Epilogue

"Tohru, is my black gi dry yet?" Kyo called from the top of the stairs, and Tohru's voice quickly floated up from the kitchen.

"I'm so sorry, I forgot to check! Let me finish the dishes, and I'll-"

Kyo was already on his way down, ducking into the kitchen and cutting her off with a kiss.

"Don't worry about it, I can check the laundry. It's not like I can do any more packing right now without it, anyway," he said, smiling at her as she stood at the sink.

One year had passed since the two of them had moved to Hibe, a small village roughly an hour west of the city of Hirosaki in Aomori prefecture. In spite of their initial nerves, integration into their new life had been smoother than either one of them had hoped; in both their new home and the community at large, they had each, quite happily, hit their stride.

Tohru looked apologetically after Kyo as he passed from the kitchen to the living room of their little house, grabbing the laundry basket from where it was sitting by the door to the backyard and the clothesline. "Still, I should have remembered to check-"

"And I already said it's fine, you know I know how to do laundry, Tohru," Kyo said, giving her an affectionate look as he headed out to the yard. "And I don't mind," he called back over his shoulder.

He loved Tohru to distraction, but she could be obnoxiously single-minded when it came to housework. Even though both of them worked full time, she still always tried to handle the brunt of the chores, and because of her more accommodating schedule she often got away with it. In vain Kyo had tried to push for a rotating chore schedule, or for them to just do chores together; Tohru would always demure and say that it made more sense for whoever got home first to do what they could, assuming they weren't too tired.

Convenient, when Tohru usually got home nearly two hours earlier than him.

So even if Tohru was embarrassed to have forgotten the laundry, Kyo was happy to have the excuse to deal with it. A quick check confirmed everything was dry and he set to work loading the basket, soon returning to the house with the laundry in tow.

"I'll get this stuff upstairs and folded, you want me to put it away or just leave it out on the bed?" he asked, looking at her. "You've still gotta pack, right?"

Tohru nodded, considering as she looked from the laundry to the counter still filled with the majority of their dinner dishes.

Kyo knew that expression well.

"I've got the laundry, Tohru, I promise," he repeated, smiling at her. "You finish the dishes, and when you're done you can pack. I'm almost done myself, I just gotta get my karate gear in and I'll be set."

He was unable to suppress the giant smile on his face at the mention of his karate gear, and Tohru was beaming as well as she looked up at him.

"Master Kazuma is going to be so excited, isn't he?" she asked, and Kyo laughed.

"I dunno if he's gonna be excited, but yeah," he agreed, "Dad's probably gonna be pretty happy. Though he's probably gonna wonder why I didn't tell him yet."

"Are you going to tell him when we get there?" she asked, and Kyo shook his head.

"I was thinking it'd be more fun to show him."

Barely two weeks had passed since Kyo had received a rank promotion at the dojo, advancing from sandan, or third-degree black belt, to yondan, fourth-degree. It was a significant promotion; Kyo's first in three years, since Kazuma had made him a sandan back when he was sixteen, and his first from his new master in Hibe. He had debated calling and telling Kazuma when he got it, but since he and Tohru were travelling back to Tokyo for Haru and Momiji's graduation, he'd decided to wait.

But he was still admittedly excited.

"Well, make sure you remember your belt," Tohru teased. "It'll be hard to show him if you don't have anything along to show!"

He gave her an amused look. "As if I'd ever forget my belt," he said, chuckling.

"You never know!" she said, and Kyo laughed as he kissed her cheek.

"Pretty sure in this, I do. But I'm gonna finish packing and get this stuff folded," he said, gesturing to the basket, and she nodded.

"I'll be up once I'm all done here!"

He nodded as well, then turned and headed back across the not-hall and up the stairs to their bedroom, where he dumped out the laundry on the bed. It didn't take long to find his black gi, which he quickly folded and placed beside his neatly coiled black belt. He always liked to pack his gear last; they'd only made it back to Tokyo a couple times in the past year, but each time, Kyo had made practicing with Kazuma a priority.

And that was still going to be the case this time...to a point.

As he set down the gi, Kyo glanced towards the door, pausing as he listened for any trace of Tohru's footsteps. He knew how much time he ought to have, based on how many dishes she'd had left to wash, but sometimes Tohru could surprise him and he did not want to be surprised just now.

After a brief listen, he was satisfied that Tohru wasn't coming, and he quickly ducked through his little workout room to their closet. Moving rapidly, he unzipped the garment bag containing his suit, and from out of one of the pockets he pulled a small box wrapped in a white handkerchief.

Glancing once more at the door, Kyo unwrapped the handkerchief, then exhaled as he flipped open the box. Inside, gleaming against a bed of black plush, sat a delicate white-gold band, topped with an oval-cut stone that glowed golden-orange.

As he stared at it, Kyo took another breath, then smiled as he closed the box and wrapped it back up.

For a year, he had been pushing himself to prove to Tohru, himself, and the world that he could take care of her. That he could support her, protect there, and be there for her, the way she had always deserved. As much as he could have happily walked straight from their graduation ceremony to the local municipal building and made her his wife right then, he'd wanted to go slower; to prove he was truly capable on his own, away from their support network in Tokyo, before tying her to him so very permanently.

He doubted she'd be surprised. She had known, just like him, that they were meant to be together, and the past year had only confirmed that. But he'd needed that time...and now, he was finally ready to do what his heart had been telling him for over two years.

Walking back to their room, he lifted his bag and pulled out one of his extra shoes. Moving quickly, he stuffed the handkerchief-wrapped box into the toe of the shoe before replacing it in the bag, topping it with his karate gear, and zipping the bag closed.

He was halfway through folding the laundry when Tohru joined him, walking over and glancing at the folded laundry with a smile.

"You're getting faster at this every time!" she said, giving him an approving smile that made Kyo laugh.

"Yeah? Just think how much faster yet I'd be if you didn't always hog it for yourself!"

Giggling, Tohru pulled out her bag and began to pack the things she'd need for their trip. And as she did, she began stealing fond little smiles at Kyo, who couldn't help but smile back.

"Thinking happy thoughts?" he asked, and she nodded.

"Just thinking...that it's already been a year, somehow," she said, shaking her head in quiet amazement. "Sometimes I feel like we've only just moved here and barely graduated ourselves, and now..."

"Now, it's Haru and Momiji's turn," Kyo agreed, smiling at her. "You think you're gonna cry at the ceremony?"

He asked with a neutral face, but he had to laugh at the look she gave him and he reached out, hugging her close.

"You know I hate to assume," he teased, kissing her cheek. "But don't worry, I was already planning on bringing tissues."

"You're sweet," she said, smiling at him, then sighing. "Believe me, if I could avoid crying-"

"Then Momiji and Haru'd both wonder what they'd done to piss you off," Kyo said, letting her go.

She giggled at that, resuming her packing as she looked at the little cabinet across the room from their bed. "Our graduation day was fun, wasn't it, Kyo?"

He followed her gaze to the picture of the two of them, along with Yuki, Arisa, and Saki from their graduation day, and he smiled.

"Yeah," he agreed, "it was."

The day he'd always feared...the day that ended up heralding in some of the best days of his life. Yuki had been right in what he'd said, up there at the podium on their graduation day; this was the life Kyo was truly born to live.

This life, with Tohru at his side.

"And I'm glad we can make it back for Hatsuharu and Momiji's. It'll be so nice to be able to see everyone, and to tell them your news in person!"

Kyo was briefly caught off-guard, and he stared at Tohru with wide, confused eyes. "My news?"

She frowned. "Yes, about yondan?"

Kyo's mind was still on the ring in his bag, but at the reminder he recovered quickly. "Well, I don't think everyone's gonna care, but Haru oughtta be happy, along with Dad. And who knows," he said, grinning, "maybe even Yuki."

Tohru giggled, looking at him affectionately. "I think you'd be surprised how many people will be happy, Kyo. After all, it's big news, and very exciting!"

Kyo couldn't help but smile as he looked at her; she had always been so very confident in him, his biggest supporter and most ardent cheerleader. And maybe, just maybe, she had a point.

"Yeah," he agreed after a moment, smiling at her. "I think people are gonna be very happy for me, when we tell 'em."

Happy for the both of them...just as soon as he asked her.

He couldn't wait.