Chapter Text
"That was delicious, Miss Honda, thank you for cooking!"
It was a beautiful weekday morning in mid-August, and Tohru, Yuki, and Kyo were all finishing up their breakfast. It hadn't been anything fancy; just the usual simple fare Tohru favored on the days when they all had places to be. But it had been tasty, and it had been filling, and Tohru had been happy to beam at Yuki's compliment, bowing her head slightly in gratitude.
"Thank you, Yuki, I'm so glad you liked it! But it wasn't just me," she said, looking affectionately at where Kyo was sitting beside her, and after a moment Yuki nodded, glancing at Kyo as he said,
"Yes, well, thank you to you too," his manner somewhat stiffer than it had been with Tohru. But stiff or not, the simple fact he was saying it was enough to make Tohru's heart sing, and that singing became even more pronounced when Kyo shrugged in return, looking not at Yuki but the bowl he was scraping as he replied,
"Whatever, it's not like I did it for you or anything."
It was hardly the exchange of two dear friends, or even two friends, but it was enough. After so long spent listening to the two of them fighting or snapping at each other, of seeing even the smallest interactions punctuated by tension and anger and suspicion, hearing the relatively mild, disinterested tones of both Yuki and Kyo was almost as wonderful as hearing the two of them laughing together.
Almost.
But Tohru would happily take the polite stiffness, and she was still beaming as she looked past Kyo to Yuki and asked, "So do you have anything fun planned for the day, Yuki? You had said you were hoping to get together with Machi today, right?"
"That's right, I was," he confirmed, smiling at her, "And I am, though not until later. Somehow, I let myself get roped into going to that new adventure park with Kakeru-"
"-Good luck with that," Kyo said, starting to collect and stack up the dishes. "That guy's exhausting in tiny doses, dunno why you'd put yourself through that in a place so loud and chaotic to start with."
"Probably because they're friends, Kyo," Tohru said with a giggle. "And they like spending time together! Right, Yuki?" she asked, looking back at him, and Yuki gave her a resigned smile.
"You are correct, Miss Honda, though I still sometimes find myself wondering how."
Tohru giggled again as Kyo stood up and took the dishes to the kitchen. "Well, I hope you have a wonderful time. Are you going to be there all day?"
"No," Yuki said so quickly that Tohru and Kyo both almost laughed. "Just the morning, then we'll be meeting Machi and Komaki for lunch-"
"-Oh, like a double date?" Tohru said excitedly, clasping her hands. "That sounds like so much fun!" she said, earning a smile from Yuki and an affectionate eyeroll from Kyo in the kitchen that neither of the others noticed.
"Well, like a lunch," Yuki said. "I'm not sure how 'date-like' it will be...but hopefully it will be fun. It's always nice to see Komaki," he said, referring to Kakeru's girlfriend.
Enough time had passed that mention of Komaki no longer made Tohru feel awkward. It had been hard to feel normal, for a time, around Kakeru himself, once she had placed him as the boy who had been so harsh at her mother's wake: the one who had stood there and told her not to think her grief should be valued more than anyone else's. The first time she heard Yuki casually mention Komaki, once Tohru knew she was the daughter of the man who'd killed her mom, had been emotionally jarring in a way she never could have expected.
But time had helped, and so too had hearing how much Yuki liked Komaki, who Tohru had to agree sounded...nice.
Tohru ought to have expected that she would be nice. Komaki hadn't had to come to Kyoko's wake; Tohru certainly hadn't gone to Komaki's father's wake, being too deeply plunged into her own grief to know that anyone else had even died. But Komaki had come to Kyoko's; she had apologized, and said she was sorry. Whatever Kakeru had said, it had come from Kakeru himself; Komaki hadn't been with him, and she hadn't known.
And Tohru couldn't fault Kakeru for trying to ease the pain of the person he loved.
She and Kakeru had cleared the air between them, and that had been enough for Tohru. She could sit back, and smile, and be happy for Yuki in his friendships with both Kakeru and Komaki, without feeling the slightest need to either avoid or insert herself into them...
Except maybe just a little bit vicariously.
"Do you know where you're going to eat yet?" she asked Yuki, interested curiosity shining on her face. "Or are you all going to decide later?"
"You don't gotta interrogate the guy, Tohru," Kyo called from the kitchen. "Why does it matter where they're going for lunch?"
Tohru promptly blushed, sitting back on her heels. Kyo was right; she was doing that thing again, where she got too interested and came on too strongly-
"It's fine, Miss Honda," said Yuki, though he had raised his voice and was looking pointedly towards the kitchen. "We're not actually sure yet; we're meeting at the shopping arcade and we'll figure it out then. Sometimes, there's something to be said for a little spontaneity," he said, smiling at her.
The easy tone in his voice and the way he smiled made a warm feeling spread through Tohru's heart, the way it had so often in the past month. He looked so content, and cheerful...
And he was right, she had to admit. Sometimes, it was nice to be able to just...do whatever.
Just like any other high schooler, enjoying their final summer vacation.
It felt like it had been both a lifetime and the blink of an eye. On mornings like that one, when the bright summer sunshine streamed in through the open paper doors and they all sat together at the table and talked, Tohru could almost feel that this was the way things always had been. And in some ways, it was; maybe not always, but for the past two years.
Two wonderful years spent sitting at this table, sharing meals and talking with Yuki and Kyo.
Except she hadn't always been making those meals with Kyo at her side, the two of them smiling together or laughing over some shared joke. She hadn't always been able to see his grin when he looked at her: open, unguarded, and full of abject love.
She hadn't been able to greet him before by wrapping her arms around him, holding him close and feeling his body against hers, warm and real...
But now she could, because he was real. Because this was real. Because as happy as she had been over those two years, that happiness had never come close to touching what she felt now, in that beautiful world where the Curse was gone and she knew Kyo Sohma loved her.
Where she and Kyo could hold each other without fear. Where they could cook together, and he could steal kisses as he passed her. Where Yuki could relax and smile at her in that carefree way, and Kyo and Yuki could talk to one another without aggression or malice.
Where they could all just be themselves: three ordinary teenagers, unburdened by secrets or the supernatural.
It had been just over a month since that beautiful day when the Curse had broken, and Tohru didn't think it was possible for her to be happier.
"What about you, Miss Honda?" Yuki asked, looking at her. "Do you have any plans for the day?"
"I do!" she said brightly, nodding over at him. "I'm going to be doing the laundry, and cleaning the kitchen," she began, only to giggle at Yuki's expression. "Chores still need to be done, Yuki, even in the summertime! But that shouldn't take me too long," she said. "Later this morning, I'll be getting together with Hana-chan and Uo-chan, and we'll be going bowling," she said, shooting a mischievous glance towards the kitchen at Kyo, which was met by his amused look as he glanced back over his shoulder.
"That sounds fun," Yuki said, smiling. "And considering how warm it's supposed to get today, being inside a bowling alley honestly sounds more sensible than what I'm doing," he said, making a wry face. "The hotter the summer gets, the more I find myself hoping Momiji succeeds at arranging that beach trip."
"Just make sure you stay hydrated," Tohru told him earnestly, "And stay in the shade as much as possible! I know it can be really hard to remember that if you're really enjoying yourself, but it's important to take care of yourself and not push your body too hard."
"I know, Miss Honda, but thank you for your concern," Yuki reassured her. "You make sure not to push yourself too hard either, ok?"
"I won't," Tohru giggled, "but thank you!"
"Do you have to work today?" he asked, and she nodded.
"Yes, but not until later this afternoon. Though of course I'm happy to be back working," Tohru said quickly, not wanting to seem too disappointed. "After not being able to for so long, it's nice to be back at it and earning money again, as well as seeing my coworkers!"
Yuki smiled fondly at Tohru's cheerful enthusiasm. It was doubtful there were many high schoolers who would be half so excited to clean an office building, or half as happy to be working with some middle-aged women...but most high schoolers weren't Tohru Honda, either.
"Are you expecting to see Momiji at work today?" he asked, and she nodded.
"I am! Not until the later part of my shift, but he said he was planning to drop in today," she said happily. "It's been so nice, getting to have the extra time with him! We don't have nearly as many personal talks outside of work, as it turns out," she said, sighing, and Yuki smiled.
"Well, you are a little more preoccupied than you've perhaps been in the past," he said, shooting a glance towards the kitchen, and Tohru's face broke out in a brilliant red blush as she followed his eyes to Kyo.
But in spite of her blush, she held her head high as she admitted, "Maybe," and Yuki laughed before patting her hand.
"I hope you enjoy your day, Miss Honda, if I don't see you. And even if I do," he corrected himself.
"You too, Yuki! Please say hello to your friends," she said as they both stood up, "And Machi too," she added, beaming.
"I will," he said, the two of them heading into the kitchen where Tohru stopped and Yuki kept walking, tossing out a, "see you later, Stupid Cat," to Kyo, who didn't even turn around as he replied,
"Try not to get heatstroke, you Damn Rat."
Then Yuki was gone, and Tohru smiled as she reached for the dish towel.
Over the course of the past month, comfortable, happy changes had crept into the house's morning routine. Things like Kyo, always an early riser, helping make breakfast...or even taking over making breakfast, from time to time. She had struggled with letting him at first, wanting to uphold her end of her deal with Shigure by continuing to manage all of the household's cooking and cleaning herself...but it had been hard to argue when Kyo had stood in the kitchen with her, his expression serious but endearing as he told her he wanted to do it. That he liked to do it. That the only reason he'd always stayed away was because he'd never wanted to get in her way, or to worry that he was inconveniencing her.
She couldn't argue with his reasoning, and most mornings the two of them now worked together on both the cooking and the cleanup. She felt a little guiltier about the cleanup; she could believe that Kyo enjoyed cooking, but it was a lot harder to believe he actually liked cleaning. And he didn't, he'd admitted; he was a naturally tidy person and always had been, but cleaning itself was a necessary evil.
"So why are you always so quick to help clean up?" she'd asked him, and he'd given her that affectionate, slightly bashful grin as he said,
"'Cause I like doing stuff with you, duh."
Once again, it had been hard to argue with him, though there were some mornings where she still felt a little like she was taking advantage...like that particular morning, for example.
"I'm so sorry, Kyo," she said, instantly contrite as she saw how much he'd already washed. "You should have waited for me!"
"Why? Not like I had anything else I needed to do instead...and you sounded like you were enjoying yourself," he said, smiling at her as he passed her a dish to dry.
Under the warmth of his smile, Tohru could feel herself blushing yet again. But she was smiling herself, even if she heartily wished her face would get with the program and she could finally stop reacting to Kyo simply being...Kyo.
"I was," she admitted, setting the dish in the cabinet and reaching for the next. "It's so nice not having to rush off to school, or anywhere else, and just take our time," she said, smiling at him. "Last summer, Yuki was so busy with the student council that I felt like he was always on his way to school. This year, it's been nice to just sit and talk."
"So I've noticed," Kyo said, grinning. "And it's fine, Tohru, I don't mind helping out. Believe me, I'd rather wash up than sit and yak with Yuki."
But as sincere as she knew Kyo was, Tohru couldn't help but beam at the neutrality in his tone, and Kyo was chuckling as he said, "It makes you that happy, huh?"
"It does," she said, continuing to beam at him. "I know you think it's stupid-"
"-I never think anything that makes you happy's stupid," Kyo said firmly. "Weird, now..." he continued, giving her a teasing grin, and Tohru giggled.
"Fine. I know you think it's weird," she stressed, earning her a laugh from Kyo, "but it does make me happy, hearing you be so...ok...with Yuki these days."
Kyo shrugged. "So I don't hate the guy's guts anymore. Not exactly a firm friendship, but if it makes you happy, then I guess that makes me happy, too."
Working together, it didn't take long for Tohru and Kyo to finish the breakfast dishes, and then it was time for both of them to get to work: Tohru on her other house chores, and Kyo at the dojo. Since the summer had started, Kyo had steadily started spending more time there; as much as both Tohru and Kyo looked forward to their future and the plans they'd started making, there was a lot that had to be done before graduation and Kyo began his new job.
He harbored no delusions about himself and his abilities; he knew he was a strong karateka, and he knew that teaching karate was what he wanted to do. But he also knew he needed to work on a few things before he was ready: things like his temper, his patience, his focus, and his ability to let things go.
It was daunting, thinking about how much he needed to do in such a relatively short amount of time. Only seven months remained until graduation, and as long as those seven months sometimes felt, he knew they would go by quickly.
The last month certainly had.
Upstairs in his bedroom, Kyo stood with his dojo bag slung over his shoulder, ready to head out for another day of training. But he was also in no hurry, content to stay as he was for at least a little while longer with his arms around Tohru and his mouth on hers.
Nothing was a stronger testament to the passage of time than that; only five weeks ago, it would have been a fantasy. It was a fantasy, one Kyo had desperately clung to and Tohru had ached to forget when she’d stepped out of the hospital and saw him waiting for her.
How rapidly that fantasy had turned to sweet reality; a reality where they could hold each other close, kiss each other...and more.
But there was currently no time for anything more; as much as Kyo was happy to linger, he couldn't linger too long. And eventually, he pulled away from her with a sigh that was almost as satisfying for Tohru as the kiss.
"Alright, I oughtta get going," he said, reaching up to caress her cheek. "Usual time tonight?" he asked, and at her nod, he grinned. "I'll be waiting."
Tohru beamed. As much as she'd always loved the way Yuki would meet her after work, she couldn't be upset about 'the changing of the guard.' Yuki had other things to do with his evenings those days; she could never begrudge him wanting to spend more time with his girlfriend or friends any more than she could begrudge herself the exact same thing. Walking out of work and seeing Yuki waiting for her had been sweet; walking out and seeing Kyo was something even better.
"Have a good day," she said, giving him a completely unnecessary but very satisfying peck on the cheek. "And please say hello to Master Kazuma for me," she said, trying not to feel too awkward as she said it.
Things were a little uncomfortable between Tohru and Kazuma lately, even if Kazuma likely didn't know it. But Tohru was still struggling with how to act around Kyo's master; learning Kazuma knew their relationship had become physical had easily been the most mortifying moment of her life, and the fact Kazuma hadn't brought it up at all did nothing to assuage Tohru's intense embarrassment.
She knew she needed to figure out how to move past the awkwardness; over a week had passed since Kyo had slipped up and told him, and it was easily the longest she'd gone without visiting the dojo since the Curse had broken. Each passing day had to make the fact she was avoiding Kazuma more obvious...but she just couldn't do it. Not yet, anyway.
As things currently stood, she only hoped that Kazuma wasn't offended by her absence, and that he'd bought the excuse of her being busy. It wasn't a complete lie, at least; she was certainly busy. Less than two weeks had passed since she'd been medically cleared to go back to work, and she was eager to pick up as many hours as she could. There were also things to do with her friends, and her grandfather to visit. Her parents to visit. The garden to work on, the constant demands of housework...really, it was amazing she'd had so much free time to go to the dojo before!
That said, she couldn't help but feel a little wistful at the idea of yet another day passing without seeing Kyo in his gi. He looked amazing when he was wearing a gi, and she always loved to watch him when she could. The joy and excitement he felt when he was practicing was obvious, and seeing him so happy would always be precious to her.
He would always be precious to her.
But precious or not, she would sacrifice watching him at the dojo for now; regardless of anything Kazuma could ever say, she knew she wouldn't be able to see him without turning into a tomato and she just wasn't ready for that yet.
So she accepted Kyo's apologetic, knowing look as he said, "Yeah, I'll tell him for you," and gave him one last hug. Then he was off to the dojo, and she was off...to the laundry.
Another busy summer day was officially underway.