Kyo leaned back on his hands as he rested at the Kotatsu after dinner. The sound of Tohru cleaning up the dishes was a familiar and comforting sound to him. It made him sign in complete contentment as he heard her mumbling to herself as she went about her tasks.
Their life together consisted of many compromises. Mainly it was full of compromises for what she could and couldn't do. The compromise in action right now was that he had stopped insisting he helped her clean up after dinner, but as soon as the dishes were clean, she had to come and rest at the Kotatsu with him.
Initially, she had tried to insist that she do the laundry immediately after dinner. When Kyo objected, she reminded him that his clothes stunk after he worked at the dojo all day. He countered that by throwing his clothes in the wash before taking a bath prior to dinner. He loved how she blushed crimson when he walked through the apartment naked.
As much as he loved teaching at the dojo, his favorite times were with Tohru. Teaching gave him a sense of purpose, but Tohru gave him a sense of belonging –he adored her.
His sweet Tohru. The girl who loved everyone and who was the center of so many people's lives, had decided she loved him best. He still didn't know how that happened, but he wasn't going to argue with fate, not when his life was so damn good now.
He heard the water turn off and knew she was beginning to dry the dishes. Then they would be neatly and carefully stacked in the cabinets soon. He marveled that such a small thing could bring him peace.
He looked around their tiny apartment. It was the smallest place he had ever lived in, and damn if it wasn't his favorite place in the whole world. He loved having a small place where they bumped into each other everywhere they went. He almost chuckled, thinking about how Tohru bumped into everything.
Now that he didn't transform into a cat, bumping into her was one of his favorite things. It never ended up being a quick accidental touch. Yes, it started that way, but they always ended up clinging to each other and kissing.
He hoped they never lived in a large place where he couldn't seek her out quickly and kiss her senseless whenever he felt like it.
He heard the soft padding of her slippered feet behind him, and the anticipation of her coming to him to cuddle made him smile. "All done," she announced as she smoothed her skirt and sat down beside him.
He sat up straighter, wrapped his arms around her, and had her lean against him. "Dinner was wonderful, Tohru. You really outdid yourself."
He watched a light blush dust her cheeks. "It wasn't anything special."
"You know how much I love your rice balls—especially the ones with the pickled plum on their backs. Even the really tiny ones," he said and kissed the top of her head.
She looked up at him smiling. "How was work at the dojo today?" she asked. He knew she was changing the subject away from the praise of her cooking.
"I think my Master is laughing all the way back at the Soma estate right now. I have a student who is so much like I was when I first started going to him. I wonder how Master ever put up with me!" He laughed and shook his head. "I'm going to cheat and ask you to talk to him. After all, we all know how good you are at taming that kind of temper."
"Ohhh, I don't know…. I don't think I could…." She looked up at Kyo in a panic, and he knew what was coming next. "No! I mean, not that I'm not willing! Of course, I would love to help you as much as I can!"
He rolled his eyes lovingly and chuckled. "I'll only allow this change of mind because you still haven't learned to believe in yourself."
That had been something he had absolutely put his foot down about with her. He refused to let her be talked into many things. Kyo had been working hard to help her be able to voice her own opinions and feelings. But this time, it has been based on her own insecurities. Those he had also worked to drive out. He felt he was slowly making progress, and that pleased him.
What he hadn't realized was just how much his protecting her and helping her find her voice changed his own confidence. Kyo had a sense of purpose in his job, yes, but he also had a sense of purpose when it came to helping her be more confident.
She tucked her chin and asked, "what if I can't help him? I don't want to let you down."
"If you can't help him, he's beyond saving, and you made me believe that isn't possible. After all, you saved me." He squeezed her arm encouragingly. "You helped defeat a centuries-old curse and save me –and a whole family."
"You did that," she objected.
He laughed. "No, the cat needed to feel accepted, and that couldn't have happened without you. You're the only one who could have broken me free of the curse."
"You were always special, Kyo –you, you just didn't see it."
He shook his head. "I doubt we will ever agree on that one." He tightened his arms around her. "I love you, and that is something we can both agree on." She leaned more of her weight on him as he kissed her temple.
She giggled and said, "I love you too, Kyo."
He rested his cheek against her hair and breathed in the comforting scent of her shampoo. He had spent his whole life, even after meeting her, fighting everyone and everything. He never felt like he ever found rest, even when he disappeared into the wilderness with his master.
Now that he had let himself fall under her influence, he had peace. One that followed him throughout his day, but it was at times like this he felt the most at peace.
"Tell me more about this boy," she eventually asked, breaking the comfortable silence.
"You won't believe me when I tell you his name is Yuki, will you?"
She chuckled, "I know you would never lie to me."
"True," Kyo admitted. "He's more like me, though –too much like me. He and his father don't get along at all, and he's angry all the time." Frowning, he added, "he's six. His mother put him in the after-school program."
Tohru blinked and worried her lip with her teeth. "To get him away from his father?"
"That was my guess too."
She put her head on his shoulder and said, "I'll be there cleaning at the dojo tomorrow, anyway. I'll talk to him then."
He turned and kissed her forehead. "Just remember, it took you years to get through my thick head and help me, and my father was no longer in my life. Don't think I expect anything crazy right away. Promise me that you won't put too much pressure on yourself."
"But-"
"Promise me. Promise me and mean it, Tohru." He pulled back and sat facing her. "You take too much on yourself."
"B-but you said… You said I could help him. I don't want to let you down."
"Dammit, Tohru!" Kyo instantly deflated as she shrunk back. "Even I still lose my stupid temper. I'm mad at myself, not you."
He frowned and collected his thoughts. Kyo didn't want to lash out in misdirected frustration –again. He even remembered that stupid Shigure mentioning something about his misdirected rage when he first met Tohru. But that was part of the problem here. He didn't want to put more pressure on her, but he saw so much of the child he was in Yuki. His hopes felt pinned on her fixing the child. Kyo realized he was a stand-in, in a way. Had he met her as a hurting child, he hoped she could have set him free then. He believed she could, actually; he couldn't imagine not being entirely changed by her at any point.
He rolled his eyes playfully and said, "I'm rethinking this. You're too cute, and if he is like me, he'll get a crush on you and follow you around like a puppy dog." He made a disgusted face. "I finally got away from Shigure; I don't need another dog around." He then grew serious and caressed her cheek, and she blushed. "He isn't a bad kid; he just acts bad. You have a way of seeing through all that crap and seeing the real heart in a person. That's all I ask. Just look at him and see him through your eyes."
"It's not hard, Kyo. It isn't even special." She blushed. "Anyone can choose to see the good in someone."
He gave her a lopsided grin, "yup! I agree. They just don't choose to. So you're unique because you actually look for the good."
"So do you," she countered. "After all, you see it in him."
Kyo laughed, "no. I think he's a little shit who needs his ass beat, just like I did. Your method seems to yield better results, though."
Tohru blushed scarlet all the way to her ears. That intrigued Kyo. "What?" He asked. "What are you thinking?"
"W-well, I mean not with kids, of course –at all, ever…. B-but I enjoy watching you kick b-butt at the dojo."
A feral grin spread across his face. "You like watching me beat up on other men? You? Sweet Tohru?" He teased.
"Y-yes. You told me to… Say what I think about things… Well…."
And he fell in love with her even more in that moment, and he didn't know it was even possible.