Work Text:
Haunted House
A/N: This is set in S2 E5. It's one of my favorites and it just cracks me up! I think this is what should have happened if Tohru took Kyo's hand. ALSO this story is dedicated to JellyfishOnACloud and Sofia_Ravencrest for being such amazing fans! Thank you whoever you are! I hope you both like this!
The sounds themselves were just too much for her. She was quaking with fear, trying to get through this whole ordeal for Momiji's sake. Eventually, her poor decision making caught up to her. Tohru fell ungracefully as she tripped, landing face first on the floor. Kyo and Yuki watched in bemusement.
"Hold my hand," they both offered. Once they realized their joint statement, they turned to each other and glared. They flung insults at each other before Tohru reached out.
Kyo looked down at their joined hands, slightly flushed. Her eyes were still shut tight as he felt her hand shake. He clutched it a little tighter as he helped her stand.
"Come on. Let's keep going and get out of here." He insisted. He adjusted their hands so their fingers were laced together, and to his great delight, Tohru wrapped her free hand around his arm. Kyo glanced back at Yuki and smirked. The look of pure rage on Yuki's face was priceless. Kyo continued on, noticing that Tohru was still jumping and squeaking at the various sounds she heard. He rolled his eyes and tried not to laugh at her.
"I think we're getting close to the end, Tohru." Kyo said quietly next to her ear. He heard her breathe a sigh of relief, but it was short lived as another mannequin jumped out and screamed. Tohru clutched his hand tightly and buried her face into his arm as much as she could. Not for the first time, Kyo wished the curse was gone so he could actually hold her. Instead, a dark pink blush spread across his face as he rubbed his thumb on hers and he gulped.
"You okay?" He asked.
"Y-yes. Thank you, K-Kyo," she stuttered. They continued for a while, but it wasn't enough for Kyo. He glanced back at his cousins to see what they were doing. Thankfully, it looked like Momiji was keeping himself busy by making fun of the props and Haru and Yuki were having a calm conversation. Yuki caught sight of the pair again and grit his teeth. Kyo could see this even in the dim light.
The group kept walking and soon, Tohru and Kyo stopped.
"Tohru," Kyo said softly. She was too scared to respond. Kyo rolled his eyes and chuckled loud enough for her to hear. "I just wanted to give you a heads up. It looks like there's a lot of stuff ahead. You ready?" She rearranged their fingers quickly so she could grasp his hand tighter if necessary and nodded with determination. They continued and Tohru thought she might faint. The sounds were so gruesome and horrifying. How was a place like this even legal? How could Momiji laugh his way through this? Kyo couldn't believe she was actually scared of this stuff.
'She's probably going to have nightmares tonight or get no sleep.' Kyo thought. He saw the door leading to the exit and a bittersweet feeling washed over him. He was glad to be out of this ridiculous place, but he also didn't want to let go of Tohru's hand. Nevertheless, he reached forward with his free hand and opened the door. Since they were a little ways in front of the rest of the group, Kyo looked down and smiled. She still hadn't opened her eyes, apparently not realizing they were out. Taking this opportunity, he bent down so his mouth was next to her ear.
"...boo." He said quietly. Tohru jumped and squealed. Kyo couldn't help but laugh lightly.
"Tohru, we're not even in the haunted house anymore," he chuckled. Tohru cracked on of her eyes open and saw that they were, indeed, back in the normal part of the mall. She let out a shaky sigh and rested her head on his arm once again.
"Don't ever let me go in one of those again. That was horrible." She remarked. Kyo used his free hand to pat the top of her head a little.
"Sure." he responded. He turned when he heard his obnoxious cousins exit the haunted house.
"Let's go get some food!" Momiji said excitedly. The group agreed and Tohru absentmindedly followed Momiji, Yuki, and Haru towards the food court. She was still dazed and traumatized by her experience, not noticing that she still held onto Kyo's hand tightly, even though she had removed her other arm. Kyo looked forward and noticed that his cousins seemed busy in their own conversation, so he took this time to focus on how freaking soft Tohru's hand was. Even after doing all the housework, chores, and cooking, they still felt like satin. He never wanted to let go. He started rubbing his thumb on top of hers once again.
"Are you okay?" He asked lightly. Tohru kept her dazed eyes forward.
"Yes, I'm alright. Thank you...." replied in a monotonous voice that was eerily similar to Hana's. Kyo smiled softly at her.
"You don't look alright," Kyo said as he gently tapped his fist against her head. This seemed to help a little bit. He saw her eyes clear up a bit and she looked at him for the first time since she opened her eyes. His smile and warm expression cheered her up right away.
"Thank you for helping me in there. I was sure I was going to die of fright at some point." She remarked. This statement made Kyo's smile grow, which made her stare at him with her own small smile.
"Yeah, I thought so too," he laughed. He was trying to avoid bringing attention to their still joined hands, wanting to savor the feeling. Little did he know, she was doing the same. She loved the way his hands felt. They were rough and calloused and it made her whole arm tingle. All too soon, they reached the food court and caught up with the rest of the Sohma's.
"Hurry up, you guys! I'm HUNGRY!" Momiji yelled at them. As they neared the group, Kyo noticed Yuki glaring at him. Kyo glanced down at his and Tohru's entwined hands and then back at Yuki. He shoved his other hand in his pocket as he smirked yet again. Yuki huffed and looked away. However, Tohru seemed to notice this encounter, looking between her two housemates. She then looked at her hand that was being held captive by Kyo's and smiled sadly. She retracted her fingers and Kyo instantly looked down to her, immediately missing the contact.
"Well, I think I'm going to go over with Momiji. That food he's getting looks good." Tohru said with a blush on her face.
"Wai-" Kyo began to say but she was already gone. He mentally cursed. That damn rat was always giving him problems.
The rest of the day was spent going into any shop that they wanted. Kyo usually lingered outside the store or sat on a bench. Tohru and Momiji seemed to be having fun; Yuki and Haru were having a good time, too. But Kyo just wanted to spend more time alone with Tohru. Eventually, they came across an athleticwear store. Kyo was a fan of their brand, so he walked inside and was looking around when he felt the familiar satin on his palm. He looked up in surprise to see Tohru was smiling up at him.
"I'm glad you found a store you like! Is there anything good in here?" She asked. He was surprised to say the least, and looked around and saw that his cousins weren't anywhere nearby.
"U-uhm, I don't know yet. Where did they all go?" He inquired. Tohru began to scan the rack Kyo was previously looking at as she answered.
"They kept going. I tried to get them to wait but they didn't listen to me; so I came in instead!" She said happily. He looked down at their hands and allowed himself a small smile. They continued to browse hand in hand. Tohru always pointed things out that she said would look good on him, which always made him blush. It was hard to say no to her since she practically dragged him across the store, but in the end he only purchased a new jacket. Tohru had picked it out so she was a little excited, which made Kyo happy as well. They walked out of the store, still holding hands, and Kyo had draped the new bag over his shoulder. He felt like this is what couples normally do, and he had to admit he really loved it.
"Should we go find the others?" Tohru asked once they had been walking for a minute or two. Kyo shrugged his shoulders.
"Eh. Let them do what they want. Do you want to go to any stores?" he said. Tohru raised a finger to her lip, thinking about what stores she recalled seeing earlier. Her eyes lit up as she remembered something!
"There was a really cute store that we passed. Would you mind going with me?" Her smile was so bright, he didn't stand a chance.
"Sure. Where is it?" Tohru's face crumbled a bit and an awkward smile spread across her face. Kyo rolled his eyes and would have hit her head if his other hand was free.
"Let's see if we can find a directory somewhere." He said, pulling her hand so she would follow.
Eventually they made it to the store and Kyo felt out of place to say the least. It was full of stationary, stuffed animals, keychains, and other kawaii things. He noticed Tohru eyeing a small keychain multiple times as they walked around the store. It was a orange tabby cat and Kyo blushed. At least she thought his Zodiac form was cute. They continued for another few minutes and Tohru ended up buying new ribbons for her hair. She made Kyo pick them out so naturally they were a pretty pastel orange that complimented her hair color. As they exited the store, Tohru made Kyo sit on a bench and hold her new ribbons for her.
"Wait, you're putting them on right now?" Kyo asked with a blush. Tohru smiled sweetly.
"Of course! They're beautiful!" She responded as she undid the two ribbons that were already in her hair. Once she was done, Kyo held out a ribbon to her. As she was weaving it into her hair, Kyo looked down at his shoes, willing his blush to go away. He noticed that she was standing pretty close to him now, as their shoes were almost touching. He looked up and saw that she was practically done with that ribbon, so he held out the other one. This time he watched her and his efforts went to waste. He was fully blushing at this point. She looked gorgeous with those ribbons.
"How do they look?" Tohru asked with pink painted across her cheeks as well. Kyo gulped before he answered.
"Good." He turned his head away and saw the other three Sohma's coming their way. Kyo hung his head and sighed before standing up. He placed a hand on her upper arm and whispered into her ear.
"You look beautiful." Tohru's flush deepened in color to a pretty red as Momiji ran over to them.
"Hey Tohru! Come on! Let's have a sleepover in your room!" Kyo grunted before he grabbed his little cousin and ground his fists on either side of Momiji's head.
"You're too old for that, you annoying rabbit!"
"Wahh! Tohru! Kyo's hurting me!" Momiji cried. Tohru was trying to get Kyo to stop and eventually when nothing else worked, she gripped one of his wrists. Kyo finally relented and looked at her. Momiji took this opportunity to escape and hide behind Yuki, who was also trying to tell Momiji that sleepovers with Tohru weren't appropriate. Kyo let his hands fall to his sides, and to his elation, Tohru laced her fingers with his once again. To say he was shocked was an understatement. He didn't think she would hold his hand in front of Yuki again because of what happened earlier. He wasn't about to complain though. Reaching down, he grabbed the bag with his new jacket and started to walk towards the exit with Tohru.
Since the main estate and Shigure's house were pretty far away, the group decided to take the train back. To their surprise it was pretty crowded. The Sohma boys glanced at each other. Usually they would avoid places like this so they wouldn't risk transforming, but Tohru was with them. She couldn't walk all the way back. Tohru insisted that Kyo and the other boys sit in the chairs since they had been walking around all day and it would be less likely that he would bump into someone. They all reluctantly agreed, and Tohru stood in front of Kyo, holding onto one of the metal bars to steady herself. Kyo rested his head back against the wall and closed his eyes, tired from all the pointless things he did that day. However, his mind lingered on his new experiences with Tohru. Would he dare let himself hope that she felt the same? His thoughts were interrupted as he heard a small squeak come from Tohru. He opened his eyes to see a middle aged man uncomfortably close to her. The look on her face clearly indicated that she was scared and uncomfortable. He stood immediately and grabbed her waist, maneuvering them so she took his seat and he was standing where she was previously. He looked over his shoulder and glared at the man, who quickly moved away. He looked back at Tohru with worry in his eyes. She was staring at her palm that rested on her lap, so he nudged her foot with his. She looked up at him and he saw that her eyes were watering. Kyo clenched his jaw and looked around the train for the man that caused the tears. Fortunately for that man, Tohru reached up and tugged on Kyo's school shirt before he could move. He looked at her once again, noticing that she was trying to smile.
"I'm okay. Thank you though." Her voice quavered despite her best efforts. Kyo clenched his fists and willed himself not to do anything rash. Tohru released his shirt and turned her head so she could look out the window at the sunset.
Once they arrived at their station, Tohru and stood and Kyo immediately grabbed her hand, leading her out of the train as quickly as possible. The other Sohma boys followed closely behind. Tohru and Yuki said goodbye to Haru and Momiji as they walked towards the main estate.
"Come on, let's go home." Kyo urged. He began walking ahead of Yuki and Tohru, wanting to go take a cold shower. He had to admit he was a little disappointed when Tohru did try to catch up with him. She wanted to spend some time with Yuki since she had been with Kyo for most of the afternoon. She already missed the feel on his palm on hers though.
As they entered the house, Tohru greeted Shigure, who had been waiting at the door.
"Did you kids have fun today?"
"Oh yes!" Tohru exclaimed. "We went to the mall and did a super scary haunted house and then went shopping!"
"A haunted house huh?" Shigure said with a surprised look on his face. "I didn't think you liked those kinds of things, Tohru."
Tohru shuddered a bit at the memory of the horrifying faces burned into her memory.
"I don't. I was terrified the whole time. But Kyo was kind enough to help me!" Tohru said, beaming. Kyo was blushing and trying to take his shoes off faster.
"Is that so? Well, how nice of Kyo." Shigure drawled, smirking. Kyo grit his teeth and shoved past Shigure and up the stairs. Tohru watched and thought that he might be embarrassed that they held hands. She moved her way towards the stairs as well.
"Yes! Anyways, I'm going to get changed. Did you already eat dinner or should I prepare something for you?" She asked sweetly. Shigure waved her off.
"I ordered delivery so don't worry about me." Tohru smiled and lightly bowed before she started walking up the stairs.
As she rounded the top step, she caught a glimpse of orange hair on the balcony before it disappeared. Tohru smiled lightly to herself, remembering all the times she went up there with him. She changed quickly and walked outside. Before she reached the ladder, she called out, even though she knew he was there.
"Kyo?"
"I'm here." he responded just loud enough for her to hear. As she climbed up the ladder, she was met with a familiar sight. Kyo was laying on his back, but he wasn't looking at her. She walked carefully and layed down next to him. One thing she always loved about Shigure's house is that it was just far enough away from the city that they could see so many stars at night. As they continued in silence, she closed her eyes and listed to the sounds around them. Kyo's light breathing, various nocturnal animals and bugs, and the stream that was close to the house. She smiled and then she felt Kyo fingers on her wrist. She opened her eyes and looked over at him. His gaze was directed at their hands. He flattened his palm and Tohru did the same, placing it on top of his. He raised their hands a bit so they could see them better.
"Your hands are so much bigger than mine." she said softly. He smiled a bit, happy she hadn't pulled away.
"You're just tiny in general." he joked. She giggled and she gently ran her fingers down his and tracing his palm until she reached his wrist, and then repeated the action. She could feel every callous and line and scar and she loved it. Kyo melted at her soft touches, glancing at her sideways. She even went so far as to trace the slightly protruding veins on his forearms. Kyo shuddered at this motion. She looked up at him and noticed he had closed his eyes. She figured he liked the sensation so she kept going; until he grasped her hands a minute or so later. He laced them once again and Tohru noticed his smile grow a little.
"I like the way your hand fits in mine." He muttered. Tohru blushed at this statement.
"Me, too." she responded. There was another few moments of silence before she spoke again.
"What should we do over the break?" He liked the way she said 'we', like she only meant her and him.
"We could visit Shisho if you wanted. Or visit the beach or something like that." He offered. Tohru sat up quickly, making sure not to let go of his hand.
"I would love to see Shisho again! And maybe you two could spar!" She said excitedly. He sat up next to her, gently brushing their shoulders together.
"Yeah, that would be fun. Maybe I should teach you some things, too. You should know how to defend yourself at least." He said. Imagining her trying to do anything related to martial arts just made him laugh.
"Oh would you! That would be amazing!" she said, leaning in closer to him. He was startled at her proximity, but he wasn't about to complain. Tohru analyzed the look on his face and realized she might be overstepping his boundaries. She began to lean back towards her original spot, and Kyo mustered all the courage he could. Using their joint hands to his advantage, he pulled her back to him and gently pressed his lips to hers. He felt her stiffen, but she clenched his hand tighter. He pulled away and looked at her for any sign of disapproval. When he didn't see any, he used his free hand to cup her cheek and pulled her in again.
Tohru was thrilled to say the least. She knew she was in love with Kyo somewhere in the back of her mind, but she had been pushing it down. Now his devastating kiss made those thoughts resurface and she leaned into him as much as she dared. Not wanting to ruin the moment by accidentally triggering the curse. Her free hand wandered to his jaw line, gently tracing it with her fingertips. Kyo's mind reeled. He was so glad he took the dive. Tohru was kissing him back! He broke away once more and looked at her. She met his gaze and they both smiled widely. She rested her forehead on his and moved her hand to gently play with the hair at the nape of his neck.
"Well, at least I'll have something to tell Shisho." Kyo beamed. Tohru giggled and pecked his lips.
"Yes. And I have something to tell Hana and Uo." Kyo leaned back a bit with a slight grimace on his face.
"Will they kill me if we're dating?" He asked warily. Tohru liked what he was implying.
"I think it will be okay. You've been slowly growing on them, I think." Kyo hung his head.
"You "think?" Well, at least I can die happy." he joked before he pulled her in for another kiss.
They continued talking about potential summer plans, leaning against each others arms and kissing every now and then, but little did they know Tohru's best friends were already talking.
"Uo, I sense changes in Tohru's and Kyo's waves. I believe they are together now." Hana spoke into the phone. Uo started bawling instantly.