Chapter 16 Fire in the night

Tohru stirred dreamily, relishing the feeling of body heat and cool silk on her skin. Her eyes opened drowsily. She could feel Kyo pressed up against her back. She rolled to face him, his back had been pressed to hers so she now lay spooning his body with hers. His once tan skin was a pale yellow white. She frowned. She definitely preferred Kyo with a full body tan. With a wicked grin she placed a kiss between his shoulder blades, sliding her arm beneath his, clutching him against her. Where she kissed him, spreading outward, his skin became a dusky golden color.

She had returned his healthy golden glow to him. Kyo sighed happily, blissfully content to bask in the gentle affections of the only girl who had ever moved him. His arm reached behind him to caress her. Tohru leaned up and kissed him on his neck, delighting in his earthy, salty flavor.

"Awake kitty kitty, we must be away from your prison." Kyo rolled over to face her, a frown on his face.

"Don't call me that, please." His voice was low and serious. Tohru's playful smile dimmed.

"I- I'm sorry, Kyo-kun- I didn't mean to-"

"No!" Kyo hissed, softening his tone with a smile, "It's not that, it's just that after hearing you call my name… the way you did," he grinned at her, "I only want to hear that from you when you call me." His smile became luminous as he leaned in close, rubbing his face against her nose. "I love you Tohru. Forever." Tohru's eyes grew glazed with tears; she drew in a gasping breath.

"I love you too Kyo!" She pulled him to her. He went without complaint. She captured his mouth to hers, pressing her lips to his with surprising ardor. Kyo reached up to stroke her back and would have become more engaged had Tohru not pulled away.

"What's wrong?" Kyo asked his voice croaking hoarsely with desire. Tohru rose up from the bed her eyes never leaving his as she held the mustard-gold sheet to her breasts.

"Nothing is wrong, but I can not hold us here in this dream forever. We must go." Kyo sighed his eyes leaving hers. Tohru took his silence as acquiescence and began to dress. In moments she had on her black shorts and tank top. It had been ripped during their lovemaking but with all the power of the jinn at her disposal it was nothing to repair the seam. As she dressed the illusion of a desert paradise faded and Kyo found himself returned to the cat house. He was confused.

"Tohru, how did you… did you do that?" Tohru looked at Kyo admiring the rippling muscles of his body.

"Yes Kyo-kun. I did that. That is not all I did. I suspended time for us. It has only been a couple moments since I came to you with the bracelet." Kyo's head swam in confusion as he attempted to make sense of what he had just seen, and what she had just said.

"How did you-" He began but Tohru was at his side, pressing a finger to his lips, shaking her head.

"There will be time to catch up later, now you must get dressed." She bent down to retrieve his shirt, giving him a moment to find and don his khaki's. That done, he put on the black tank top Tohru handed to him.

"Tohru," he began, "I can't leave. I made a promise." She arched a brown brow at him, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. Kyo was slightly startled to see such an adult and… well, confident expression on Tohru's face.

"And what of the promise your body made to mine? What of your declaration of love?" She headed to the door of the cat house, throwing it open. A warm breeze blew into the small hut carrying the scents of summer with it. Kyo followed her to the door. His breath hitched as she stood bathed in the silvery moonlight, the stars the perfect backdrop for her delicate face. Just looking at her took his breath away. He could hardly believe that she was with him. Denying her would be the hardest thing he would ever be required to do, but his honor as a man demanded he resist the urge to sweep her up and go anywhere in the world with her.

"I love you Tohru, I will love you till I die, but I will not break my vow." She frowned at Kyo, actually frowned at him. He was again startled at this new side of Tohru. They'd grown up together, frowns and anger- they just didn't fit with the Tohru of his past.

"I don't want your death Kyo. Death would be easy." She snapped at him, her voice softened however, as she took his hand in hers, stroking his thumb with her forefinger. "I would much rather you live. Live for me, for us, for our love. As for your promise," she smirked, her eyes lighting with a golden glow Kyo would have thought on anyone but Tohru looked like an almost vicious pleasure, "I will break it for you. You cannot stay in the cathouse, if the cathouse is lost."

"Lost? Tohru what are you talking about?"

"I once told you fire burns down walls too high, remember Kyo?" She asked. A chill traveled his spine.

"Tohru, what are you-" He began but he gasped as her eyes flashed red for a brief second and a flame shot from her hand to the corner of the cat house. He gasped at how quickly the entire building caught fire.

"C'mon Kyo!" She whispered grasping his hand in her own. On feet carried on wings of rapture they sped, she dragged him behind her and they raced for the outer wall.

"Tohru!" Kyo called out concern in his voice, "we can't just run! We have to warn the others, that fire will grow out of control!" Tohru stopped running to look back at Kyo, her expression unreadable.

"That fire was set with jinn magic, my magic. That fire will consume every scrap of cloth and wood of that cursed house, no more no less. No cat will ever be held there again. Our family is safe." Kyo was somewhat mollified and he allowed her to drag him the rest of the way. He was a little in awe of her new abilities and regarded her with wonder.

"Tohru we really need to talk." He managed to gasp out before she pulled him behind a bush. There was a shout and lights all over the Honke began coming on. Tohru's eyes hungrily drank in the sight of her Juunishi. Hatori was the first to spring into action, his cell phone was in his hand even as he turned the garden hose on and began spraying the flames. Tohru knew the flames wouldn't die until not a single scrap of kindling was left of the cathouse. She was just as sure also that no member of the Juunishi would be harmed by the flames. Ayame came out right after Hatori, his feet bare, adorned in a Victorian style white dressing gown. Tohru had to stifle a giggle as Ayame took one look at the flames stretching up to the heavens, placed his hands on his knees and began laughing deep belly laughs. Momiji trailed over to his side a beaming grin on his face; Haru and Rin had materialized from the wood behind the outbuildings like shadows.

Momiji threw his hands into the air and began laughing and dancing in circles. Tohru could hear the joyous song he sang from where she sat. A curl of contentment untwined in her chest. She couldn't wait to hold little Momiji in her arms again.

"Tohru's back, Tohru's back, she took the rat she took the cat, Tohru's back with the hots for both my cuuuuzins!"

"Why are they laughing! For all they know I could be a crispy critter in there!" Tohru's smile dimmed a little as she took in Kyo's indignant expression. His eyes glimmered with a hurt she knew he would never put words to.

"They are happy because you are free." She took his face in her hands and turned him to face her. "They know I have come for you. Your family knows you are not in that fire." Kyo pulled out of her hand to glare angrily at the ground.

"Whatever." He mumbled.

Oh Kyo, what scars are you hiding from me that I cannot heal?

Tohru shoved him to the ground, lying on top of him.

"I love you Kyo Sohma." She kissed him then, hoping to replace the anger and the hurt with something warm, with something stronger, with love and passion. Kyo responded swiftly to her ardor. He drank from her lips as if he would never be quenched and she yielded to him everything she had. Suddenly footsteps ground pebbles perilously close to their hiding spot. They both froze.

"Did someone check on Akito?" Kureno's voice cried.

"She's fine! She's right here!" Shigure called from the direction of Akito's house.

Kureno's footsteps pelted off into the distance. As they faded Tohru turned her eyes to Kyo to find him staring at her. She stared back, unable to look away.

"You're something amazing, you know that?" Kyo whispered to her, bringing one hand up and pushing a long strand of hair behind her ear. Tohru smiled at him lovingly, leaning into his hand, pressing herself to him.

"If I am anything special or amazing, it is because Kyo-kun and Yuki-kun have made me into something amazing. Without Kyo, I would be a nobody. You create all the greatness in me. You inspire me to greatness… your kindness and love, it has always helped me to be strong when inside I know I am weak." Kyo's eyes held hers for a long time.

"You're so weird." He smiled then when she turned cherry red. She was blushing so brightly he could feel the heat coming off of her skin. He leaned forward kissing her swiftly and then falling back. "Let's go." He said standing up.

Tohru was grinning in the darkness as she and Kyo, side by side, took a running leap up the wall, grasping the top and pulling themselves up and over. As they dropped to the ground on the other side, Kyo and Tohru were both gasping for air. Tohru found him gazing at her with a new respect. She threw back her head and laughed aloud.

She was so full of joy.

Golden beams of light flooded the darkness, blinding her momentarily, the soft hum of a motor growled angrily in the night as headlights came on and a car pulled up to their side. She stood offering an arm to a still panting Kyo.

"Here," she panted, "our ride's here, let's go home." Kyo took her hand, allowing her to pull him up. Together they hopped into the car and drove away from the red-orange flames licking the sky.