Chapter 4- Run to You
By: Ochako107
Standard Disclaimer
She was betrayed.
That was the only thought running through the crying girl's mind as she blindly ran for the door. She'd never let her tears fall until now but she couldn't hold them in anymore. She was a fool; a complete and utter fool.
Kyo's eyes widened when he saw Tohru cantering blindly down the hallway bumping into other students as she headed for the door. Kyo's body went ridged hearing the sobbing Tohru. "Oh crap!" He made a turn when a solid hand clamped down on his forearm. "Kagura, let me go!" Kyo argued.
"Why, darling? I won the bet." Kagura smiled. "You got Tohru to fall head over heals for you. You told me you wouldn't be able to make her like you since she's infatuated with Yuki but it looks like you did." Kagura looked up to Kyo. "So now you proved to your cousin that you are better than he is! So drop Tohru and you have to take me out."
Kyo's eyes narrowed. "Kagura, this isn't about being better than that damn Yuki anymore! I don't care anymore! He can keep being better than me! I. Don't. Care! Gah, woman, let me go!" He continued pulling away as Kagura kept an iron grip. "Let me go, Tohru needs me!"
"The only reason you met Tohru is because of me! I'm the one who gave her that riceball and I'm the one that gave this idea so that you could be better than Yuki! You owe me, Kyo darling, you owe me one date!" Kagura argued back while wrapping two hands around Kyo's arm.
"Kagura, I'm sorry and all, but..."
"No 'but'!"
"KAGURA!" Kyo's temper was rising. He had to go find Tohru!
"Aw Kyo you're no fun! Stop being so mean!"
"Stop it Kagura. It isn't cute and it isn't funny. You're just starting to tick me off."
Kagura stopped tugging on Kyo, freezing in her motions. She'd never seen Kyo look so angry before and over a girl to top it off. "So you... you really did fall in love with Tohru didn't you, Kyo?" Kagura suddenly let him go, blood circulating normally once again throughout his arm. "I knew the risk I was taking: losing you or getting you to take me on a date..."
"I still don't know what date you're talking about!"
"... but I guess that's what I get. That's what I get for loving you." Kagura frowned. "You say Tohru needs you, but I think you're lying." She looked down. "You really are in love with her."
Kyo's eyes never wavered. "What do you mean?"
Kagura's head suddenly snapped up, her voice flaring with infuriation. "It isn't Tohru who needs you; you're just too stubborn to admit that you need her, Kyo Sohma!" she turned around with hot tears glistened in her saddened eyes.
Kyo felt all his anger flush at her outburst. His body relaxed hearing her say such a thing. She was right. It wasn't Tohru who really needed him. She was the one who took the chance with love while he was just part of a scheme. She had the opportunity and the guts to be with the one she wanted but what about him? He was the coward, using Tohru as a way to get even with Yuki. But now... his feelings ran deeper than he thought for the girl named Tohru Honda.
And he was the one who made those tears fall from her eyes.
In silence he watched Kagura shake with painful sobs. He raised a hand to touch her back. "Ka..."
"Go." Kagura interrupted trying to shun herself from his touch. She shook with every sob trying to control her sad and broken heart. "Go to her, Kyo. You... need to be with Tohru now."
Kagura didn't turn around to face Kyo. She knew he was still standing there deciding between staying with her or chasing after Tohru but she didn't want to watch him make his choice.
'Tohru's situation and my situation are a bit similar I suppose.' Kagura thought bitterly. 'She wanted Yuki's love or to be left with nothing as I wanted all of Kyo's love or nothing.' Kagura breathed in and finally turned to hear Kyo's feet running down the hall calling out for Tohru.
'In a way, this was my fault. I was chancing Tohru's love for Yuki with my own love interests with you. I loved you for so long. I loved you so much I was taking the risk of getting closer to you or losing you to another woman. I guess in the end, your heart chose. It chose Tohru.'
Kagura turned back around staring at the ground with a heartbreaking smile upon her lips. After pondering a moment she raised her head and walked the opposite way that Tohru and Kyo went.
Love, what a concept. You want all the person's love and attention but with the flip of a coin you can lose it all and have nothing.
Kagura looked out the window to see Kyo running across the courtyard in search of the one he wanted to be with. Sighing, she prayed that Tohru got all the love that Kyo could offer her. But what about herself? She'd continue to love Kyo from afar but Kagura knew now that there was a place in Kyo's heart she couldn't reach.
And that place was to be fufilled by one and only one person.
"I guess I was the one left with nothing." She turned away. "Good-bye, Kyo."
Tohru kept running. She didn't know where she was going, she didn't care where she was going, she just wanted to run and wish that none of this happened. "How could Kyo-kun... no... how could I? I feel so stupid!"
Suddenly to her utter surprise she ran smack into another body. "OW." Tohru and the other body hit each other hard, bouncing back and falling to the floor.
"Oh my, are you okay?" The boy crawled over to Tohru, who was also on the ground. "Oh! I know you." Tohru held her bruised cheek and opened her eyes, blinking rapidly. "You're Honda-san."
"YUKI SOHMA!" Tohru exclaimed. She scrambled to her feet as Yuki got up just as quickly.
"You're that girl that likes horror stories, aren't you?" Tohru stared at him as he smiled. "A girl like you, I'd never expect you to be into that kind of thing."
"Oh, oh no... I'm not. Honestly I don't even like horror stories." She muttered still sniffling. Yuki saw her deputise her sleeves with tears and her runny-nose. Shuffling around his pockets, he handed her a handkerchief to use instead. "Um, thank you."
"Are you okay?"
"Yes! Yes, I'm... okay!"
Yuki smiled and Tohru thought she would melt. She never dreamed she'd be standing here talking to Yuki! But Kyo... Kyo, what about him? "I've had my eye on you before, Honda-san, but 've seen you around with Kyo. Is he your boyfriend?" Yuki asked.
She would have blushed but couldn't. She still felt empty and cold. So used and foolish. She couldn't chance her love again...
...could she?
Kyo stopped running to look both ways in the hallway. "Tohru! Tohru!" He called frantically. "Damnit, this school isn't huge or anything, she HAS to be here somehere! Where the hell did she go?" He looked right and left before taking off again.
'There!' He spotted a brunette crouched in the library huddled in the corner with her back turned to him. He felt adrenaline pump through his veins as he spun her around.
"Tohru!"
"AH! FREAK!" Kyo took a double take as the girl with blue framed glasses and wide jade-green eyes screamed at being disturbed so. "Help! Rape!"
"No, no sorry, I got the wrong...!" Kyo said putting his hands on her shoulders to calm her down.
"AHHHH!" The girl continued to scream. "RAPE! This man is trying to rape me!"
To his left Kyo saw a few other male students coming his way. "Oh crap!" He let her go and ran for the library door. That was definitely not Tohru!
The girl got up from her chair, crossing her left arm over her chest as if shielding herself and using the right arm to point at Kyo running the other way. "HELP! RAPER!" She cried pointing and screaming. A group of girls turned to hear the commotion.
The girl turned at them. "You've got to point and scream so everyone knows who you're talking about. RAPE! RAPE!"
After exchanging glances the group of girls began chanting with her also yelling and pointing at Kyo escaping the library from an angry mob of boys.
'Shut up, you loud bitch!' He wanted to scream at her.
After running around the building he hid behind a wall.
"I think he went this way guys! Let's get him!" One of the males yelled. The other two made a battle cry and ran away from where Kyo was hiding. He peered around the wall to see no one was there anymore. With a sigh he collapsed in a heap.
"Tohru." He said quietly. "Tohru..."
His eyes traced dancing brown and red leaves at his sneakers and followed them as they danced in the wind. That's when he saw her. Without a doubt it was her since he could see her tear streaked face. He found himself on his feet with a smile etching his lips. He had to tell her! He had to tell her he really loved her!
"Tohru!"
His feet suddenly felt like lead bricks. From behind Tohru, Kyo saw a head of silver hair sanding close to her. He speaking with her. Kyo felt a hitch in his breath as his worst nightmare was staring Tohru dead in the eye. In an instant Yuki bent down to catch Tohru's lips with his own as her face scrunched up and her body almost fell backwards.
Kyo felt his teeth clentch so hard they would have shattered. "Yuki, get your hands off of...!" To his horror, Tohru's face relaxed and she wrapped her arms around Yuki's neck. From a distance, Kyo could see a smile gracing her lips as she continued to allow Yuki to kiss her.
He stopped breathing all together. "No..." he muttered. This couldn't be happening. He had to tell her! Kyo balled his fists hard while trying to control his emotions. He watched Yuki deeped their kiss and wrap his arms around her small waist. Squeezing his eyes hard he felt himself choaking on tears. It wasn't supose to happen like this, this was all wrong. He had to tell her he loved her! He had to tell her what he really felt! 'Tohru...'
"NOOOO!"
SMACK!
"Kyo, you moron, snap out of it!" Haru finally screamed in Kyo's ear.
"Ow, you little punk!" Kyo held a hand to his ringing ear. "What the hell did you do that for?"
"Oh, I dunno, you were just making the biggest ass out of yourself." Haru stood up straight while making googly eyes at Kyo. " 'Yuki get your hands off of her! No! Don't touch her! Mi Amor...!' "
Kyo's face looked like he'd been at the beach way too long without sunblock. "SHUT UP!" He roared. Silently he was glad that was only a dream. "And I would never say 'mi amor' ya fruit basket!"
"Hey, maybe you should stop day dreaming and start looking for Honda-san before that dream of your becomes a reality. That stupid riceball idea has gotten you in a mess and now look at you! You're about to lose the one girl that's actually been NICE to you! And you know what the best part is?"
Kyo swung a punch to Haru's left, the boy dodging it easily. "Honda-san didn't leave you out in the rain to go on a date with Yuki!" Haru continued while blocking Kyo's mad punches. "If I'm a fruit basket, you're a fruit case for sitting here fighting with me instead of finding that girl you like so much! So quit wasting time and find her!"
Kyo lowered his fists suddenly allowing Haru to kick him straight in the jaw. Seeing Kyo stop fighting, Haru really didn't mean to kick him in the face, the guy was suposed to block it!
"Kyo! Why didn't you block that? My grandma could have blocked that better than you!"
"Tohru."
With that one word, Kyo fled past Haru. The domino haired boy whipped around to see Tohru standing next to Yuki chatting quietly with him. He fixed his school shirt and leaned against the library wall, smirking. "Don't let her go, Kyo."
"Hey! You look suspicious!" Haru glanced over his shoulder cooly. There was a group of three boys staring at him.
"What do you clowns want?"
"Don't play coy with us! We know you're the rapist! Get him, men!" The leader of the group called. The other two gave another battle cry before running at Haru who just stared at them wide eyed.
Haru grabbed his coat and headed towards school. "There seems no use for me in this scene anymore. I better get to class now!"
"He's getting away men!"
"Burn em' at the steak!"
"Yar yar!"
"A la flambeau!"
"Sometimes I hate you, Kyo." Haru muttered.
"I've had my eye on you before, Honda-san, but 've seen you around with Kyo. Is he your boyfriend?" Yuki asked.
"Ah, n-no." she answered.
Yuki covered his mouth to hid a small smile. "Heh, I figured. A polite girl like you with an idiot like Kyo? He just didn't seem like your type-- no offence."
Suddenly her sniffling stopped.
Yuki turned away, giving Tohru a profile of his face. "Kyo's never done one right thing. I don't think it would be wise for you to hang out with him; he might be a bad influence, you know?"
Tohru's hands dropped to her sides. How could Yuki say that about Kyo?
"People don't know me. I don't really care what they think of the way I dress. It doesn't mean anything. If I wore my uniform straight it wouldn't change who I am so what does it matter anymore?" He looked down at her. "I'll let my mouth do the talking, not my clothes. You know?"
"Um... I'm sorry." Tohru started to catch Yuki's attention. "But how could you say such a thing about Kyo-kun? He has shown me more kindness than I ever thought I could deserve. It doesn't matter what influence Kyo-kun has on me, I can make that decision on my own, Sohma-kun.
And how can you make the presumption that I am a polite girl? You don't even know me!" Tohru said, her voice gaining more confidence. "I could be the worst drug dealer, pot smoking... ah em... bimbo you ever met, but just because I look the way I do, you just think I'm a good girl! And why am I yelling so much? Rrr!" Tohru could feel herself getting hot. The boy had not even said ten sentances and she was already feeling her world crumble. At one time she loved Yuki but didn't anymore and at one time she loved Kyo but he didn't love her to begin with. Fate was conspiring against her.
Yuki stared at Tohru as she rambled on. She spun on him again. Where did all that love she once had for the prince of her high school gone? He used to make her head spin and her mouth run dry. All she felt was disapointment that Yuki didn't turn out the way she thought he would be. Disapointment in herself for letting all of this go as far as it did.
Well, Yuki did still have that effect on her anyway. He did make her head spin from thinking so much and he did make her mouth run dry from saying everything on her mind!
Yuki shook his head. "It seems Kyo already made you act like this. So brash and loud."
"I'm not usually this loud!" Tohru exclaimed. "And you know what, Sohma-kun? I was wrong to like you as much as I did. Instead of calling out on Kyo-kun you and he should be nicer!" She had her fists clentched at the hem of her skirt. "You can't say anything bad about Kyo-kun. You can't because I... I..." Tohru felt a tingle that seared her skin as if she were on fire. The words just wouldn't come out of her mouth. It hurt so much to know Kyo had stolen her heart so easily. It hurt even more to know she could not take it back. Hot tears began to fall again; how she wished she'd stop crying so much!
"Hey!"
Tohru suddenly felt protective arms wrap around her, backing her away from Yuki's presence. Her eyes widened as she felt Kyo crush her to his side, glaring at Yuki.
"You're pissing my girlfriend off, Yuki!" Kyo growled, his eyes dancing with a wild flare. "Back off or I'll punch that pretty boy face of yours!"
Yuki just stood with a shocked face. Shrugging, he turned away. "What an idiot."
As Yuki left just like that, Tohru felt glued to the ground, mesmerized that the current events that just played before her very eyes. Suddenly her body moved to be positioned infront of Kyo as he hugged Tohru, his face nuzzling into her soft hair.
"Tohru..." he muttered. "I thought I lost you."
"Kyo-kun, I..." Everything in Tohru told her to back away from him. But the stress and desperation in his voice made her chest tighten again.
"Tohru, I'm sorry, I should have told you earlier." He said looking over her shoulder. "I always wanted to prove Yuki I was better than him and when Kagura gave me the offer to show him that I could take the girl he was pinning for, I took the offer." He tightened his hold on Tohru as she had herself in the crook of his arm listening to the rhythm of his beating heart.
"But that was before I got to know you. I didn't know that... I didn't think I would ever get the courage to ask you out, but with that riceball it gave me the courage to do it. When I saw how much I got to like you, I didn't want to be part of this anymore. I met up with Kagura to tell her I didn't care about Yuki anymore and that's when you saw me. I didn't mean for any of this to happen the way it did. I... I just wanted to say that." He let go of Tohru staring down at her pink face. Tenderly he rubbed away a tear with his thumb. "Maybe... I dunno, this was all a mistake. If you don't want to ever talk to me again... I... aw hell! I'll move to another city if you want me to, Tohru! Just... just don't cry."
"Kyo-kun..." She whispered. She leaned her head back into his chest, her sobbing dying away gradually.
"No onigiri could make me feel the way you make me feel right now, Tohru. It was never magic, it was really us. It was real. I just want you to be happy."
Tohru lifted her head off his shoulder, to look him in the eyes. She'd never seen him look so down, so honest, so...
...vunerable.
She never imagined Kyo would be like this.
"You told me it's better to be honest than telling a lie to make someone else happy. So I won't lie--"
Tohru put a finger up to his lips smiling softly. "You never did. Both of our intentions were wrong. And... and I don't want you to go away Kyo-kun. I really don't." He stared down into her eyes. 'She forgives me.' He thought happily.
Tohru tightened her hug on Kyo. "It's okay, Kyo-kun... if it wasn't for Kagura and that riceball... we wouldn't be standing here like this." She breathed in the smell of sandalwood waffing through his school jacket still. "It's okay, it's over."
"We can start over again, Tohru, and I'll do the right thing this time. If you want."
She hesitated slowly. "I...I don't want to start over. I'm happy to know the way I really met you. There's nothing that could replace that." She snuggled into his arms. Any thought she ever had of Yuki was now nonexistant.
This right here... this is where she wanted to be.
He finally smiled, planting a kiss on the top of her head.
Kyo took a hold of Tohru's hand, the pair walking in the autumn breeze, hands tightly clasped.
Kyo looked to the side to see Tohru's smile. "So what did Kagura tell you about the rice ball anyway?"
"Um... she told me with just one bite of the riceball, Yuki would be smitten with me for three days. Within those three days he had to, um, kiss me..." she trailed off. "But Yuki never did eat the riceball."
Kyo smirked catching on to the hidden meaning and bent over, placing a small, innocent kiss on her lips. Both teenagers blushed tomato-red while looking either way but not at each other.
Tohru tried out her squeaking voice. "I wasn't expecting something like that!"
" 'Something like that?' " Kyo asked pretenting to be hurt.
"No! No it wasn't bad, Kyo I didn't mean it like tha...!" Suddenly Tohru felt herself lean in for a most pleasing kiss on the lips. Kyo held her gently by the waist as she instantly placed her hands on his chest. She loved the feeling of being in his strong arms and was happy that she met such a warm person like him. She didn't care what Yuki or anyone else said, if Kyo was not smitten with her, she was definitely in love with him. She never thought love could be so sweet.
Finally coming up for air, Kyo and herself finally backed away from each other. Tohru had to wonder what made Kyo kiss her so passionately.
"My name."
Tohru broke away from her thoughts. "What?"
Kyo laughed. "You called me by my name. Just my name."
Tohru's face was blank before she broke into a thousand-watt smile. "Kyo." He leaned down to kiss her again, this time briefly.
"See?" Kyo wouldn't voice out his thoughts, but he admitted he liked the way his name rolled off her tongue.
"Kyo!" She repeated laughing. She was happy something so small could make him pleased.
The bell rang to resume class. Suddenly Tohru's face fell. She didn't want to leave yet!
Almost as if reading her mind, Kyo voiced, "don't worry, I'll walk you home this afternoon." Tohru squeezed his hand with thanks. She let go and ran off to her class smiling like she was on top of the world the whole way.
Once upon a time there was a girl named Tohru Honda who didn't believed in magic. But as that girl experieced love for the first time with someone she would have never expected, her attitude began to change. One could fall for magic and be enthralled for hours.
But to fall in love could last forever.
END
A/N: Yeay! It's over! Thank you all for sticking with my short little story. All of your responses are helpful and encouraging so I appreciate it very much. I thought it was cute... oh well. I think I should stop reading all this fluffy romance I get all caught up in! Reviews would be nice, yeah? Thanks again and see you next time in the future. Ciao.