A/N: Thanks for your reviews everyone =D I appreciate them.

Hold On, Don't Hang On

Kyo woke early as usual to the brightness of the rising sun. Stretching, he stepped over to the window and looked down at the yard below. 'Same as always,' he thought to himself as he stepped away from the window and headed for the bath. A towel slung over his shoulder, he walked down toward the bathing room.

Without thinking about Tohru also being the early riser that she was, he didn't bother to knock. Heading in without a second thought he was surprised when he felt the steam of the room hit his face. He looked around and caught a glimpse of Tohru's naked back. A faint blush bloomed across his cheeks, and he quickly and quietly shut the door. Turning his back toward the door he walked directly into the kitchen.

"Kyo, you look like you've just seen something you weren't supposed to, huh?" asked Shigure as he noticed the blush on Kyo's cheeks. "You weren't spying on our Tohru now were you?" Shigure asked, raising his eyebrows. Before Kyo could make any remark, Shigure stumbled forward. Yuki stood behind him looking annoyed and tired. Clutching his head Shigure looked back at Yuki.

"Don't be stupid. He might be a stupid cat but even he wouldn't do something like that to Miss Honda." Yuki said with sight agitation. Kyo didn't say anything, just sat himself down at the table.

"I was just kidding," Shigure said, "How sad to always be the victim," Shigure said with a dramatic sigh.

"Quit exaggerating," Kyo said. As he did Tohru walked into the kitchen, her hair still damp from her bath. The second Kyo saw her he couldn't help but think of seeing her. Even though it wasn't much of her, Kyo still fought to hold back a blush.

"Good morning everyone," she said brightly. "Who's hungry?" she asked as she headed to the kitchen. Shigure raised his hand and waved it enthusiastically.

" I am, I am!" Shigure said. Tohru smiled and headed into the kitchen. Kyo silently left the table with his towel and made a beeline for the bathing room. Shutting the door behind him, he started the bath water running and let the steam collect into droplets on his skin as he disrobed and settled into the water.

His mind wandered to Tohru. He thought about how important she was to him and how much he wished their circumstances were different. 'She deserves to know,' he thought to himself as he let himself slide deeper into the water. 'It could change everything though. Is it worth risking the friend I have?' he wondered.

Kyo walked out of the bathing room with the towel draped over his head. As he did so he noticed that Tohru was about to leave with her two best friends, Arisa and Hana. He wondered where she was off to with them, but thought it was good for her to be getting out with her friends. "'Bye-'bye," Shigure waved to the three as they walked away down the road. Tohru turned around and waved before continuing on with her friends.

Shigure came back into the house and off the porch, closing the door behind him. Yuki came through the kitchen carrying some party decorations. Kyo looked confused. "What's going on?" he asked Shigure.

"Ah there is so much to do for our little Tohru," he said as though he didn't hear Kyo. Kyo growled under his breath.

"Hey, I asked you a question," Kyo said angrily.

"Kyo! I'm shocked at you. How could you not be aware of such a special day?" Shigure scolded.

"Well maybe if someone would tell me! What is even going on that's so special?" Kyo said trying to keep his cool.

"It's Miss Honda's birthday, stupid cat," Yuki said as he was about to put up some of the decorations. Kyo froze.

"I suppose this means you didn't even get her a present?" Shigure asked, knowing the answer already.

"Shut up!" Kyo yelled as he stormed out of the house. He took off into the woods seeming angrier than ever. In reality he was thinking quickly. He stopped after he was out of sight of the house and pulled some money out of his pocket. 'Damn it,' he thought as he counted. 'I sure hope this is enough for something nice. She deserves something nice,' he thought as he continued into town.

He stopped at almost every shop in town that sold jewelry. Nothing seemed to stick out that wasn't a ring or way too expensive. Finally he stopped at a small shop that was full of all sorts of trinkets big and small. He surveyed his surroundings, hoping that this small shop held something he liked and knew Tohru would like. It was his last hope. Then, something caught his eye. Under the glass counter he saw the small gold chain, but more importantly he saw the small trinket on the chain.

'Perfect,' he thought as he stared at in trance.

"That is one of my favorites," an elderly man said, coming up behind the counter to wait on Kyo. Kyo looked up in slight surprise. The man looked very friendly as he smiled at Kyo. "Is it for a special someone?" he asked.

"Yeah," Kyo smiled. He felt that he could express himself freely in front of the harmless man.

"I see, that's what I thought," he said happily as he pulled the chain and trinket out from under the counter. He held it out to Kyo and he took it gingerly between his fingers.

"It's perfect," he said as he looked at it. "How much?" he asked. As he asked he felt an anxious twinge. If he couldn't afford it he would never be able to forgive himself for not being able to get this special gift for Tohru. The old man sank into thought for a moment before a kind smile lit up his wrinkled face.

"Tell you what, you seem like a very special fellow." He said. Kyo froze, wondering what the man was getting at. He shook off the possibility that he may know of the zodiac. There just wasn't a way he could know something like that. "How much do you have in your pocket?" the man asked. Kyo lay his money on the table and the old man counted it.

"Sold." The man said placing the money in his register and setting a velvet box on the counter. He took the chain and trinket from Kyo and placed it neatly in the box. "There you are, good luck," the man said smiling all too knowingly at Kyo.

" Thanks," was all he couldn't manage to say in return to the old man. The man continued to smile at him as he left the shop and headed for home with his gift. He smiled to himself as he held onto it tightly.

When he returned home he saw nothing but a dark house. Kyo walked in slowly wondering where everyone had gone. He knew he hadn't been gone that very long. A few hours tops. Just as he opened the door to the living room he was very irritated to feel a bunch of confetti in his face as he turned the lights on.

"SURPRISE!," Shigure yelled. His smiled turned to an irritated frown when he saw that it was only Kyo.

"Way to waste the surprise on me," Kyo sniffed as he continued through the room.

"I guess we should have told you it's a surprise party," Shigure said in retrospect.

"Quick get down, I just heard some laughing. It has to be Tohru and her friends on their way in," Yuki said ducking back down behind the chair he had hid behind the first time. Kyo jumped behind the couch beside Shigure and waited anxiously for Tohru to walk in. He clutched his gift, imaging the moment he gave it to her.

A/N: End chapter 2 part 1. So what do you think? Good, bad? Let me know, please read and review. Let me know if I should continue, I really appreciate it. =D