Hello, Fandom. Here I present hopefully the first of 20 ficlets that I did for a Livejournal challenge. I couldn't complete the challenge, but I do plan on eventually writing all 20 fics. Each fic was inspired by a prompt word, which appears as the title of the chapter. These are all Kyo-centric, many are Kyoru. Don't say I didn't warn you. Enjoy

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Ribbon

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She's standing in the kitchen, making dinner for us again. How the hell did Shigure and that damn Rat live here without her? I mean, I popped by every now and then to get a shot at Yuki, and I barely even knew there WAS a kitchen in here.

That yellow ribbon in her hair is coming loose again. It's all frayed, she's had it so long. She wears it practically every day. I walk up behind her, and tug on it.

"Where'd you get this ratty old thing anyway?" I ask.

She jumps. Pretty high. "Kyo-kun! You startled me," she says, catching her breath.

"I what? Come on, you can't be THAT easily scared!"

"I'm sorry, Kyo-kun! I'll...I'll try to do better!" She stands tall, with a fist pumped in the air. She looks so dumb, but I can't help smiling. And then laughing, as the timer on the rice cooker goes off, and she trips over herself trying to get to it. I turn it off for her, and then help her to her feet.

"Really, when did you get it?" I ask again, pulling on the ribbon until it comes off in my hand.

She takes it back from me, without saying anything about my taking it. I wonder why she never seems to mind. I'd sure as hell be mad if someone tried to touch something of mine.

"Yuki-kun gave it to me, at the hot springs, remember? When Momiji took us all there for White Day."

"That long ago? Tohru, it's practically broken. It's garbage."

This time, she stops my hand when I go to take it. "It's just worn in. I don't mind it being a little old." She smiles that big, doofy smile again. "But thank you, Kyo-kun!"

I start to ask her what she's thanking me for, but I give it up. She never makes all that much sense, anyway.

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The days must be getting longer. I'm on my way to pick her up from work, and there's still sunlight. I'm still a little early. She probably won't be done when I get there. And those weird people she works with'll probably just stand there staring at me. Again. Practically drooling. Yeah, like I don't notice.

I take the long way around. The more I can put off getting there, the better. I don't think I've been down this street before. Weird. I thought I knew this place by now.

There's a little shop on the corner. I can't tell from here what it's selling, so I go to look closer. It's all girly stuff. Jewelry and stuff. It looks nice though. Isn't her birthday coming up or something? Maybe I should try and remember this place. I mean, even if it's not. I can come back.

What the hell. I still have time to kill. No one I know is around to see me walk into a girly shop. I walk in and look around.

It isn't until I get near the register that I stop to look at something. I check the price tag, digging around in my pocket for some spare coins. It's enough.

It's perfect.

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She's still not out when I get to the building. Good. I'll just wait out here until—

There she is.

"Kyo-kun! You came to pick me up!"

"Yeah, I know." That damn ribbon is still in her hair. I had forgotten before that it was the damn Rat who gave it to her. Well, whatever. Just wait until she sees it...

She looks at the bag. "Did you go shopping, Kyo-kun? What did you get?"

"Something for you." I'd kinda wanted to save it for something more special, but now that she's seen.

I reach into the bag and pull out another ribbon. It's bright orange, just a little lighter than my own hair. And there's a pattern of rice-balls with little stick limbs on it.

"Oh! Kyo-kun, I love it!" She unties the ratty, yellow ribbon. For a minute, I think she's gonna get rid of it, but she puts it lightly between her lips while her hands work on re-doing her hair. She makes a pigtail and ties my ribbon around it. "If fo furfeh—" When I start laughing, she must realize that I can't understand a word she's saying. She takes the other ribbon and ties the rest of her long hair. "It's so perfect, Kyo-kun! Thank you so much!"

She grabs my hand. My beads clink against a little gold bracelet around her wrist. I blush just a little, and we walk home together.