a moment to compose themselves, then continued on towards the house, walking close together, with both of them having an arm around her waist and shoulder, her with an arm around both of their waists.
To his credit, Shigure didn't say anything about their disheveled hair or bruised lips, nor the strange light in their eyes when they got home. Until they went upstairs that is. Then he called Ayame.