*Muse Tunes: "Out of this World" by Bush, "Truth Begins" by Fink, "Here I am" by The Boxer Rebellion

CHAPTER 5 – Convergence

Bushida Dojo

In the brief window of time between his morning and afternoon classes, Kyo slipped into his office and closed the door behind him. Without bothering to switch on the lights he shuffled stiffly across the room and carefully lowered himself into the chair behind the desk. He winced when the chair swiveled sideways at this action; adjusted the ice pack more fully across his shoulder, and then leaned back against the cool leather and closed his eyes, hoping more than expecting to be allowed to brood in peace.

Ha, yeah right. Considering that he shared the small, cramped space with his business partner he knew how unlikely that was…especially when said business partner was Ryuji Bushida. As if right on cue the door flung open, revealing the man himself. Kyo looked up at his friend and mentor and narrowed his eyes. Nothing good could come from the broad smile plastered across Ryu's face.

"Thought I'd find you hiding in here," Ryu announced as he flopped into the chair across from him. "Why the hell are all the lights off in here? Were you punched in the head too many times or is this just you being a moody bastard?" When Kyo scowled and looked away he chuckled and propped his feet up on the desk. "Moody bastard it is then."

"Don't you have another class to teach?" Kyo growled.

"Not for another hour. So, start talking."

"I've got nothing to say."

"Oh, come on! We've known each other for how long now? And in all that time I've never once seen you take a hit like that," Ryu exclaimed, pointing to his injured shoulder. When Kyo remained silent the smile faded from Ryu's face. He dropped his feet to the ground and leaned forward. "Seriously, what's with you lately? You've been jumpy and distracted all week—and don't tell me you haven't been. Normally Taka would never even come close to touching you."

Kyo flinched at the truth in that statement. He turned his gaze back to the gi-clad figure sitting across from him and eyed him wearily.

At a glance there was nothing remarkable about Ryu. Early thirties…average looks…average height and build. The guy could blend in better with a crowd than anyone he'd ever met, yet when in his element he had a presence that could not be denied. Kyo was faster and more agile but that was nothing compared to Ryu's strength and experience. The man was a powerhouse, and way shrewder than he let on…as Kyo had to remind himself while he looked into the dark, inquisitive eyes currently studying him. Suddenly he tensed under his friend's scrutiny.

"What do you want me to say? I made a stupid mistake and reaped the consequences. The end," he spat.

Ryu's eyebrows went up. "And I'm what, supposed to ignore the fact that you're acting recklessly?"

"I'M NOT—Look, all I need is a few minutes to ice this thing and I'm good to go. And before you say it, I already talked to the students that were watching the match…told them all about how it was a good example of what not to do so we're square."

Ryu cocked an eyebrow at him but didn't otherwise reply at first. The two men stared each other down in a silent battle of wits, both wearing stony, impassive expressions. At length Ryu leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers together.

"Do you wanna know the reason I asked you to be my partner Kyo?"

Kyo was a little surprised at the change in topic but knew better than to argue.

"My sparkling wit?" he replied dryly.

Ryu rolled his eyes. "I meant the real reason."

"Because I can kick your ass," Kyo offered with a toothy grin, then scowled when Ryu loudly guffawed.

"Nice try, kid. Although you do give as good as you get…when you're not being an idiot." Like today, was intimated but left unvoiced. "The truth is I could've found a hundred other guys more seasoned to sign-on, most with deeper pockets. Hell, my wife thought I was crazy, practically giving away half the business to some snot-nosed punk I barely knew, but from day one I've never regretted it. You know why? Because I saw something in you, Kyo. You could say we're kindred spirits."

"Kindred spirits? Yeah, right. We get along, sure, but I doubt anyone would say we're anything alike," Kyo replied. Ryu was practically his opposite in every way. Even their fighting styles were different!

"Let me start over. Do you remember that first tournament…the first time we met? Even before I knew who you were, everyone was talking about the fire-haired wildcard from Kyoto. From the speculation I expected some half-cocked showoff with more swagger than skill. Instead, I found a serious young man that appeared to be silently wishing everyone around him to go to hell."

"I—was not in the best mood that day," Kyo argued weakly. In fact he'd been nervous as hell, worrying about who he might run into. It had been his first time back in Tokyo since the events after graduation, and it would not have been out of place to see members of the Sohma dojo there. His worries proved to be unfounded, but it had still been nerve-wracking.

"Yet the students you brought with you to compete were practically in awe of you, and it was easy to see why once you took your turn. The moment you stepped out onto that floor you completely transformed. You have a true passion for the art, Kyo, and the talent to back it up. Anyone who watches you spar can see it radiating from you. Skills can be taught but that kind of spark?"

"I barely even placed that day."

"You're missing the point. Proficiency is important but so is character. More than anything I was intrigued by the dichotomy between the sullen young man on the sidelines and the confident one in the ring. It was what I sensed lay beneath it all that truly struck me. I saw not just a fellow karateka but a man who's eyes bespoke of great suffering. Pain someone your age should have no business knowing."

Kyo stiffened. Had he really been that obvious?

"Don't worry, I don't think anyone else noticed. Most people don't bother studying each other that closely. Then again no one else you know is probably as familiar with the sensation as I am."

"With pain?"

"Yes."

"Isn't that a little presumptuous?"

Ryu laughed. "Perhaps so, but then we can only see through our own eyes, no? And pain, if nothing else, is a meticulous teacher."

Kyo shifted in his seat and winced at the twinge in his injured shoulder. "Not to be an asshole but you know nothing about what I've gone through."

"No, but that doesn't mean I can't relate. I know you've seen my tattoos…I'm sure you know what they mean?"

"I…didn't want to assume."

"But you were at least curious, I'm sure. They are exactly what you think. I went straight a long time ago, but that kind of past has a way of following you for the rest of your life. What I'm trying to say is we all have ghosts kid. Whatever you're running away from, it's not worth it."

"I'm not running away."

"Oh? You spend every minute of every day working like a dog, if not here than at the behest of some lazy Tokyo housewife with too much money and not enough sense to hang a damn houseplant. What little free time you have is spent training or in manual labor working on your own home renovations. The only time I've ever known you to take a break is to eat or sleep and if you didn't need those things to survive, you'd probably give up on them too. If that's not running away, then you're trying to forget."

"That's ridiculous."

"It is ridiculous. Kyo—you're exhausted. You can't keep going like this, today being case in point. You know as well as I do that distraction in our line of work is dangerous."

"I know."

"Do you? Because that's not what it looked like back there—"

"Yeah, I know!" Kyo spat, his temper flaring before he could push it down. He looked away again, not wanting Ryu to see the shame in his eyes. Shame for losing control. Shame for the way he'd been acting lately. He knew he shouldn't let Tohru's presence in town unsettle him so much that his performance suffered and yet that is exactly what happened.

"Look, I get it. Whatever is going on, you don't want to talk about it, but you need to straighten yourself out, kid. Take the next few days off. Clear your mind, actually freaking relax for once…and no manual labor—"

"I don't need—"

"Starting immediately. No arguments and no worrying about your classes. We'll get them covered. Now get outta here."

Kyo scrutinized his friend, quickly calculating what his chances were of winning a counterargument. With a heavy sigh he surrendered to the inevitable and stood. He winced as he was instantly reminded of his sore shoulder. Perhaps he could use the time off after all.

"Uh, thanks Ryu," he muttered. With a nod he turned and walk to the door.

"Oh hey, by the way. Don't make any plans for Saturday," Ryu said as he rifled through one of the desk drawers. He pulled out a white envelope and handed it over to Kyo. He took a peek inside and raised an eyebrow at Ryu, who chuckled. "Not really your thing? Not mine either but the wife's been bugging me for months. My mother-in-law was supposed to come with us but she's been sick, and honestly I would much rather have you come than Mei's stuffy accountant brother."

"I suppose…"

"What's the worst that can happen? Maybe it's a wasted few hours, maybe you get a good catnap in. Either way, you would be doing me a favor. Mei's been worried about you too."

Kyo cocked his head in thought and then sighed once again in defeat.

Ryu flashed him a huge grin. "So, we have a deal?"

Kyo nodded. "I'll see you Saturday."

A short time later Kyo left the dojo freshly showered, bandaged and back in his street clothes. He stashed his gear bag in his truck but hesitated at the idea of driving back home in his current frame of mind. Weighing his options, he recalled there was a shopping district around the corner that had some dining options that weren't entirely crap. It was just the kind of place he used to avoid as the cat. Lots of people (especially women) which created a whole lot of obstacles. Even now the natural inclination to be fearful of crowds was a hard habit to break. He could mostly ignore the anxiety if he was sufficiently distracted, which made his thoughts today at least somewhat useful.

Stuffing his hands in his pockets, Kyo started walking at a leisurely pace. He let his mind wander to the events of the last week and wondered how he let himself get so paranoid about Tohru simply being in Tokyo. He was rarely on that side of town anymore, so the chances of running into her were pretty slim. Even if he did, she wouldn't know him beyond their brief interlude at the garden center, and that's assuming she remembered that much. A little voice at the back of his head said that was precisely the problem but he viciously pushed it down.

He looked up as he turned the corner and saw the tree-line promenade of the shopping district come into view. It was crowded but not too crowded, to Kyo's relief. He scanned the area to see what his options were and spied a sign for a little sushi place he'd eaten at before. His decision made, he started walking in that direction when he froze. No. He blinked a few times and shook his head, but the image remained. There on the opposite side of the road was Tohru.

He swallowed hard as he watched her meander towards the crosswalk, somehow looking both cute and professional in a pair of dress slacks and a flowy, flower-print blouse that accentuated her figure in all the right places. He drank in every inch of her from the wispy tendrils of hair that hung loosely around her face down to the practical kitten heel pumps on her feet. Even with her face pinched in thought she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

As he watched some jerk on a bicycle nearly crashed into her. He was ready to scream at the bastard but in an instant everything changed when he heard something straight out of one of his worst nightmares. Every hair on his body stood on end at the ear-piercing screech of tires. When Kyo's head snapped toward the sound his stomach bottomed out at the sight of a glossy black sedan veering purposefully out of traffic. He had no idea when he started moving but he was full on sprinting by the time the wail of tires turned into the high-pitched metallic rev of the car's engine. His nostrils flared as he pushed himself past his limits, realizing too late that it might not be enough. Bracing himself, he did the only thing he could and leapt the rest of the distance between them.

Physically he felt the moment her soft body impacted his. Mentally, by the time they hit the pavement he was already on some other plain of existence. Frozen in terror of what very nearly happened, he was trapped in his own personal hellscape. Familiar visions popped into his head, only this time it wasn't Kyoko or his Mom but Tohru he saw broken and bleeding in the street. The near reality of it was too much…way too much to process…

And then he felt fingertips tentatively touching his face. The real world abruptly returned and suddenly he found himself looking into a pair of crystal clear, chocolate eyes staring up at him with a mixture of surprise and concern. When their gazes connected, he felt a shock when something like recognition flashed across her face followed by wry amusement.

"We really should stop meeting this way," Tohru quipped in her sweet voice, making him physically flinch. He didn't know if it was the pain, residual fear, or the disappointment that affected him so much but suddenly he was angry. He threw himself off of her and stood so fast he nearly toppled over from the instant head rush.

"What the hell do you think you're doing not paying attention crossing the street? Are you stupid or something? You could've been killed!" he snarled at her.

Tohru looked up at him in surprise. "I—" she began, but then her mouth snapped shut. Her eyes started to blink rapidly, and it took only a second for Kyo to realize she was about to cry. Damnit. The sight of Tohru near tears was enough to knock the stuffing right out of him. The angry retort died on his lips; his irritation turned instantly to panic.

"Hey, don't do that. I'm sorry! I was just—are you hurt?" he asked as he crouched next to her.

Tohru sniffled once and he felt like utter shit. "I…I think I'm okay. Are you?"

"Me?"

"You seemed like you were in pain just now."

Kyo's eyebrows went up. Although maybe he shouldn't be surprised. Tohru had always read him like a book.

"Nah, I'm fine," he replied gruffly. He offered her his hand and she took it with a soft thank you as he helped her stand up. His heart nearly stopped when she wobbled and then grasped his arm with her free hand for extra support. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yup! Right as rain," she chirped. Kyo couldn't help the pang of disappointment he felt when she let go and stepped back to brush off her pants. When she was done she looked back up at him and beamed. "I can't thank you enough. You saved my life. Again."

"Yeah? Maybe now you'll pay a little more attention to where you're going," he grumbled, half-serious, half-teasing. Tohru giggled and his heart thumped uncomfortably at the sight of her eyes dancing with secret delight. Suddenly he felt like he was seventeen again and he shuffled uncomfortably. "Well…I guess if you're okay then I really should…"

"Oh. Oh! Yeah, I guess if you want to…but…I would really appreciate the opportunity to thank you properly, Mister…?

"Oh, right! It's, uh…"

He didn't know why he faltered. Giving her his name wouldn't affect anyone or anything and yet he couldn't help but feel hesitant to burst this odd little bubble they were in. He saw a flash of sadness cross her eyes before her smile brightened once again.

"Tell you what. I was actually on my way to grab a bite at the ramen place over there. Care to join me? We can both go by alias's and pretend we're old buddies…just a meal between friends. No strings. No expectations. We can exchange real names later if you decide that's what you want. I'll go by…Peppermint Patty…and you can be Charlie Brown."

"Charlie Brown?"

"Did you want to go by something else?" she asked innocently.

"No, no. Charlie Brown is fine," Kyo replied quickly, wondering if his face was as red as it felt.

He waited as Tohru took a quick survey of herself and their immediate surroundings. She picked up her handbag from where it fell a few feet away and turned back to him with yet another cheerful smile.

"All ready, let's go!" she called as she once again headed to the cross walk. Kyo's pulse jumped as it dawned on him she intended to try crossing again. Without thinking his hand shot out to stop her. She glanced up at him in question, but Kyo's eyes were scanning the plaza behind her.

At length he offered her a rueful smile. "Sushi?"

By the time they were seated and given menus Kyo had managed to regain much of his usual equilibrium. Except for his hands which still shook violently from the paralyzing dread of watching Tohru nearly get run down in the street. It was something he was pretty sure he was going to have nightmares about in perpetuity, even if he never saw her again after today. She didn't need to know that which is why Kyo kept his hands hidden beneath the table until their tremoring was less noticeable.

The conversation between them at first was light. Mostly about the menu selection until the waitress took their order, at which point it became painfully clear the subject had run its course. After a few follow up questions equally food related Kyo was at a loss. With the Tohru of five years ago he would be comfortable talking on just about any subject. To a Tohru he wasn't supposed to know he found himself flailing. The woman herself seemed happy to simply sit and play with her straw while he struggled to find some safe topic of conversation.

"You, uh, mentioned something about being in town for a wedding?" he eventually asked. He knew he asked he right question when Tohru beamed at him.

"That's right! My good friend Hana-chan is getting married in a few weeks."

So, Goth Girl's getting married, huh? Who would've thought anyone would be brave enough to blaze that trail, Kyo thought. Whoever the bridegroom was had to have balls of steel!

"So…you're just in town for the wedding?"

"Oh, no. I mean yes! I mean, that's what I originally intended, but I've decided to stay. Or move back, technically."

"Ah, I see…so it's a homecoming of sorts?" he rasped, his throat suddenly very dry. Having Tohru back in Tokyo permanently was…it was…well, if nothing else it was a complication.

When she chirped a happy "Mmhmm," he felt like he was simultaneously drowning and flying at the news.

"You must've missed it, since you're planning to stay."

A flash of something passed across her eyes but it was too fast for him to recognize. "I missed my friends."

What an oddly cryptic answer. "And what about...wherever you're moving back from?"

Tohru giggled. "Boy, Charlie Brown, you sure do have a lot of questions."

"Do I? I'm sorry, I'm not trying to make you uncomfortable or anything, I'm just—"

"Relax. I was just surprised. Most people I meet only want to talk about themselves. It's a refreshing change to be on the other side," she replied, her lips curving up into a light, teasing smile. "Tell you what. I promise I will answer all of your questions if you admit that you're injured and agree to get checked out. Deal?"

Kyo's eyes widened and then he chuckled. "I am injured, but not because of you," he said, and then pulled the neck of his t-shirt aside just far enough for her to see the bandaged shoulder beneath. "I'm a karate instructor…and this…is yet another fine example of why it is important to pay attention.

Tohru's mouth opened into a perfect 'O' and then she burst out laughing. "We're quite the pair!" she proclaimed between breaths. "But the other day I thought you said you were a handyman or something?"

"I'm both actually. The dojo is my main job, the handyman stuff is just a side gig," he explained.

"That must keep you very busy."

"It does," he agreed. "And what about you?"

"I'm…between jobs at the moment," she replied with a deep blush of embarrassment. "It's a big part of my decision to move back. I only stayed in Osaka as long as I did because of the work, and once that fell through there really wasn't any reason to stay."

"Osaka…that's where you've been living up till now?"

"Yes. No—or rather not just Osaka, that's just the last place I ended up. Before that it was Aichi briefly, then Matsumoto."

"Oh yeah?"

"You sound surprised."

"You just strike me as the type that would want to put down roots."

Tohru cocked her head. "What a funny thing to say!" She said with a lilt of laughter in her voice.

"Am I wrong?"

"…I don't know. I think that would be nice but…I guess no place ever really felt like home. Except…"

"Except?" Kyo prompted when Tohru seemed to momentarily get lost in her own thoughts.

"I'm sorry, I was thinking about the apartment I used to share with my Mom. It was just the two of us…always me and Mom against the world! Until she…um, passed. In my first year of high school."

"I'm sorry..." Kyo murmured uncomfortably. Kyoko of course, he thought.

"Thank you, it's still hard sometimes, knowing she's gone even after all this time. I was just thinking how warm and comfortable that place always made me feel, until after Mom died. I had never lived anywhere else and yet once her presence there began to fade it stopped feeling like home. Does that make sense?"

"Perfectly. Home is where the heart is?"

"Yes, that's right!" Tohru replied brightly.

He was a little surprised when Tohru continued to chatter on about her time in Osaka, almost as if she could read his silent desire to know more about her life as it was now. What followed was a series of light-hearted anecdotes from her time with the Yamada family, mostly revolving around the children. The stories were amusing but vague, painting a pretty picture of her life there with very little substance behind it. There was no mention of any friends or relationships, or of anything outside of her pretentious employers. Internally Kyo couldn't help but worry. Clearly there were things she wasn't saying, but as a near stranger (as far as she knew), he unfortunately didn't have the right to question her about it.

"It must've been hard…to be so far away from your friends," he reflected instead. A feeling of deep compassion swept through him at the thought of her all alone in an unfamiliar city. It sounded like Tohru's personal version of hell. Had she really been happy with that life?

"It wasn't always easy, but I wasn't alone. Not really," she replied, looking at him a little strangely and he wondered if he'd said too much.

To redirect the conversation he returned the favor of her stories with some of his own about the dojo. He left out any reference to Ryu or his greater interest in the place and concentrated solely on his love of the practice. He spoke energetically about the challenges inherent in teaching certain age groups and laughed when her face scrunched up at the idea of young kids learning how to punch and kick each other.

"It's not what you think," he assured her. "I started practicing myself at the age of five and it was exactly what I needed at the time."

"Oh? And why was that?" she asked, her face lighting up with obvious interest.

"Kids can be a handful at that age and I was…not easy. I had a lot of anger back then. Got into a lot of fights. Karate gave me a place to focus that energy in a positive way instead of lashing out at school."

Tohru's jaw dropped open. "You were bullied?"

Kyo looked down at his drink and tried not to blush. "Yeah, well, like I said. Kids can be a real handful all on their own, but when you mix in someone who looks different, even if everything else about them is normal, they can turn into little assholes in no time."

When he glanced back up at her again Kyo had expected something like understanding or perhaps sympathy in her steady gaze. Instead, he was surprised to see something more akin to discomfort there. He was puzzled. Why on earth would she react like that?

"Can I ask you a really weird question?" she asked softly.

"Uh…yeah, sure," he replied, scrunching his brow in confusion.

"In what way did you look different from your classmates? I-I mean, that's what you were implying isn't it, that your appearance was somehow, um…"

"Different."

"Yes."

Kyo stared at her in disbelief. Was she kidding right now? But he could see that she wasn't. There might be a slight blush to her cheeks but her gaze was steady and openly curious.

"Well, I'm not sure what it was like at your elementary school, but there weren't too many at mine that had my hair color." None in fact, he added silently.

Tohru's eyes widened at that and a sudden look of understanding passed across her face. "Oh! That explains a lot," she gasped in obvious relief. "What color is it?"

"What?" he blurted, now massively confused.

"Oh, that's right. You wouldn't know. I'm…well, I'm colorblind."

"Color…blind?"

"Yup."

"As in…completely…?"

"Mmhmm."

Kyo fell back against the booth in shock at what he was hearing. But how? When?!

At least now some of her reactions made more sense but he was still having a hard time wrapping his mind around it. Colorblind.

"Have you always…?"

"No. I—no," Tohru began, looking away momentarily in discomfort. "There was an accident, about five years ago. The night of my high school graduation actually. I had a fall, or at least that's what they think happened. There were no witnesses so there's no telling for sure."

"You don't remember it?"

Tohru shook her head no. "…or much of the time leading up to it, unfortunately. Most of my injuries were superficial. Cuts and bruises and such, but I did end up with a nasty bump to the head. That's what they think caused it. The colorblindness. As well as some pretty extensive memory loss…" Of course, Kyo thought. What other explanation would there be but head trauma to any doctor that wasn't Hatori? Wait. Extensive memory loss? "…I guess some people would be happy to forget their high school experience, huh? Maybe I should consider myself lucky," she quipped.

Kyo's head whipped up at this. "You don't remember any of it?"

"Mmm, some bits and pieces from my first year…before mom…" Before Kyoko died, his mind supplied with an inward wince. "…and maybe the occasional random detail. My friends have been very helpful with filling in the blanks, but..."

"But it's not the same."

"No, and unfortunately there is very little they can do about my color sight," Tohru added. "The doctors were hopeful that it was temporary at first but after so much time that's simply become unlikely."

"I'm…sorry."

Tohru shrugged and gave him a sad smile. "It's not your fault but thank you."

Kyo stared at her almost helplessly. But it is, he thought as a fresh wave of remorse washed over him. All this time he'd thought she was tucked away somewhere living her life, safe and sound. He had no idea of what she'd gone through in the meantime. Yes, Yuki had once mentioned his attempt to visit her at the hospital…eventually, long after they'd moved on…but they'd had little information to go on at the time aside from a brief text from Haru confirming her discharge. He was trying so intensely to forget her by that point that he couldn't bring himself to think why she might've been there in the first place. No matter. However it happened he knew. Without him it would never have happened.

"So, are you going to tell me?" she prompted coyly.

"Tell you what?"

"The color of your hair, silly!"

Oh. A slow, teasing smile spread across Kyo's face. "Are you really sure you want to know?"

"Yes, of course I do!"

"I don't know, this seems like a once in a lifetime opportunity for me. I think I could get used to being mysterious for once."

"Oh, come on. Please?"

Kyo took one look at the pout on her face and burst into laughter. Not his usual quiet chuckle but a rare, full-bodied laugh. She soon joined him with a sweet giggle of her own and he was transported back in time. How he used to love seeing her like this! With her beautiful eyes dancing up at him with open pleasure. It had been the only thing at times that had kept him sane. Knowing she was out there somewhere smiling like this.

That's when it hit him. He still loved her.

Regardless of how much time had passed, no matter how much they might both have changed, he loved her still just as desperately as he did back then. The question was, what to do about it now?

"Red."

Tohru cocked her head once again. "I'm sorry?"

Kyo's expression softened. "The color of my hair. It's red."

After their food arrived they spoke of inconsequential things. Mostly light-hearted banter that kept the conversation easily flowing in between bites. It was a comfortable, well-known cadence that reminded Kyo of many long-ago meals sitting at Shigure's dining room table.

He could've happily sat there with her talking al night but as with all good things their time eventually came to an end. Out of the desperate need for just a few more minutes in her company, Kyo offered to walk her to the train station and Tohru happily agreed.

"I'm so glad you suggested sushi, the food was excellent!" she exclaimed with a happy sigh as they walked leisurely down the sidewalk. "Have you been there before?"

"Once or twice. My dojo is just around the corner from here," he replied.

"Oh! Really? What a lucky coincidence!"

"Yeah, lucky," he murmured as he stared off into space.

It was rather an odd set of coincidences that led to their convergence on the street at exactly the right time. Usually he would be at the dojo for hours still. If he hadn't been injured Ryu wouldn't have kicked him out…if the jerk hadn't also insisted he take it easy, Kyo probably wouldn't have decided to take a walk….and if Tohru—a chill ran down his spine at the thought of what likely would've happened to Tohru if he hadn't been there. It didn't even bear thinking about.

"Are you okay?" Tohru asked, looking up at him in concern.

"Mm? Yeah, fine," he replied with a reassuring smile.

"Well, this is me." Kyo looked up in surprise to see the station just ahead. When he looked back down at Tohru he was so mesmerized by her he could only stare as she clasped his hand and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. She was already walking away and waving when she called out to him, "Thanks again for everything. I'll see you around, Charlie Brown!"

"It's Kyo," he called back to her and was immediately rewarded with a beautiful, face-splitting grin.

Out of curiosity he glanced down at the item she had covertly slipped into his hand when she clasped it. There, on a small scrap of paper was a phone number with "Tohru" written in her neat handwriting above it. His eyes widened and he looked back up immediately but Tohru had already melted into the crowd. He couldn't help but smile like an idiot as he walked away. Things were starting to look up.

He walked no more than a few steps when he looked over and noticed it: A black sedan slowly cruising by. Kyo stiffened. The same black sedan from earlier unless he missed his guess. He couldn't make out the driver but as it passed he noticed a small sticker in the window. A jolt of electricity shot up his spine. He might not have lived on the main estate, but he had seen enough to know that all "inside" cars had that tag—the Sohma family insignia.

Kyo's expression immediately darkened at the implication. Who else but the Sohmas would have Tohru followed? Had they intended to kill her in that joke of an accident? Much as he hated Akito that didn't really seem like his style. Most likely they only meant to scare her, but if so, why?

Because of me, a voice whispered in the back of his head, making Kyo stop in his tracks. Had they already been seen together? It was what made the most sense….or maybe that was the point. Maybe it wasn't Tohru that they were trailing but him.

Guilt curled in his gut. He had promised to stay away from her and had failed miserably. Would things go back to normal if he backed away now or would they only escalate? He couldn't stand the idea of Tohru being in danger because of him, but neither could he leave her undefended. Not now.

Not ever again.

Kyo's hands balled into fists at his sides as he felt his protective instincts rise and were quickly fortified with cool hard determination. Even if he had wanted to he was already too far invested now to withdraw. With a clarity he hadn't known for years, Kyo knew what he had to do. From here on out there would be no more running. He would protect Tohru with all that he had…and he would love her with all that he had in him.

Fuck Akito, fuck the zodiac and fuck all of their little minions too.

Tohru belongs with me.

*Author's Note: The next set of chapters I think will prove to be quite interesting… *rubs hands together in excitement*