A/N: So here's the next chapter. I don't actually know how long this story is gonna run for since I've only written through this chapter, but never fear! I will write more than this! I have a whole plan in my head, and the parts that I don't have in my head, I have music to, so don't worry : )

Alright, on with the story:

Chapter 4- Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town (Pearl Jam)

(Kyo's POV)

After eating my first full meal in a month, I decided it was time for a well-deserved bath, since I hadn't had one in a month as well. There really is no telling how bad I really smelled, but since it had rained on my journey home, I had been cleansed just a bit by it. I could tell Haru was reluctant to let me go to take a bath alone, but again I assured him that I would not be leaving, and he agreed to allow me the privacy to take a bath. I washed every bit of grime from my body until I was red and scalded from the hot water, but instead of this being a painful experience, it was rather pleasant. However, when I had finished and gotten ready for bed I was then presented with another surprise. Haru had made my bed and was in it!

"Since you could still decide to run away, I'm going to sleep with you."

Was all he said before rolling over to allow me room to lay down. I was slightly annoyed at this, but a tiny part of my heart was touched at this action, so I did not complain and lay down.

I woke up to a pair of onyx irises staring at me. When Haru saw me open my eyes, he embraced me.

"You stayed!!! I'm so happy!!! I thought you were just a figment of my imagination that would disappear when I woke up, but you're really here!!! God Kyo I missed you…"

Haru held onto me silently for a few minutes until I decided that it was time we actually got up to greet the rest of the household.

"Alright Haru, see I told you I wasn't going to leave, now let's go downstairs and get some food and see the rest of the inhabitants."

Haru then grabbed my hand and led me downstairs, as if he was still unsure that I was indeed material and not leaving anytime soon.

I didn't hear the commonplace hustle and bustle of the morning that I remembered from before I had left, and it worried me. It was as if my leaving had sucked all the noise and life out of a once happy home. This made me feel bad, and I knew that I would have some serious fessing up to do before everything would be back to normal again.

When we got downstairs, I saw Tohru, Shigure, and Yuki sitting at the table. I did not look at their faces, because I knew if I did my composure would have cracked, especially if I saw the amount of hurt in Tohru's eyes that I expected. There was no food on the table, so I knew that they were probably waiting for Haru to cook, or to just go hungry since no one seemed to have the ability to cook at that very moment.

"Wow, you guys kinda rolled over and died when I was gone, didn't you?"

Eloquent, I know.

My speaking got a huge reaction, everyone looked in my direction, except Haru who had gone into the kitchen to prepare breakfast. Shigure gave a sly smile, indicating that he already knew of my arrival. Tohru cleared her eyes in disbelief and Yuki yelled and came running at me.

"BAKA NEKO!!! DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH DISTRESS YOU HAVE CAUSED MS. HONDA!!! DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE DONE TO OUR HOME!!!?"

I dodged his punches and then pinned him underneath me. This surprised him I could tell, because he was still expecting me to be as hot headed and weak as I was before I left.

"Yes, I do realize the error of my ways Yuki, but that is in the past, and honestly, if I had to do it again, I would have. Do you know why this is Yuki? Because what I have been through has made me a better person. Because I felt at the time of my departure that none of you gave a damn about my existence, and I know that, you really didn't and so did the rest of the family. Because now I realize that, I actually am worth something and am meaningful to at least someone. And calling your girlfriend by her last name is really lame, y'know?"

My statement shocked Yuki so much that he did not catch the insult I had just dealt him and he just lay on the floor in contemplation of what I had told him. I then decided at this point to talk to Tohru.

"I see that all my advice has gone to waste Tohru. I know you blame yourself for me leaving, and to be truthful your actions did help along in my decision making process, but it was just because I could not deal with the fact that you had chosen the rat over me. So in truth I was a coward, but I have changed. I am only human and became envious, because I knew I would never have your heart as he does. I am sorry to have worried you so much, but you should have remembered that cats always land on their feet and I would come home eventually."

She then started to cry after this, but for once, I expected it and embraced her in a warm hug.

" I…I…m…-"

"Don't say that you are sorry, for you did nothing to be sorry about. No one has control over their heart, or who the fall in love with, including me.'

"K…K…Kyo, I'm glad you're home!"

She then reciprocated my hug as I smiled at her.

Haru finished breakfast at this point and we all sat at the table in a complacent manner. It was silent, yes, but it was not the tense silence from before, it was more relived. I knew that Yuki would probably confront me after the meal, but I couldn't really bring myself to worry about that. I was still trying to wrap my mind around Haru's feelings towards me, and how I felt about them. Yes, I liked Haru, but something told me that in this situation, my heart was involved, and I really did not know how to deal with instances of the heart. This was because I had kept my true emotions hidden for so long, that feelings such as these confused me.

I decided that my confrontation with Yuki should occur after breakfast since that way we could get it over with and there would then be no more animosity, but first I talked with Shigure.

"I'm going to the main house tomorrow, so don't call Hatori. There are things I have to clear up there as well."

Shigure nodded his consent and I went off to finish my feud with Yuki, once and for all.