Author's Note:

Back with Chapter 2!

Savior, Chapter 2

6 months earlier…

"Wow," Tohru sighed. "Just look at that beautiful sky. It's the perfect day for a graduation!"

It was the end of March and Tohru, along with Yuki and Kyo, were finally graduating from high school. It had been just about two and a half years since she had begun living with the Sohma family and almost three years since her mother's death.

She turned from the window and crossed the room to her desk. Gently, she picked up her picture of Kyoko Honda and smiled sadly. "Today's finally here, Mom. The day I finally get to hold that diploma and let you know what it feels like to graduate high school." Tears began to well up in her eyes and her shoulders started to tremble ever so slightly. She sniffled and a lone tear fell down her cheek. Her hands shook and she dropped the picture frame.

Down the hall, Kyo heard the sound of breaking glass and rushed into Tohru's room. "Hey!" he burst through the door. "What the hell happened?" He paused.

Tohru was slumped on her knees, her face buried in her hands. Her mother's picture frame lay in front of her, smashed into hundreds of pieces. "Tohru," he said gently, "what?"

She snapped up. "Oh, Kyo!" Desperately she began to rub her eyes, "U-um I wasn't crying! The glare from the sun on Mom's picture frame just caught my eye and made me drop her frame and I-I uh –" Kyo put his hand firmly on her head and her rambling immediately stopped.

"It's ok," he said quietly. "You don't need to try so hard. You can cry, ya know, if ya want to."

"B-but I have no reason to cry," Tohru meekly protested. "I have such a wonderful life living here with you all. And I have two amazing friends who look after me and protect me. And we're all graduating high school together on such a beautiful day." She rubbed her eyes again. "So you see," her voice was now a trembling whisper, "I have no reason to cry."

"If that's how you feel," he paused. He knew that's exactly how she did not feel. How could anyone be so happy all the time, especially when they'd suffered through so much pain? He gently started to rub her head when her shaking didn't stop, silently relishing in the feel of her silky smooth hair between his fingers.

"Why did she have to die?" Tohru asked quietly. "I wanted her to be here with me on this day, so she could watch me stand on that stage and hold my diploma." Kyo's breath caught in his throat. "So I could tell her in person what this feels like," her last words were a faint whisper.

They sat there together for a few silent moments more, Kyo continuing to stroke Tohru's hair. It wasn't long before he too was crying. "I love you so much," he heard his mother's voice in his head. The memory made his blood run cold as ice. "I wanted that too," he said slowly. The words came out without him even realizing. The weight of his mother's death suddenly hit him like a ton of bricks and in that moment he realized just how Tohru was feeling. "I wanted my mom to be here with me too."

Tohru gasped. "Kyo, I…" she trailed off. "I'm sorry, I was so wrapped up in my sadness that I completely forgot about yours." She turned completely to him and lightly cupped his face. "This must be a bittersweet day for you too. I'm so sorry for being so unaware."

Kyo inhaled sharply and suddenly realized how close they were to each other. He found himself lost in her wide, blue eyes. "Idiot," he said, not unkindly. "You never need to apologize for anything." He inched his face closer and closer to hers and she slightly opened her lips, her eyes growing wider.

"Kyo," Tohru breathed, her eyes slowly closing. Their lips touched for a split second and for that fleeting moment each of them experienced their own heaven. Their heart beats became loud thumps and Kyo slowly began to move his hand down to cup Tohru's face.

"Oh my little flower!" Shigure cried suddenly. "And Kyo, you lecherous young man. Are you upstairs alone with Tohru trying to take her innocence on a day as auspicious as your high school graduation?"

They immediately jumped apart from each other, their faces a bright red. Kyo immediately rose to his feet and desperately tried to find something to say. Much to his surprise (and relief), Tohru spoke up. "That was nice," she said quietly, the color in her face rising even more. She picked up the picture of Kyoko and placed it gingerly on her desk. She turned to Kyo with a bright big smile on her face, "Well we better go. We've got a graduation ceremony to attend!"