It is 7:53 pm and Tohru sits in her small one bedroom apartment watching a kung fu movie on a small black and white television. Her dinner of rice balls is almost finished, half forgotten on a tv tray in front of her. She is paying rapt attention to the screen.
"Ha!" she shouts and jumps up in celebration as the hero lands a particularly good kick. Her tv tray topples. The rice balls land sideways. The plate smashes. She sighs heavily and reaches down to pickup the scattered food and broken glass, picking tiny peices out of the threadbare and thin carpet. She moves into the kitchen and throws them away in the trash can. She turns toward her refridgerator. There is a calendar of orange cats. The February cat has his head cocked sideways and seems to be staring out at her. She runs a finger along the belly of the printed cat, half hoping it would purr at her. February 17th.
"581 days," she whispers. 581 days since he was taken out of her life. She couldn't stop thinking of him. Every day, every hour, he was on her mind. His dashing smile. His strength and prowess. The way he looked at her that made her knees feel weak. She thinks of the day she was sick and he made her leek soup, coming into her room with a gas mask on. She remembers the day she accidentally walked in on him in the shower. In the few moments before she screeched and turned away, she had memorized his body. The water was dripping off his hair and down his face. His muscles were tense, frozen in shock as she looked at him. He had assured her later that it was okay. He didn't mind. He wasn't embarrassed. She stayed red for almost a week every time she looked at him. She remembers the last night together in the house. She was frantic, running about her room, trying to come up with a plan. Her door opened and she cried out.
"It's okay. Tohru, it's alright. What's going on?" She looked up at him with a red tear coated face. She ran to him, arms outstretched. He caught her just before he could transform.
"Oh God. How long have you known? Who told you?"
"A long time," her voice was choked with sadness, "Akito told me. Kyo! You have to get you out of here." She ran back to her desk, opened the drawer, removing a large stack of money.
"Tohru," he whispered. She returned to him, holding the money up.
"Take it! Get away from here! Don't let them do this to you!" He gently placed a hand in her hair, moving her money filled hand aside. He set a finger over her lips. She stared with wide eyes as he bent down and kissed her softly.
"Kyo..." she whispered.
"I'm sorry," he whispered back softly leaning his forehead against hers. She was speechless.
"Please take care of yourself, and get out of here. Get away from Akito. Use that money to flee. Don't let him hurt you again. I'm sorry I can't give you everything you deserve. I'm sorry things ended up like this. I know this is a bad time but," he pushed her back slightly to look into her eyes. Her knees buckled slightly at the emotion in them, "I love you Tohru. The world isn't as beautiful as you think it is, or as I wish it was, so don't you ever forget that. Don't forget that there is someone out there that loves you more than anything. More than any one else." And he kissed her again.
She walks back to her ratty green chair in front of the tv. The movie has stopped for the time being and there is an ad for a spinning toothbrush in its place. She can't help thinking that he had been right. The world wasn't a beautiful place. Human beings were heartless. She had begged and begged for his life, and Akito had just smirked at her, enjoying her pain.
"Come, Tohru Honda." He walked along some dark corridors leading off of his bed chambers, and she followed. At the end they reached a door with five locks on the outside. She had counted. Each lock had torn at her as he carefully and slowly unlocked them, a smirk ever present. The door swung open, and she saw him again. Just like she had hoped for weeks. He was chained to the wall, hands pulled out and up. He was on his knees, and his feet were obviously shackled. He was nakedand small but apparent whip marks covered his body. His head lolled downward with exhaustion. Her hands flew to her mouth.
"No," she whispered.
"Now you see what filthy creatures cats are, Tohru Honda." Kyo lifted his head wearily. Recognition shot over his features and he seemed to find new strength. He pulled hard against his chains.
"No!" he screams, "No! Tohru! Not like this!" Akito's laughter filled the small dark room.
"Watch him squirm. Isn't it wonderful? You know, this is where he'll be for the rest of his life." She couldn't tear her eyes away from him.
"No! Please, Tohru! Please don't remember me like this!"
She shakes her head violently. The movie is back on, but she doesn't care anymore. It was one of Kyo's favorites. She'd seen it hundreds of times. She is breathing hard. She tries to remember his smile, his laugh. The picture of him in that room, chained, naked, suffering won't leave her mind. She holds her head and shakes it again. There is a knock at the door. She looks up, startled. Makes her way to the peep hole. A familiar face. She unlocks the door and pulls it open.
"Hatori?" His face is full of sorrow.
"May I come in?" She steps out of the way.
"Of course!" She shuts the door behind him. Locks it. He sits in an old yellow armchair next to her green one.
"What's happened?"
"Please sit down, Tohru." She obeys. He stands up. Paces the small room. Back and forth. Back and forth. Tohru stares at him.
"He begged me, Tohru. He begged and begged every time I saw him. I had to do it. I didn't have a choice." She doesn't speak, just continues to watch him.
"I put it in his dinner. It was peaceful and painless, I promise. He knew it was coming. He knew before he took that first bite. I stayed with him til the end. He wanted me to tell you that he's sorry. That he loves you." Hatori presses a small beaded bracelet into her hand. She screams loud enough for the entire building to hear. Hatori steps back. She stands and grabs his hand.
"Thank you, Hatori. Thank you so much."