Chapter 10

This is Real

reb: sorry for the long wait. my com isbeing a little screwy... and i took a while to figure out how to start it...

Kyo made good on his promise of training. He trained in his hospital room until Hatori released him to go home. Kyo didn't call for a ride, but ran home instead. When he opened the door, smiling, he walked right into the kitchen. He felt so fired up, yet calm. It was the strangest feeling he'd ever had. He didn't know how to describe it.

He saw Tohru in the kitchen, making lunch, and smiled warmly. The life in his body was now accompanied by warmth and he couldn't explain how he felt. Tohru turned to call them in for lunch when she froze.

"Kyo?" she asked. He was wearing a white t-shirt and his normal khaki pants. He was sweating lightly and breathing softly, like he had just run home in the morning mist.

"Yo." Kyo waved slightly. It took a minute for the situation to play out for both of them. Kyo playfully knocked her on the head and they both laughed. They'd deal with the details later.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

10 minutes later, Yuki and Shigure were standing in the doorway, staring at Kyo and Tohru as they ate lunch.

"What are you staring at? Are you gonna eat or stand there and gawk?" Kyo snapped. Yuki took a second to think about this. Shigure on the other hand had no problem sitting down to eat.

– – – – – –

"A picnic!" Shigure had said. To 'celebrate the return of Kyo's good health!' he'd said. Kyo muttered to himself as he grabbed an ice cream pop from the freezer and headed outside to follow Shigure to.. Where ever it was he planned to take them.. Tohru watched him leave.

"We'll catch up soon!" she called and he waved behind him to show he'd heard. Yuki was taking an extra long time. Shigure told Tohru how to find where they went but Kyo hadn't been paying attention.. Like usual. "Yuki-kun! Are you almost ready?" she called up the stairs.

"Ya.. I was kinda hoping you'd go without me." Yuki said, appearing at the top.

"Why? Then you'd have to go alone.."

"I thought Kyo would finally tell you whatever it is he's trying to say, if I weren't around.." Yuki sighed and resembled his form when he was just waking up.

"Oh.." Tohru thought of all the things he might want to say.. And she thought about the letter she wrote him. "Hm..." she looked up at Yuki, who indicated toward the door.

"I'll catch up in a minute. I'll just grab an extra blanket or something.." he smiled and she smiled back before leaving quickly.

– – – –

Tohru ran up toward where Shigure, in his cutest chibi form, was laying out the blanky and where Kyo was sitting on the top of the hill with that ice pop. How did she know this as though it already happened? It was like she'd already lived this.

"Kyo!" Tohru called with her usual smile on and in her usual chipper mood. Kyo turned to her, taking an ice cream pop out of his mouth as he did.

"Tohru?" he asked before she tripped and barely avoided hitting him and turning him into a cat.

"Kyo! I'm sorry. I couldn't stop." she apologized. Kyo smiled.

"Tohru." he lightly hit her on the head.

"Ow.." Tohru rubbed her head then smiled. Same old Kyo.

This was so familiar. It had happened before. Next.. Kyo would make a speech..

"Tohru..." Kyo called as Tohru took to look around.

"Yeah?" she asked, looking at her cat.

"I..."


Kyo blushed. "Tohru.. I know.. I may not show it very well...I may seem angry or frustrated at you.. It's just the way I am.. But.. The truth is...I'm afraid.." he seemed to have trouble finding the words.

Tohru looked at him curiously.

"I'm afraid... that I'll wake up one morning and you wont be around." Kyo turned away.

"Kyo-kun..." Tohru wanted to say something but she didn't know what.. She couldn't seem to form words. And she slowly began to realize where it was going.. She was remembering them and knew his words before he said them.

"I don't know what I'd do if that happened, Tohru.." Kyo paused to get himself under control and keep the courage he'd built up to tell her this.

"Kyo.. I..."

"Please. Just... understand.. No matter what I might say..." Tohru was on his every word. "I... will always, Always!..." Kyo turned to her. "always love you." His eyes seemed hurt almost as though she'd said something or something had happened that really hurt him.

"Kyo.." Tohru smiled. She looked down smiling, not sure what to do. She felt like crying. She wasn't sad at all but a few tears fell from her eyes. "I.. Kyo.." her voice was a mixture of weeping and joy.

'And now..' her mind breathed as she remembered the end of her dream.

Kyo grabbed her chin with his hand, turned her face up to him and stared at her. Their eyes were locked and Tohru knew they were getting closer to each other. She was still scared. She'd never been in a serious relationship. She was happy. Kyo loved her too. And even though she'd felt all these feelings in her dream, it was better this time because she knew it was real.

And that's when he kissed her. And it was even more amazing. It was magical and her heart was racing. When they broke, he just gazed into her eyes, like glancing into her heart.. Her soul.. And she couldn't take her eyes away.

Then she smiled and blushed. Kyo laughed once and gave her a nuggy. And they had fun just standing and laughing with each other on that hill.

Yuki leaned on a tree at the bottom of the hill and smiled up at them and all the while Shigure was blissfully unaware.