The ceremony went about as well as any of them could have hoped. With the sun shining and the warm(ish) temperatures, it was nice enough that even Tohru didn't feel any sting from standing outside, even if it was January.
It was fun, being in the throng of young adults. Everywhere they looked, there were other women in brightly colored furisodes, men in suits, and men in montsuki haori hakama. They encountered several former classmates, including Kyo's friend Yusuke, Yuki's friend Kakeru, and former student council member Kimi; even in a crowd, Kyo's hair was like a beacon. They lost track of the number of times someone called out to them, punctuating each comment with some variation of 'I knew it had to be you!' And even Kyo had laughed about it, seeing the humor in what had once only caused irritation.
It admittedly felt strange to Yuki and Kyo, being crowded in with so many people. Even now, over two years free from the Curse, it felt like they were doing something wrong. But it was nice, knowing that they didn't have to worry, that any casual bump would be nothing more than a momentary inconvenience.
On the short walk over from Ayame's shop, Tohru had clung to Kyo's arm to keep herself from falling...and maybe just because she also liked to hold Kyo's arm. Yuki had in turn offered each of his arms to Hanajima and Uotani; furisodes meant tiny steps, which could be problematic when you weren't used to them. And after their initial surprise wore off, both girls accepted, cracking jokes about just what any girls from the former Prince Yuki Fan Club might say if they saw them now. Yuki had laughed; at one time, reference to his fan club would have made him self-conscious, but now it only seemed silly, a relic of the overly dramatic days of high school.
At the girls' insistence, they had taken pictures, lots and lots of pictures. Pictures of the crowds. Of the three girls. The two guys. Tohru and Kyo. Tohru and Yuki. Hanajima and Uotani on Yuki's arms. All five of them, squeezed in together. Pictures of them with friends or classmates they encountered. The whole time, they just milled around, enjoying themselves.
The speeches were...speeches. Kyo and Uotani tried hard not to look too bored; Tohru tried not to get too emotional, and Yuki and Hanajima remained serenely neutral. All of them were quiet, thinking about what it meant to be grown, to finally be adults. What they were leaving behind, and the many, many things they had to look forward to.
After it was all over, they made their way to a restaurant for lunch, relieved to have made reservations when they saw the crowd of people with the same idea. And even though it was the third meal they'd all shared that weekend, it was still fun. Uotani teased Yuki about choosing to go western with his clothes, and Yuki fired back about not wanting to make Kyo share Ayame's attention. Kyo muttered a bit, but could only bask in the light of Tohru's praise for his outfit. Hanajima reflected on how very nice it was to be able to cook one's own meat tableside, and Tohru, as expected, went through a ridiculous amount of tissues. As it turned out, even Yuki and Kyo had brought some along, and one of the many pictures that made it to their camera rolls was Tohru, grinning sheepishly and holding up five packs of tissues.
After lunch was over, the five of them made their way to a local shrine, to request the gods' blessings as they began their lives as adults. As they passed through the gates, Tohru and Kyo smiled at each other, thinking just what their next Tokyo shrine visit would bring.
Everything was fun, everything was lighthearted. But all too soon, it was over. Yuki had to get back to Kyoto; the spring term would begin the next day. Uotani, Tohru, and Kyo all needed to head home for work. And even Hanajima, while not needing to travel, needed to get back into some properly black clothing.
At the shop, Mine and Aoi helped the girls out of their furisodes and they slipped back into their street clothes, the fanfare and pageantry over. Ayame took Kyo's clothes, to wash and safely pack away until June. And then...it was time to say goodbye.
"It was so wonderful to see you!" Tohru was in a tight group hug with Uotani and Hanajima, the three of them swaying back and forth together on the sidewalk. "Make sure you send me copies of all your pictures, ok?"
"Yeah, no one better hold out on photos," Uotani agreed. "I want to see every single slightly blurry, thumb-in-the-frame shot, ok?" She smiled, looking from Hanajima to Tohru. "It's not every day that I got to embrace adulthood with my best girls at my side...and you two, too," she added, grinning and Yuki and Kyo.
Yuki chuckled, and Kyo rolled his eyes. Some things had might have changed with time; some things were the same as they'd ever been.
"I suppose the next time we'll all be together will likely be June, won't it?" Hanajima glanced from Tohru to Uotani, her face a quiet question mark. "You likely won't have the time to do girls weekend this spring, will you, dear Tohru?"
Tohru shook her head. "No, I won't. And I'd love to say you can come visit us, but I don't know if there's going to be time for that either! We're both going to be working so much for a while, I just don't think we'll be up for houseguests, not even you," she said with an apologetic look at her friends.
"Hey, don't worry about it, Tohru. If it works it works; you let me know, and I'll run right up. If it doesn't...well, you know I'll be back here the moment you say jump come June. We're not gonna leave you to muddle through the last week before your wedding alone, don't you worry."
"That's right, Tohru dear; we will, as ever, be there at your side, to do all that you might need."
"You guys..." Tohru was crying again, and they were back to hugging. Kyo sighed, but smiled slightly; tears were an inevitable part of life with Tohru.
Yuki glanced at Kyo. "I suppose you two are basically stepping right onto the train?"
"Yeah, pretty much. We'll have a little bit of time at the dojo before we go, but not much. We've got tickets for 3:55."
Not much time at all. "Well, enjoy the time you've got. Be sure to tell Sensei 'hi' for me; I saw him briefly at New Year's, but we didn't have much of a chance to talk."
"Yeah, that's New Year's for you." They lapsed into silence, watching the teary hug ball that was the three women, and Kyo checked the time. He hated having to break them up, but he and Tohru really needed to get going.
Fortunately, Yuki was willing to do it for him. Stepping up to the hug, he gently put his hands on Hanajima and Uotani's shoulders. "Excuse me for cutting in, but I really need a chance to say goodbye to Tohru."
Three somewhat teary pairs of eyes looked at him, and Hanajima sighed. "I suppose you have a valid point."
"We know you don't get to see her that much, either, but you're lucky we like you, Prince."
Taking her into his arms, Yuki gave Tohru a big hug. "Happy Coming of Age Day, Tohru; it was wonderful to see it with you. I hope you have a safe trip back to Hibe, and I look forward to seeing you in June."
"Have a wonderful term, Yuki! Please be sure to say hi to Machi for us!"
Once Tohru and Yuki stepped apart, Kyo promptly stepped in and seized her hand before either Uotani or Hanajima could get their claws back into her. "On that note, we've gotta go. It's been fun, but you all know how good the Japanese train system is at waiting."
They all did: it wasn't.
"Safe travels." "Great seeing you!" "Take care." "Be well."
"Do you two have everything packed?" Kazuma stood in the doorway to Tohru and Kyo's room at the dojo, watching as Tohru ran her hands over the top layer of things in their suitcase. After finishing her mental review, Tohru nodded, closing the top and zipping it shut.
"Yes, I think we do, Master Kazuma. It was such a short visit this time, we really didn't have that much! But I think that should be all," she said, glancing at Kyo.
"Yeah, looks good to me. I made sure to dry my gi and packed that this morning, so otherwise it should just be toothbrushes and chargers and clothes."
Kazuma sighed, then smiled. "It always seems like such a short time between when you arrive and when you leave, but I'm always glad you when choose to spend time here."
Tohru stood up and kissed Kazuma's cheek. "You know we love being here, Master Kazuma, even if it's just for a little while. Thank you for having us!"
"Yeah, thanks, Dad." Kyo smiled, looking over at Kazuma, who smiled back.
"As we discussed, I'll be filing those papers tomorrow, Kyo. I don't believe there's much, if anything, you'll need to do, but if I'm mistaken I'll be sure to let you know."
"That sounds great!" Kyo's smile was once more a grin, spreading broadly across his face. This weekend had been good across the board, but if there was only one memory he could keep, one moment to remember forever, it would be that one. He couldn't think of a better way to ring in adulthood than by officially being part of Kazuma's family.
With the bag packed, there wasn't anything more for any of them to do. Tohru and Kyo slipped on their outerwear, and the three of them made their way out of the dojo and down to the train station.
As they waited for the train to arrive, Kyo and Tohru each exchanged final hugs with Kazuma. "Thanks again, Master Kazuma!" "Take care, Dad." "Travel safely, you two, and let me know when you get home." Little gestures, little touches, little reminders of how much they all cared.
Far too soon, the train came grinding to a stop in front of them, and Kyo picked up their bag. "Alright, let's get going." He gave Kazuma one last smile, then took Tohru's hand in his other. "Ready?"
She nodded, and the two of them boarded. Then, with the brisk efficiency of the bullet train...they were gone.
As Kazuma watched the train disappear, he felt the familiar pang of sorrow that always came at the end of every visit. It was always wonderful to see them; always sad to say goodbye. But at least he could rest easy in the knowledge that each visit would be followed by another, and another, and another.
As he made his way back to the dojo, Kazuma pulled out his phone and pulled up a picture Yuki had sent him. It was from the ceremony earlier that day, when they'd all been deeply imbedded in the crowd. Even the in small photo, Kazuma could make out numerous people, just in the background. But he didn't care about them.
Tohru stood dressed in a cherry blossom pink furisode, matching flowers in her elegantly arranged hair. Kyo was beside her, his arm around her waist, wearing a formal black montsuki haori hakama. Neither one of them was actually looking at the camera; they might not have even realized Yuki was taking the picture. They were both beaming at each other, Tohru's smile almost as big and bright as Kyo's grin.
Kazuma smiled, looking from the picture to the message Yuki had attached.
'I thought you'd appreciate a glimpse of your son and daughter-in-law today at the ceremony. I know neither of those things is official yet, but I think both are close enough. Congratulations and best wishes, Sensei, to your whole family.'
His whole family...
Yes, Kazuma thought as he looked at the picture. Both were definitely 'close enough.' Kyo was his son, as surely as he'd ever been, and Tohru was his daughter.
But he would still be ecstatic, the day both of those things were also recognized by the world.
"You gonna try to take a nap?"
Tohru smiled, her head resting lightly against Kyo's shoulder. "I don't think I'll have to try, it'll probably just happen," she said, giving him an apologetic look.
He chuckled. "Well, don't worry about it if you do. It's been a pretty crazy day, and you got up really early." He leaned his cheek against the top of Tohru's head, his arm around her and his hand lightly caressing her shoulder. "Was it everything you hoped for?"
A satisfied sigh was more than enough of an answer for him, and he chuckled again. "Really? Even the speeches?"
"You didn't like the speeches? I thought they were so impressive, and really moving! It's something, to think about all we can do now and all the responsibilities we have to be good citizens!"
"Yeah...I guess I'm not surprised you'd feel that way," Kyo said with a grin. "And that's good, I guess. I know how much you wanted to do this, so...I'm glad. Glad you had fun. Glad we did this. I had fun too," he added, knowing that would be her next question.
"You did? It wasn't too cold or boring or formal?" Even though Kyo had agreed to go when Tohru wanted to go, she'd still been worried he wouldn't like it. She was working on taking Kyo at his word and not always seeking extra assurances, but it was very much a still a work-in-progress.
"Yeah, I did. The speeches were kinda dull, but the rest of it? Hanging out with everyone, going out for food? Getting to see you looking so amazingly beautiful?" He smiled, kissing the top of her head. "All of that was pretty great."
Tohru smiled, blushing lightly at the praise. She'd certainly felt beautiful in that outfit; Kyo's obvious admiration had only enhanced that feeling. "You looked so very handsome today, Kyo."
"Yeah?" He'd known from the way she'd looked at him that she approved, but it was nice to hear, too.
"Yes," she said, turning her head to actually smile at him. "I've thought about you in that outfit for a long time, but seeing you in it was so much better. You looked so very handsome, and so very..."
He smiled, looking down at her. "So very...?"
"So very much like a groom."
At the word 'groom' Kyo could feel a happy little thrill run through him. "Well, I sure feel like one," he said, hugging her close. "It's kinda weird. Last spring, the wedding felt so crazy far away; I knew I was ready to marry you, but actually doing it felt like a lifetime away. But putting on those clothes on Saturday...I dunno. It just makes the whole thing feel that much closer, that much more real."
Tohru took his hand in hers, linking their fingers together. "A lot of things became a lot more real this weekend, didn't they?"
Kyo's grinned broadened, and he squeezed her hand. "Yeah. They really, really did, didn't they?" He still couldn't quite believe it; after all this time, he was going to officially, legally, be Kazuma's son. He'd be added to Kazuma's family registry, and when he and Tohru filed their marriage and got their own, there'd be a note connecting Kazuma's to theirs. He'd still be Kyo Sohma, but he'd be the recognized son of Kazuma.
"I'm really glad we went to Tokyo this weekend," Tohru said softly, and Kyo nodded.
"Yeah...it was a pretty great weekend."
Author's Note: Thank you so much for reading!
