Chapter Text
A/N: Tohru and Kyo had confessed their feelings, but Kyo was still doubtful of this because of his cautious nature.
As Tohru picked up the beads to his bracelet, she was thinking about everyone that was now liberated. She wondered what it felt like to the other Zodiac members. Kyo just watched her pick up the beads that had held him prisoner his whole life. He knew she was doing this for his sake. Always thinking of others before herself. That's why he loved her.
It had only been 4 days since the curse broke. Everyone had learned Akito's secret and they were still in shock. They were trying to figure out how to go about their lives, but Kyo already had a life planned. He'd been planning it since Shisho had taken him in even though he knew it would be in vain. But now, he couldn't imagine life without Tohru. She helped break the curse, she was so loving and kind, and he wanted so badly for her to love him for the rest of his life.
"...Kyo?" Tohru hesitantly called out. Kyo had retreated to his usual hiding spot on the roof. Tohru had learned to make a little more noise so she wouldn't startle him anymore. Kyo looked over and saw her head poking over the surface of the roof. His mouth stretched into a smile just for her and he beckoned her over with his head. Tohru carefully walked over the tiles and sat next to Kyo. They sat in a comfortable silence for a few moments, both looking at the sunset that streaked purple and orange. Kyo looked at her out of the corner of his eye. She looked so enraptured with the clouds and the colors in the sky that he could only smile again.
"How are you doing?" She asked, breaking the silence. She kept her eyes upwards but he could tell she was hopeful. He kept his eyes on her as he responded. "I've never felt so... free before. Thank you. For everything, Tohru." She finally tore her gaze away and looked into his beautiful red eyes. Eyes she's grown to love as they contained so much emotion behind them. She smiled at him and in return, he scratched the back of his head and smiled back at her. She suddenly blushed as a thought came into her head. She averted her eyes quickly but Kyo had already noticed. His smile left and he let his hand drop so he could cross his arms.
"What is it?" Kyo said. When she didn't answer, he tapped her head with a fist. "Come on, what is it?" Tohru's face only flushed more. She snuck a glance at Kyo and saw him almost glaring at her, trying to force a confession out of her with his gaze. She finally relented and sighed, looking at him with a determined look on her face. She lunged forward and wrapped her arms around his waist, digging her face in his chest to hide her beet red face. Kyo felt his entire body prickle. 'What is she doing?!' He thought. Only a second had passed before he tentatively wrapped his arms around her shoulders. He could feel Tohru physically relax. He blushed as she pulled away, not wanting to meet her eyes.
"I've wanted to do that for a long time now. Sorry if it was uncomfortable." Tohru said. She wrapped her arms around her legs, resting her chin on her knees. He didn't say it, but Kyo felt the same. "It's okay. I'm just not used to it." he said softly. Tohru nodded in understanding before she looked at the sky again.
Another week had passed. Things were starting to return to normal for the Sohma family. Well, as normal as they could. Everyone returned to school and continued a little bit more carefree. However, Kyo was still the same. His friends made fun of him and he still fought with Yuki, but not as much as before. Tohru noticed Kyo started to talk to her more. He even took his breaks with her, walking around the school and talking to Haru and Momiji. A sense of deja vu washed over her as Kyo went to yell at Haru for going Dark against someone who bumped into him. Momiji was still in his classroom talking to his friends. Tohru couldn't help but smile. It was nice seeing them interact with people more. Tohru felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned to see a tall, light haired boy smiling at her. However, this smile set her on edge. It wasn't a normal smile.
"You're Tohru Honda right?" the boy said. Tohru squeaked and nodded. This drew Kyo's attention. His eyes sharpened at the sight of the boy talking to Tohru.
"You... are in my WAY." The boy said rudely to Tohru. Kyo stormed over and put himself in between the boy and Tohru. Kyo easily had 4-5 inches on the boy and glared at him. "Can't you see the hallway is big enough for you to walk around her. What's your problem?" Kyo snapped at him. Tohru was nervous about the encounter and hugged one of Kyo's arms. Kyo's arm erupted in goosebumps and he tried not to blush. He wasn't finished with the brat that yelled at Tohru. He subconsciously moved her a little bit more behind him and he waited for the boy's answer.
However, the boy looked nonchalant. He must have felt it wasn't worth fighting over and scoffed before walking away. Kyo didn't turn around immediately, savoring the feeling of Tohru practically hanging on him. He did look over his shoulder and saw her forehead was against his back. "Hey. Are you okay? Did he hurt you at all?" Kyo was genuinely worried and turned to face her. She nodded her head before looking up at him. She wasn't smiling as big as she normally does, but she nodded and said, "Yes! Thank you for helping me. I don't know what I did wrong though..." She was still holding his arm but not as tight now. Kyo found himself thinking he could get used to this. But at the though of Tohru thinking she did something wrong pissed him off. "You didn't do anything. It was that creep that was in the wrong." Kyo said a little forcefully. She let out a shaky breath before she nodded again and released his arm. Kyo immediately missed the feeling. "We should probably get back to class," Tohru muttered. Kyo just grunted in agreement and started to walk back to their classroom. He was still pissed at the guy for being to rude to Tohru.
Kyo couldn't focus on anything as the rest of school passed in a blur. He kept replaying the events of the afternoon in his head, how Tohru wrapped herself around his arm. He couldn't help but notice how little she was restraining herself now. She was being a lot more liberal touching him casually. He couldn't say he didn't love it though.
When it was finally time to go home, Tohru almost ran to Kyo's desk. He smiled up at her as she said, "Ready to go home?" in her normal happy voice. "Sure. Let's go." Kyo responded easily. He stood up and walked side by side with Tohru. Yuki was with the student council and then he supposedly had a date with Machi.
The couple walked home, chatting easily about dinner, school, really anything that came to their minds.
"Oh! Kyo, could you help me with the laundry? I'm sorry to bother you, but there's a large blanket I always have trouble with." Tohru asked. "Yeah, I'll help you whenever. Just ask." Kyo tried to sound disinterested, but in his mind, he was rejoicing. Tohru actually asked him to spend time with her! It wasn't a date or anything, but it was a step in the right direction. When they got home, Kyo followed Tohru into the laundry room. He tried not to stare as she bent over the washer to haul the heavy blanket out. When she finally had it in her arms, she looked at Kyo and said, "Here it is! Can you help me hang it up outside?" She was a little breathless. She started to walk outside, but was struggling with the weight of the damp fabric, so Kyo grabbed her shoulder to stop her. When she looked at him, confusion washed over her face. He only smirked and walked to stand in front of her. He bent down to be face to face, keeping the smirk on his face. "Let me?" He asked as he grabbed the blanket out of her arms. He saw her flush a little and winked at her, turning around and throwing the blanket easily over a rod to dry. When he was done, he saw Tohru was still frozen in the hallway staring at him with a look he didn't recognize. He walked to her, brushing the top of her cheek with his thumb. "What's the matter, Tohru? Cat got your tongue?" he joked. He continued past her nonchalantly, even though his heart was pounding. Where did all that courage come from?! He was mentally screaming at himself for touching her so boldly.
This became the norm for the pair. Casual touches here and there and rooftop hugs occasionally. It was just enough for Shigure to make fun of Kyo.
"Oh Kyo-Kyo, why do you insist on soiling my precious flowers with your fingers?" Shigure said in his usual mocking tone. Kyo clenched his jaw and yelled a string of profanities at his older cousin. Tohru just kept washing the dishes in the kitchen, blushing at Shigure's question. She loved how much Kyo touched her nowadays. It made her feel special. She was so wrapped up in thought that she didn't notice Kyo was standing next to her for a few seconds, drying the dishes she had on the drying rack.
"Kyo? Will you let me do something later?" Tohru asked. Kyo was a bit startled by her question, but responded, "Yeah" gruffly. They had finished the dishes and Tohru went to her room. Kyo didn't really know what she meant by 'doing something', or when she planned to do it, so he went to the roof as usual. It was already dark outside, but there wasn't a cloud in sight.
Tohru couldn't believe she had been so bold with Kyo. What was she thinking?! She couldn't back out now though. She knocked on Kyo's bedroom door with no answer. She checked the kitchen as well, before she figured out where he was.
After opening the door to the patio, she noticed what a beautiful night it was. It was cool but not cold, and the stars were shining brightly, like they had a new reason to shine. She climbed the small ladder and started walking towards Kyo, who looked deep in thought as he laid on his back. His hands were on his stomach, which seemed odd to Tohru since they were usually behind his head. As she sat down, she could see Kyo looking at up her, but remaining silent. Since he hadn't said anything yet, she figured she should talk either. She brought her knees to her chest and stared at the stars above them. Kyo couldn't take this much longer. How long would she keep quiet?!
"So, what was it that you wanted to do?" Kyo said. At the sound of his voice, she turned to look at him, not realizing he had sat up. There faces were inches apart and Tohru couldn't breathe. They both had startled looks on their faces and it was Tohru who finally shied away. Strangely, she wasn't blushing. "You don't have to let me if you don't want to," Tohru started, "But I was wondering if I could maybe... touch your hair?" Kyo didn't know what to say. What had he done to deserve such a blessing? He would never admit it, but he loved it when people played with his hair. Shisho would help brush it when Kyo was little and it always felt so good. Finally, he stuttered out a response. "Uuuh, y-yeah sure. Just don't pull it." Tohru grinned and moved to sit behind him. Kyo's breath hitched. He closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable. When he felt her shy fingers take a few strands of hair, he couldn't help but shudder. He only hoped Tohru didn't notice. She continued to tentatively stroke a few pieces, until she became a little more bold, and started to dig her fingers in. Kyo was in heaven. It felt amazing. He didn't want her to stop but he noticed her hands slowing until she completely stopped. He looked over his shoulder and saw her blushing, her hand still lingering in the air behind his head. "Why did you stop?" Kyo questioned. Tohru flushed and looked away. Why was she embarrassed?
Kyo moved so he was sitting next to her again. He reached forward and grabbed one of her tiny hands. She looked in between them, mesmerized by Kyo's actions. He first put her palm flat on his, comparing the sizes of their hands and the length of their fingers. His hands were huge compared to hers. He then laced their fingers together, relishing in the fact that Tohru's fingers curled around his too. He never took his eyes off their hands, but he could feel Tohru staring at him. He finally looked up at her when she threaded her other hand through his hair. Kyo closed his eyes involuntarily and sighed in content. 'Please do this every day.' he thought to himself. He didn't realize it, but he'd actually mumbled that out loud. Tohru only nodded her head in response, but Kyo didn't notice.
When Tohru's arm started to get sore, she rested her wrist on Kyo's shoulder and played with the hair on the nape of his neck. His head lulled forward, enjoying the soft touches. He squeezed the hand he held a little tighter and pulled her to him, his free hand placed on the small of her back. If they were standing, they could have started dancing if they wanted. He would never get tired of her or her hugs.
He sighed when he realized it was probably getting late. "We should head in. We have school tomorrow." He said quietly. "Okay," Tohru responded. Before he lost his nerve, he kissed her cheek and stood up quickly, walking towards the edge of the roof. "Goodnight." He said over his shoulder, and jumped to the patio. She heard the door leading inside the house open and close. Tohru smiled. "Goodnight Kyo."
Yuki noticed Kyo was in an especially good mood the next morning. Although they stopped bickering daily, they didn't talk to each other much. He decided not to rile the former cat up and continue fighting off sleep. Tohru came downstairs, chipper as ever. Kyo was drinking from the milk carton when she walked into the kitchen. He looked at her and then quickly away, face turning red. Yuki didn't even want to know.
The walk to school wasn't as quiet as normal. Tohru seemed to be chattering about anything that came to her mind. Kyo contributed to the conversation where he could, but he could tell she was a little embarrassed around him because of last night. It was cute. He made sure to brush the back of his hand on hers as often as he could. The sensation shot electricity up his arms. He just wanted to hold her hand like he did last night. He decided to push his luck a little and attempt something close. He grabbed her fingers and quickly stroked them with his thumb before letting go. The entire encounter had only lasted for 2 seconds, but Tohru was beat red. Kyo cheered for himself mentally for being brave enough to do it and he tried not to smile.
When they finally got to class, there was a new seating chart. Yuki read the places to the class after everyone got settled. In a stroke of luck, Kyo didn't have to move seats. He liked sitting next to the window in the back of the class. Tohru moved though. Almost on the exact opposite side of the room. Kyo felt a little defeated. He was hoping that she would sit closer to him than she had before. Instead, Yuki was placed next to Kyo. It seems that Yuki didn't assign the seats. After the first 2 lessons, their teacher realized that their placement was a bit problematic. She decided someone had to switch. Who could handle Kyo Sohma easily? (A/N: Any guesses? ;))
During the lunch break, the usual group gathered on the roof of the school. Hana and Uo joined today, and they were up to no good. They noticed how Tohru and Kyo were acting around each other lately, and they were determined to embarrass Kyo about it. "Hey Carrots, what's going on with you and Tohru?" Uo called to Kyo, who was sitting farthest away from her, but conveniently close to Tohru. His face flushed red, as did Tohru's. "What are you talking about, Yankee?" He shouted at Uo. "Oh, please. Only a blind person would miss how you and Tohru are around each other lately." She responded. Haru decided to pipe in saying, "It's true. I've noticed Kyo has been acting a little soft lately." Yuki was disinterested in the conversation and kept to himself but Momiji was ready to play match maker. "Yeah, Kyo! Are you and Tohru dating now or what?" He said louder than necessary. This made Tohru look down and flush even redder than she already was. "No! What the hell are you guys trying to do here?!" Kyo shouted at the group. Hana's soft voice was heard then. "Why deny it? I can read your waves even if they have changed recently." Kyo looked startled for a second and Yuki's head snapped to attention. If Hana could tell they were changed, it finally sank into the Sohma boys that the curse really was in the past. Hana leaned over and whispered something to Uo, who snickered. "Kyo, we know you're lying. Why keep it up? Just kiss Tohru already!" Kyo wanted to jump off the roof and run. Of course he wanted to kiss Tohru, but he didn't want to on a dare. Kyo sat down, trying to make himself be calm. "You guys are the worst." He grumbled. Then he felt a pair of lips on his cheek. He looked over to the source to see a brightly blushing Tohru. His eyes were wide, and he brought a hand to his cheek. Tohru looked away quickly and resumed eating her lunch. Momiji broke the silence. "Oooooh! Tohru and Kyo are in loooooooooove!" He sang. Kyo finally looked away from Tohru and tried to get his face to return to his natural color.
When they returned to class just before the bell rang, the teacher called Yuki and Tohru over. "I noticed there was a flaw in the seating chart. Sohma, could you switch places with Honda?" Tohru was instantly excited and nervous at the same time. "Of course! It's no problem." Tohru responded. When she neared her new seat, Kyo was looking out the window with his hands behind his head as usual. "Hi, Kyo! Sensei moved me here!" She said happily. Kyo looked over and his face turned red instantly. "...Hi." he replied, looking away again. Tohru didn't mind. She figured he was embarrassed about earlier, but she didn't feel bad about it. She wanted to do that for a long time. Their lessons resumed and Kyo was surprised about the meticulous notes Tohru took. She even wrote down what the teacher was saying in case it was important. Kyo gave a small smile and took notes himself.
During their last break, Tohru excused herself to go to the restroom. Kyo was thinking about the last few days. The subtle touches, the lingering hugs, and wondered what it all meant. He noticed that Tohru wasn't back yet and looked around their classroom to see if she was with her friends. She wasn't. She was being blocked from entering the room by the same boy that yelled at her yesterday. Kyo's jaw instantly clutched as he got up and stormed to the door. He could make out parts of the conversation. The boy was apologizing and asking Tohru for a second chance. A date. Kyo snapped and shoved the guy away, pulling Tohru close to side, an arm around her waist. "Get lost." Kyo said forcefully. The boy huffed and walked away. Tohru exhaled shakily.
"Thank you, Kyo. He wouldn't leave me alone..." Kyo was still seething but managed to say, "If you get in that situation again, just tell them we're dating and they'll leave you alone. If not, call for me." Kyo wasn't fully comprehending what he was saying but he guided her back to their seats and grumbled in annoyance. Tohru, however, was lost in a daydream. 'Kyo... and me... dating...' Only in her dreams did that happen. She only snapped out of it when she heard Kyo's friends talking to him.
"Hey Kyo-Kyo! We're all playing soccer after school. Wanna join?" one of them asked. "Don't call me that! Geez, it's getting so old. I need to blow off some steam anyways but you guys still suck." Kyo said. When the lesson started, Tohru started taking notes again. Her thought process was disrupted when a loose piece of paper made it's way on her desk.
"Will you come after school?" She recognized Kyo's handwriting instantly. She quickly wrote down her response and tossed it back to Kyo's desk.
"Of course!"
The end of the school day couldn't come fast enough for both Kyo and Tohru. Kyo was excited to play a sport he liked and that Tohru would be there, and Tohru was just excited that Kyo invited her. When the bell rang, Kyo's friends instantly jumped on him, almost dragging him out of the classroom. Tohru didn't even get to say anything to him. She told Yuki that she was staying behind to watch the game and he said goodbye as he started on his way home. Tohru made her way through the emptying hallways to the soccer field near the back of the school. Thankfully it wasn't a far walk. She was still on edge from her encounter with that horrid boy from earlier. She made it to the bleachers and sat close to the field. She could spot Kyo's red hair from far away. It looked like it wasn't going to be a serious game, since none of the boys wore cleats or shin guards. There was probably 12 boys total on the field. They divided up and took positions as the game started. Kyo was continuously running, as he was playing midfield. Tohru wanted to watch all day. He was so fast and strong. He handled the ball easily and even did a few tricks.
"Come on, Kyo! Stop showing off for your girlfriend!" One of the boys panted. Kyo didn't respond and continued to dash around the field. After about an hour or so, the boys called it a day and were laughing and rough housing a little bit before parting ways. Kyo started to walk towards Tohru, taking a second to take the bottom of his undershirt and wipe his forehead with it. Tohru was mesmerized by Kyo's figure. It was all sharp angles and strong muscles. Her face flushed as he came close to her smiling.
"That was awesome! I haven't played in so long!" Kyo said happily. "I'm glad you had fun! I haven't seen you do any sports other than martial arts!" Tohru responded. Kyo just laughed and said, "Well yeah. I devoted most of my time to martial arts, but Shisho thought I should do another sport for fun so I picked soccer." They started towards the grocery store to pick up ingredients for tonight's dinner. "What do you want for dinner tonight? It will be a special treat for you!" Tohru beamed as she asked Kyo. He couldn't believe how amazing she was. "Anything is good for me as long as there's no chives!" He responded.
They made it home and ate dinner with Yuki and Shigure. Kyo showered quickly and headed for the roof again, only to be greeted by the sight of Tohru, who was facing away from him. He cocked his eyebrow in happy confusion and crept over to her as quietly as he could. He leaned down next to her ear and quietly said "...boo." Tohru jumped and gripped her chest. "Kyo! You scared me!" She stuttered. "That's the point!" Kyo joked. They sat close together again and Kyo instinctively grabbed Tohru's hand, lacing his fingers through hers. It didn't seem so odd now considering everything that they had already done. Tohru sighed in content and leaned her head on his shoulder. Kyo couldn't help but smile. "You did really good out there today. It was so amazing watching you play." Tohru said. Kyo started rubbing her thumb with his, and just chuckled. "I'm not that great you know." he said jokingly. Tohru quickly looked up at him, meeting his gaze. "Yes, you are! You're incredible! I could never do something like that!" She had a determined look on her face, like she was trying to get him to see himself through her eyes. Kyo took his free hand and gently knocked her on the head like he had done so many times before. "What am I going to do with you?" He said with a smile on his face. They chatted more about the game and Kyo's childhood playing soccer until he couldn't wait any longer. He had to ask her. "So... are we going to talk about what happened at lunch today?" He was nervous but hopeful. Tohru blushed. "Oh. Well if you want to," she said. Kyo chuckled, "I do want to actually. Why did you do it?" He was genuinely curious. Tohru took a few seconds before simply answering, "Because I wanted to."
Kyo thought she would have done it so their friends would stop teasing him. But she had kissed him because she wanted to? It seemed too good to be true. Kyo didn't really know what to say at this point other than the small "Oh" that left his lips. Tohru responded immediately, feeling flustered. "I'm sorry if that was crossing a line! I just know you don't like it when Uo and Hana tease you and you seemed so uncomfortable and I want you to be comfortable around my friends so I figured that was the only way to get them to stop and I really wanted to anyways but maybe it made it worse and I'm so sorry if it did. I must seem so selfish to you but I promise I won't do it again." she rambled quickly. Kyo looked at her silently. "Don't promise that..." he said quietly after a few seconds. "Huh?" Tohru breathed. "Don't make promises you can't keep, Tohru." Kyo said as he leaned in and kissed her cheek.
Tohru jerked back in surprise, and instantly saw Kyo's hurt expression. "...sorry," he grumbled and looked away. "Oh no! It's not that! You just caught me by surprise! I don't mind at all!" Tohru said. Kyo's head snapped back towards her. He looked at her worried face and he had to restrain himself from kissing her lips. It was almost painful, but he opted to bring her close to him, letting go of the hand he was holding and wrapping his arms around her waist. Tohru responded with enthusiasm, hugging back fiercely.
"Tohru, be honest with me. Do you like me?" Kyo asked quietly in her ear. She shivered at the feeling. "Of course I like you! I like everyone!" Tohru responded with a smile. 'Gosh she's dense.' Kyo thought, but it only made him love her more. He chuckled, "I know that silly, but do you want to do this all the time? Hug me and hold my hand and even kiss me?" Kyo further explained. His heart was racing and he was sure Tohru could feel it. Only a few seconds had passed before Tohru began to pull away to look at Kyo's eyes. Her face was unsure, but her cheeks were flushed once again. When she made no move to respond, Kyo was going to start begging. "Please Tohru, say you'll go out with me. I really like you..." He was leaning in closer to her face, their foreheads touching. "Please," He pleaded, cupping her cheek with one of his hands. He pulled away, only to look in her eyes. "Please." he said one last time. He leaned in close to her mouth, barely a breath away before Tohru responded softly, "Yes".
Their lips met shyly at first, but Kyo melted at the feeling. The hand cupping her cheek slid to the back of her neck, angling it to get better access. Tohru kissed him back with fervor, lightly moaning when he pulled her impossibly closer. Kyo tried to pour every ounce of happiness he was feeling into the kiss. He wanted her to know how much he loved her. Soon he felt her hands travel up to his hair. It felt good when she was playing with his hair yesterday, but now the feeling of that plus her lips on his made him groan. He broke away to give Tohru a chance to catch her breath, but his mouth was moving to her cheeks, her jaw, and finally on her neck. Tohru let out a shaky breath, and only gripped his hair tighter. This caused a chain reaction. Kyo's entire body clenched and before he knew it, he was almost growling, pushing her to lay back on the roof and attacking her mouth again. His hands gripped her hips as he laid down on top of her, careful not to crush her with his weight. Their legs were tangled and the sounds Tohru was making only turned Kyo on more. He thought about how amazing she felt and how he wanted to do this every day, but when he thought of her and her gentle nature, he pulled back. He didn't want to scare her or push her too far. He rested his forehead on hers once again and they were both panting.
"We should probably stop..." Kyo said, out of breath. Tohru finally released his hair and nodded. He retreated off of her and helped her stand. They walked hand in hand to the ladder and Kyo jumped down, ready to help her if she needed.
Tohru was completely shocked. She didn't know this side of Kyo existed. He was so passionate and caring. When she made it to the bottom of the ladder, she turned to face Kyo, who was smiling. She smiled in return and leaned up to peck him on the lips. "Good night, Kyo." she said and walked towards her room. "Good night, Tohru." Kyo said back.
The following morning Kyo made no attempt to hide his affection for Tohru. When she was cooking breakfast, he kissed her cheek twice. When they sat down to eat with Shigure and Yuki, he sat next to her and used his free arm to wrap it around her waist. And when Shigure called him out on his affections, Kyo just smirked and kissed her straight on the mouth. Tohru blushed and Yuki dropped his chopsticks, frozen at the sight. He wasn't jealous, but was shocked to say the least. Shigure pretended to cry saying "Oh Tohru, my beautiful flower, you've been plucked!" and other things that made Kyo yell at him. Tohru just looked at Yuki and laughed nervously. This snapped him out of his trance and he smiled at her and whispered "About time. Congratulations." to her. When Kyo was done shouting at Shigure, they left for school. Kyo was walking hand in hand with Tohru and thought he was the luckiest guy in the world. As they neared the school, Yuki was bombarded with his fan club and Kyo lead Tohru around the mob towards their classroom. Hana was the first to notice the position of Kyo's and Tohru's hands and gave a genuine smile. Uo looked over and yelled, "It's about damn time!" at them through the hall. Tohru flushed and Kyo just smiled. "I know. I don't know what took me so long." He looked down at Tohru and squeezed her hand. Tohru used her free arm and wrapped it around Kyo's bicep. She smiled back at him and pecked his cheek. This caused Uo to lose it and start crying. "Oh Tohru! You've grown up! I can't believe it!" She sobbed. She yanked Tohru away from Kyo and hugged her as tight as she could. Hana put her arms around her friends and sighed. She then took a moment to glare at Kyo, who felt shivers down his spine. He knew it was a warning. 'Take care of her or else...' He chuckled nervously and asked, "Uh, can I have my girlfriend back?". Uo, Hana, and several nearby students paused and stared at Kyo. "GIRLFRIEND?!" Uo yelled.
The news spread around the school quickly. Kyo Sohma and Tohru Honda are dating?! Kyo's friends congratulated him and Tohru when they walked into the classroom together. As they sat at their desks, Kyo regretted the space in between them. He wanted to keep holding her hand. He would just have to make due with brief glances. As class started he tried to focus, but scenes from their little tryst on the rooftop yesterday kept popping into his head. How she felt beneath him, how she was panting, and how soft her lips were. Before he knew it, their last break of the day was there. Tohru stood up and placed herself next to Kyo. "Want to go take a walk?" She asked with a smile on her face. "Sure" Kyo answered back, smiling just as brightly. He stood up and laced their fingers together. He finally got to show Tohru off to every one. As they walked through the halls, many pairs of eyes watched them. Murmurs were heard and pointing fingers were held their way. Kyo didn't mind though. He only had a smirk on his face, knowing he was so lucky. Tohru chatted with him as they walked, and Kyo responded, always smiling at her. Soon they turned a corner and someone bumped into Kyo's shoulder. He was irritated but decided not to give it any more thought. Until he heard a voice.
"You going to apologize or am I going to have to make you?" A voice Kyo recognized said. It was the same boy who yelled at Tohru and then had the audacity to flirt with her. Kyo instantly glared at the boy and positioned himself between Tohru and the brat. "What's you're problem? Who even are you?" Kyo said angrily. The boy smirked. "You don't know who I am? I'm Sora." Kyo scoffed. "Is that supposed to mean something to me?" he said. Sora looked at him with an arrogant face. "I'm the richest kid in school. Now bow and say you're sorry and I'll let it drop." Tohru was shaking behind Kyo and pressed herself against his back, gripping his shirt. Her small voice could be heard behind Kyo. "You bumped into him though. It's you who should apologize." She said. Sora tried to look around Kyo to try and see Tohru, but Kyo just adjusted himself so he was shielding her. Kyo smirked and said, "You heard her. I don't care if you're the richest kid in school. I'm the toughest." Sora sneered at Kyo and Tohru and said, "What did you say to me you bitch?". Sora was trying to reach around to grab Tohru's arm. Kyo felt Tohru grip onto him tighter. He cocked him arm back and punched Sora in the jaw, hearing a satisfying snap. At this point, a group of students had gathered to watch the fight. Sora looked up from the floor with blood dripping from his mouth. He looked around and saw everyone staring and his face flushed. "Whatever, you asshole. I'm out of here." Sora said. He got up and walked towards a group of girls who immediately let him through.
Kyo turned and brought Tohru into his arms. "Are you okay?" He asked with worry in his voice. He let go only to cup her face in his hands and look at her. She had tears streaming down her face and she was still shaking. She nodded and pulled him in for what she would have considered a bone crushing hug, but Kyo felt almost nothing. He continued to hold her as teachers came running and asked Kyo what happened. When he explained and also told them about the first encounter Tohru had with Sora, two teachers went to look for him. Tohru insisted that Kyo go to the nurse for his hand since bruises were already forming.
Kyo sat on a stool as a nurse wrapped his hand in a long bandage. Tohru was holding his free hand and Kyo could tell she was still very upset. "Hey, you didn't do anything wrong. And I'm fine. I'm just pissed that he tried to grab you." Kyo said, jaw clenching at the memory. Tohru just nodded and Kyo remained silent. "There you go! You're all set to go back to class Mr. Sohma." the nurse said. The pair walked towards their class when a teacher who had gone to look for Sora appeared around a corner. "Sohma! Honda! I'm glad I found you. I just wanted to let you know that we found Sora and he's being escorted off the premises. I don't know for sure, but he might be facing expulsion since he already has gotten in trouble like this before. Miss Honda, would you like to press charges? He did try to assault you." Tohru just shook her head, not wanting to cause any more problems. Kyo thanked the teacher and wrapped his arm around Tohru's waist.
"Kyo? I don't feel like I'm ready to go back to class. Can we go somewhere else for a while?" Tohru asked. Her voice sounded shaky and Kyo was starting to get more worried. His brows furrowed as he nodded and led Tohru to their usual spot on the roof. They sat down on the cement bench and stayed silent. Kyo took Tohru's hand and compared the sizes again. He broke the silence by saying, "Your hands are so tiny compared to mine. All of you is tiny really." He looked at her face for a response and saw her small smile. "It makes it easier to protect you."
Tohru looked at him and he saw the clear love in her eyes. "Thank you for protecting me again." She said. A sudden gust of wind blew past them and made them shiver. Tohru noticed Kyo's hair was out of place and quickly reached up to fix it, only to remember last night, and how he reacted to her touching his hair. Her hand faltered and she looked in Kyo's eyes. She could tell he was also thinking about last night and she saw the hunger in his eyes. It was such an emotionally filled day, and Tohru felt overwhelmed, but at the same time overjoyed.
She threaded both of her hands through Kyo's hair and pulled him to her, kissing him hard. Kyo reacted immediately, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her on top of him. She scraped her knees as she straddled him, but she didn't mind. Kyo was practically feasting on her, his lips were everywhere on her. His hands where on her hips, holding her down as he moved below her. The friction it caused sent shivers up their spines, leaving them wanting more and more. His mouth was on her neck, sucking and biting and leaving small marks. Tohru just moaned in response moving her hips against his and gripping his hair even tighter. Kyo's fingers brushed the small patch of exposed skin on her hip, loving how soft her skin felt. He heard her breath hitch at this action and in a bold move, slid his entire hand under her shirt. He started small by gently rubbing the small of her back, and then wanting more, he lightly scratched lines down the length of her lower back. He moved his mouth up to hers once more, kissing her as hard as he could, sure that their lips would be swollen afterwards. Tohru moved her hands to gently push his white school jacket over one of his shoulders, exposing the skin there. She broke their kiss to move her lips to his neck, then his collarbone, and then his shoulder. Kyo thought he would burst. He brought her lips back to his and gripped her hips, grinding his up. They both moaned in pleasure at the friction again, but they were interrupted by the bell to let school out. They broke apart panting and gasping for air and only smiled at each other. "I guess we should go home." Kyo said as he peppered her cheeks with light kisses. Tohru giggled and responded, "Okay. Let's go!" She stood up, legs feeling a little shaky and smoothed out her uniform. They started down the stairs, hand in hand again.
Shigure noticed the new couple seemed more flustered around each other than usual. He couldn't put his finger on it, but he could tell there was a lot of... tension. He only smirked to himself. They would figure it out themselves.
Tohru was still feeling red hot from kissing Kyo so passionately. Where did she get all this courage? She did her best to avoid eye contact with Kyo out of embarrassment. Kyo noticed this and did his best to make her feel more comfortable, but to not avail. He didn't know what to do, but he was frustrated with himself. Maybe he pushed her too far today? After dinner, Tohru basically ran to her room and slammed her door shut. Shigure and Yuki both looked at Kyo expectantly. His face flushed and he yelled, "What are you looking at me like that for!" Yuki just gave him a blank stare before answering, "Well go after her, stupid cat." Kyo huffed and walked upstairs, gently knocking on Tohru's door. "Tohru?" He called when she didn't open the door. He heard a rustle and figured she was on the other side of the door listening. "Look Tohru, I'm sorry if I crossed a line today, but please don't avoid me like this. It's killing me. Let me in" He begged. Tohru slowly slid open her door and moved aside to let him in. He'd only been inside her room a few times, but he was still surprised at how good it smelled and how clean she kept it. He didn't really know what to do except stand there. His eyes followed Tohru as she closed her door and walked to look out the window. She had already changed into her night clothes. They hung on her small body, but they were silken and pink with white lace trim.
Tohru didn't say a word, so Kyo started his apology again. "I know I was being stupid today and I'm really sorry if I offended you but I don't want you to keep ignoring me. Please talk to me." He shoved his hands in his pockets and cast his eyes down. Tohru just shook her head. "I'm not trying to ignore you, Kyo and you didn't offend me or cross a line. I am just trying to process how this afternoon made me feel... I'm being selfish and disregarding your feelings. Please forgive me." During the time she was talking, she walked over to Kyo and placed a gentle hand on his cheek, urging him to look at her. His eyes softened and he leaned into her touch. "It's alright, Tohru. We can figure it all out together." He pulled her close and gave her a chaste kiss.
They kept talking, eventually sitting on Tohru's absurdly large bed. Tohru asked more about Kyo's past and Kyo did the same, asking her about Kyoko. Eventually they laid down side by side and he cuddled her to him. They kept talking and talking for what felt like hours, until Kyo noticed Tohru had drifted off to sleep while he was telling her about training with Shisho in the mountains. He smiled at her and kissed her forehead before getting more comfortable and closing his eyes.
Kyo woke up a few hours later. It was dark outside and he couldn't hear anything downstairs. He looked around and saw that Tohru's clock read 3:06 a.m.. He couldn't figure out why he woke up when he felt like he was sleeping so deeply. He looked down at Tohru and smiled, she was clutching his shirt with a peaceful look on her face. He hated to wake her, but he wasn't tired anymore so he figured he could go back to his room and toss and turn until he fell back asleep. He attempted to detach her hands from his shirt, but was met by fierce retaliation. Tohru had wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him close to her. Kyo was momentarily shocked and didn't know what to do. He didn't want Shigure and Yuki to give him crap for walking out of Tohru's room in the morning. He gently tried to pry Tohru's fingers apart. Her hands moved to his hair and tangled themselves. Kyo had to suppress a moan, but a small sound did escape his mouth. This is when he heard a light giggle.
Kyo looked down to see Tohru smiling. She peeked up at him and he just melted. She was doing this on purpose. Kyo smirked and wrapped his hand around her waist, softly poking her where he knew she was ticklish. She squirmed and pulled his hair a little tighter.
"You better stop that," Kyo whispered in her ear. "I already have you in a compromising position." He brushed his fingers lightly on the spot he just poked.
Tohru just giggled and said, "You were trying to leave. I had to do something." Kyo blushed at the thought of doing this every night. Just sleeping next to her brought him greater comfort than just about anything.
"Well pulling my hair will definitely get me to stay." He said, lowering his mouth to hers.
It was a loving kiss at first but grew more passionate as Tohru continued thread her fingers through Kyo's orange locks. She was definitely doing this on purpose. He moved himself to hover over her, his hands on either side of her head on the pillow, and moved his mouth down to her neck. He found a spot a couple of inches below her ear that she responded well to when he grazed his teeth there. She loosely wrapped her legs around the backs of his thighs. She wanted to be as close to him as she could be. Her hands moved to his back, applying a small amount of pressure to her fingertips, slowly dragging his shirt up. Kyo loved the feeling. He pressed himself closer to her, only to lean back on his knees to tug his shirt off all the way. She took a moment to appreciate Kyo's body. She had only seen him topless a couple of times. Her fingers brushed his stomach, using her nails to hear him hiss in pleasure. Kyo was trying to stay still for her, it felt so good, but it was driving him crazy.
He let Tohru's fingers wander until she gripped the top of his pants and pulled him back down to her. Kyo groaned as she continued to feel his sides and back, pulling him closer and closer. He maneuvered his hands to her stomach and started to unbutton her shirt. She released her hold on him to help, never breaking their kiss. Finally, she shrugged out of her top, exposing a pastel orange bra. Kyo thought he was going to lose it. his thumb brushed just below her bra line, gripping her sides at the same time. She brought her hands to his shoulders, caressing his arms. Kyo released her, only to quickly rid himself of his pants. Tohru did the same, exposing matching underwear. Kyo groaned as he moved his mouth just below her ear.
"Are you trying to tease me, or kill me?" he said, breathlessly. Tohru blushed at his question. "Neither. These just happen to be my favorite." Her legs were wrapped around his waist now. Kyo took this opportunity to feel her soft thighs. He gripped one as he ground his hips into hers, causing them both to moan. Tohru's voice sounded angelic, and Kyo proudly thought he was the only one who could coax these sounds out of her. He repeated this action, a littler harder this time, and he heard her squeak beneath him. He moved his mouth back to hers, silencing her and himself. He didn't want to wake Yuki or Shigure. He ground his hips again and Tohru could feel heat gathering in her stomach. Kyo flipped them so she was on top of him. She sat up and was straddling him like she had earlier that day. She had to catch her breath. So many things were happening. Kyo slowly sat up, keeping her in place. He started to gently kiss her collarbone. She sighed at the feeling, bringing her hands to the nape of his neck. He moved his mouth down, eventually kissing the swell of her breasts. Tohru arched her back towards him and Kyo took this as a good sign. He softly bit and sucked a small piece of skin above her bra.
Tohru groaned again, moving her hips against his. Something in Kyo snapped. He nearly growled and pushed her against the wall her bed was up against. He moved his lips back to hers and kissed her fiercely. Tohru hummed in his mouth and broke their kiss long enough to moan his name. His mind cleared a little bit as she spoke, snapping him out of his haze. He pressed his forehead against hers, panting.
"As much as I want to continue, we do have school in a few hours and we should probably sleep." Kyo breathed. He pulled away to kiss the tip of her nose and then a lingering kiss on her mouth. "I'll see you in the morning, Tohru." Kyo gathered his clothes and snuck into his room, leaving a very frustrated Tohru.
Tohru wasn't an aggressive person, but maybe Kyo was rubbing off on her in more ways than one. She was still a little mad that Kyo left so abruptly last night. It was Friday, and Tohru was determined to make Kyo "suffer", but only by teasing him. She had been up for about half an hour and was making breakfast. Kyo walked downstairs and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. "Good morning, Tohru" he mumbled in her ear. She couldn't help but grin. "Good morning, Kyo. Still hungry?" She asked innocently. Kyo looked at the back of her head surprised. "Still?" He questioned. She turned around with a smile on her face. "Oh, yes! You seemed pretty hungry last night so I wanted to know if you were still hungry this morning." Shigure, who had been eavesdropping on the conversation, spit out his tea. Kyo turned around and glared at his cousin before turning beet red and releasing Tohru. "Tohru!" Kyo said embarrassed, trying not to blush even harder than he already was. She only smiled and said, "I'll set out a plate for you just in case." She walked over to the table where Shigure was staring at her slack-jawed, and set the table. Yuki stumbled down the stairs, still groggy and immediately felt the tension in the room. He looked at his cousins and decided it wasn't worth questioning.
Eventually, Kyo had calmed down and Tohru was very satisfied with herself. She allowed Kyo to lace his fingers through hers as they walked to school. Yuki was eager to see Machi and walked several paces in front of the couple. Kyo took this opportunity to lean down and whisper in Tohru's ear. "What was that all about this morning?" Tohru laughed quietly and only responded, "You should have stayed with me last night." She had her normal smile on her face but Kyo couldn't decide whether he should be turned on or afraid. Turns out, he could do both.
As they neared their classroom, Uo and Hana were waiting in next to the door. Tohru released Kyo's hand to go hug her friends. Uo noticed the small marks on her neck and glared at Kyo. She didn't want to embarrass Tohru so she just brushed Tohru's hair a little out of the way for Kyo to see and glared harder. Kyo's face flushed and he almost ran into the classroom, averting his eyes.
"Tohru, what happened?! What did that carrot do to you?!" Uo said. Tohru blushed at the thought of how she and Kyo were last night and gave her friends a watered down version of what happened and how she was punishing Kyo. Uo looked proud. "I didn't know you had it in you, but this will be fun to watch." Uo said. Hana spoke up and said, "Yes. It will be most entertaining." They both told Tohru not to let Kyo touch her at all, but Tohru felt like that was pushing it a bit too far. "I'll let him touch me, but I won't let it be for more than a few seconds." Tohru said.
True to her word, Tohru continued teasing him throughout the day. Kyo figured as much, but it was still driving him crazy. Tohru even kissed him during lunch in front of their friends but won't let him hold her hand afterwards. By the end of the school day, Kyo figured she would be suffering just as much as him. As the bell rang, Kyo and Tohru stood up and started to walk towards the front of the school. Yuki had to stay behind for student council still, so they would be walking home alone. Kyo went to lace his fingers through Tohru's but she gracefully pulled away and pretended to brush hair out of her face. She then clasped her hands together in front of her and continued walking. Kyo was going to lose it. They walked in silence and Tohru tried not to laugh at Kyo's discomfort. He tried one last time to wrap an arm around her shoulders and hold her close to him but she just shrugged it off. This was the last straw.
"Tohru!" He honestly was angry, but he understood why she was doing it. Tohru couldn't hold back any longer. She erupted in laughter and Kyo just hung his head in embarrassment. He hung his head, exhausted. "Why do you feel the need to torture me?" Kyo said. Tohru laughed some more and hugged him close. He wrapped his arms around her waist enthusiastically, savoring the feel of her after being denied all day. "Oh I'm sorry Kyo, but I had to. It was mean of you to leave last night." Kyo grumbled in her ear. "Still. Don't do that again please. I thought I was going to die today." Tohru giggled once more before she took his hand and laced their fingers together. They continued walking towards Shigure's house and she said, "I promise, as long as you don't leave me hungry in the middle of the night."
To Be Continued