The Beginning of a New Banquet
Chapter 1: The Cat and His Onigiri
"Tohru, good to go?"
She turns to Kyo, smiling brightly as she drags her suitcase along, both of them waiting in line for the train. Kazuma watches them from a distance, having recently bid them farewell, never taking a step back until he confirms they have boarded the train. Tohru looks back at him and waves, waiting for Kazuma's subtle wave towards them.
Kyo only spares a glance and a quirk of his lips, causing Tohru to sigh lightly. "You could stand to be a little more honest about your feelings, Kyo."
"I'm not exactly hiding my feelings, especially since we already bid farewell to everyone."
"You were hardly emotional," Tohru counters. "Not like me... I was a sobbing mess."
He chuckles lightly, running his fingers through her hair. "You can say that again. It really made me reconsider if I should have offered to bring you along."
"No need for that. I was selfish in my endeavour for the curse to break, and I'll reiterate it again if I have to, but I want to go with you Kyo."
"Yeah, no need to say it again." He answers with a soft smile, and finally, the line starts moving and they board the train. Kyo takes Tohru's luggage from her, leaving her with her tote bag while he juggles all the luggage. She can only giggle at his attempts to make her trip comfortable.
"Uh Kyo, are you sure you don't want to me to-"
"No, I'm perfectly fine." He shuts the idea down before she finishes her thoughts, and Tohru cannot help her nervous laughter as people watch him carry three suitcases oh-so casually.
"I'm so sorry, there's too many things of mine in there."
"Hey, I'm not bothered carrying these, so don't worry. Besides, it's not your fault Ayame decided to give you boxes of care packages."
Saying his name leaves a vivid memory of Ayame's farewell.
"Kyonkichi~ I just know you're going to love your care package."
"Speaking of which," Tohru starts, "What do you think Ayame packed in the care packages?"
"Not anything useful." He asserts, clenching his hand into the fabric of the suitcase as he imagines what lecherous things he packed for Tohru.
Then again, maybe he is overly possessive of Tohru. He thinks back to when she blushed in front of Shigure when he teased her for enjoying her time with Kyo.
But the fact that he is no longer embarrassed to express his feelings for her is a great change, at least, for the most part. He will no longer be a victim of Shigure, Ayame, or even Momiji's teasing.
The train attendant watches horrifyingly as Kyo loads the luggage onto the train nonchalantly. Tohru still remembers how Kyo had to upgrade to business class in order to fit all the luggage.
Ayame may have proven to be a denture on their trip expenses.
"Uh sir, I can take it from here." The attendant offers nervously, enough though he is not much shorter than Kyo, he is definitely intimidated by him.
Kyo handles compartmentalizing all the luggage wordlessly. "We can't have anyone risk ruining the stuff, even if they contain Ayame's perversions."
All because Tohru wants to keep the care packages given to them.
All the attendants on the train pause awkwardly when they hear Kyo, contemplating what really could be in the many suitcases packed.
The rest of their items were packed in a moving truck, and they agreed to pack anything leftover in suitcases, which would have been very few things.
That is, until Ayame showed up with boxes of items to give them.
And to think Yuki's care package would be even more extravagant—nobody could fathom it.
Tohru takes the window seat and watches with wide eyes as the train slowly moves out of the station platform shortly after.
Kyo watches her countenance with a smile, lacing his fingers with hers. She slowly cranes her neck to stare at their interlaced hands, blushing at the action. Even though they have held hands many times, her heart flutters every time he does anything remotely romantic.
"Tohru," he calls softly, waiting for her to look at him.
"Yes, Kyo?"
"I, too, came prepared with a farewell gift. It's not a lot, but I want to make do on those words I spoke to you when we visited your mother's grave."
"That's so considerate of you, Kyo. But trust me, having you with me is the greatest gift I could be offered. After all, a future with you was my biggest wish."
"Considerate it an addition to our journey." He fishes for the small box in his bag, and hands her it.
Tohru opens the box to find a silver wedding band, engraved with a simple design.
He stares at her expression of shock softly. "Once I have enough money, I'll buy you a better ring. But I was hoping we could sign the papers once we move into our apartment."
Tohru previously holds the box in her hand. "Kyo, I can't thank you enough for getting me a ring."
"Really? I think it'd be pretty terribly if I didn't get you anything."
"No! I'd never trouble you like that, especially considering how we had to upgrade our tickets to fit all my belongings."
He places his fist on her head gently. "Alright, maybe I was over exaggerating when I said we wouldn't have much money." Kyo's gaze flickers back to the ring. "Do you want me to put it on you?"
Tohru nods slowly, watching as he delicately handles her wedding band and grasps her left wrist with a subtle grip, sliding it into her ring finger.
"Thank you, Kyo. Also," Tohru adds, holding her hand out to admire how perfectly the ring fits. "I don't want another ring, even if we're well off in the future."
"Are you sure?"
"I stand my ground, Kyo Sohma."
"Ah yes, persistent as ever."
Little does he know Akito utilized that same word choice for her when she was in the hospital.
They both smile at each other, experiencing the beginning of a new banquet, away from family and friends.
But even if there are less people around, that loneliness they once experienced will never come back, not within each other's presence.
"Your smile's really contagious, you know that?" Kyo states.
"Well, all the more reason to live with you. I'm looking forward to all the unpacking, grocery shopping, cooking..."
"With me," he clarifies. "I want to cook with you more often."
Tohru recalls the time they made a curry at Kazuma's house for lunch and then somen later that evening. And as an afterthought, Kyo's first time trying pancakes also flashed through her memory.
"Our first dinner being married will be an effort from both of us, I suppose."
"That just sounds wrong. You shouldn't be doing any work on the day we get married. We can eat out then."
"No, I'm fine."
"Well, unfortunately for you, I have no intention of making my wife work on the day we get married."
"Wife..." she whispers, blushing all over again as the possibility remains surreal. Months ago, they would imagine that around this time, Kyo would be locked away for good.
Her spacing off catches him by surprise. "What's that look for?"
"I'm just happy, that's all. Maybe a little nervous."
"You're going to make me nervous if you keep this up."
"Right, sorry."
Kyo would have looked away in embarrassment, blushing slightly months ago had he mentioned anything along the lines of marriage. But now, he seems so at ease with acknowledging their relationship, something that is still so new for Tohru.
And for one, he does not pass up the opportunity to hold her hand, not letting go until they are served their meal on the way to the small town.
While doing so, Tohru notices she no longer feels the beads of his bracelet feathered along her wrist, an observation she makes every time when they hold hands anew.
Author's Note: When I finished FB in 2021, it didn't leave me as depressed, and I wasn't sure what to write a Kyoru fic on. But when I rewatched it a week ago? This anime is rent-free in my head now, and I CANNOT get over Tohru and Kyo. Like how dare we not get an entire series about Kyo and Tohru's adventure after leaving the Sohmas? I rewatched the end scene of the Prelude movie like 50 times, so clearly eating up whatever crumbs Takaya is giving us.
Also, I believe Kyo and Tohru are married in the movie because the wedding band is on Tohru's left hand. Engagement ring goes on right, wedding on left in Japan, and engagement rings aren't common tradition in Japan (at least for the time period we're talking about). Also since Takaya confirmed that the graveyard scene in the end was Kyo essentially proposing to Tohru, I'll be taking that as a marriage proposal, and I can totally see them getting married young. Kyo fr vowing to be a provider ahahaha.