Tohru's blue eyes fluttered open, a yawn escaping her as she sat up stretching.
I should start breakfast, she thought, starting to get up. Her glanced around the room, widening in shock. She wasn't in the bedroom she shared with Lianu at the Jing's, no this place was different, but familiar, comforting.
"I'm...home?"
"You've caused me a great deal of trouble, girl," a voice said coldly, and Tohru gasped seeing Akito Sohma sitting in the corner. He was relaxed on a wooden chair, his dark eyes on the girl.
"A-Akito! W-What are you doing here?" she asked shocked.
"I heard you were back, and I came to make one thing perfectly clear: There is no running off. Ever. Again. Do you understand?"
"W-What?" Tohru stuttered, surprised. Akito chuckled, standing up and moving towards the girl.
"You have caused my family much grief, worry, and anxiety. If you chose to pull another stunt like that, you are to tell me first. Everyone was miserable, not that I particularly minded, but the fact I was not the cause of their despair was unsettling. You're supposed to build them up so I can tear them down! It is not the other way around!" Akito scolded, and Tohru cowered back just a little bit. It was unsettling to see Akito Sohma here, in her room, at who knows how early o'clock, and acting almost normal. He didn't seem to want to harm her, not this time at least, which was a good sign.
Akito lowered himself onto the bed beside Tohru, and the two sat staring at each other.
"Did you hear anything I just said? Sometimes I wonder at your mental capacity," Akito grumbled.
"I did," Tohru assured him quickly. "It's just..." Tohru didn't know what to say. For an odd reason, she thought back to the first time Kyo tried to apologize to her, and how it came out like a rant. Maybe Akito was trying to say he was glad she was back, and didn't know the words?
Probably not, besides Akito doesn't care about anyone but himself, right?...Tohru mused to herself.
"Go make breakfast. I'm starving, and no leeks. I absolutely hate leeks," Akito commanded, standing up and heading towards the door.
Tohru stifled a giggle. He sounded exactly like Kyo! They both truly despised that vegetable, and Tohru could only laugh. They were enemies, but had common ground whether they liked it or not.
Tohru stood up too, heading to her closet to change out of her pink pajamas. She absently wondered how she had gotten into pajamas in the first place, but then decided it was better not to know. She pulled on a new outfit, black pants and a blue flowery shirt, and headed downstairs.
She headed downstairs quietly, pausing by each room to look in. Kyo was still asleep, Yuki too. Shigure was dozing in his library, a book open in front of him. Ayame was curled up in the corner, Hatori sleeping on a mat. Tohru smiled, those three really were the best of friends. Tohru was surprised to find Arisa, Hana, and Kisa bunking together in another room. She smiled, her friends really were the most amazing...Momiji, Hiro, and Hatsuharu were in another room, and Tohru added up how many people there were and how much food she would need to make.
It was the least she could do.
~(0)~
"Hatori, I had the weirdest dream," Shigure yawned. "I dreamed Tohru had run away and I had to deal with Yuki's cooking for months on end...Wait, it wasn't a dream! He is cooking!" Shigure said alarmed, smelling something, and jumping up. Yuki would burn the house down!
"NO! Yuki, don't!" he shouted, running for the kitchen. He skidded to a halt the moment he got there. Not only wasn't it Yuki, the house was in perfectly good hands.
"Sh, you'll wake everyone up, Shigure!" Tohru scolded, a smile on her face.
"But, I thought-" Shigure stammered. It had to be a dream, it had to be...
"I'm almost done with breakfast. Do you want anything in particular? I'm making some miso soup, no leeks," she laughed. "Steamed white rice and some vegetables and fruits to place on the table. I'm just worried there won't be enough!"
"It...I'm sure it will be delicious," Shigure remarked, shaking his head. It was like the last couple of months had never happened. Tohru was in the kitchen, an apron around her waist, a smile on her face. It was like old times.
"Akito seems to like it," Tohru remarked, and Shigure looked surprised. Akito was here? How did he...? "You'd think he's never had breakfast before!"
Shigure smiled. Everything was going back to normal, and he was glad about it.
~(0)~
As everyone woke up, they were drawn to the kitchen, and the food. Arisa and Hana had demanded an explanation, and then just hugged their friend to death. They were glad to have Tohru home. Everyone laughed and ate, Tohru bringing the food to the table, smiling, laughing, happy to be home.
She felt so dumb, having let Kana Suzuki get to her and leaving. She still felt she did the right thing, to a degree, about leaving. She would do it again if she needed to, the Sohmas had done so much for her, the least she could do was protect them.
Tohru paused in the doorway, looking at the group, a soft smile on her face. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, even Akito had a ghost of a smile on his face, allowing his fellow Zodiac members to talk to him. He was even being sociable to Arisa and Hana, not exactly the nicest way of being sociable, but at least not turning them into cowering victims. Kyo and Arisa seemed to be fighting again, but that was normal. Yuki was trying to ignore his brother, who then went crying to Hatori who had to get Shigure to play interference. Hana actually seemed to set Akito on edge, which was probably a good thing. Even a god needed someone to keep him in check...Kana and Momiji were laughing over some shared joke, Hiro rolling his eyes like he could care less. Hatsuharu was being quiet, but Tohru knew it would only be a little while longer before he challenged Kyo to a fight.
Tohru smiled, her family was together, as quirky as it was.
She was home.
~(0)~
The story is almost over, one more chapter!