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“So, you’re still not gonna tell me where we’re going?” asked Kyo, grinning.
“I told you, Kyo-kun! It’s a surprise!”
Tohru and Kyo were waiting at Mita station for their second transfer of the day. Tohru was jittery; trying to keep her plan a secret from Kyo had taken a toll on her nerves, but their date was finally here. She was so excited to see his reaction, she couldn’t stop smiling every time she looked at him.
Kyo, for his part, found Tohru’s nervousness completely endearing, and couldn’t help the fond look that he had worn all morning.
As their train arrived, Kyo studied the metro maps. Nothing stood out to him as the sort of place Tohru would pick for a date. He frowned, brow furrowed, apprehension growing with each station they passed.
“Kyo-kun, don’t worry. You’re going to love it!”
After twenty minutes, Tohru finally took his hand and led him off the train at Oshiage station.
“Tohru, what are we doing here?”
“You’ll see!” she said brightly, pulling him up the stairs by the hand.
As they emerged from the underground, Tohru turned to Kyo expectantly. “Well, what do you think?”
Kyo looked around, confused. “Of what?”
Tohru pointed to the top of the towering structure in front of them. “We’re going all the way up there!”
Kyo raised his eyebrows. “Tohru, are you sure? That’s... really high up.”
“You've always liked high places, Kyo-kun!”
“Yeah, but...” he scratched the back of his neck. “You don’t have to do this if you don’t wanna.”
“I want to,” she said firmly, scrunching her face like she always did when she was being stubborn about something.
“Okay,” Kyo sighed. “If you’re sure.”
Tohru presented their tickets at the entrance, and they stepped onto the elevator that would take them to the upper observation deck.
She vibrated with excitement as they ascended, watching Kyo closely so she could see his face when the doors opened. He gazed back at her, full of affection. How was she always so adorable? How did he end up with such a thoughtful partner?
As the elevator doors slid open, they shaded their eyes from the bright light that filled their vision. Kyo stepped forward slowly, ready to take in the sight of the city hundreds of meters below them.
When his eyes adjusted, he was awestruck by the panorama ahead of him. He’d never been so high off the ground; he felt a giddy warmth spread through his body.
Elated, he turned to Tohru. “This is-” he froze. Where was she?
He quickly found her, trembling on the floor behind him. She had sunk to the ground as soon as their view had come into focus.
“Tohru?” he asked, concerned. “Tohru, are you okay?”
She looked at him, eyes wide, and nodded; the sheer terror written on her face betraying her attempt to keep cool.
“Tohru, we don’t have to stay. It’s okay if you want to go back down.”
“No!” she squeaked. “We’re not leaving, Kyo-kun! Not until you’ve gotten to enjoy the view!”
“Tohru,” he pleaded in exasperation. “You don’t look like you’re-”
“We’re staying!” she insisted, more forcefully than she intended.
Kyo sighed. “Fine. What can I do to help?”
“Just enjoy yourself, Kyo-kun! I’ll just wait right here!” She knelt in the middle of the walkway, attempting to smile.
“Tohru,” he chuckled, bringing a hand to his forehead. “Let’s at least get you out of the path.”
She nodded, eyes closed, and Kyo helped her walk on wobbly legs until she was sitting against the inner wall, far enough away that she could ignore their dizzying height.
Kyo made his way around the circular observation deck as quickly as he could without making Tohru feel like he was rushing.
When he returned, her eyes were still clenched shut. “Tohru, I’m back. Let’s go home.”
She nodded, and he guided her to the elevator.
When they left, Kyo steered them to a bench, and she collapsed next to him as her legs gave out once more.
“Tohru, why did you think you had to do that?”
“I wanted to, Kyo-kun!” she said fiercely.
“You didn’t look like you wanted to!”
“I wanted to do something special for you! You do things you don’t enjoy all the time, just to make me smile. I wanted to show you that I’d also do anything for you, Kyo-kun, if it would make you happy.”
His heart melted as he pulled her into a hug. “Dummy. I already know that,” he spoke into her hair, voice tender.
“You do?”
“Of course! You’re the most selfless person I’ve ever met, Tohru. You don’t gotta show me anything. I already know.”
She smiled and leaned into his warmth. “Okay. Maybe in the future, I’ll keep all our dates at heights of ten stories or less.”
He kissed her cheek. “Sounds like a plan.”