Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Time was a funny thing.

When you're a kid, especially, time passes in fits and starts. When you're waiting for something you want, time slows down to a crawl. But when you finally get there, time speeds up and lunges ahead: the moment you awaited was gone before you could even blink.

On the flipside, if there was something you dreaded? Then there was no waiting. Time would flow like a raging river, and you’d be caught in its current.

The days and years get shorter as childhood fades away, but time itself never really changes.

Looking back, Kyo could hardly believe he'd made it this far. He'd spent so much of his life torn between running and fighting; running from the Curse, his past, and the rest of world. Fighting against the Sohmas, his ‘father,’ the views and perceptions of him; fighting the Cat spirit, and its so-called ‘destiny.’

He'd tried so hard for so long to get away from it all. To break free from what was foretold and just be himself. And he had hoped, in his fantasies, that he might one day succeed; that he would escape from the Cat’s darkness and walk forward in light.

It had been a beautiful dream he never believed could come true. Dreams didn’t come true, especially not for the Cat; even if they did, Kyo himself didn’t deserve it. And he had been resigned to that fact...until Tohru had changed it.

He owed Tohru so, so much. All of the Zodiac did. But none of them could ever owe her nearly as much as he.

So much had happened since the day he'd first crashed through Tohru’s ceiling. She had changed him; changed all of them, and changed their very world. Those changes had been gradual in the beginning, but as more time had passed Tohru’s influence had grown. With her increased influence the changes accelerated…just like time itself, as far as Kyo was concerned.

He couldn't put his finger on when time began speeding up, but he remembered the dread when he realized how brief his time with her would be. Back then, he would have done anything if he could freeze the clock; he has wished, impossibly, those days could last forever.

But he hadn’t needed time to stop for him. Those increasingly bigger changes had built on one another into a giant seismic shift, one that the Zodiac had all dreamed of but never expected to see: the moment when the Curse ended, and they all found themselves free.

Kyo would believe in miracles until the day he died. He had seen Tohru that day, released from the hospital; he had told her he loved her, and she’d said that she loved him. He had kissed her and, that time, she could kiss him back. And she was willing to accept him, Cat transformations and all.

That would, and could, have been enough for him, but things hadn’t been about to stop there.

Taking her into his arms that first time and remaining a man...even before he knew the Curse had broken and was gone forever, Kyo was overwhelmed by the fact that he could finally hold her.

So much more had happened in the months that passed since then. He and Tohru had gone public with their relationship, and they'd thrown themselves into enjoying their senior year. He had asked her to move away with him after graduation; she had accepted, and they’d made their many plans.

Kyo had lined up a job in the northern village of Hibe, a job that was waiting for him to start as soon as he could. They'd found a little house to rent and shopped for home essentials. In the past few weeks Tohru had started looking for jobs, and they'd both finally gotten cell phones of their own. They'd spent an almost ridiculous amount with their Tokyo loved ones, visiting and being visited to the point of exhaustion.

And yesterday, they had graduated from high school. The day that Kyo had always dreaded had come and gone with joy.

That morning, Kyo and Tohru had emptied and cleaned their rooms. Soon, they'd be leaving the house for the dojo, to spend their last night in Tokyo with Kazuma, and tomorrow their family and friends would escort them to the train.

Starting tomorrow, it would be just Kyo and Tohru, together, facing their future. A future that was wide open, exciting, and achingly beautiful.

"Hey, are you ok, Tohru? Really ok?"

Tohru smiled and leaned into Kyo as he knelt down beside her. The two of them had been working hard since very early that morning, packing up the last of Tohru's things, assisting the furniture movers, and giving their empty rooms a thorough cleaning. It had been hard, much harder than Tohru would have liked, saying ‘goodbye’ to her room and the happy dreams she'd dreamed there; she had been grateful to have Kyo with her the entire time.

As they’d worked, there had been many times when Tohru had stopped, needing to take break so she could sit back and cry. Every time, Kyo had been there to hold her and let her cling, for however long it took until she was composed. Kyo understood her feelings completely, even if he didn’t share them; he knew how hard it was for her to leave the house and the city, and he had told her to cry as much as she needed to feel better.

Tohru doubted he'd expected half the tears he'd gotten, but Kyo hadn't complained about her crying even once.

Tohru and Kyo finished their work just before lunch, and together they had whipped up a small meal. Neither of their housemates was home to eat with them; Shigure was at the main estate as usual, and Yuki had spent the previous night at Machi's.

Tohru wasn't sure if the tête-à-tête made it easier or not; there was certainly something sad and almost anticlimactic about that meal, her last meal eaten at the house, being eaten without the people with whom she'd shared her first. But it was also kind of fitting to share that time with Kyo: their final ‘thank you for the food’ meaning more than just that one meal.

After they finished eating Tohru and Kyo cleaned up their dishes, then Tohru walked out onto the engawa and looked out over the yard. It was another beautiful spring day; the perfect sort of day for being outside. If this was a normal day, she’d likely be out in the garden; working side by side with Yuki, as she’d done so many times.

But today was almost as far from normal as it could be. The environment itself was the same as always, but everything else about Tohru’s life was rapidly changing.

As of that very day, this was no longer her home.

Tohru knelt down on the engawa one last time, looking out over the peaceful yard and reflecting on everything she'd had happen since she'd first arrived. Yes, she was happy and excited for their move, but right there, right then, she thought of the past.

If life had taught her anything in her eighteen years, it was to appreciate everything you were given, because you never knew what might be waiting at the next bend. Even if that bend promised better and brighter things, what she already had was precious, and something to be cherished.

That was when Kyo had knelt down with her and asked if she was ok. It had been a sweet question, but one that she couldn't answer; not when the answer was both ‘yes’ and ‘no.’ But she knew what he was really asking with the question, and after taking a deep breath Tohru patted his hand.

"I will be, Kyo, I promise. Soon. But right now, I just need a little time."

Kyo understood, and he kissed the top of her head before he stood up.

"I'll get the last of the cleaning supplies and that ladder put away. You just take whatever time you need."

Tohru gave him a grateful version of a wistful smile, then turned back to face the yard and her thoughts as Kyo walked away.

Kyo hadn't expected Yuki to turn up at just that moment, and when Yuki asked to speak to Tohru in private Kyo hesitated. On the one hand, Tohru had seemed like she wanted to be alone...but on the other, this was Yuki, and they would be leaving soon.

The decision was easy once he actually thought about it. Kyo knew Tohru would likely want to talk to Yuki, and given how close Yuki and Tohru had always been, he could imagine that Yuki might have something important to say. There had been a time once when that fact would have scared him, but thanks in part to Yuki himself, those days were long gone. Now, he knew that whatever it was that Yuki needed to say, it was no threat to Kyo, or his relationship.

Hopefully it was the right call, sending Yuki to Tohru. But if not, Kyo trusted Yuki to realize that and back off.

"Living room," Kyo told Yuki in response to his question, gesturing back in that direction with his thumb. Then he started to resume his trek up the stairs, only to pause when Yuki called out,

“Hey.”

Kyo stood there, listening, as Yuki continued, "you better do your best out there, you Stupid Cat."

At first, Kyo was shocked; that actually sounded encouraging, and they didn’t do encouragement. But then he smiled without turning, firing back at Yuki, "Mind your own business, you Stupid Rat."

Kyo wasn't sure what his relationship with Yuki would look like in the future. It had definitely not been the most pleasant in the past, though he could admit that was largely due to his own behavior. He had been the one hostile to Yuki from the beginning, the one who had blamed every hardship in his life on the Rat.

He was the one who had lashed out first, the one who had always been angry...

Many years had passed since Yuki started returning that anger, and those years of aggression and distrust had made a deep divide. It was possible that they would never bridge that gulf; at this point, Kyo couldn’t say he cared if they did.

 But Kyo knew in his heart that while Yuki might always be 'that Damn Rat,' he was no longer, and never again would be, that object of hatred.

Leaving Yuki behind him Kyo made his way upstairs, stopping in the doorway to Tohru's room. The sight of the empty space was almost surreal, even though he and Tohru had only just cleaned it.

Everything other than Tohru's own personal possessions had been packed up and moved to the main estate; her actual possessions had been packed as well, joining Kyo’s own things in their brand-new luggage set.

That luggage was waiting downstairs for the next leg of their journey, as it would go with them to the dojo and then onto the train. For now, Kyo didn’t need to think about it…

Though he wasn’t sure what he should think of instead.

Looking around Tohru’s empty room, Kyo could feel a pang. Tohru hadn't had too many things there of her own, but the things she did have had made that room hers. Now, it was just another empty space, waiting for a new occupant that might never come.

He had no idea what would be happening with the house, other than that very soon, it would be totally empty. Yuki would be leaving soon for Kyoto and university, and Shigure would be done with the house as soon as he finished tying up the ends of his writing career. Mitsuru was stuck with him for just a few weeks more, then she'd be free and Shigure would move out the last of his things.

Did even the Sohmas know what would happen with the house next?

Kyo wasn't an especially nostalgic person, particularly not when compared to Tohru. But he could still appreciate what the house had done for them all, and he felt a twinge of sadness for its loss.

He looked at the cleaning supplies they had left by the door: some rags, some cleaning solution, and a floor sweeper. He'd originally intended to put them away downstairs, but he didn't want to risk intruding on Tohru and Yuki. So instead he left the things there and walked out of the room, heading down the hallway to his own.

The view in his room wasn’t that different from how it had looked before. He'd never had that many things to start with, and they, like Tohru's, were all now packed. But the shelves were still there with all of Shigure's books, and the futon was still folded in the corner where it had always sat.

In fact, in almost every respect it was just like it had been.

Kyo smiled slightly as he considered that thought, and he wondered if Tohru would agree with him. Was it true, that it looked pretty much as it always had? Or to her eyes had he left a mark that he himself couldn’t see?

He wouldn't be surprised if there was something he’d missed; from the very first, he’d done his best to not get attached. He’d always been like that, with everything in his life: if you didn’t get attached, you never had to feel loss.

That had been the idea, at least.

It hadn’t always worked, much as he wished it had.

And Kyo frowned sadly, thinking back to the him from three years in the past, the one who had been forced into this house totally against his will. A depressed, angry, dejected version of him, who had been eaten up with guilt, hate, and despair.

He wished that his younger self could see where he was now, and that he would know that there was hope in his future. But the Kyo of the present had learned a few valuable lessons since then; he wasn't going to let fear of the future or any possibility cheat him out loving and embracing what he had.

Closing the door to his room one final time, Kyo walked onto the balcony and looked out at the trees. But over the sound of the breeze he could hear Yuki's low voice, and he realized Tohru and Yuki must be on the engawa below.

Rather than going back inside to face the empty rooms, Kyo vaulted up onto the ladder and climbed up to the roof, going over to the side furthest from Tohru and Yuki. Once there, Kyo laid down on the familiar tiles and looked out over the city like he’d so often done. It was a gorgeous view, just like it had always been, with the green trees giving way to the urban sprawl beyond. And as Kyo studied that familiar view, he could feel yet another pang.

He would miss this too, he knew; this peace amid chaos. They were moving to a much quieter community and a smaller place, and whatever else they had there, they wouldn't have this roof.

Kyo tilted his head back and stared up into the sky, then smiled as he gently closed his eyes. It was ok to mourn what he and Tohru would leaving, but they would still be looking up at this same sky.

Chapter Text

"I thought I'd probably find you up here."

Kyo suddenly found himself blinking sleepily, looking at Tohru as she came into focus against the blue sky. And he could tell at once that while it was still afternoon, given the movement of the sun it was no longer midday.

How long had had been sleeping, up there on the roof?

And how stiff was he going to be as a result?

Kyo sat up, reaching his arms up above and behind him in a long, catlike stretch. Grabbing one elbow with the opposite hand he shifted to one side, then switched elbows to lean towards the other.

Yup, he was probably going to feel this later; roof tiles were many things, but they were not a good choice for sleeping. He must have been a lot more exhausted than he'd guessed; cleaning was a harder workout than he would have assumed!

Yawning, Kyo rose to his feet and looked curiously at Tohru; it was a relief to see that she looked...good. Yes, her eyes were red and puffy from crying, but she looked a lot happier than she had been earlier. Whatever it was that Yuki had wanted to discuss with her and whatever brooding she’d done on own, it seemed that that combination had been just what Tohru needed.

And seeing that filled Kyo with relief. While he had known the end of their time in Tokyo was going to be tough, he hadn't really anticipated just how tough it would be. He felt he'd grown a lot himself over the past several months, but he still found himself at a loss when it came to properly consoling Tohru when she was this upset. Sure, he did his best and it always seemed to help some, but he was looking forward to a time when Tohru's smiles weren't tinged with sadness.

Kyo decided to put out a feeler on the subject of Yuki. He wasn't going to pry, since Yuki had specifically asked to talk to Tohru alone, but maybe it was something Tohru could talk about.

Assuming that she wanted to, of course.

"Yuki found you, then?"

Tohru smiled, reaching up and smoothing down some wayward bunches of Kyo's hair. "He did, yes."

It had been a very emotionally charged conversation, even compared to the others she'd had over that past week. Yuki had been so open with her and so honest, pouring out how much she meant to him and how much she’d helped him grow. He had given her credit for things she couldn't even imagine, and if it had embarrassed Yuki to say he viewed her as a mother, that confession had touched Tohru to her core.

Yuki loved her, she knew, and he knew that she loved him. Not, and never, in a romantic way, but with a love that was strong and true and would withstand the test of time.

That all would have been enough for Tohru to hear, but Yuki had had even more to say to fill up her heart. He had reminded her how much a part of the former Zodiacs’ lives she would always be, no matter where she lived and how far away. How they would always think of her, and worry about her, and hope that she was thriving and doing well. How none of them would or could ever forget her, or what an amazing part of their lives she was no matter the distance between then.

Tohru’s eyes had been overflowing with tears, but they were happy tears and she and Yuki had both known that. Even though she was crying when Yuki had taken her hand, hearing him call her 'Tohru' to her face for the very first time had brought on one of the most joyous smiles of Tohru’s life.

She was going to miss Yuki terribly when they left, but she knew he would always remain one of her dearest friends.

Perhaps sometime later she would tell Kyo what they’d talked about, but for now she answered his question fairly simply.

"We talked, and we cried, and we hugged, and then we just sat together in silence for a while. And I feel so much better about everything, Kyo, I can't even tell you." Tohru said with a smile, wrapping her arms around Kyo's waist and resting her cheek against him, feeling him relax under the combination of her words and her touch.

And Tohru was very happy to feel the way he relaxed, because she knew that while he wouldn't say anything out loud, he was starting to get a bit overwhelmed by all of her feelings. She hated knowing that he was worried about her, but it was like a dam had burst when it came to her heart this week and everything, especially tears, just kept flowing out. Hopefully things would be easier once the sendoff was over, but for now she was happy to enjoy a little calm.

She owed Yuki quite a lot, for that.

Yuki had been the one to finally break the silence out on the engawa when he had been sitting at Tohru’s side. "You two were going to the dojo before too long, right Tohru?"

It still startled her a little, hearing him call her 'Tohru,' but she had been happy to hear it and she’d nodded in quick response.

"That's right, we are! We're going to spend the rest to the day and the night with Master Kazuma, then tomorrow morning..."

Tohru had trailed off there, unable to finish the thought; instead, she’d looked out at the yard with misty eyes.

"Then tomorrow morning, we say our goodbyes," Yuki had finished quietly in her stead, looking off into the distance himself. They had lapsed into silence then, Tohru quietly sniffling and Yuki simply sitting, both of them reflecting on the next day’s goodbyes.

It wasn't going to be easy, not for any of them, and knowing that in advance didn't make it easier to face. In some ways Tohru wished she and Kyo could just sneak away and be gone, but she also knew that she'd miss that chance to see everyone, all together, for one final time.

At least she had that to look forward to.

But after losing herself in her thoughts for another few minutes, Tohru had suddenly shot to her feet.

 "Oh my gosh, Yuki, do you have any idea what time it is?"

Without waiting for a response, Tohru had flown back into the living room, looking anxiously for the clock. Finding it and seeing the time she’d let out a startled squawk; how had it been three-thirty already?

Yuki had followed her into the house, and she’d whirled around to see him standing there, smiling. He’d understood, without her having to say anything, and he’d silently opened his arms to her. Tohru had smiled back, her eyes tearing up yet again, and she flew into Yuki's arms for a giant hug.

"You are wonderful, Tohru, and wherever you go you'll always be wonderful. You go find Kyo and enjoy your time with Sensei."

Tohru had gone, and finding Kyo had been very quick work. She had first stuck her head into her own room, noting with amusement the cleaning supplies still sitting where they’d been left. Tohru wasn't surprised by that, though; since Yuki had turned up only minutes after Kyo left, she was sure they'd run into each other. No doubt Kyo was trying to give her and Yuki some privacy, a guess supported by his continued absence.

That said, considering how long Tohru and Yuki had been sitting, Tohru was surprised that Kyo had never reappeared. They'd wanted to be on their way to the dojo by two o’clock at the latest; Kyo was hoping to participate in a couple classes, to have some one-on-one sparring time with Kazuma, and to spend as much time as he could with Kazuma and Kunimitsu before their departure the next day. Tohru knew Kyo wasn't nearly as sad as she was to leave Tokyo, but she knew that he was going to truly miss Kazuma.

Walking out onto the balcony, Tohru had seen immediately that the ladder was still there. Kyo had said he was going to put the ladder away, though Tohru had no idea where 'away' actually was. But clearly he hadn’t gotten to that since the ladder was still there: still standing as it had stood for over two years.

Up she had gone, where she’d seen Kyo on the farthest side from the ladder. That wasn't where he usually sat when he was up there, but she’d smiled when she realized he must have been trying to give hers some space.

It was amazing, just how sweet and thoughtful her boyfriend could be.

Her boyfriend. It still gave her goosebumps to even think those words, and Tohru had let out a happy little sigh. The period leading up to this move had been hard for her, and she knew the next morning would be the hardest part yet. But it would be worth all the challenges, in the end; all of the sadness of leaving would be worth it to stay with Kyo.

She had been amused to discover Kyo was sleeping, though that explained why he hadn’t come looking for her. Waking him up had been an easy process; unlike Yuki and Shigure or even Tohru herself, Kyo had always been a light sleeper and the lightest touch of her hand was enough to get him moving. He had looked so adorable, too, as he’d woken up: bleary eyed and rumpled, with his hair sticking up from the tiles. She had winced a little bit as he stretched around, but hopefully he wouldn’t feel any physical repercussions.

They had a lot to do, in the next couple days.

Kyo accepted Tohru's minimal explanation with no further questions, and he held her close as she hugged him.

"I'm glad to hear you guys got to have a good talk. Yuki might be a damn Rat and a smug bastard, but he's always been a good friend to you. I hear he might even be a good guy in general," Kyo said with a slight smil, shading his eyes with one hand as he looked up at the sun. "How long was I sleeping, anyway? I'm guessing we oughtta get moving, if we don't wanna be too late getting to the dojo."

Tohru winced again but tried to keep her voice bright, replying, "it's actually just past three-thirty. I lost all track of time, I'm so sorry, Kyo."

"Three-thirty? Damn, guess that's the first afternoon session right out. But don't apologize, Tohru, seeing how I'm the one who went and fell asleep on the roof. Let's hurry up and get going, though, so I can still make the last class."

Taking Tohru by the hand, Kyo hustled her to the ladder and down to the balcony, then dropped down to the balcony himself. At the base of the ladder he paused, looking up at the roof, then he smiled and gave the ladder a pat before glancing at Tohru.

"Weird thing to be nostalgic about, huh?” he asked. “But I'm gonna miss this thing,” he said with a light smile. “Maybe we can get one for our own place, someday."

Their new place was a much smaller house, and there was no ‘proper’ balcony. But she knew that wouldn't matter to Kyo, and she nodded her ready assent.

"We'll definitely have to make it a priority! Maybe we can even go find one in the town this week, I'm sure ladders aren't too expensive."

As the chief financial officer for their new household, Tohru was keenly aware how much money they had for furnishings. It was a much more generous amount than either of them had dreamed; graduation gifts had poured in from almost everyone they knew, from Tohru's family to an eye-popping amount of Sohmas. Tohru and Kyo had been staggered and tried to push back, protesting to everyone that it was far too generous (admittedly, from some of them it was too generous), but everyone had refused to take any of it back. People wanted to do their part to help Tohru and Kyo, and in the end they had accepted everything they'd been given. It was enough to furnish many homes the size of theirs, but they had agreed to save the bulk of it for a rainy day. The extra money might come in handy later and they weren’t hurting now; they both been saving for years, especially the past one.

They had the savings Tohru had built up over high school. Every penny Kyo had saved from his Sohma bank account. The wages they’d each earned at their part-time jobs that past year.

They had the money from Kazuma that he'd been saving for Kyo, the money the Sohmas had paid Kazuma for his care. And there would be Kyo's future salary from the Matsuda Dojo, and Tohru's own future wages, as soon as she got her own job.

For two kids who just graduated, they were fairly set. But it was always good to be ready for emergencies, and thanks to their generous friends and family, Tohru and Kyo would be.

Taking the sides of the ladder in his hands, Kyo carefully pulled it away from the roof and lowered it over the side of the balcony, setting the end on the ground and leaning it against the wall.

"Well, that's that for now. Shigure can figure out what happens with it after this," Kyo said, gently resting his hand on the top of the ladder. For a long moment he looked at it, then he took a deep breath, turning away from the ladder and back to Tohru. "So, what've we got left? Cleaning supplies back down to the kitchen, grab our bags from the closet...?"

"And then we're gone," Tohru said quietly, the words sounding much more final once they were spoken out loud.

But it was final, in almost every way. Once they walked out the door, this wouldn't be their home any longer, and within a few weeks it wouldn't be anyone else's home, either.

For what felt like the millionth time that day, Tohru's eyes filled with tears.

"It's been a really, really good home, Kyo."

"Yeah, I guess it has."

Hand in hand the two of them walked down the hall, stopping in Tohru’s room to collect the cleaning supplies. And still hand in hand, they stood and looked around the room, silently contemplating the space one final time.

So many memories had been made in that room, starting with the introduction that Tohru would never forget. Kyo had figured in more of those memories than Tohru could count, but that room, and the good times there, had been shared with more than him.

She had sat with Yuki in that room and studied together. Hung out with Saki and Arisa as they had laughed and talked.

She had tucked Rin into that room when Rin had collapsed downstairs. Had dozens of giggling slumber parties there with Kisa.

So many memories, almost all of them treasured...

It had been a wonderful room, Tohru thought wistfully. But after a minute she took a deep breath and smiled up at Kyo.

"Alright, then! I'll put these away, Kyo, if you can get our bags, and I'll meet you at the door in just a couple minutes.”

There was nothing more for them there; it was time to go.

Tohru didn’t see Yuki in either the kitchen or the living room, and she didn't look any further to see if he was still around. Instead, Tohru paused one last time in the kitchen, looking around the room where she had spent so much happy time. Once again, she was surrounded by ghosts of their past selves, and she hoped whoever next cooked there would love it as much as she had.

The house had been good to her, and it deserved to be loved.

Loved by more than Tohru, that was; her own love went without saying.

Kyo was waiting in the by the front door with their bags, his shoes already on. "You good, Tohru?"

Good...yes. She was good.

Tohru would miss this house, almost as much as if it were a person. The ‘her’ who’d said goodbye to her tent that beautiful September morning could never have imagined what would come from wanting to explore; she never would have dreamed of where her seeing this house would lead. It had been the home she’d craved, its residents, her family. And now she was leaving, and she might never see it again...

But she would be fine. It was all fine.

She was ready to go.

And after slipping on her shoes, Tohru took a deep breath, then took Kyo's hand and gave him a big smile.

"Yes, I think I’m good."

Chapter Text

Tohru knelt on the engawa facing into the dojo’s courtyard, watching the black-belted dans practicing their sparring. Normally, she wasn’t a fan of this part of karate, but it was hard to ignore Kyo when he was in such fine form.

And seeing how Kazuma was holding this class outside, there was no good reason for Tohru not to watch.

Kyo was in his element as he moved around the space, striking and dodging with the grace of...well, a cat. And even though there were a few times that Tohru winced as she watched, even at her distance she could see her boyfriend’s excitement, and she could tell he was having an absolute blast.

Tohru couldn’t understand Kyo’s love for such a violent sport, but there was no denying his passion for karate. And even if she didn’t understand, she was still glad for him; glad he’d had karate to love and motivate him for years, glad it had given him an outlet for so many frustrations. Glad he'd had advancement as a goal to keep striving towards, and really glad it was giving him, even now, a sense of purpose.

Tohru still didn't know that much about karate herself, but every time she had the chance to watch Kyo in a group setting, she found herself in awe of just how skilled he was. She felt similarly about Haru and Yuki; for all that the three of them were so young, they were among the best of their rank.

Not that either Haru or Yuki were actually there at the dojo that day. It was a Sunday afternoon, so the group was fairly small: besides Kyo, there were only seven other students, so there was no one to compete with Kyo for her attention-

"Are you enjoying yourself, Tohru?"

Tohru jumped, startled by the sound of Kazuma's voice, and she looked up in guilty surprise to see him standing right beside her. He looked amused, and Tohru couldn't blame him; she could only imagine how comically startled she had to look.

Kazuma had been walking around the perimeter of the space, observing his students’ form and occasionally offering feedback. But with advanced students there wasn’t much for him to do, and his attention had migrated to Tohru.

The sight of her concentrating so intently had amused him; Kazuma was well aware of Tohru's troubles with karate, in terms of understanding it as well as actual practice. But she was trying, and he appreciated that.

He also didn't have to look to know who she was watching.

Kazuma had a lot of things to be grateful for, but there was nothing that had brought him more joy and fulfillment than having Kyo in his life. Taking Kyo in all those years ago had been a form of atonement for Kazuma; never in his wildest dreams had he expected to gain so much himself. Watching Kyo grow from that angry, terrified little boy into the strong man he'd become was a privilege and a pleasure; if there had been any actual atoning done, it was accidental and Kazuma hadn’t noticed.

For years, Kazuma had lived in dread of this day: the day after Kyo's high school graduation, the first full day of Kyo's intended confinement. Kazuma had known that while he could and would fight for Kyo, there was only so much that he would be able to do, especially if Kyo himself was still bound by the Curse and ultimately unable to resist Akito's will. Kazuma had made many plans with the hope of cheating fate, but even his quiet confidence had struggled under the strain.

And for so long, he had only dared to dream of what had happened: the Curse breaking, and Kyo allowed to walk forth, free and unfettered. Even though months had passed since the joyous day the Curse broke, every time he thought of Kyo’s freedom Kazuma had to smile.

This was the future Kyo had always deserved, one where he was free to live his life on his terms. And even if Kyo was pursuing that freedom halfway across Japan, Kazuma couldn’t be sad or disappointed

He chose to focus on positives instead of the sorrow of parting; besides, it wasn’t like they hadn’t been separated before, such as during all those months when Kazuma was on his sabbatical. Time apart had been nothing to them before and it shouldn’t be now, even if it would take some time to get used to at first.

Kazuma would rejoice in the distance between them either way. Kyo could move to the other side of the world if he wanted to, and Kazuma would miss him far less than if he had been locked up, even if the Cat’s House was only minutes away.

No, Kazuma was happy that day, and he would remain happy. He had had the privilege of raising Kyo, his son, these many years. Now, he got to see Kyo embrace his future as a free man, a future made possible by a wonderful woman.

How right Kazuma had been when he chose to gamble on Tohru. He had been willing to risk everything that day back in the rain, based only on his intuition and the way Kyo had smiled. It could have all gone wrong in so many terrible ways; Kazuma had known that fact, even back then, and he had been willing to risk it all anyway. He had exposed Kyo's True Form to Tohru and that risk had paid off. Maybe Kyo didn't know back then how he had felt about her; maybe Tohru hadn't known how she felt about Kyo back then, either.

Maybe she hadn't even felt the same, by then.

But in Kyo's smile at Tohru, Kazuma had seen love, and it had been enough for him to justify taking that risk.

So many people owed Tohru so much, but Kazuma knew that no one else could owe her more than him. She had saved Kyo from a fate worse than death, a fate that Kazuma himself doubted he could have stopped. And as if saving Kyo wasn’t enough, she also made Kyo happy; happier than Kazuma had ever known him or dreamed he could be. Consequently, Kazuma would have moved earth and sky for Tohru, she was as much his daughter as Kyo was his son.

And he was happy to see them go, but he would miss them both.

"Ah, hello Master Kazuma!” said Tohru as she recovered. “Yes,  I'm enjoying myself, very much, thank you! I don't exactly know what it is I'm watching, but it's really very exciting, isn't it? Kyo is doing such a good job!"

The contradiction of what she said wasn’t lost on Kazuma, but he understood her sentiments completely. That was one of the many beauties of karate; you didn’t have to know all the names to appreciate the effect.

And Kyo had always had a knack when it came to effect.

"Yes, Kyo is in particularly excellent form today. Perhaps he's trying to put on a good show for you," Kazuma told Tohru with a smile. Not that he thought Kyo needed an audience to do well; it wasn't misplaced pride on Kazuma’s part when he said that Kyo was that good. Kazuma never would have recommended him for his new job otherwise, because while Kazuma wanted Kyo a good place for Kyo, he also wanted him to succeed.

It would be doing Kyo no favors to push him into a role he couldn't handle.

And Tohru was thinking along similar lines, though she still blushed at the suggestion. "I'm sure this is just Kyo being ‘Kyo,’ Master Kazuma; he knows I can't really appreciate the details of what he's doing, so I don't think he'd be pulling out any extra stops due to me. Besides, I don't think he even knows I'm watching, since I haven't been out here for very long."

That was patently untrue, and Kazuma wasn't sure if she was trying to tease him or not. It had been obvious to Kazuma the moment Tohru appeared, because Kyo had been distracted and his opponent had gotten in a good punch that Kyo had barely blocked. But Tohru might not have been able to see that from this distance, and if she was sincere then Kazuma wasn't going to disillusion her.

Instead, he looked at the group of karatekas and smiled.

"Yes, he's certainly a skilled karateka. He's fast, strong, and very determined, and I have every confidence in him meeting the Matsudas’ standards."

Together, they watched the sparring quietly for a little while, then Kazuma looked back at Tohru. "Do you feel prepared for tomorrow, Tohru? Is there anything you have left to do still, anything that I might perhaps be able to help with?"

Tomorrow. The day they were leaving the city and heading north to their new life. Tohru had been through an emotional wringer getting ready, and thinking about it now didn't make it any easier. But focusing on logistics instead of emotions was helpful, and she appreciated Kazuma asked her that instead of 'how are you feeling?'

"I think we're as prepared as we can be, thank you so much for asking! We got everything cleaned and packed at the house before we came over, so all we have to do is repack anything we take out tonight. And we should be all set in terms of needs; I even made sure to put a roll of toilet paper in the suitcase, just in case!"

Tohru had to giggle at that little admission. Kyo had been confused when he saw the toilet paper, arguing that it was one of the easiest things to buy at the store. But Tohru had been firm in insisting they keep it; who knew how tired they'd be when they arrived in Hibe? The last thing she wanted was for either of them to need the toilet only for them to not be prepared.

But then Tohru looked up at Kazuma and smiled her brightest smile. "I think we're as ready as we're going to be; we just have to do the actual leaving now."

She’d thought she would be fine saying it, but saying it was hard, and Tohru’s smile faltered as she fought the urge to cry. She'd already done so much crying that day, and that week...and that month. The first thing she'd done earlier when they'd arrived at the dojo was wash her face, but she knew her eyes were still hopelessly puffy and red.

But Kazuma understood, and he would never judge her. "Then it sounds like you've got everything under control. If that changes, Tohru, then I hope you will tell me, but since that’s the case, I have a suggestion for you right now. Your friend Miss Hanajima ought to be in the facility kitchen; she had asked if she could come over today in order to make something special for your last dinner here."

Once again, Tohru was surprised; Saki was there at the dojo, on a Sunday? She knew that Saki had taken a job at the dojo as a cook, but Tohru had thought that she wouldn't be starting until the following week.

How kind of Saki to want to help make Tohru and Kyo’s last day special, and how kind of Master Kazuma to let her!

"Oh, that's so very kind of her, and of you for thinking of it! I'll go find her now, then; you all have an excellent rest of your class, and I'll see you a little bit later!" And rising to her feet, Tohru was on her way, leaving Kazuma to return his full attention to his students.

"Hana-chan, I didn't know you were going to be here today!" Tohru was beaming as she burst into the kitchen, where she was greeted by the comforting, if still slightly unnerving, sight of Saki wearing a headscarf and apron, serenely peeling some vegetables.

If Saki herself was surprised by Tohru’s presence she didn't show it, merely turning to greet her friend with her usual quiet smile.

"Good afternoon, dear Tohru. You didn't know because I was hoping to surprise you, of course; I know you could likely make a finer meal yourself, but I felt it would be wrong to make you work on your last evening. Master Kazuma kindly agreed, and he said it would be no trouble at all for me to come over today. He's a very considerate man, and very fond of you two, which, of course, is no more than he should be."

"Yes, well..." Tohru was still more than a little bit unsettled by a lot of things related to Saki and Kazuma, though not nearly to the same extent as Kyo. And that being the case, she was currently somewhat perplexed; she wasn't quite sure how to respond to what Saki had just said.

Naturally Saki noticed Tohru’s hesitancy, and she abruptly paused in her peeling. For a long moment, Saki considered Tohru thoughtfully, then she said, "Tohru, if I were to tell you something right now, could you promise me that you won't breathe a word to Kyo? Not until such a time as I have given you clear permission?"

Now Tohru was alarmed in a different way. What sort of confession could Saki have that Tohru couldn’t tell Kyo? Was Tohru about to learn that Saki and Kazuma were really dating? Had the two of them been dating all along?

Had he asked her to marry him?

Tohru's mind went to a thousand places that were all concerning, but finally she gave her friend a nod.

"I promise, I'll listen to whatever you tell me, and I won't tell Kyo until you say I can, Hana-chan. But please,” Tohru said, starting to look anxious, “if it's something that concerns Master Kazuma then I really think it's best if you let him know as soon as possible, because Master Kazuma is really the most important person in his life, and-"

"-Tohru." Saki was laughing gently in response to Tohru’s panic, and she set down her peeler so she could take Tohru’s hands. "Calm down, dear Tohru, you worry for nothing. You see, that's what I wish to tell you.” Tohru’s eyes promptly flared, but Saki squeezed her hands, continuing in the same measured tone. “While I do feel that Master Kazuma is a good, kind, and exceptionally good-looking man, as well as not at all stingy with the dojo’s meat budget, I must tell you that I have never been serious in my interest in him. I look forward to working here with him and I am confident he'll prove an excellent employer, but that is all. I've must confess my prior hints at a romance have all been contrived."

Tohru doubted she could have felt more surprised if they were engaged. And she was at a total loss how to process Saki’s confession, leaving her staring blankly into Saki's composed face before breaking out in a wildly mangled, "Whaaaaa?"

After what felt like forever but was really only seconds, Tohru recovered enough to elaborate some more.

"But...but Hana-chan, all those times you'd seen him! You talked about how handsome he was, how much you liked him, you made all those other comments about you to together...” Tohru took a deep breath, then kept talking rapidly. “You always looked for him, like at the play, or graduation, and you're even going to be working here with him! But you've never actually been interested in him, at all? I don't understand," she admitted, feeling completely bewildered.

Tohru was happy, she was fairly certain, because she had never been sure about Saki and Kazuma to start with. And she knew that Kyo would find this news a complete relief, whenever he was allowed to learn about it.

On the flip side, Tohru was now incredibly confused. But Saki was quick to put her out of her misery...sort of.

"I wanted to punish Kyo."

Saki said it so matter-of-factly that Tohru was stunned; once again, at first, she didn’t know what to say.

"Punish...Kyo? For what? Why?"

"To punish him for taking you away from us, of course.” Saki replied, looking steadily into Tohru’s eyes, and all at once Tohru could feel her eyes grow hot.

Suddenly, it all made sense…and Tohru had never guessed.

“I could tell it was coming,” said Saki quietly, “and I knew it was what you would want. I saw it from a long way away, and I knew it would make you happy, so I was happy for you dear Tohru, in that regard. But that did nothing to change the fact he was taking you away, and I wanted him to feel at least a little of that same loss."

Saki's tone remained the same throughout her whole speech, flatly laying out the facts with her well-known dispassion. But even with Saki's calm delivery, Tohru found herself falling apart for billionth time.

"Oh Hana-chan, I'm going to miss you so much!"

The two girls fell into each other's arms, hugging tightly as Tohru sobbed onto Saki's shoulder. And Saki herself was misty eyed as she held her friend, letting Tohru pour out every tear she needed for their friendship.

Out of their original middle school trio, Saki was the only one who would be staying behind. Tohru and Arisa would both be moving soon, with Arisa having less than two more weeks before she left, too. And while it was something they had all tried not to dwell on to much, as that day had crept closer, it had been harder to ignore.

They had been together for so long, the three of them, and it was almost physically painful to contemplate their break. Tohru didn't know what she would have done without her two friends; there was no way she would have survived the pain of losing Kyoko if she hadn't had them to bolster and support her.

Saki had done so much to help her since that time, Tohru knew; protecting her and supporting her all through high school. In some of Tohru’s darkest hours, Saki had been there...

And going forward, she would be far away.

"There, there, dear Tohru. Your leaving has always been inevitable, but please, try not to blame me for wanting to twist the knife in Kyo. It's just...so incredibly satisfying."

When Saki said things like that they could only come out as creepy, even to Tohru, who had a generous spirit. But the juxtaposition of creepy and sweet was just what Tohru needed, enough to bring her back out of her tears with a choked-up laugh.

"I did promise, Hana-chan, so I won't tell Kyo just now. But please let me know when I can; I know he'll be very relieved, even if he knows deep in his heart of hearts that you'd be a good stepmother to him."

Now it was Tohru's turn to tease, and Saki laughed.

"Of course, and on that you have my word. Perhaps after I've adjusted to our new separation, I'll let you break the news to him. Perhaps in honor of our five-year high school reunion?"

"Eh..."

"I jest, dear Tohru. You can tell him after you finish settling into your new home. I wouldn't want any misplaced worries on Master Kazuma's part keep Kyo from doing everything in his power to provide for you." Saki had returned to her vegetables, and powered by sheer force of habit, Tohru had procured a second peeler and started to help.

It was handy, knowing her way around the entire dojo.

"You know I'm planning to get my own job very soon, Hana-chan, it won't be completely up to Kyo to support us."

"I am aware, but since he is the one who is taking you away, the only proper thing is for him to be able to fully support you. Though I thought we'd all already agreed that you needed a break from working, given how you have been working so hard for so long."

Her friends had agreed that, yes, but Tohru herself hadn't. It wasn't like she was physically worn out or anything, and besides, she was already getting a break by moving away. So yes, in the beginning only Kyo would be earning a wage, but she had some local job leads to look into once they were settled.

Still, it was typical of Saki to want to see Tohru taken care of, and Tohru could appreciate her care.

There was so much in Tohru’s life that had been wonderful, and her friends were near the top of the list.

"Tohru, what are you doing?" Saki's suddenly censuring tone cut into Tohru's thoughts, and Tohru looked guiltily over at her friend.

"Um...peeling vegetables?"

"Did I not say right when you came in that we didn't want you working tonight? You know I always appreciate your help and your skill, but I must ask you to relinquish that peeler at once. I am the chef for this meal, not you, and that goes for all the preparations."

Both meekly and apologetically, Tohru set down both the carrot and peeler she was holding. She hadn't thought there was anything wrong with wanting to help out, but clearly she and Saki had different ideas.

But almost as if she could read Tohru’s mind, Saki smiled. "There's nothing wrong, but please let me do this last thing for you. You have done so much for me, and so rarely let me return the favor; tonight, I want to do this for you myself."

The two women exchanged looks filled with meaning and love, and Tohru had to exhale again before she could answer.

There was so much to still say, even if they talked all night...

"I'm going to miss you, Hana-chan."

"And I you, dear Tohru. I wish you both pleasant waves.”

Chapter Text

Night had fallen on Tokyo, and the Sohma Dojo with it. While the city lights still shined brightly beyond the dojo gates, inside everything was largely dark and still.

Tohru sat quietly out in the darkness, on the engawa just outside of their room. Once again she found herself looking into the courtyard, but this time, there were no people: it was totally empty.

Empty, and completely dark except for a single light post.

Tohru sighed a bit wistfully as she surveyed the scene. The empty courtyard felt like a perfect metaphor for her Tokyo life: neatly locked up, abandoned and dim.

"What're you still doing sitting out here, Tohru?"

Kyo came up behind her, toweling off his hair from the shower. It was late; much later than either of them usually stayed up. But it had been incredibly hard to end their time with Kazuma, and all three of them had been tacking on 'just one more thing' in their conversation until they'd all started veering into incoherence. At that point, Kazuma had finally admitted defeat, gently pointing out to Kyo that tomorrow’s sendoff would start early.

And considering how much Tohru and Kyo would have to do the next day, they probably all needed to go get some sleep. Kyo had nodded regretfully, knowing that Kazuma was right, then lunged in and given his father a big hug. Kazuma had returned it with equal intensity, squeezing Kyo so tightly that he felt as though he could snap, while Tohru had looked on, tears streaming down her face. Then Kazuma had gestured to Tohru as well, pulling her in and crushing the pair of them both within his arms.

'You are so precious to me, both of you. I know you'll succeed wherever you go, and I hope you always remember that my love goes with you. As long as I'm alive, you’ll always have my support, and you'll always have a home with me here.'

Kyo hadn't struggled with the move the same way Tohru had. He had been excited about it more than anything, and while he'd done his best to be supportive of Tohru's outbursts, it had been hard for him to relate to how she was always in tears. But that night with Kazuma, Kyo had had been as teary-eyed as Tohru ever could be; he was going to miss this man, his mentor, his teacher, his father, more than he could ever miss anyone, Tohru herself excepted, and he felt no shame in showing that.

Thanks to Kazuma himself, Kyo could never feel that shame.

'I'll miss you too, Master, more than anything. You've done so much for me, and I...'

Kyo had trailed off, wiping his eyes with the sleeve of his gi. Words had never been his strong suit, and under the weight of so much strong emotion, they'd threatened to fail him completely.

But Kazuma had always understood Kyo, even when he couldn’t talk.

‘I would do everything a hundred times over again, Kyo. You are my son, as you've always been, and as you always will be. Nothing in my life has ever made me prouder than you.’

After one last hug, Kazuma had left them for bed, and Tohru and Kyo had made their way out to their room in silence.

Mostly silence, anyway, apart from Tohru’s sniffles.

 It was only when they’d reached the doorway that Kyo had registered how he was dressed; that he was still wearing his gi and had yet to clean up from his hours of practice in the dojo. He had gone back inside to take a quick, and Tohru had meant to lay out the futon while she waited. But someone had already come through and done it for them, so after slipping into her nightgown she had walked back to the engawa to sit, and wait, and think.

That was where Kyo found her, sitting in the darkness and staring out into space.

"Tohru?" Kyo repeated her name, having gotten no response, and at her continued silence he dropped down beside her.

"Hey, Tohru,” he said, unable to hide his concern, “are you sure you're ok?"

Tohru sighed, turning away from the courtyard to look at Kyo's worried face. He was always so sweet to her, she thought studying his expression: those worried amber-red eyes, looking back at her, and that slight frown pulling at his mouth.

He had been so patient with her all these many months, dealing with her sighs and her tears and her endless 'one-last-times,' never giving the slightest hint that he might be upset or annoyed. She had known that Kyo was concerned about her, but she also worried that he might be upset; that he might think she was ruining the excitement around their big move by acting so sad all the time about what they were leaving.

Truthfully, Tohru was excited about the move, and she couldn't wait to start organizing their house. She'd made lists and lists of what they had, what they still needed, what order they ought to do things, what places they’d need to find...all of it was new and exciting and something just for them, and she couldn't be happier about sharing it all with him.

But that was what was coming, not what they had had. In the meantime, while they were still in Tokyo, it had been hard to be happy about what she was leaving behind. Everyone and everything from her high school life was precious, and she had no idea how long it would be before she next came back.

Under those circumstances, it was hard not to be sad, but she still hated how she kept making Kyo worry.

So Tohru smiled, reaching out so she could stroke Kyo's cheek. He in turn leaned into her touch, nuzzling gently against her palm and returning her smile before he reached out himself, tucking a lock of Tohru's hair back behind her ear.

"I mean it, Tohru, I want you to be ok. I don't want you to force feeling things that you're not really feeling, and I promise, it’s ok you’re sad. But I just...” he hesitated slightly, then said all in a rush, “I just need you to tell me you're really ok, ok? I don't wanna make a mistake, or make you make a mistake, and take you away if it’s not really what you want."

He was so serious, Tohru thought, and it was amazing how old that seriousness actually made him look. Not 'old' in the sense that her grandpa was old, but she was struck by how very much Kyo looked like a man.

Not a boy, anymore, not even a teenage boy, but a grown, adult man.

Her own grown adult man.

She knew it shouldn't be surprising, because that's what he was. He was a man now; a high school graduate, practically an adult. And she was a woman, practically an adult herself, and they were leaving tomorrow, together, to start their new life.

Together, hand in hand, just like he had promised.

"I'm ok, Kyo, really; I absolutely promise. But I'll probably cry a lot more tomorrow morning before we go, and I'm sorry," she admitted, still caressing his cheek. “I wish I could stop, but every time I say goodbye, or think about saying goodbye, it just gets harder and harder and then I'm just-"

Even as she spoke Tohru's eyes had filled with tears; suddenly, she couldn’t go on and Kyo pulled her against him, letting her cry on his shoulder as she had so many times already.

As she sniffled into his shirt he gently stroked her hair, murmuring, "It's ok, Tohru. It's hard to say goodbye 'cause you love everyone here so much, and everyone loves you. But I swear” he continued, taking a deep breath, “I love you more than everyone else combined, and I will make it worth it to you, that’s a goddamned promise."

Kyo squeezed Tohru tightly as he spoke and Tohru squeezed him back, letting the emotion in Kyo's voice help assuage the sadness threatening to crush her.

He was right, of course. Right that he loved her the most, and right that he'd make it worth it. She knew that, because there was no way he couldn't make it worth it to her when all that she wanted, all that she dreamed of, all that was truly most precious, was sitting right there holding her in his arms.

Tohru slid into Kyo's lap, letting his arms cradle her, and she nestled her head under his chin. He always made her feel so loved and so safe; no matter what, things would always be right with him.

"It will be worth it, Kyo, I'm sure of that,” she told him, looking up and wiping her eyes as she continued playfully. “You've seen how stubborn I can be lately; if I wasn't really ok with this move then you know I'd speak up and tell you directly. You might be a kick-ass karateka, but I can be pretty kick-ass myself when it comes to sticking to my guns, even against you!"

She could see the glimpse of relief he first showed at her teasing, but it was Kyo’s amused snort that was music to her ears.

"Kick-ass? Like you could even lift those puny little legs of yours high enough to reach my ass," he said, his tone and expression teasing. "And even if you could manage it without falling over, you'd never be able to actually kick it; you'd be too upset at the idea of hurting me."

Tohru giggled at his assessment, enjoying the mental image of herself as some mighty Amazon warrior who was too nervous to actually use her skills.

"That's not fair, Kyo! For starters, I am not puny, and for seconds, you never know how committed I might get if you weren't listening," she said, her eyes twinkling mischievously.

"Yeah, well, guess I've got a pretty good idea."

Kyo had to smile as he looked down at Tohru. It felt so right to be like this with her: together, talking and teasing. It felt right to hold her, to feel her in his arms supported by him and him alone.

For most of his life, he hadn't really cared that he transformed. He'd hated it as a manifestation of the Curse, but not being able to hug girls hadn't really bothered him. His mother had been gone from his life far too early; after that, there had never been any woman who made it matter: no woman who had ever shown him the kindness to make him truly care. He'd been 'lucky' he had Kagura, he could somewhat admit, but her hugs had been different; never initiated or truly wanted by him, even if there was a part deep down that appreciated them for suggesting that someone had actually cared.

But then there had been Kyoko, and that horrible day...

Kyo doubted he would ever be able to forgive what the Curse had cost in that moment, even if he was someday able to forgive himself. Tohru might have forgiven him already, but she was a far better person than he could ever dream of being.

Tohru had come along unbidden into Kyo’s life, and little by little had made her way into his heart and his dreams. Feelings of resentment towards his transformation had grown, and an inevitable bitterness grew with it.

He had wanted, so many times, to hug her or hold her; to save her, to carry her, to physically keep her safe. That day she was sick and had fainted on the path to their house, when he had been with her and was unable to catch her or carry her home. Or that day walking by the lake with Yuki, when Tohru had slipped and fallen down the embankment and he and Yuki had both transformed while trying to protect her.

Tohru had always been the one to pick him up, and he had never once been able to return the favor, before. Even when he knew that he loved her and wanted to crush her against him, even so much as an arm around her shoulders was too much.

But not anymore, and never again.

And Kyo closed his eyes as he buried his face in her hair. She always smelled so good, like freshly washed laundry and sunshine. And he knew that made sense, because Tohru was sunshine; his sunshine, who he would close every chance he had.

They sat cuddled like that a few long minutes, both of them reflecting on everything that had led up to that moment. There had been happy times, and sad ones; things that had been amazing and euphoric, and things that had been physically painful or emotionally devastating.

Each of them had scars that would stay with them a long time; perhaps those scars would stay with them forever. And they both knew that parts of the past would be hard to let go, no matter how much they might wish things were different.

But happiness and good times had been mixed in with the sadness, and they had both been blessed by many people in their lives. Neither one of them had gotten where they were alone, and when they walked to the station tomorrow, they still wouldn’t be alone.

Tohru was resigned to how much she'd be crying tomorrow, but she was looking forward to each and every hug. She had always been affectionate when it came to her friends, and since the Curse had broken, she had loved hugging all of her friends with no fear. Kyo was slightly less fond of Tohru’s hugging obsession, especially when certain other Zodiac men were involved (he was watching those hands!), but he would never begrudge Tohru something that made her so happy.

And as far as Kyo was concerned, the sendoff was for Tohru. If it was just him leaving, then the crowd would be much smaller, assuming that there was a crowd at all. But he didn’t mind in the slightest; it made him immeasurably proud to know that in spite of how special Tohru was and how much people loved her, she had chosen him to spend her life beside. She had chosen him out of a world of possibility, chosen the sad, angry, bitter, hopeless Cat, and she had seen something inside of him that was worth loving.

She had loved him, and fought for him, and even fought against him when he was trying to drive her away.

She had never backed away, never been scared off. She had been willing to risk everything, out of love for him.

And Kyo could face the entire world knowing that she was with him, and that he had her love to rely on, going forward. Tomorrow he would grin and bear with all the teasing and smart remarks, and with the veiled and not-so-veiled threats.

He knew just how many other people loved Tohru, and it would be worth putting up with one last party to remind her of that.

But eventually, Tohru straightened up and looked skyward. "It's such a beautiful clear night, Kyo. Do you think tomorrow is going to be as nice?"

"Weather report sounds like it's gonna be nice down here, at least, but I guess we'll gotta see once we start heading north. I just hope it's not raining."

"Well, I've got a couple umbrellas in my bag, so even if it rains in Hibe, we should be just fine. Even if your hands are too full with all the bags, I can always hold your umbrella for you!"

Tohru flashed him a teasing grin as she spoke and Kyo snorted again, both of them thinking back to Kyo's second-year rage at the very idea of walking under a girl's umbrella. That had been the day Tohru first met Kazuma...and the night she'd seen and learned about the Cat's True Form. A lot of things had changed since that day...

Almost literally every one of them for the better.

For his own part, Kyo was shaking his head at his younger self, but he still flashed Tohru a grin of his own.

"I'd walk under your umbrella any day, Tohru. But..."

He looked upwards at the night sky himself. It had to be after midnight by then, and while he was fine operating on little sleep, Tohru had never been that good at coping when she was tired. Plus, he had gotten a nap in back at the house and she hadn't.

Kyo had no idea how early people would start turning up, but he had a pretty good guess that the answer was ‘very,’ considering how early their train was going to leave. And he knew Tohru wouldn't want to miss so much as a second of time with a single person who came to say goodbye.

So Kyo rose to his feet, lifting Tohru with him. "It's late, and we've got a big day tomorrow. You ready for some sleep?"

"No...but I think you're right."

Tohru wrapped her arms around Kyo’s neck and snuggled close as he carried her back into their room, only letting go as he gently set her on the futon.

It felt weird to be going to bed with him in that room. It wasn't her first time sleeping at the dojo, but she had always stayed with Rin in Kazuma’s house before. She didn't know if Kyo had requested this or Kazuma had just done it, but it felt symbolic somehow, the two of them sharing a room. Yes, it was definitely not their first time sharing a bed, and those shared beds had seen them doing a whole lot more than sleeping, but everything up until then had been sneaky and felt forbidden. She had had her room, he had his own...

But now, they had their room. And it was wonderful.

To be sure, the only thing happening that night was going to be actual sleeping. It was too late, they were too tired, and the morning was coming soon. But Tohru was still struck, as she watched Kyo hang up his robe and his towel and stand there in just his pajamas, by just how handsome he was and by just how lucky she was.

She would get to do this every night for the rest of their lives: come to bed with Kyo in their bed, in their very own room. She'd get to learn every aspect of his nightly wind-down routine, see him in his pajamas, and fall asleep beside him.

There was so much to look forward to, big things and little things too, because in spite of the fact they'd lived together for over two years, there were lots of things about Kyo that she had yet to learn.

Tomorrow was the start of a lifetime of learning.

"What're you smiling that smile for, Tohru?" Kyo had noticed the way Tohru’s eyes were following him, and it had been wonderful seeing her smile without a hint of sadness. "Don't think I'm complaining, 'cause I'm not, but I wanna share the happiness if I can."

Tohru smiled and patted the futon next to her, at which invitation Kyo obediently dropped down. Then she leaned in to give him a brief, loving kiss before drawing back and cupping his cheek with her hand.

"I'm just...happy. But I'll always invite you to share my happiness, Kyo. Always."

"And forever," Kyo replied softly, covering her hand with his and caressing her cheek with his other.

He was always amazed by how happy Tohru made him, and by how many 'happiest moment ever’ feelings they’d shared. Each time, he felt there was no way anything could top that one, then a new moment would happen and he'd find himself thinking yet again 'I’ve never been happier.' But he was gradually learning to accept that wonderful feeling: that 'happy' could be a default and not an exception.

And it was all thanks to her.

Kyo kissed Tohru’s palm then snuggled down into the futon, drawing Tohru with him into his arms against his chest. "Sleep well, Tohru," he told her tenderly, and Tohru smiled as she replied,

"Sleep well, Kyo."

Chapter Text

Morning often came too early when you went to bed late.

Sometimes, those early mornings had some help.

"HALLOOOOOOOO! Guten Mooooooooorgen, are you two decent?"

Kyo just about hit the ceiling, he was so startled by the noise. One moment he had been blissfully asleep; the next, someone was hammering on the bedroom door with enough force to stagger a dog while yelling with a cheer and enthusiasm that had no business so much as existing at that hour. And tired as Kyo was, he still recognized the voice, and knowing who it was didn’t make him feel charitable.

"DAMNIT, MOMIJI, DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT FUCKING TIME IT IS?"

A part of Kyo acknowledged that yelling back was not that considerate, but he was in no state right then to think of a better plan. Besides, it wasn’t like he’d done that much real damage himself; there was no way that anyone was getting back to sleep as long as that irritating Rabbit was hanging around.

Tohru was a much deeper sleeper than Kyo, but even her natural sleep reserves were powerless against the dual assault of Momiji's aggressive knocking and his cheerful yelling. She had shot upright herself at the first 'hallo,' her bleary brain trying to figure out what was happening and also where she even was with very little success. She was so out of it that she hadn’t recognized Momiji, not until Kyo started angrily yelling back, but once she heard Momiji’s name it clicked immediately.

Of course, Momiji! He had told her he was going to be one of the first ones to the dojo, and at the time she’d laughed and told him she looked forward to it. But as she looked out the open window and saw the still-darkened sky, Tohru couldn’t help but wonder what she had been thinking.

Looking sideways at Kyo, who was angrily running his hands through his hair, Tohru yawned and asked him, "Um...what time is it, Kyo?"

She was afraid of the answer, considering that Kyo had clearly been asleep himself; Kyo tended to wake very early, so if he'd been asleep-

"It's five fifteen, Tohru! You only have a few hours before you need to get to the train, so it's time for you to get up and moving, ja?"

Momiji's cheerful voice floated easily through the door, not sounding even the tiniest bit concerned about Kyo’s rage. Then again, Tohru couldn’t exactly be surprised; Momiji was used to Kyo being irritated with him, and he'd never cared in the slightest about it. Momiji might not be willing to pinch Kyo around Tohru, but he was no doubt happy to ruffle Kyo's feathers one final time.

"Five...fifteen...in the morning?"

Tohru was barely able to stumble out the words, the time seeming so impossibly early that it couldn't be real. People really got up this early, voluntarily? And how early had Momiji woken up himself? Even if the dojo was technically on the Sohma estate, Momiji had still had to get up, get dressed, and walk over/

She hadn't realized he was this much of a morning person...

But since he was here, that meant Tohru should get up. There would be plenty of time to catch up on sleep later, but the clock was officially running out on time to spend with her friends.

Tohru leaned over and gave Kyo a peck on the cheek. He was still fuming, but her gesture made his expression shift from anger to irritation, and he even gave her a small, if slightly pained, smile.

"You know this is your fault, right Tohru? I know you're the one who told him this was ok, otherwise there's no way he'd be doing this, not so damn early."

"Yes, well..." She smiled apologetically, trying to figure out how to best explain when Momiji's ‘helpful’ voice came back through the closed door.

"Don't blame Tohru for anything, you. If you hadn't decided to take her away, and so early at that, then I wouldn't have to be saying goodbye at all, definitely not this early in the morning. So you can just suck it, Mister Grumpy Face."

Tohru had to stifle a laugh, but Kyo was not amused, and he briefly swiped his palm across his angry face.

"Damnit, Rabbit, you've made your goddamned point, ok? Go away and let us get dressed in peace, or I swear I'll come out there and chuck you out myself. You're too old to be listening at doors."

"Ohhh, Kyo is being so scary! I'll see you in a little bit, ok Tohru?"

Momiji's voice faded as he walked away, and Tohru allowed herself a little snort of laughter.

A lot of things had changed in her life as of late, and a lot of relationships were included in that number.

But so far, things were as they’d ever been with Momiji.

For his part, Kyo was very, very happy to be putting some real distance between himself and Momiji. While he appreciated all that Momiji had done to nudge Kyo and Tohru together and also appreciated Momiji keeping his own feelings to himself, Kyo was keenly aware that Momiji was also in love with Tohru and didn't care one jot about the fact Kyo knew it. Kyo trusted Tohru implicitly and trusted Momiji enough, but he did not appreciate that Momiji kept rubbing his nose in it.

Tohru might not give herself enough credit, but there were far too many guys interested in her. Sure, she had a million excellent, lovable qualities and it was only fitting that guys would be attracted to her, but Kyo did not, and never would, actually enjoy that.

At least she was happily awake and not struggling, Kyo thought sourly as Tohru got up from their futon. Normally things were the opposite; Kyo was the one who always woke up with no problem, while Tohru was the one who took forever to be functional. Perhaps he owed Momiji thanks for that, but he was in no mood to appreciate the Rabbit right now.

Damn Momiji is lucky people wake up early at the dojo.

Though actually, Kazuma was always awake at this hour, and someone would have had to unlock the dojo gates to let Momiji in. Realizing it was probably best to get up then regardless, Kyo stood up himself and stalked over to their luggage.

"Are you going to be ok, Kyo?” Tohru asked anxiously. “I'm sorry you had such a difficult wake up, if I'd know this was how early Momiji meant to be here, I would have warned you since I did tell him I'd love to see him early."

Tohru had already slipped out of her nightgown and into her clothes, a simple but cute sundress that would be comfortable for the train. She was rummaging around, looking for her hairbrush, which Kyo pulled out of his own bag and handed to her.

"Don't worry about it, Tohru, I'd be grouchy waking up to Momiji no matter what time. He's always too damned perky, no matter what time of day, and he's really good at being annoying."

As he spoke, Kyo quickly shucked off his pajamas, tossing them into the suitcase without bothering to fold them before he pulled on some jeans and a t-shirt. He wasn't feeling especially excited about the morning for his own sake, but he was going to grin and bear it and be a good sport for Tohru.

That was what he needed to do to get through the sendoff: try to focus on Tohru and how she was doing.

At least watching her was good at calming him down, he thought fondly as he watched her brush her hair. He loved her hair, just like he loved everything else about her, and just like he loved watching her in general.

It was funny how close those small domestic moments made them feel, especially considering how often they saw each other naked. But as much as Kyo loved spending time with Tohru like that, there was something equally magical about seeing her brush her hair.

Watching her do any of a million mundane things, knowing that he was the only person who got to share them with her.

As Tohru finished brushing and tying back her hair, she noticed that Kyo had finished dressing and was just watching her, a soft, affectionate smile on his face. She was relieved to see him with that smile, considering how grouchy he’d been when they first woke up, and she returned his smile with pleasure. She wasn't sure what he was specifically smiling about, but still it gave her the warmest and fuzziest feelings to witness it.

But there would be plenty of time to stare at each other later; right now, it was time for them to find some friends.

"Are you going to go find Master Kazuma, Kyo? I’m sure Momiji would also be happy to see you-”

"-Oh no, you’re not dumping that damn Rabbit on me. You can go hang out with Momiji on your own, 'cause I might be tempted to punch him if I have to see him right now."

In spite of Kyo’s threatening words, he was still smiling, and Tohru could tell from his tone that his anger had faded. So even though Kyo was still huffing Tohru laughed at him, leaning up to give him a light peck on the nose.

"Fine. I don't think Momiji will mind spending time with just me, and I know Master Kazuma will be happy to see you."

"As if I care if Momiji minds anything," Kyo grumbled with a mock-scowl, knowing that Momiji would love to have Tohru to himself. But Kyo’s mood had lightened enough that he could be charitable, and he didn't begrudge Momiji the chance to talk to Tohru before things got too hectic.

He'd love to be wrong, but Kyo had the uncomfortable suspicion that Momiji wasn't going to be the only person turning up early in the hope of having some extra time with Tohru.

"Alright then!" Tohru slipped her hairbrush into her bag, then zipped it closed and stood it upright with the rest of their things. It was so strange, looking at the little matched set of luggage; right now, it held almost every possession both of them owned.

Her mom's picture was in there, and so was her dad's. Their clothes. The blue hat. Their diplomas, some books, her Zodiac figurines...so many things, and so few at the same time.

How odd it felt, to be able to pick up and carry their whole lives.

And how easy it would be, to remove every trace that they'd been there...

"Tohru..." Kyo's lightly stern voice broke in on her musings, and she looked over at him guiltily. But he was still smiling, and he pointed to the door. "Go. Don't make me deal with Momiji again."

And Tohru was smiling herself as she left the room.

Tohru walked out into the first pale light of dawn. It was cool, but not cold, and she could hear birds chirping off in the distance. The clear night had turned into an equally clear morning, and Tohru drew in a deep breath of the crisp morning air.

If the weather was anything to go on, then it seemed like the sendoff was sure to be a success.

Looking around the courtyard, Tohru quickly spied Momiji, standing by the main building’s steps and talking with Kunimitsu. Momiji hadn't noticed Tohru yet, but she was happy to slip on her shoes and head that way herself.

"Good morning, Kunimitsu! Good morning, Momiji! And thank you so much for waiting!"

"Waiting? That's not usually something you hear people doing this early in the day," Kunimitsu said to Tohru with a laugh. Though he wasn’t usually awake quite so early himself, in honor of the occasion he had made an exception. And given Kunimitsu had been the one to open the gate that morning, he was very aware of the nature of Tohru and Kyo’s wakeup. He was still amused by everything he’d overheard, though he wished he could have been a fly on the wall to watch Kyo's reaction. He'd been able to hear it, of course, but he was sure seeing it would have been funny, too. "And good morning to you too, Tohru, I hope you slept well...until Momiji got here."

"I did, thank you!” Tohru replied, giggling at the question; both Momiji and Kunimitsu laughed as well. “By the way, Kunimitsu, is there anything I should do with our bedding before we leave? I don't want to leave any extra work for anyone, so it's no trouble for me to take them where they need to go. I could even start the wash, if that would help out!"

Kunimitsu and Momiji exchanged an amused look, then Momiji put his hand on Tohru's arm. "Tohru, you are always so kind. But I promise you, no one is wanting or needing you to do laundry, not today. So you just forget about that and leave it to others, ja?"

"Yes, that’s right. You enjoy yourself, Tohru, and leave cleaning up to us." Smiling, Kunimitsu made a shooing motion at them, and Momiji obliged by towing Tohru away to sit on a bench.

As they sat down, Momiji gave Tohru a sheepish smile. "I hope I didn't really wake you up too early, Tohru, I just wanted to make sure I had time with you before it got too busy. You didn't really mind, did you?"

Momiji looked earnestly at Tohru, his golden eyes suddenly serious. While he had known it would be on the early side for Tohru, he hadn't wanted to miss his chance for one last talk with her, one where he didn't have to share her attention.

And who could blame him for wanting to mess with Kyo?

A man had to get up early to wake up before Kyo.

"No, it's fine, Momiji, really," said Tohru, patting his hand, and thinking as she did so how large his hands had gotten. It still amazed her, how tall and manly he had become, but she knew it shouldn’t surprise her more than anything else.

All of them were growing up, after all. Momiji and Haru were both third years now, and in another year it would be their turn to graduate. No one would ever mistake this tall, handsome young man for a child, but Tohru would always remember that lovable little boy who she’d first met, the one who had become one of her first and dearest Sohmas friends.

She never would have dreamed the first day she saw him that he was even a Sohma, never mind a member of the Zodiac. But even after she’d learned the truth, he had still just been Momiji; the same laughing, fun-filled boy she had met that first night.

Their friendship had grown strong and steady over the years, unique from any other Sohma friendship she had. Momiji alone out of the male Sohmas had always hugged her, even though it had meant he inevitably transformed. And he’d been willing to share a wisdom beyond his looks and age, reminding Tohru that painful memories still could be beautiful.

Momiji had always been so willing to do so much for her...like defend her, even when it meant getting hurt in her place.

It was too much to expect that she wasn’t going to cry, and it was also too much to expect that Momiji wouldn’t notice.

"Ach, we're already starting to cry?" Momiji tried to be playful, but he was tearing up himself as he squeezed Tohru's hands tightly in his. "I guess that's ok, though; crying means we feel something, ja?” As he met Tohru’s gaze, she swallowed a large lump, unable to respond as he continued, his voice hitching slightly, “And I am so very happy that I get to share these with you."

That was enough for Tohru, and she completely broke down.

"Oh...Momiji...I'm going....to miss you...so much!"

"I know, Tohru, and I'm going to miss you."

Momiji was soon sobbing himself, almost as fiercely as Tohru. She had been so much to him for those precious two years; a friend, a confidant, a co-conspirator. He had told her things he hadn't told anyone else, and he had delighted in every chance he’d had to help her in turn.

She had brought him so much joy, and he had rejoiced in her friendship, even while the torch he carried for her in his heart burned unnoticed.

Momiji didn’t think that he was a selfish man. He would never try to put himself between Tohru and Kyo when it was so incredibly obvious what there was between them. But Momiji Sohma loved Tohru Honda with his entire heart, and he knew he would love her, in some way, until the day he died.

"I'm so happy for you and Kyo, truly. But I am going to miss you so very much."

The two of them fell into each other's arms, both of them weeping as they thought about just what their friendship had brought and what this parting would mean for the two of them going forward. Momiji knew that he'd be able to visit her easily enough; he had always been an eager and capable traveler. But it wouldn't be the same as things had been before; he couldn’t see her every day, and he wouldn't be seeing just her.

Going forward, it would likely be them; Tohru and Kyo, together.

The halcyon days were over; it was finally time for change.

"I feel like we're interrupting something, don't you?" Haru commented, stroking his chin as he studied Momiji and Tohru. And at his side by the dojo gate, Rin was glaring daggers, trying to focus entirely on him and tune out the awkward crying.

"Yes, just like I warned you we might be at this hour! We didn't need to come here this early, Haru, you know that. Their train isn't leaving until nine, so we could have waited."

Rin was annoyed and uncomfortable about the entire thing. Although she had been living at the dojo for close to a year now herself, she had made a strategic move to Kagura’s the prior day; as much as she was going to miss Tohru and wanted to say her goodbyes, Rin was coming up on her limit for the crying. Her leaving had given Tohru, Kyo, and Kazuma space...

But she clearly hadn’t given enough thought to the morning.

It had been Haru's idea to head over to the dojo so early; he had reasoned that with as many people as would likely be coming, if they wanted the chance to talk to Kyo or especially Tohru in private, then they needed to try beating everyone else. Rin had agreed with his reasoning in theory, but now that they were there and she could see what an emotional mess Tohru was already, Rin was deeply regretting that decision.

Not that they could just leave then, much as she might want to.

Especially since Haru didn’t look at all put out.

"Maybe,” he said, giving her a light shrug. “But we're here now, so we might as well interrupt. Honda's probably going to be crying a lot today, we’ve probably already missed our chance to see her without tears."

Haru started to walk across the courtyard, but Rin reached out and grabbed the back of his shirt.

"Let's just give them some time first. Didn't you want to talk to Kyo anyway? Maybe you should go look for him first."

Haru tilted his head to one side, considering the idea, then gave Rin a little smile and nodded his head. "Ok, yeah, that's probably a better idea. I wouldn't mind trying to get in one last match with him, either; with him and Yuki both moving, it's going to be pretty boring around here pretty soon. Maybe I'll just have to try to get you to fight me more," he said, his smile taking on a playful tilt.

Rin just scowled back at him, but it was a scowl laced with amusement, and her tone wasn’t totally harsh as she said,

"Fuck off and find Kyo."

Haru chuckled and stuck his hands in his pockets, walking off around the outer perimeter of the courtyard to head inside without attracting Tohru or Momiji’s attention. Rin was right, he acknowledged; there would be time to talk to Tohru soon enough. He wasn't really sure what he was going to say, but he was going to miss her, and he wanted to make sure she knew that. Tohru had done so much for them all, and Haru would always be grateful for what she had done for Rin in particular: becoming the friend that Rin had never known she needed.

As he walked, Haru glanced over his shoulder, watching as Rin sat down quietly off to the side of the gate. And as she silently pulled out her sketchpad, Haru smiled, understanding what she was planning to do.

Hopefully Rin wouldn't be too broken up by this parting. In spite of her bluster, Haru knew she'd miss Tohru, too.

Kyo found Kazuma in his office, the very first place he looked. Normally at this hour Kazuma would be meditating, but with the dojo about to be overrun with guests Kyo had figured Kazuma would be taking a pass. He was right; a knock on the door was met with a gentle "come in," and Kyo was quick to take Kazuma up on the offer.

Opening the door, Kyo was met by Kazuma's smile.

"Good morning, Kyo. I heard you were up," Kazuma said with amusement; Kyo's voice had a very carrying quality, especially when he was angry.

Kyo’s response to that was to blush, but he wasn’t surprised; it wasn't like he'd been quiet when he'd raged at Momiji. "Lemme guess, Master; you knew about that, too?" he asked with a mildly accusatory look.

Kazuma had a completely straight face, but he replied cheerfully, "I might have been asked to open the dojo gates early today. I thought it would be a shame to turn down such an earnest request."

"Figures. So what you're saying is, I never had a chance to sleep in today," Kyo replied in mock censure, earning him a chuckle. But Kyo was smiling himself as he walked into the office, starting a slow circuit around the small room.

Kyo had spent a lot of time in this office over the years, and he smiled as he thought about how much he’d once questioned its purpose. When he was little and always craving Kazuma’s attention, he had resented the time that Kazuma spent ‘playing with papers;’ once he'd gotten older and understood the office’s purpose, he had simply wondered why Kazuma had bothered. After all, Kazuma was a gifted martial artist; surely he could just hire someone to handle the boring business and dedicate himself to teaching karate. But Kazuma had explained to him that being the dojo’s master meant more than being the chief instructor; he had a responsibility to the whole institution, and that meant he needed to know the business inside and out.

Back then, Kyo had still felt that Kazuma was wasting his time, but age and maturity had gradually changed his mind. Now, he understood and appreciated why Kazuma worked so hard, and he knew that the dojo owed a lot to Kazuma’s attention.

Someday, very, very far off in the future, Kyo hoped to demonstrate that same attention himself.

As Kyo slowly walked around the office, Kazuma watched him with slightly wistful eyes, comparing the Kyo of the present with visions from the past. Once, Kyo had been a tiny child scampering around, peeking in cabinets and drawers and asking ‘What’s this?’

That little boy was long gone now, replaced by a man. And as Kazuma watched Kyo pause to study a photograph, Kazuma felt a wave of conflicting emotions.

He had been thrilled that Tohru and Kyo had chosen to spend their last night with him and depart from the dojo their last morning, but it was almost a relief they were leaving so soon. Even though they’d all been preparing for that morning for months, now that it had actually arrived, the emotion was intense.

But Kazuma had no plan to let himself fall apart, and as he spoke to Kyo he kept his voice neutral.

"I take it Tohru is with Momiji, then?"

"Yeah, I sent her off to find him,” Kyo replied right away. “Pretty sure they're already both sobbing their eyes out, too; Momiji's almost as bad as Tohru when it comes to that kinda thing."

Kazuma smiled, imagining the sight that Kyo described. He couldn’t speak to Momiji’s predilection for tears, but when it came to Tohru, he completely agreed.

"Tohru had always struck me as a very sensitive young woman. I'm afraid that today was always going to be a challenge for her.”

"Yeah," Kyo agreed softly, and Kazuma heard him exhale. Then Kyo stopped again, this time in front of the calendar.

Kyo’s back was to Kazuma, but Kazuma could guess what it was that had grabbed Kyo’s attention: that day’s date, which was circled neatly in red pen. Within the circle, Kazuma had wrote a note: ‘8:30am, Kyo and Tohru to the train.’

It was small and simple, and something Kyo already knew. He might not have bought the tickets but he’d weighed in on the time; he knew when the train would depart, and when they needed to leave. But somehow, seeing it written there in Kazuma's neat handwriting, the nearness and reality of it hit Kyo with the force of a punch.

In less than three hours...he’d be on a train.

All of this would be over, including every ‘goodbye.’

And Kyo had to fight to swallow the lump in his throat. "Master," he began, his voice cracking a bit-

"-Sensei, do you know where I can find-"

Without so much as a knock of warning, the office door flew open with enough force to shake the walls. Kazuma and Kyo both looked up, startled, at the open doorway, where Kagura stood equally startled, one hand at her mouth as she let out an “oh!” of surprise.

She didn’t finish her question, but she didn’t need to; the way she was looking at Kyo made clear what it was she had wanted.

And Kazuma immediately stood up. "I think I’m going to head down to the kitchen and see how the breakfast preparations are coming along. Feel free to come down as soon as you're done here, Kagura."

Kazuma gently squeezed Kyo's shoulder as he passed, then stepped out into the hallway, closing the door behind him. And at first Kyo stared after him, feeling somewhat abandoned, but then he sighed resignedly.

it was probably just as well to have this conversation alone, given he had no idea either what Kagura wanted to say or how emotional she would get.

At least she didn't leave him wondering long.

"I can't believe it's already today!"

Kagura's eyes were full of tears as she threw herself at Kyo, the suddenness of her assault taking him by surprise. He still managed to catch her almost reflexively, and, also to his surprise, the fact that he did made him smile.

How many times over the years had Kagura flung herself at him, either to hug him or try to beat him up? She had arguably helped hone Kyo’s reflexes as much as his time in the dojo, and he supposed he could be grateful to her for that.

No, he corrected himself, he could be grateful for more. Sure, for years she’d driven him crazy with her one-sided love. He had resented her for the assumptions she’d made about him, and for the way she’d always ignored his thoughts on the subject of love. But she had also befriended him when no one else was willing, and she had stuck by him when he was at his lowest.

Kyo had never loved her, and he never would. Not the way she had loved him, and the way she had wanted him to. But he could love that she'd been his friend and hadn’t turned her back, and in the spirit of that love, he could be tolerant now.

"Yeah, well, that's kinda how time works, isn't it? But it does feel a little crazy," he agreed.

Kagura sniffled and promptly pounded on Kyo's chest with both fists. "'A little crazy?' That's as much as you're going to give me, Kyo? You're about to leave me forever, and you can't even wax the tiniest bit poetic about how sad you are?"

Kyo stared blankly at her, not really sure what she expected. Yes, he was going to miss her, he supposed, but definitely not to the point that he would get poetic.

But apparently that stare had been what she was waiting for, and suddenly Kagura let out a little laugh.

"Psych!" Her eyes were still teary, but she was smiling as she said, "Don't worry, Kyo, I know it isn't really in you to be sad about this. And you shouldn't be, really; I'm genuinely happy for you and Tohru, you know. Even if I'm never going to forgive her for taking you away," she said, sternly waggling a finger at him. "Yes, I know you love her and she loves you, blah blah blah, but we could have had something beautiful, and I want you to remember that."

Kyo was fairly sure that Kagura was just teasing, but there was a hint of something in her eye that gave him pause. Yes, it would be easy enough to simply scoff at her, but at the same time-

"-And what have I walked into here? I'm honestly disappointed in you right now, Kyo."

Haru's mild voice had the effect of an explosion, and Kyo shot back from Kagura as if she'd burned him. Kyo's face was certainly red enough as he glared at Haru, who was casually leaning against the door frame.

"Damnit, Haru, what're you doing sneaking around like that? And don't say any stupid stuff like that, I wasn't doing anything!"

"Except for listening to the last-ditch attempt of another girl to make you love her as you held her in your arms," Kagura replied with a devilish grin.

She was just teasing him, of course, but it was her last chance; her last chance for a while, anyway, until he next came back. And thinking that was enough to stab Kagura’s heart, though she managed to maintain her playful expression.

Haru's timing had been great, Kagura had to admit, but she wished she'd had a little longer with just Kyo. Even though she knew she could say whatever around Haru, it wouldn’t be the same as saying it to Kyo alone.

She'd spent so long trying to sort out her feelings for him. Ever since that day when Tohru had seen the Cat’s True Form, Kagura had realized that her dream for the future would remain just a dream. She'd fought it at first, much longer than she should have; only when she realized there was truly no hope did she finally give up and back away. Yes, her love had been born at first from selfish reasons, but she had meant it when she told Kyo that she loved him anyway.

And she had meant it when she said she wanted to be with him, even though she had known she didn’t have a chance.

Kagura had few regrets about the time she’d punched Tohru, even if she'd ended up hitting her harder than she had intended. It had been so infuriating and heart-breaking for her, hearing Tohru pour her heart out about Kyo to Rin when it was Kyo who desperately needed to hear her; even worse since Kagura would have given the world to tell him herself. When she realized just how deep Tohru and Kyo’s love ran, Kagura initially hadn’t known how to feel. But since then, she’d tried her best to be happy for them, even though it still stung when she thought about how Tohru's future could have been hers.

Kagura wasn't a mean-spirited person, though, and she’d told herself repeatedly she would see them off with a smile.

After she had made Kyo twitch, just one final time.

Kyo was certainly twitching a lot right then as he glared at both the grinning Kagura and the placid Haru.

"Give me a break, would you? I wasn't doing anything!"

And his voice, defensive and strained, told Kagura that was the end.

"No, you weren't,” said Kagura, her voice suddenly soft. “Nothing important, anyway," she said as she turned for the door.

"Kagura-" Kyo realized he had come across harsher than he'd meant, and he moved to stop her but she waved his hand away.

"No, it's ok, Kyo. I need to be getting over to the kitchen, anyway; I volunteered to help Saki with the breakfast preparations. There's going to be a lot of people to feed, you know!"

Once again, Kyo could almost be fooled by her smile; it was almost as bright and sunny as any smile he’d seen. But the key word was ‘almost,’ for the second time; he could tell that it wasn’t that easy for her...

But she wouldn’t want him to push. Instead, he focused on the more pertinent question, repeating, “...Saki? Since when have you been on those terms with Hanajima, Kagura?"

Kagura didn’t respond, since she was already on her way. And Kyo was left with Haru, who just gave him a shrug.

"What man can hope to make sense of the mysterious and whimsical nature of women?"

Definitely not Kyo, that was for damn sure. But he also wasn’t going to admit it.

“Haru?”

“Yeah?”

“Shut up.”

Chapter Text

"Telling me to shut up when I went to the trouble of coming to find you? It's not easy getting out of bed this early, you know." As he spoke, Haru pushed off from the wall with his foot, walking over to Kyo with his typical nonchalance. "But I figured that I owed you the effort."

"Gee, thanks." Kyo's tone was sarcastic, but he flushed somewhat guiltily. Now that Haru mentioned it, Kyo admitted it was a surprise that Haru was already there; the sun had only been up for maybe half an hour, and Haru was the kind of guy who slept until noon if he could. And after a moment, Kyo acknowledged that, giving Haru a sheepish smile as he said, "When you put it that way, it is kinda crazy to see you here now. I'm surprised you're not a zombie from waking up so early."

Haru nodded. "I was worried about that too, so I just stayed up all night. You can’t struggle to wake up if you don’t sleep, am I right?"

"Fuck no, you’re not right! Geez, Haru, what're you gonna do after you're done here, just go pass out in a corner or something?"

"Hmm..." Haru tilted his head back and stared at the ceiling, then looked back at Kyo and gave him a slight shrug. "Probably that, yeah."

Kyo snorted and shook his head in response. It often amazed him that Haru could function in the normal world, considering how 'unique' his approach to day-to-day life could be, but Kyo could admit that was part of Haru’s charm. And he would miss Haru more than many others; the younger man had been one of Kyo’s closest friends, as well as one of the best sparring partners he could have had over the years. In the same way Kagura had helped develop Kyo’s skill, Haru’s random, impromptu challenges had filled a similar role.

Kyo wasn't going to miss the random bouts of Black Haru, but the rest of what they’d had, he was going to miss.

Haru seemed to be thinking along similar lines. "It's gonna be weird not having you around, Kyo. I've really enjoyed our fights, even if you usually win, but I've got a really good feeling about this next year. So this is your warning: keep up your training unless you want me to decisively kick your ass." He smiled and cracked his knuckles, then cocked his head to the side. "I don't suppose we've got time to have one last match before you go, do we?"

Kyo snorted at the idea of him slacking on his training; in less than a week Kyo would be in a dojo all day, every day. Still, he appreciated Haru’s confident challenge, and he considered the offer for one last match longer than he should have.

Kyo had always enjoyed throwing down with Haru, and it would be a long time before they had a chance again. A sparring match would no doubt relax him, and maybe even distract him from worrying about Tohru. But he couldn't in good conscience agree to it right then; in spite of the early hour, people were already trickling in, and he meant to be a good sport and socialize, not disappear.

Plus he owed it to Tohru to not risk injury on the very day they were moving across Japan.

So even though he wanted nothing more right then than a match, Kyo instead gave his head a decisive shake. "Nah, there's not really gonna be a good opportunity. And don't even think about trying to start something right here now, or Master’ll probably skin both of us." That last comment was accompanied by a threatening glare from Kyo as he noted Haru sizing up the ofice, and Haru accepted that statement with a sigh of his own.

"Bummer. With you and Yuki both moving away, I dunno what I’m gonna do going forward. It's too bad Momiji never took up karate."

At the mention of Momiji, Kyo snorted again, and Haru eyed Kyo for a moment, then chuckled.

"Oh, he's pissed you off already? What'd he go and do now?"

"Nothing much, just decided to start pounding on the door and screeching at five fifteen in the goddamned morning."

"Really? Wow, I'm surprised he was willing to risk your wrath like that. But I guess that explains how he and Honda had had enough time to already be sobbing messes outside."

Kyo frowned unhappily at that mental image, though he wasn't shocked by the revelation that Tohru was already in tears. The only questions were how long it had taken, and how long she wouldn't be crying over the course of the morning.

"You talk to her at all?" Kyo asked Haru, and Haru shook his head.

"Nah, Rin and I saw 'em and decided we'd give 'em some time. It seemed wrong to interrupt when they were crying like that, and you know how Rin gets when other people are all weepy. So I came to find you instead," Haru said, glancing at Kyo and then cracking a smile. "Don't tell me you're planning to get all weepy, too."

Yet another snort from Kyo, followed up with a sigh. “Nah, that's more Tohru's thing,” he said, looking unhappy. “She's having a tough time right now."

And Kyo had to fight not to grimace as he thought about both how much Tohru had already cried and how long they still had to go. She had told him over and over again that she was fine; every time she reassured him, he had believed her and felt confident, but then she'd start weeping again and he'd start doubting himself. It was a vicious, annoying circle and he doubted he'd feel free from it until they were on their way. And even then, who knew?

All he wanted was for Tohru to be happy, but the cost of her long-term happiness seemed to be short-term misery.

"Yeah, I get that," said Haru, looking at Kyo with understanding. "She's always been sensitive like that, hasn't she? She sees things in people other people ignore, and she gets attached to all those little things. I wonder if her having so much time to think about your move hasn't been like ripping a Band-Aid off super slowly, pulling out a whole bunch of hairs one by one and making the pain last longer."

"Not helping, Haru," Kyo said with a scowl, and Haru shrugged.

"Sorry, just thinking out loud." Haru stuck his hands in his pockets and walked over to look at the calendar, reading aloud, "'Eight thirty am, Kyo and Tohru to the train.' So not much more than two hours left, then."

"That's right,” Kyo said. “I can't decide if I want it to come quickly or not, for Tohru's sake. But I'm ready." He turned to look at the calendar again himself, walking over to stand by Haru with his own arms crossed. And for a long moment, the two of them stared at the red writing, then Kyo said softly, "I feel like I've been waiting for this longer’n I know; the chance to get outta here and truly start to live."

Haru smiled, his eyes lingering on the calendar. "Live in general, or live with Honda?"

"Both. Dunno if I'd even want one without the other, now."

The smile on Kyo's face was one he'd sported a lot lately, but one that Haru still wasn't completely used to seeing. It was a softer smile, a gentler smile; a smile of a man who was in love. Haru didn't doubt he wore that kind of smile a lot himself, so he could relate a lot to Kyo in that moment.

Haru might have a year of high school left himself, but a year was nothing to him; Rin was waiting for him, and he could power through anything for her.

And speaking of powering through, he had something to say.

"Oh, I had something else I thought you'd maybe like to hear, a kind of ‘going-away’ present of the mental kind.” Haru’s smile was still small, but suddenly self-satisfied, and he turned to look at Kyo as he said, “you know I haven't gone Black since the day Kureno busted out Rin? Not even once, in close to a year. It's a new record."

Haru delivered the news so calmly, but Kyo himself was stunned. "Really? Not even once, not even over your parents saying something about Rin?"

Historically, Black Haru had always cropped up every month or so; sometimes he wasn't as bad as he could potentially be, but he had always made his presence known in painful ways. It was something that had worried Yuki and Kyo about graduating; without them, there was no one who could control Haru in that state, not if it happened again at school. Sure, there was no more chance of him turning into an Ox, but Black Haru on his own was still problematic.

But now that Haru mentioned it, Kyo realized he was right. There had been no 'incidents' at school since before the Curse broke; no episodes where either Kyo or Yuki had had to step in. They had been free to enjoy their senior year without worry, of almost any kind.

And apparently that had been the case outside school, too.

It was a relief to hear that Black Haru was taking a break. A part of Kyo wondered what it was that reined Black Haru in; whether it was due to the Curse breaking, the influence of Rin, or something else entirely.

But he could also admit that the ‘why’ didn’t matter; all that mattered was that Haru was fully in control.

"That's great to hear, Haru. That's gotta be nice for you, not having to worry so much about whether you’re gonna get triggered."

"It is, but I'm still not gonna let myself get too comfortable with it. Don't want to let my guard down, at least not yet."

And Kyo understood that, too, even if it had been nearly a year since Haru last went Black. When you had dealt with a problem for most of your life, believing that problem was gone was a process all its own.

So Kyo nodded at Haru, then glanced at the door. "You said Rin's around here somewhere, too.?"

"Yeah, I left her out in the courtyard. She wanted to give Tohru some time to calm down before she tried talking to her."

"Yeah...good luck with that. I hope she realizes Tohru's probably gonna cry when they're talking, even if she's dry-eyed and smiling when they start."

"Sounds about right." Haru looked over at Kyo and smiled. "She's a good girl, Honda. You're lucky to have scored her."

"Don’t I know it,” Kyo replied, his smile becoming soft. “Believe me, you don't gotta remind me how lucky I am."

"Ok then." Haru patted Kyo on the shoulder, then gestured for the door. "So, we're not gonna spar because you want to be sociable, so...outside?"

Kyo agreed. “Outside.”

"Are you sure you want to try talking to her right now, Kisa? She and Momiji look like they're falling apart!"

Hiro felt that he’d been doing well for a very long time. He had been understanding of Kisa’s need to be around Tohru; he had accommodated her whenever he could.

He hadn’t even complained about it...much.

But he was highly, highly suspicious about Kisa's plan to run over and talk to Tohru that second. He'd agreed to Kisa's request to go to the dojo early, because he knew it was important for her to get some one-on-one time with Tohru before she had to leave. Given how many other people would be after the same thing, Hiro could agree that it made sense for them to go early. But of course it figured Momiji had gotten there before them, and that he and Tohru were already acting like a pair of saps.

Hiro harbored no delusions about Kisa herself. He knew, and was resigned to the fact, that Kisa was going to be in tears herself before too long, so in that regard it didn't matter if Tohru was already crying. But it still made Hiro anxious, looking over at Tohru; knowing Kisa, she would likely try to calm Tohru down, wasting their precious ‘alone time’ with that instead of speaking her heart. As much as Hiro felt there couldn’t be anything left for them to say, he knew Kisa disagreed and he didn’t want her to miss this chance because Tohru was upset.

But Kisa was certain. "Yes, Hiro, I'm sure. I know how hard this is for Tohru, and my being there with her will help her feel better." She squeezed his hand, then took a step towards Tohru. "Do you want to come now, too? Or no..." Kisa smiled at him in her sweetly understanding way. "You want to give us some time right now and you'll come talk to her later when we've all had a chance to calm down?"

Hiro laughed; Kisa knew him so well. "Pretty much that, yeah. But you go, Kisa, I'll be fine on my own."

He watched as she made her way to the bench where Tohru and Momiji were sitting, and how her arrival made the two of them sit up and make room. And he sighed as she sat down; no doubt the waterworks would be starting soon on Kisa's part, too. But he'd made sure to bring plenty of tissues, so they ought to be good-

"It's crazy how emotional some people get over goodbyes, isn't it?"

The sound of Rin's voice out of nowhere caused Hiro to practically jump out of his skin, and he whirled around to see her sitting on the ground against the wall with her sketchbook in her lap.

"Geez, Rin, don't scare me like that!"

"Scare you?" Rin raised an eyebrow at Hiro, then chuckled. "Sorry, I didn't realize you were so easily spooked."

"I'm not easily spooked, I just didn't realize anyone was back there and you startled me." Defensive or not, though, Hiro was glad to see Rin. He wasn't sure how long it would take for his feelings of guilt when it came to her to go away, but every time he saw her looking healthy and well, he felt an inner surge of relief. "What are you doing sitting out here all alone, anyway? Weren’t you staying at Kagura’s last night?” he asked, trying to remember. “Why come over so early if you're just going to sit in a corner?"

Rin shrugged. "Haru wanted to come early so we'd beat the crowd, but Momiji got here first and I had no desire to get anywhere near that mess," she said, gesturing towards the teary bench with her pencil. "I figured I'd let them get it out of their systems and try a bit later. It's not really a bother for me to wait, either way."

And technically, if she wanted to hide, it would be easy; she knew the dojo those days better than many others. So Hiro supposed that this was Rin being social, and he himself admittedly wasn’t in a position to judge.

Honestly, Hiro thought Rin's plan seemed like a sensible one, if you ignored the fact that Tohru was very obviously the type who'd be crying all morning regardless. But he wasn't going to judge her for that, not today; Tohru had earned the right to cry, and so had anyone else who felt a similar need.

Even if it happened to make Hiro acutely uncomfortable.

And determined to change the subject while he had the chance, Hiro glanced down at Rin’s sketchbook. "What are you working on?" he asked, gesturing to it. “Just random sketching, or what?"

Rin simply shrugged, gripping the closed sketchbook with both hands. “Nothing important,” she said, and Hiro took the hint.

"Sounds good,” he replied, and the subject dropped.

"Ah...excuse me, but do you mind if I join you?"

Tohru didn't know how long she'd been crying with Momiji, but she knew that her eyes hurt and her sides ached and her throat was all scratchy, so it had clearly been a long enough time. And while she felt a little silly at weeping so openly, it had been cathartic to cry with Momiji. She'd done a lot of crying over the past week, but there had been something freeing in crying so fiercely together.

Though as she sat up and looked at Kisa's teary eyes, Tohru doubted it would be the last time she felt that catharsis.

"Oh Kisa, of course you can!" Tohru exclaimed, scooting closer to Momiji and patting the space next to her, which Kisa gratefully took. "I'm so sorry, you kind of caught us having a moment."

"A very long moment," Momiji added ruefully as he dabbed at his own eyes. But if there was anyone else who would understand how he felt, he guessed it would be Kisa and he wasn’t wrong.

"It's ok, you don't have to apologize to me." Kisa hugged Tohru tightly, wrapping her arms around her waist. "You never have to apologize to me for anything, ever, and if you only ever wanted to cry in front of me forever, I'd be ok with that, too. Especially if it meant you weren't leaving!"

"Kisa..."

Tohru was emotionally gone again, hugging Kisa back fiercely as they both dissolved into sobs. Tohru didn't have the words right then to explain why staying wasn't an option, but they both knew Kisa didn't actually think that it was.

Kisa would miss Tohru more than anything; Kisa was already aching from the prospect of her loss. But even with that ache, she knew that Tohru had to go with Kyo to be happy, and there was no one who deserved to be happier than Tohru.

"I think I'll leave you two to it for now," Momiji said softly as he stood up. "But I'll talk to you again later, Tohru, and who knows; maybe we'll even be able to do some actual talking."

Tohru waved wordlessly up at Momiji, unable to form any words herself. And Momiji smiled at her, that smile tinged with sadness, before looking at them once more, then walking away.

He had had such a great opportunity to have Tohru to himself, and he'd wasted it with tears...such an enormous pity.

But no, Momiji corrected himself as he wiped his face, it hadn't been a waste. It might not have been what he'd hoped for, but that didn't mean anything; it had been time spent with Tohru, and that would always be precious.

As Momiji headed towards the building in search of a tissue, he ran into Haru and Kyo as they emerged.

"Oh, you done with Honda then, Momiji?” Haru asked. “That must've been some conversation you two had."

Momiji chuckled ruefully at Haru's comment, rubbing the back of his head somewhat awkwardly. "Actually, we only said maybe four sentences; the rest of it was just...emotion," he admitted, sighing. "I'm pretty disappointed in myself, honestly. All that work to come here so early, to be the first one to have some time with Tohru, and I couldn't even manage a proper conversation." Momiji exhaled, then gave Kyo a teasing grin. "I had debated telling her that I loved her, you see; letting her know that if things didn’t work out with you in Hibe, she could always come back here and take her chances with me."

There was a time when a joking comment like that would have pissed Kyo off, but now it just made him roll his eyes. He knew Momiji wasn't joking about loving Tohru, of course, but they all knew Momiji would never say anything to her.

Not as long as Kyo was in the picture, anyway.

But Momiji did turn serious for a moment then, and he put his hand gently on Kyo's arm.

"Do your best for her, Kyo. Do better than your best, even, because she deserves it. She deserves better than any of us could ever do for her, but that doesn't mean that you should ever stop trying. Please don't let Tohru down now."

Momiji might be damned annoying at times, but he and Kyo would always share those sentiments towards Tohru. And Kyo was in complete agreement with every single word; Tohru deserved everything she could want, and more. Everything Kyo could ever do to take care of her, he would; anything that would make her happy, he would make sure she got.

"I will, Momiji. I'll take care of her, and that's a promise."

Haru made a thoughtful noise on the heels of Kyo’s statement. "I wonder if Honda has any idea just how great everyone thinks she is." As he spoke, Haru looked over at Tohru and Kisa, the two of them now embracing as they sobbed. "Though I guess some people make it more obvious than others." Then he frowned, tilting his head before asking no one in particular, "you think I should cry when I talk to Honda, too?"

"Please don't." Kyo and Momiji were practically of one voice when they responded, and they looked at each other in amused agreement.

"I don't think anyone is ready for that one, Haru," Momiji continued. "You'd probably scare Tohru more than commiserate."

"You're probably right," Haru finally agreed, and Kyo snorted, crossing his arms as he echoed,

"Of course he's right, dumbass."

Chapter Text

Arisa felt weirdly self-conscious as she made her way to the dojo. In the first place, she was going alone, which almost always felt weird, and in the second, she was finally seeing 'the Sohma estate' for the very first time. She had never been caught up in the mystique of the Sohmas like so many others, but between Tohru hooking up with Kyo, her own involvement with Kureno, and what she'd learned at the hospital about the Family in general, it was perhaps inevitable her curiosity was piqued.

She knew the Sohmas were loaded, and she knew that they were connected. She knew they were cliquey, and that their estate was basically their own mini town.

She knew that Yuki and Kureno had fled so they could get some freedom.

All kinds of things she'd known, but she had never seen.

The dojo in particular, she was amazed she had never seen. After all, Kyo had grown up there and Tohru was there all the time, plus there was that whole little thing about Saki landing a job there. And yes, Arisa wasn't quite sure what she thought about Saki's choice; while her friend was more than capable and had always loved food, Arisa never would have thought that Saki would choose to be a cook.

It was enough to make Arisa wonder at Saki’s motives.

But people had to find their own paths, even if the people around them thought those paths were weird. Arisa was sure that no one who had known her five years prior would have believed she could have become who she was and wanted to be: a high school graduate with her life in order, about to uproot that life in order to follow a guy.

Arisa understood that; sometimes, believing it was pretty hard for her, too.

But Arisa’s own move wasn't for another few weeks, and she had plenty of time to think about Saki later. Today was about Tohru and her all-way-too-soon move, and Arisa had yet to come to terms with how she felt about...everything.

She liked Kyo well enough at this point, and she knew he loved Tohru. It was even more obvious that Tohru deeply loved him. But it still felt weird somehow, Tohru moving with him. If Arisa wasn't moving herself, she'd be pretty damn pissed; as things were, she still felt sad, even if she was trying to be excited for Tohru.

It helped that Arisa was moving north herself. Even though she'd still be much further from Tohru than she’d been before, she was going to be closer to Tohru than most people. And that knowledge was helping to ease the pain a little; that and the knowledge this was what Tohru really wanted.

Saki had asked if Arisa wanted to help with the breakfast, and Arisa had enthusiastically agreed. She was admittedly no Tohru in the kitchen, but she knew her way around a stove and could roll some damn fine onigiri in her sleep. And she was glad to be useful and help Saki out a bit; it sounded like a lot of people planned to stop by the dojo, so it made sense to have a lot of food.

Saki might be capable, but many hands made light work, and Arisa was glad to donate her own to the cause.

It had taken Arisa a little time to get to the right area, but once she'd found the neighborhood the dojo was easy to find. And from the outside Arisa was impressed; even though she knew the Sohma Family had money, she hadn’t expected the dojo complex itself would be so big.

This was the place Kyo's father ran, that he would take over one day?

Not too shabby, Kyon.

The dojo’s gate was open, so Arisa walked inside. She had thought she'd be early, but she was struck by several things right away, like how many people were already scattered around the courtyard talking, and, far more importantly, that Tohru was on a bench, crying.

Arisa's first instinct was to run to Tohru, but she'd only taken a step when she realized that she didn’t have to: Tohru might be crying, but she wasn’t crying alone.

Letting out a little sigh of relief, Arisa looked away, then squared her shoulders and marched up to Kyo, who was with Haru and Momiji.

"Morning,” she said, drawing the three’s attention to herself. “How worried should I be about Tohru right now?" At their close distance, she could tell that Momiji had been crying, too; in fact, he was still working on drying his eyes. "Damn. I see that the waterworks have started early in general; you gonna be ok, Momiji? Do you need a hug?"

Momiji chuckled and dabbed at his eyes with his soaked and completely ineffectual sleeve. "Thank you for your concern, Arisa, but I'll be fine. You know how hard it is, saying ‘goodbye’ to Tohru."

"Yeah, I do,” Arisa said, “More than you guys do, that's for damn sure."

And she sighed, thinking about how hurried all of this felt. Even though Tohru had told them she was moving last summer break, seven months was hardly enough time to adjust to such a big change.

Just thinking about it was enough to make her sad, and Arisa suddenly reached out and punched Kyo in the shoulder.

He recoiled immediately. "What the hell, Uotani?"

"That's for taking Tohru away so suddenly, you idiot. Seriously, you had to start that job of yours right away? You couldn't let us enjoy a little time after graduation before you carted her off like some caveman to the unknown north?” Arisa was glaring at him, but then her eyes narrowed further, and she crossed her arms as she continued, “you'd better not have gotten her pregnant and be trying to hide it!"

Kyo almost choked, the accusation was so unexpected. "Damnit, woman, when will you actually get some goddamn shame?"

Kyo scowled at Arisa, his face a new shade of crimson. While he tried to love Tohru's friends for Tohru's sake, sometimes he found it an uphill proposition. In all the time he'd known Arisa, she'd been skilled at pushing his buttons, and clearly that wasn’t about to change any time soon.

She also wasn’t helping when he was already on edge. He'd been asking himself a lot if the timing was part of the problem; if they were moving too quickly and should have waited until later. But then there had been Haru with his ‘slow-ripped-off Band-Aid' theory...Kyo had no idea what the right answer even was, and that made it hard to be confident when he was being challenged.

Tohru had said she was fine with this timeline, and he had to believe her. She would have said if she wanted to stay for longer, right?

Composing himself as best he could, Kyo glowered at Arisa. "No one's pregnant, not that it'd be your goddamn business anyway; I'm not a caveman, and I'm not ‘carting’ anyone anywhere. So don't you go all fucking She-Hulk on me just 'cause things aren't going exactly the way you want ‘em to go."

As he spoke, he rubbed his shoulder, annoyed that he had been too slow to actually block her punch. She had always been too quick, damn her and her damn speed.

And just think, that girl on their class trip had thought Arisa loved him. Talk about your truly scary prospects, he thought with a grimace.

Still, he knew that he should at least try to cut her some slack. The bond she had with Tohru ran deep, and even if she was moving away herself very soon, he and Tohru were moving first and it was a lot easier to leave than to be the one left behind.

Kyo sighed, the embarrassment fading from his face as the anger faded from his voice. "Did you wanna go talk to her at all, Uotani? I dunno how much she can actually say right now, but she'll be happy to see you, especially since it's so early. I doubt she was expecting you to turn up for while."

"Nah, I came early 'cause I told Hanajima that I’d help her make breakfast. I should probably figure out where the kitchen even is in this place and get to it, really." As she spoke, Arisa put her arms up behind her head and leaned backwards, looking around appreciatively. "I do have to say, Kyon, that this place? Is pretty impressive. One of you guys will have to point me in the right direction, otherwise I'll probably end up wandering the halls lost."

"Here, come with me Arisa. I ought to go find a proper tissue and wash my face anyway," Momiji said as he gestured towards the building. "Not that I don't expect to cry a lot more later on, but it's always a gut idea to be presentable in the moment, ja?"

"'Ja' indeed, kid." And nodding to Kyo and Haru, Arisa disappeared after Momiji.

After Arisa was gone, Kyo let out a deep, irritated exhale. "I am not gonna miss her all that much. I know she loves Tohru, I know Tohru loves her, I know they have a deep and wonderful history...but damn if that woman doesn't get under my skin every. Damn. Time. I dunno what Kureno actually sees in her."

"Do we really know what she sees in him, either? It's not like any of us have any real insight into Kureno."

For his own part, Haru didn't care much about Kureno's personality. He just knew the high points about the former Rooster, highest of which was that Kureno had saved Rin from the Cat's House and helped Haru resist Akito's call the last time he'd gone Black. Therefore, Haru himself would forever hold Kureno in high esteem.

He also couldn't explain Kureno and Arisa as a couple any more than Kyo could, and he wasn't going to try.

Kyo just sighed, then took a quick look around the around the courtyard, seeing who had all turned up so far and deciding what he should do. Tohru herself was still sitting with Kisa; the two of them were still sobbing away. He also saw Rin sitting by the wall talking to Hiro, and he knew that Kagura, Saki, Momiji, and Arisa were currently all inside.

There were both more people and fewer people around than he expected, though given the hour-

Kyo paused, frowning, then glanced up at the sun. Not getting the answer he wanted, he then looked over at Haru.

"Hey, you know what time it is?"

Among Haru's many adornments that morning were a few functional pieces, whose numbers actually included a watch.

"Ten to seven."

Ten to seven. A little more than an hour and a half until they needed to leave.

Kyo felt like he ought to be doing something right then; it was hard for him to just be hanging around, waiting. More specifically, he wondered if he should be over with Tohru. He had always known that today was going to be rough on her and he’d known she was likely to spend a lot of time crying, but it seemed like she'd done nothing but cry ever since she woke up. He didn't expect his company could truly stop the tears, but maybe knowing he was there would help a little bit.

He didn’t realize he was staring at Tohru until Haru's voice broke in.

"Kisa's still edgy around you, you know, especially when she’s already feeling wound up. So it's probably for the best if you don't go over right now, not unless you wanna risk scaring her off."

Kyo huffed a little bit at that; he had never understood why Kisa had always been so jumpy around him when he'd never done anything to her and they’d barely talked. Especially when she was dating Hiro, for fuck’s sake, who was a million times more abrasive than Kyo had ever been, making the whole 'Kyo is scary' thing highly suspicious.

But whatever Kisa’s reasons, he knew Haru was right, and that made his decision easier for him. Tohru could come and find him if she needed him, but this was her time to spend with her friends and let her emotions out.

But damnit, Kyo himself was ready for the train.

"Hey, Haru?"

"Hmm?"

"I think I'm up for that fight after all."

Haru blinked, then broke into a wide grin. "Really? Excellent!" He immediately started to take off his vest and chains, but Kyo reached out and stopped him.

"Not here, you dumbass; let's go inside and find a practice room. If we're gonna do this 'one last fight' thing, then let's do it right."

"Sounds good to me."

Haru tossed his vest over his shoulder and sauntered off towards the main practice building, Kyo cracking his knuckles as he followed behind. That meant the two of them had to pass by Tohru's bench, and though he didn't want to be too intrusive or ‘spook’ Kisa, Kyo couldn't help but shoot a glance at Tohru’s face.

She was still crying, yes, and that made his gut twist. But he could also tell that there was a smile under the sobs, and that little smile was enough to provide some relief.

If she could smile, then she had to be happy.

Tohru didn’t know how long she’d been crying with Kisa, but she wasn't so caught up that she missed Haru and Kyo's approach. With a herculean effort she managed to stifle her tears, and she even managed a smile as the boys reached the bench.

"Good morning, Hatsuharu, it’s so great to see you! It’s so kind of you that you stopped by!"

Haru stopped, looking from Tohru’s tear-streaked face to Kisa’s, then he smiled and gave Tohru a little bow. "Morning, Honda, it's my pleasure. And here, I think you guys could probably use these."

From one of Haru’s many pockets, he produced two handkerchiefs, which he gave to Tohru and Kisa.

The girls took the handkerchiefs gratefully, and Kyo found himself looking at Haru with surprised respect.

"Damn, Haru, that was actually pretty smart! I can't believe I didn't think about that myself."

Haru simply shrugged at the praise. "That's because you're not as forward-thinking as I am, Kyo, or as experienced in dealing with emotions. You'll get it after you’ve been dating longer." As he spoke, Haru produced a packet of tissues from another pocket, which he likewise handed to Tohru. "For your nose, Honda. But we’ll have to do our own intense goodbye later; I've finally gotten this guy to agree to one more match, and I don't wanna give him the time to change his mind again.”

Tohru giggled at Haru as she blew her nose, a little embarrassed but happy for the chance to stop sniffling. Haru had always been so sweet, and so considerate; it was kind of him to cheer her, and that he’d brought tissues. Tohru had actually made sure to stock up on tissues herself, but right then they were still packed away in one of her bags.

She should have known better than to think she wouldn't need them right away.

But at least Haru had been thinking ahead, and she gave him a grateful smile as she lowered her tissue. "Well, you two have fun with your fight. I'm sure I'll see you a bit later, Hatsuharu!"

Haru nodded, then headed into the dojo. And Kyo started to follow, but he paused and touched Tohru's cheek.

"Hey...you doing ok, Tohru?” he asked anxiously. “You maybe need to take a little break or something?" He wasn't actually sure what kind of break he meant, other than a break from the emotion and the crying, but he was starting to worry about her a little at that point.

After all, what if she ended up passing out from crying too hard for too long? People could do that, he was pretty sure.

And Tohru hated the fact that he was worried, although she was touched to see and hear his concern. “I'm fine, Kyo,” she said, covering his hand with hers. “I promise, we're both fine," she said, gesturing to Kisa, who was sniffling herself. And Tohru smiled up at Kyo a bit sheepishly, telling him, "Sometimes you just need a good cry, you know?"

Kyo did not know, at least from personal experience, but he was doing his best to trust Tohru to know herself. "Well, ok, Tohru, as long as you're sure.” Then he nodded towards the building, telling her, “I'll be in there for now; if you end up needing me you can just come find me, or send someone inside to get me.” Caressing her cheek, he gently told her, “Don't cry without me if I can help you feel better, ok? I wanna be here for you, if you think you need me."

"I know," she said softly, smiling up at him, and Kyo smiled back at her before he squared his shoulders.

"Good." Then, after a quick nod at Kisa, Kyo was on his way.

Kisa and Tohru watched him go, and Kisa sighed happily. She had always been intimidated by Kyo when she was younger; between his temper, his eyes, and how quick he was to growl at people, she had always found him scary. But since she first met Tohru and started spending more time around Kyo, Kisa had seen him slowly but steadily change. A lifetime of habit was hard to break and he still made her nervous, but she had come to realize that he was a nice person. Kisa still didn't quite know how to act around him, but he didn’t automatically send her cowering anymore.

And watching Kyo with Tohru, Kisa wondered how she was still scared. Kyo was so impossibly sweet whenever he was with Tohru, it made Kisa's heart hurt in the best possible way. And while she was going to miss Tohru terribly, it was good to know that Tohru was leaving for a good reason.

Romance was always going to be a good reason, at least as far as Kisa was concerned.

Taking a deep breath, Kisa felt her body calm, and she wiped her eyes with Haru's handkerchief. "Kyo is always so sweet to you, Tohru. I'm so, so happy that you've got each other, that you get to stay together even though you’ve graduated. Even if,” she continued, taking another huge breath, “it means I can't be around you all the time."

Kisa had planned what she’d wanted to say; she’d known saying it would be hard. Saying anything would be hard at a time like this, when all she wanted was to cling to Tohru and ask her to stay.

Happy. She was happy.

And she’d say her piece.

Kisa’s lower lip trembled, but she fought the desire to cry, instead trying to focus on Tohru’s face. "You've done so much for me, Tohru; you've truly been my big sister. I don't think I could have made it through that time at school if I hadn't had you there to support me, and encourage me, and-"

Kisa gulped, then gulped again, then felt her eyes grow hotter. And as she frantically wiped her eyes, she felt Tohru’s hug.

"Oh Kisa,” said Tohru, her own voice charged with emotion, “you are so strong, and so amazing. I'm glad I was there and that I could help you, but I don't think you ever actually truly needed me. Not like you think you did. But I'm so happy I could help, and I’ll always be there for you.” It was Tohru’s turn to gulp, though she kept clinging to Kisa. “You have been the dearest little sister I could have ever wanted, and you'll always be my little sister, Kisa, always, so I want you to make sure you're keeping me up-to-date on your life! I want to hear how your first year of high school goes, and if you decide to join any clubs, and get pictures of Hinata....” Both girls laughed at that through teary eyes, then Tohru told Kisa fiercely, “No detail is too small, ok?"

"Ok, Tohru." Kisa wiped her eyes, then took Tohru's hand. "I want to go on talking, because I’ve got more to say, but I think I've probably overstayed my turn. I don't want to monopolize you," she said with a shy smile as she pointed off to the side. Tohru wanted to argue, but she followed Kisa’s gesture, then broke into a wide, understanding smile.

Kisa had always been so sweet and sympathetic...

"Ritsu! Mitsuru! I'm sorry to have kept you waiting!"

"I don't know, Mitsuru, do you think this was a good idea? To come here so early, I mean. Because I want to be sure to say ‘goodbye’ to Tohru, naturally, and to Kyo, because he's leaving too, but is it horribly and irreparably rude to think they'd want to see me so early in the day? Do you think I should have waited and just come to the train station? No doubt they'll be extremely busy and surrounded by people who have much stronger and more important connections with them, and my inserting myself will take time away from someone who's so much more deserving!"

Even though it was still early, the morning so far had been long, especially if you asked Mitsuru. Ritsu had started off for the dojo filled with determination; panicked and started back home, started off again, gone back, and started yet again innumerable times already. He sincerely wanted to see Tohru before she left, to tell her how much he appreciated her and to say goodbye. But he kept questioning himself and his right to take up her time, and that meant he kept changing his mind.

It was nerve-wracking for Ritsu as he tried to decide what to do, and he was so far past second-guessing himself that it was comical.

Or it would be comical to someone other than her; Mitsuru herself totally understood.

She had done her best to be supportive as Ritsu had dithered. She had started and turned back every time he had, holding his hand and offering words of encouragement every time.

But now that they had finally made it all the way to the dojo, the few blocks they'd walked having taken close to an hour, Mitsuru wasn't going to let him back away. He wanted to talk to Tohru? Fine.

He would talk to Tohru, regardless of any ‘stronger’ claims.

"Of course I think it's the right decision, Ritsu! I mean, I only know Honda a little bit myself, but she has always seemed to have a heart of gold and the kindness of a saint."

Seriously, Tohru couldn't have had anything except a heart of gold in order to have survived life with that hell-demon Shigure Sohma. The day Mitsuru’s superior had regretfully informed her that Shigure had decided to retire from writing was one of the best in Mitsuru’s life; once his last book was finished, she’d be assigned a new author, one who was an actual person rather than a demon. Mitsuru had practically danced home from work that day, and Ritsu had been ecstatic for her.

Granted, Shigure was taking his sweet time with that last book; she should have known he'd take every chance to twist the knife before he was done. But she just had to be patient for a little while longer; she wasn't going to let Shigure get to her, not anymore.

And in the meantime, she would be supportive of Ritsu, who sometimes needed an extra nudge to take what he deserved.

"Oh, you're so right about Tohru, Mitsuru,” said Ritsu earnestly. “She really is the sweetest, kindest person alive. And I wouldn't want her to think that I didn't care enough to come to her sendoff and say a proper goodbye! I just don't want her to feel obligated to talk to me right now when she might rather be talking to someone else-"

They'd made it onto the dojo grounds, and Mitsuru patted Ritsu's arm encouragingly. "Look around, Ritsu, there aren't too many people here yet. I'm sure Tohru will be thrilled to see you, and you won't be a bother."

Mitsuru was pretty sure about that, anyway. It certainly wasn't hard to find Tohru, who was sitting on a bench by the largest building in the complex. When they first saw her, she was sitting with another girl and talking to two young men, one of whom Mitsuru immediately recognized as Kyo. The other she didn't know but guessed was another Sohma; it was almost obscene how attractive literally that whole family was, even that hell-demon Shigure.

Though Mitsuru had to shift a little bit self-consciously there, considering how much time she spent admiring Ritsu. She had been struck by his beauty the first time they met, and she continued to be struck after she learned he was a man. Now that he'd cut his hair and started dressing in a more masculine style, she found herself staring at him just as often as she tried to adjust. On the one hand, she would always support the way he expressed himself...

But she’d be lying if she said she didn’t miss the long hair.

Ritsu and Mitsuru made their way over towards Tohru, but they stopped at a respectful distance and waited as first the white-haired guy and then Kyo went inside. The whole time, Ritsu was practically swaying with anxiety, murmuring to himself whether or not he should say something or whether it might be for the best to maybe back off and return another time because Tohru was clearly busy and enjoying her time with Kisa (debatable, Mitsuru thought, seeing as how both Tohru and the other girl were in tears).

And while Mitsuru was trying let Ritsu make his own move, she was starting to wonder if she should just say 'hello’ to Tohru herself when the younger girl with Tohru made the decision for her, drawing Tohru's attention to where Ritsu and Mitsuru were standing.

When Tohru apologized for not noticing them, Ritsu was instantly contrite and immediately started bowing.

"Oh, please don't apologize to me, Tohru! I'm so sorry, sorry I was standing here looking like I was expecting something, sorry to take your attention away from your important business with Kisa, sorry to make you feel like you have to apologize to me when you're clearly the one who has important reasons for being here! Please forgive me, Tohru, and don't let me and my selfishness in wanting to come see you off force you to spend any time with me you'd rather spend with anyone else! I'm so sorry!"

Mitsuru had kept Ritsu's hand in an iron grip, so he'd been stopped from bolting away at the first moment of stress. But even so, Ritsu had shifted slightly behind Mitsuru, one foot ahead of the other as though he was ready to run anyway and simply drag her with him...which, honestly, he might very well try.

Fortunately, Tohru knew how to deal with Ritsu: by being the genuinely warm and lovely person she naturally was.

"Oh no, you don't have to apologize to me! I'm so happy that you came to see us today, Ritsu, and you too, Mitsuru!” Tohru added, beaming. “I know you have to be so busy at the onsen these days, it's so sweet you made the effort to be here at all!"

As she spoke, Tohru got up and hurried over to Ritsu, giving the still-stammering young man a big hug. And at the hug, Ritsu jolted violently at first, then relaxed and gave Tohru a huge shy smile.

"You mean it, Tohru?” he asked half-hopefully, half anxiously. “Our visiting really isn't too much of an imposition?" He didn't quite believe her when she said that she was glad, but he also wasn't about to accuse her of being a liar.

"Of course not, Ritsu, I'm happy to see you, both of you! I’ve seen Mitsuru at the house a couple times recently,” Tohru said, giving Mitsuru a smile, “but I feel like it’s been forever since I’ve seen you!"

It had been an admittedly long time, which was to be expected with Ritsu living out of the city. But he loved the work he was doing, training up with his mother; the Sohma Family onsen had always been somewhere he could relax, and he was happy to learn the ropes of running it from his mother.

"It’s been a long time,” he agreed. “The winter season is a busy one for us at the onsen, and every day I feel like there’s something new to learn. I still can’t believe I missed your visit earlier this month,” he said, giving Tohru a sadly wistful look. Then his eyes widened as a memory struck him, and he looked at her in concern as he asked, “Do you have a scar?”

Tohru and Mitsuru both looked at him in surprise.

“A scar?” asked Tohru, bewildered, as Mitsuru said,

“Wait, a scar?”

Ritsu nodded his head unhappily. “My mother told me all about your terrible accident, Tohru, and if you were to become scarred because of my negligence-”

“-What negligence?” demanded Mitsuru. “Ritsu, what are you-”

“-Wait,” Tohru interrupted, suddenly realizing. “Ritsu, are you talking about the ping-pong ball?”

Ritsu immediately bent into a deep bow.

“If you were in any way-”

“-Ritsu, I’m fine!”

Tohru would never dream of laughing at Ritsu; his worries were real, and so were his fears. But it was admittedly a struggle not to laugh then; a struggle she appreciated, since it cheered her up.

“Look,” she continued, pointing to her cheek, drawing Mitsuru’s confused attention and Ritsu’s anxious focus. “This is where I got hit, and you can’t tell now at all! I’m fine, and I’ve been fine since the day it happened.”

She knew better than to argue that it wasn’t his fault to start with, even if Ritsu hadn’t even been there when the incident happened, but fortunately seeing her unmarked face was enough to do the trick. Exhaling in deep relief Ritsu straightened up, and Mitsuru squeezed his hand as she told him,

“See? She’s fine!”

Ritsu looked sideways at Mitsuru and blushed, which Tohru found adorable. While she could only imagine how highly strung their future home life would be, it was obvious to Tohru that they were still very much in love.

"Did you just come into Tokyo for the day, Ritsu?”

Ritsu shook his head quickly. “I was here for the weekend, actually! Mitsuru and I have been talking about taking a vacation, so we spent some time this weekend researching some options!”

"Oh, that sounds like so much fun!” said Tohru, clapping her hands. “From talking to your mom, I know you’ve been working very hard; a vacation ought to be a well-deserved break for you! And I bet a vacation will be great for you as well, Mitsuru,” she continued, smiling at the other woman. “I suppose things are going to be shifting for you at work, are you excited?"

Tohru thought that was a delicate way to phrase the question; she had always had a great deal of sympathy for Mitsuru, considering what Shigure had put her through as his editor. But everyone was aware by now that Shigure was retiring; he couldn’t swing his writing career alongside the demands of his new role as Akito’s assistant. And while Tohru felt a little sad for Shigure, she could only imagine how much relief Mitsuru had to feel.

"Yes, I'm very excited! It’s been a long time since I’ve been on a vacation,” Mitsuru said, beaming, but then her face took on a familiar pained expression. “First, though, I have to wait for Shigure's last manuscript; I need to finish with it before I can take the time off. But once I'm back, I'll be starting with a brand-new author, and I know it will be a vast improvement on the last!"

Mitsuru clenched her fist as she spoke, her eyes narrowing and an aura resembling flames appearing around her. "I'm almost free of that horrible man and his horrible mind games!"

"When you put it like that, Mii, I get the feeling you want to be rid of me!"

Tohru, Ritsu, and Mitsuru all looked up in surprise; Tohru was the only one who could manage a smile.

"Oh, good morning, Shigure!"

Chapter Text

‘I'm about to head out, Akito. Are you sure that you don't want to tag along after all? You never know, it might be nice for you, seeing them in person before they go.’

No. I already told you, Shigure, I'm not going to go throw a dark cloud on anything today. They deserve to enjoy this last time with everyone, and if I'm there things will only get messy. You go. You have fun. I've already said my goodbyes.’

Shigure stepped outside and gently closed the door, breathing in a big lungful of the crisp March air. It was a beautiful morning, he had to admit; if he'd been more of the superstitious type, he would probably think it was an auspicious sign for Tohru and Kyo's future. As it was, he still thought the weather was handy; if it was raining, then the whole sendoff would have to be held inside.

As he started away from the main Sohma house, Shigure glanced off in the direction of Hatori's, debating whether he should start by detouring that way and collecting the good doctor on his way to the sendoff. But after considering, he decided against it; he'd gotten far too many lectures from Hatori lately, and while he was sure he'd get another when Hatori saw him today, there was no point in giving him an opening then.

Not that the lectures truly bothered Shigure. It was more that they’d gotten boring, several months ago now. And he’d told Hatori as much, but Hatori hadn’t listened; apparently, being bored had become Shigure’s punishment instead.

Whatever. If it made Hatori happy to act grumpy with him, Shigure could deal.

He’d dealt with much worse, and he’d regretted nothing.

Shigure had never had any regrets, not even the tiniest, most insignificant, itty-bitty ones. After all, he had succeeded; his wildly improbable gamble had paid off. Everything he'd wanted for all those years was within his grasp, and that meant that everything he’d done to get there had been worth it.

Everything that had happened, whether to him or to anyone else, had been worth it, in the end, and his feelings weren’t going to change.

Shigure didn't suffer from any delusions about what other people thought. He knew that there were people who despised him; even if they hadn't before, they definitely did now. And there were people who'd liked him before who had come to despise him for his role in Akito's life, for her sake as well as his own.

But he didn't care. He'd never cared, and he never would care. He would remain as ever 'a ripple on the water' when it came to other people. The only people whose opinions truly mattered to him were his own, and maybe Akito's.

Everyone else could hate him, and he would never care.

Though in that respect, Shigure was lucky, because he’d never have to feel universal hate. Much as he might deserve to be hated by everyone, there were a surprising number of people who didn't. And while he would have accepted with grace if they did, it was a pleasure to know that he could be as wretched a man as he’d been and still, somehow, have people who cared.

People whose numbers somehow still included Tohru.

Shigure stuck his hands in his pockets and started off towards the dojo, reflecting on what amazing things that single child had wrought.

He had never been altruistic in letting her live with them, no matter what Tohru herself had ever thought. He had been selfish, and he owned that completely: delighted to have her handle the domestic chores, though he also could admit he’d enjoyed her company. She had certainly been fun to tease, he thought with a smirk; he had taken diabolical pleasure in teasing all three teenagers who’d been under his care, and he’d had no qualms, ever, about making them uncomfortable or angry.

And the whole time, he had been quietly pushing Tohru forward, hoping that his hunch about the weakening Curse was right and that maybe, just maybe, Tohru would be a catalyst. He had been happy to sacrifice her for his own selfish gains; it was only a matter of luck that she had been willing to do it.

Even now that the Curse was broken and with the benefit of hindsight, Shigure wouldn't change a thing that he had done. All he had ever wanted for himself was Akito, and it had taken years of patience and manipulation to get her. Everything else that had happened had been incidental: the Curse breaking, the romance that grew up between Kyo and Tohru, any violence wrought on anyone along the way. He did regret the fact that people had been hurt, but clearly their pain had been a necessary part of the process. Even Tohru falling off the cliff had been important; he doubted that Akito would have been able to move forward as she had if Tohru hadn’t been there to reach out a hand in friendship first.

Shigure might not have any regrets about how he'd treated Tohru, but he did have a great deal of gratitude. If he'd been manipulating her, she hadn't seemed to mind; even when he’d spelled out the dark side of the Curse and what it meant for the Cat, she had been stalwart in wanting to stay and try to change things for them all.

She had never been scared off, and he could respect that immensely, but he had recognized from the first that Tohru was no weakling. On the surface, she might have seemed a gentle and sensitive soul, but Tohru Honda had concealed a heart and will of iron.

In some ways they weren't that different, Tohru and himself. He knew saying that would cause an uproar among pretty much everyone; if he said it near Kyo or Yuki, he'd finally get that punch Hatori had sworn was coming his way. But Shigure thought that maybe, just maybe, Tohru herself would agree. She had been willing to move Heaven and Earth to be with Kyo; how was that any different than what he had done himself?

And he did truly, genuinely wish the best for Tohru. He would always be grateful to her, and always be fond of her. She deserved her happiness for what she'd done for them, and if Kyo was the source of that happiness, then she deserved him, too.

When Shigure walked into through the dojo’s open gate, he was amused to see how busy it already was. Now that he was giving up the life of a novelist in favor of 'consort to the family head,' one of his biggest sacrifices was his previous freeform schedule. Getting up in the morning was a painful process for him, one he’d always strongly disapproved of, but there were few sacrifices he wouldn’t make for Akito. And that morning, his new early schedule had come in handy; he'd been downright proud of himself at how early he’d been on his way, arriving a full hour before Tohru and Kyo needed to leave.

But he hadn’t been the only one to get there early, as a quick glance around the courtyard confirmed. He saw several people, most of whom he knew...

And goodness gracious, if that wasn't Ritsu and his own dear Mitsuru right there with Tohru at that very second!

A devilish grin crossed Shigure's face as he approached that group; he didn't have many chances left to torment Mitsuru. It had been suggested that he wrap up his last book post-haste so that Mitsuru could move on with her life and her career, but Shigure had unrepentantly refused the idea; baiting Mitsuru had been one of his truest pleasures for so long that it was harder to say ‘goodbye’ to that than to his actual writing.

And as he came into earshot, Shigure had to bite back the impulse to laugh aloud at the vicious delight in Mitsuru's voice at being rid of him. He knew she would kiss the door when it slammed behind him, so he wasn't surprised...but he'd have to disabuse her of the notion this would be easy.

"When you put it like that, Mii, I get the feeling you want to be rid of me!"

Tohru, Ritsu, and Mitsuru had all responded wonderfully. Tohru had jumped, Ritsu had leapt about a foot in the air and yelped in surprise, and Mitsuru...dear Mitsuru had turned and looked at him with eyes filled with a fury fanned by the flames of hell.

He really was going to miss her when he retired.

Tohru was the first to recover, and she gave Shigure a warm smile. "Oh, good morning, Shigure!"

She felt a little awkward about Shigure’s timing; it had to be uncomfortable, even for Shigure, to walk in and hear himself being talked about that way. But at the same time, she didn't think he looked too bothered by it; if anything, he actually looked amused.

Tohru had always privately thought he liked making Mitsuru angry, as strange and upsetting as Tohru herself found the concept. But Shigure had always been a strange man, so it was fitting.

"You're here much earlier than I was expecting, Shigure, I hope that means that the new schedule is working out for you!" Tohru continued, bowing quickly at him in greeting. And Shigure bowed back with a beaming smile, shrugging his shoulders in response to the question.

"Good morning to you too, Tohru! And yes, it does seem to be going well so far, this 'waking up in the morning' thing, though I can't say I recommend it. The night hours have always been when inspiration best struck, and now that I have to sleep at night and deal with business by day, I'm not sure when I'll be able to finish my last book. I might have to table it entirely until I figure things out."

Shigure sighed dramatically as he finished speaking, tilting his head back and shaking it with a look of plausible sadness. And though Mitsuru was already starting to bristle, Tohru herself was all sympathy.

"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that! I hope it's just temporary and as you get used to a regular schedule, things will get easier. Maybe you could also wait to take on more Sohma business until you've had a chance to finish the book? I'm sure if you talked to Akito about your troubles, she'd be happy to work with you on a compromise!"

"You're so sweet, Tohru, but alas, Akito herself is pretty overwhelmed these days. I'm sure you can appreciate just how much chaos there is in the Family now with...things being what they are."

Tohru unfortunately knew just what Shigure meant, and she nodded sympathetically. It was true that a lot was changing in the Sohma Family, between the end of Zodiac Curse and Akito’s determination to properly assert her own control. There were lots of people who were very upset about the changes, and Akito was a convenient scapegoat. Tohru could only imagine how hard things were for Akito...

And she could also understand how valuable Shigure was, as a person who had Akito’s back, no matter the situation.

If Tohru was sympathetic to Akito and therefore Shigure, she was alone in those feelings where she currently stood. Shigure's explanation might work for Tohru, but it wasn't fooling Mitsuru at all.

Mitsuru had actually been enjoying herself before; she liked Tohru, and she was happy to support Ritsu. But once Shigure appeared then all bets were off...even if it took some time for her to recover first.

But once she did, it was guns blazing again. She hadn't meant to even talk to Shigure at the sendoff, since it was a party and she didn't want to talk business or fly into a rage.

That was before he had turned up and been all...Shigure.

"Shigure, you awful, awful excuse for a writer! Don't you try to tell any of us that you're having creative issues, we all know full well that you just don't want to!"

Mitsuru practically screeched the words, her fists balled up so tightly that she was crushing Ritsu's hand. But then her eyes filled with tears and she stared at Shigure, wondering yet again why it was that he was always tortured her.

She didn’t understand it; she'd always been nice to him. She'd always given him as much of her time as she could. She'd been so sweet and patient in their early days together...and he'd only ever repaid her with pain.

"Why, Shigure? Why don't you want to give your readers and your publisher some timely closure? All you have left is one book. One book, Shigure!"

It was times like these that she knew he was a demon, when her confirmed-via-Ritsu knowledge of the supernatural highlighted everything that had ever been wrong with him. A normal person would have agreed with her and apologized, but Shigure had proved he wasn’t ‘normal’ ages ago.

And he was underscoring that point even more right then by listening to her diatribe impassively, completely ignoring the fact that everyone else in the courtyard was staring. And in response to her demand he only shrugged, telling her with a beaming smile,

"Because it's more fun this way!"

Mitsuru stared at him incredulously, then felt her rage-meter blast through the roof. "SHIGUREEEEEEEEEEEE!"

She wasn’t sure what she was about to do; tackle him, possibly, or maybe just strangle him. But before she had the chance to fully make up her mind, another voice broke in on her thoughts and steered her away.

"Um, I'm sorry to interrupt when you're so justified in your rage, but maybe we should take a little walk, Mitsuru?"

Ritsu's voice was as nervous and timid as ever, but the mere fact he'd cut in at all made them all look at him in surprise. And Mitsuru shared Tohru and Shigure’s surprise at first, but then she exhaled and gave Ritsu a grateful look.

He was getting downright bold those days. It was another thing she had to get used to, but this new trait of his she could love.

And letting out an angry huff, Mitsuru nodded at him. "You're right, I'm sorry. It's not the time, not today. But did you hear him, Ritsu?" She was calmer than she’d been, but she was still in tears, her complete inability to handle Shigure as much a fact now as in her earliest days as his editor. "He said he likes doing this to me! I'm sorry, Ritsu, but your relative is a truly awful creature."

Ritsu was right at Mitsuru’s side, nodding his agreement. "I did hear, and I'm so sorry Mitsuru. I don't understand why he's like this, and why you have to deal with it. I'm so sorry he treats you that way and I can't make him stop!"

Mitsuru flashed him a teary smile that Ritsu blushed and returned, then the two of them walked off, their heads tilted together.

Tohru was left standing awkwardly with Shigure, who watched the two of them go while sporting a giant grin.

"Ah, that was fun,” he said, turning to her while still grinning. “I never would have thought to introduce the two of them, but they're certainly a cute couple, aren't they?"

His jovial tone was completely at odds with Mitsuru's emotional state, and all Tohru could do was give him an awkward smile. After all this time she knew she ought to be used to his behavior, but in a lot of ways Shigure confused her as much as he ever had.

But he had a point about Ritsu and Mitsuru, and Tohru looked after them with a much softer smile.

"They really do seem to complement each other well. I hope they enjoy that vacation, whenever they get to go!"

But the subject of Ritsu and Mitsuru had lost its legs, and Tohru lapsed into silence as she looked back at Shigure. Trying to decide what to say what to say to him alone…that was much harder.

Ever since that painful day all those months ago, when he had coldly told her the full ‘role’ of the Cat for them all, things had been different between the two of them. Tohru had known what he, and maybe the others, all thought of Kyo; she knew exactly what Shigure wanted from her.

The news about Kyo had been heart-breaking; about her...it had been strange. Strange to know she was being used, rather than only suspecting.

But Shigure had never been ashamed of any of it; he'd told her as much, and she had believed him. She knew that ultimately, she had been a tool.

But hadn't she gotten what she wanted, too, from going along with his plans?

Was she really a tool, when viewed through that lens?

Shigure was the one to break the silence first. "So, today's the day. Soon, too. Do you feel ready, Tohru?"

It was a relief to be talking about something so simple, even if the subject was emotionally charged.

"I think so, yes,” said Tohru, smiling up at him. “We got everything sorted out at the house yesterday; Yuki's room is the only one upstairs that hasn't been cleaned, and he said he was going to leave the upstairs bathroom untouched so you two won't have to worry about cleaning it again. We also took care of the engawa and the living room, and I gave the kitchen a thorough scrub down. If you stay on top of the garbage it’s mostly ready for when you go!"

She was trying to act upbeat; it was still a struggle.

How many times had they touched base on housekeeping, over the years?

Though Shigure seemed as breezy as he’d ever been, nodding thoughtfully in response to all that she said.

“Well, keeping things clean should be easy enough, since I doubt I'll be back there much before I'm fully moved out. In spite of what I told Mitsuru,” he said with a sly smile, “I’m actually almost finished with my manuscript, and with things being what they are within the Family, I'd prefer to be handy in case Akito needs something. For all my faults I can be surprisingly helpful, when I want to be."

Tohru didn't doubt Shigure's words for a second, and she also felt sure that Akito was one of the only people Shigure would want to help. And the look in his eyes as he those words made Tohru shiver slightly…

She almost felt sorry for the people against Akito.

And Tohru could also understand and sympathize with Shigure. When the person you loved most was struggling somehow, you did what you could to help relieve their burdens.

"But I didn't mean 'prepared' in terms of what you'd cleaned or packed. I meant more along the lines of 'are you ready to step into the great unknown by yourself, with only Kyo at your side to lean on?' It's a significant change for you two, after all, and setting up a household is a fairly substantial task. We both know you have experience managing a household, but getting one started is something else entirely."

Shigure’s tone was serious, but there was brightness in his eyes: Tohru recognized the challenge there, and she smiled at it.

"It is a pretty big change," she admitted to him. “But I don't think you're giving us nearly enough credit, Shigure I know we're probably going to have some bumps in the road, but it won't be anything we can't handle together!"

Shigure looked at her thoughtfully, studying her expression. Then he chuckled and gave her a nod.

"I suppose you're right, Tohru. If you've shown us anything in the time I’ve known you, it's that you can accomplish literally anything you set out to do. Comparatively, even moving abroad would be nothing, not for you."

The compliment felt a little excessive, and Tohru couldn't help but blush. But at the same time, she could tell that he was being sincere.

It was nice, knowing that he gave her that much credit. And in that moment, Tohru could give him due credit, too.

"Thank you, Shigure, for everything you've done. I know you had your reasons,” she said, looking at him, “but I don't know what I would have done if it hadn't been for you."

Not just that first day before her tent had been crushed, but so many, many other days along the way. When he had given her advice, or little emotional boosts; when he had offered her support she’d very badly needed. He’d paid her board, and for her clothes, her food, and so much more…

And yes, he had been selfish. She had been selfish too. And she could never begrudge him for all he’d done for her.

Tohru’s lip trembled, and her eyes teared up yet again. And when he saw it, Shigure laughed...then silently held out his arms.

Tohru had never given him a hug. He had kept her at arm’s length after the Curse broke, gaily teasing her about Kyo and the jealousy of boyfriends. And maybe some of that had been true, but there had been more to it; for whatever reason, they had never hugged.

But Tohru hugged him then, and he returned it tightly, a hug containing years of gratitude and understanding.

Shigure wasn't a perfect man, or a particularly kind man. But for all his faults, he had been a friend.

"Take care of yourself, Tohru."

“I will, Shigure.”

Chapter Text

'When the snow melts, what does it become?

Hatori stood on the engawa outside his house, taking a long, slow drag on his cigarette. One of these days very soon, he meant to start quitting; as a doctor, he knew it was long overdue.

He'd known when he picked up smoking to start with that it was a horrible idea. That it would rot his lungs and poison his breath and detract from his credibility in his future career as a doctor

But he hadn't cared then, back when he was fifteen. Smoking had been the perfect act of rebellion then, a way to put a tiny crack in the mold made just for him. He had always been a rule follower, Hatori; he had always done what people expected him to do. He had been the reliable one, the one who could be trusted. Everything people had asked of him, he had delivered.

He had been expected to be a good student, and so he had. He had been expected to keep Ayame and Shigure in line, and so he had. He had been expected to get into a top school, to become a doctor, and so he had.

He had been expected to wipe people's memories, and so he had.

All his life, he had been the perfect son. The perfect Zodiac. The perfect Sohma Family member, always falling in line. Even when his soul was screaming inside for him to break away, he had soldiered on, following expectations and following orders, except for in this.

Smoking had been for him; a way for him to defy expectations ever so slightly, but in a way mild enough not to rock the boat. His father had hated it when he realized, but hadn't been able to stop him before he ha died. Akito had disliked it, but not enough to force him to quit.

But now was a season of new beginnings. The snow that was the Zodiac Curse had finally melted, and after so long encased in the ice, Hatori could finally bloom.

Some things hadn't changed for him, like his role as the Family doctor. But that job no longer bound him like it had in the past; now, he was no longer at Akito's beck and call, and no longer forced to steal anyone’s memories.

He was free, free to finally be just Hatori.

And he didn't want his freedom to smell like tobacco.

That would come later, though. Right now, he took another draw from his cigarette, then shot a quick glance at his watch. And at that glance, he exhaled, then looked up at the sky; it was just about time for him to get going, if he wanted to have a chance to see Tohru and Kyo before they left.

He suspected that most of the younger Zodiac members had gone over early; he'd noticed Hiro and Kisa walking by when he was drinking his coffee. And he had smiled as he watched them go, hoping they had a good time that morning...

He, himself, had already told Tohru all that he needed to say.

It had been months ago that they had sat and talked, when Tohru had come to visit him during summer vacation. It had been at Hatori’s invitation once again, but that time, there hadn’t been any need for secrecy.

"I heard you were hoping to be taking a trip soon, Hatori. Ayame said you were thinking Okinawa?"

"That's right, though ‘soon’ is looking like it actually means next summer. But seeing how it will my first real trip, I don’t mind taking the time to plan it properly.”

“Ehh? Your first real trip?”

Tohru had been surprised; Hatori had been amused.

“Is that so surprising? I've never had much of an opportunity to travel before now; my father was the Sohma family doctor before me, so our family always stayed close to the estate even when I was a boy. Akito's father, the former family head, was extremely sickly, so my father never wanted to risk leaving him. Then there were my studies, and Akito’s health to look after... You could say that I've always been tied to the estate, even beyond being a member of the Zodiac."

Hatori had stared off into the distance as he spoke, seeing faces from his past reminding him of his duty. Faces that had told him what he had needed to do, and how he would bring them shame and disgrace if he ever stepped out of line.

How he owed them, all of them, his full obedience...

But by that day with Tohru, all of those people were gone. Even the Akito of those visions was gone, the vengeful and jealous God replaced by an apologetic young woman.

It had been almost bewildering, his first post-Curse meeting with Akito, where she had prostrated herself and begged him to forgive her. She had said she knew she didn't deserve his forgiveness, that she could never undo what she had done.

What she had made him do, far too many times.

She’d told him many things besides, like how she'd understand if Hatori, no longer bound by the Curse, chose to hate her for destroying his happiness and blinding his eye.

That she'd understand if he needed to leave.

But Akito had begged all the same that whatever he chose to do, he would also please, someday, try to forgive her.

Hatori had knelt there, stoic as always but staggered within. He'd seen Akito throw tantrums like a child; he had still never expected to see Akito like that. And he hadn't known how to respond initially, because a part of him had felt like he should do what she suggested.

He should hate her and be unable to forgive. He should want to leave, to break free from the Sohmas, and to throw his future into the wind like Kureno.

But he didn't, and he hadn't understood why. Instead, he’d felt pity for Akito; pity at how much she had lost, and for what she was trying to do.

He’d felt pity that he couldn't let her martyr herself for him.

When he'd realized that his Curse was broken, Hatori had felt as though a thousand lifetimes’ worth of cares were suddenly lifted from his shoulders. He understood that feeling in relation to Akito, but he couldn't quite explain that feeling related to everything else. But it was as if with the severing of the Zodiac bond, every other link of duty, respect, and expectation had been cut, too. All at once Hatori was beholden to no one; no one could tell him what to do, anymore. Even Akito, the Family Head, no longer his God, could only ask him now, not order him.

Why wouldn't he want to grab his freedom with both hands?

Because, he'd realized, he didn't need to pull away in order to feel free. He had already forgiven Akito long ago for her sins; he didn't need to dredge up old memories in order to create new hatred. And he didn't need to separate himself from the Sohmas, because he had never felt his job to be a burden.

He loved being a doctor, and he always had. Not for the prestige or his place within the Sohmas, but for the feeling that he was doing good for others, whether cleaning up an injury or delivering a baby. He had done so much out of duty over the course of his life, but if he’d been allowed to choose his own calling...it would have been this.

He'd asked Akito to get up and told her she had no need to grovel, at least not to grovel in front of him. Instead, he'd turned the asking around on her, asking to stay on as the Family doctor. He would continue to do what he loved, with the people who he cared about; the only change he asked for was to work in the hospital, too.

Akito had granted that wish and Hatori was busier than ever, but it was a good kind of busy and he loved it deeply. If his father were still alive, Hatori knew he wouldn't understand; to his parents it had been the prestige that mattered the most.

But Hatori didn’t want to limit himself to a role that was now mostly for show. He had gone his whole life making other people look good, but he was his own man now, and the only one that mattered.

Hatori had asked Tohru to visit so he could apologize, as she had so desperately deserved.

He had been so happy when the Curse had broken, but so ashamed at the same time because he knew how much Tohru had suffered.

And he had been complicit in Shigure's schemes. After his one and only attempt to drive Tohru away, he had been content to sit back and let her become entangled. Yes, he'd lectured Shigure about what he was doing, but Hatori had never once taken steps to stop him. Instead, he had benefited from all of Tohru's pain, knowing full-well he could have tried to intervene, but hadn’t.

She’d been repaid with stab wounds, a fall, and weeks in a hospital bed, all inflicted, ultimately, due to the negligence of a doctor.

Hatori had never been owed any apologies. It was Hatori who had had to give them.

Just like the first time after that first Culture Fest, Tohru had come to the estate at Hatori's call. That second time, she hadn't needed to be shown the way, and she had arrived on her own, exactly on time.

Hatori had invited her in and offered her some tea, then they'd sat in silence while Tohru grew increasingly anxious and Hatori tried to figure out what to say. Eventually the tension had been too much for Tohru, and she had burst out,

"Hatori, can you please tell me that everything is ok? Otherwise, my imagination is going to run away from me, and I might end up freaking out again!"

Hatori had cracked a small smile, remembering how panicky she'd been during her first visit. He'd learned later she'd been worried he'd wipe her memories, and he'd understood, even while hating that he’d been the source of that very justified fear.

But that old Tohru and the Tohru he had seen that summer day were so different, it was like they were two totally different people. Past Tohru had been a young girl who had been innocent; completely out of her depth in the dark seas of the Sohmas' secrets.

The Tohru from that summer was a poised young woman, a woman who had helped break the Curse in spite of pain and suffering. Over a month had passed by then since her hospital stay, but Hatori knew that under her sleeve she had scars from Akito's knife.

And perhaps she would always carry those same scars.

Hatori had doubted she’d fall to pieces simply because he was silent, but he had understood what she meant, and he had sighed.

"I'm sorry I've kept you waiting, Tohru. The truth is, I don't really know how best to say this. But it needs to be said, and it's something long overdue." Tohru had been looking at him intently but nervously, and he knew he needed to bite the bullet, so he did.

"Tohru, I am so incredibly sorry."

Tohru's intense look had shifted to confusion, and she clearly didn't know what to say.

"I don't understand," she had said finally, and Hatori had smiled wryly, not surprised in the slightest.

Of course she didn't, because she didn't know.

"I'm sorry for everything that happened to you, Tohru. I could have stepped in, a long time ago, and spared you so much of this pain. But I didn't, because I was too selfish: too selfish to intervene, to try to save you from getting hurt.”

Tohru had been bewildered; Hatori had soldiered on. “I knew what Shigure was doing, and I was worried about you. I tried to get you to leave the Sohmas alone once, as you've mentioned, but I shouldn't have left things like that. I should have tried again, or tried a different way. I should have done something, but didn't; I let you, young and innocent as you were and are, suffer on our behalf without lifting a finger. Just like always, I accepted someone else's choices and went along them, even though I knew it was wrong."

He had steepled his fingers together and stared into his hands, looking at them because he couldn't face Tohru yet if he was going to finish. He knew she didn't blame him, or she that hadn’t; she hadn't known, and it wasn’t in her nature to point fingers.

She had always been so willing to forgive anything…

And even as he’d sat there then apologizing to her, he’d known that Tohru was going to forgive him, and that almost made him feel worse.

Was he just still being selfish in a different way, laying everything out on her, knowing she'd forgive him?

He had been startled when a hand had gently touched his, and he’d looked up to see Tohru standing beside him. He had been further surprised to see her eyes filled with tears, and he had risen to his feet in alarm.

"I didn't tell you any of this to make you upset, Tohru, I promise you that, whatever the end results. But I couldn't let you go on in ignorance of my role in your suffering. We all owe you so much, and I hope you know that, but there are few who have hands as dirty in this whole thing as me."

'Hatori is kind.'

'Hatori, you're too kind.'

'Hatori has so much kindness.'

'Hatori is the kind one."'

'You're like Hatori, so kind. Too kind. Kind people tend to get hurt.'

Words from the past had floated in Tohru's mind; she had been warned away from Hatori at one time, and she had feared his memory-erasing ability. Then she had come to learn about him, his past, and how people viewed him.

Everyone had said he was kind, and they weren't wrong.

Hatori had tried to take care of people as best he could, even her. He had tried to protect her, and even when she wouldn't let him, he had still worried about her. Now he was sitting there, beating himself up because he felt he had failed her.

She wasn't about to let him, or anyone else, do that anymore.

"Hatori, thank you so, so much for worrying about me. But you don't have to apologize to me, and you never have."

She had reached out and taken Hatori's hands, surprising him with her sudden boldness. "I wanted this, Hatori. Even if you feel like you used me, I wanted this to happen. I wanted to stay with the Sohmas, and I wanted to break the Curse. You might feel selfish for that, but it was selfish of me, too, because I wanted it entirely for myself. Because I wanted to save Kyo."

Tohru’s lip had been trembling and her strong voice had started to waver, but she had pressed on, determined to say what she needed. "I wanted to save him, Hatori. I only cared about him in the end, not the rest of you. And I know that makes me a terrible person, but I couldn't help it,” she’d admitted, wiping her eyes. “I couldn't imagine living without him, and that meant breaking the Curse. I didn't care what happened to me, as long as I could save him. And I did." Her voice had firmed up there, and even though her eyes were still filled with tears she’d become resolute. "I did, Hatori. I helped save him. So everything was worth it for me, in the end."

Hatori had been overwhelmed in that moment, completely bowled over by Tohru and her sincerity. If he had felt she was a different person earlier, he had definitely known it then; she was so confident and unrepentant in her love.

As if she would ever have to apologize for that.

Hatori had smiled then, smiled into the teary but determined eyes staring back into his. "You did do it, Tohru Honda. And for that, I'll be forever grateful."

After that, they had sat and talked a while longer. Talked about Tohru's last two terms of high school, her upcoming graduation, and her plans to move afterwards with Kyo. Talked about Hatori's plans to stay on as the family doctor, and to start working at the hospital as well. About what Tohru planned to do for a job in the future, and about the type of home she and Kyo hoped to find.

And about Hatori’s intention to start taking regular vacations, starting with a trip to Okinawa the following summer.

He had casually mentioned that 'we' were very excited about it, and Tohru had latched onto the 'we' with eager interest.

"'We,' Hatori?" She had asked, quivering with excitement; he had simply smiled and repeated,

"We."

Hatori checked his watch again, then stubbed out his cigarette. He didn't mean to take up too much of the departing couple's time, but he did want to say goodbye and properly see them off. Hopefully the younger people had had enough time to themselves; if not, then maybe he could find Kazuma and chat for a while.

He slipped on his suit jacket and headed out the door, making quick work of the walk to the dojo. It was funny; in spite of it being so close to his home, he had very rarely been there, and never outside of work. Karate was a dangerous sport, and there had definitely been times where he was there professionally, but otherwise he had never entered the grounds even once.

Just like he'd never been to most places "Outside."

He was looking forward to changing that, bit by bit.

The first thing Hatori saw when he passed through the dojo gate was Shigure embracing Tohru. The sight was enough to make him stop in his tracks, but then he snorted, thinking, So much for giving the young people their chance with Tohru first.

As he walked over, Hatori's sardonic voice was like a herald's: "Seeing you hug her like that just screams of something illegal."

Tohru's face brightened into another big smile, and as she stepped back from Shigure she put out a hand to Hatori. "Good morning, Hatori! Thank you so much for coming!"

And Hatori returned the smile as he took her hand, telling her sincerely, "I wouldn't have missed it."

Chapter Text

"Seeing you hug her like that just screams of something illegal."

Hatori's tone was so accusatory that Shigure had to laugh, and he raised his hands in the air in a mock gesture of surrender. But once Tohru and Hatori had greeted each other, Shigure couldn't resist the chance to bait his friend, who was always far too judgmental where Shigure was concerned.

"I'm hurt, Hatori, but mostly for Tohru's sake. Clearly you've forgotten that this young lady is eighteen, therefore there would be nothing remotely illegal about our embrace even if my intentions were amorous. But since they obviously weren't, I cry foul slander. In fact, I think you owe me an apology."

He lowered his hands and assumed an expression of wounded dignity, one that was completely wasted on Hatori.

"You're just lucky I'm the one who saw it and not Kyo or Yuki. Though you'd still better watch it and not mention ‘amorous intentions’ around either of them, or you might finally get that punch."

Hatori's voice was drier than the Sahara Desert; any attempt at humor on Shigure's part was clearly lost on him. But Hatori had spent too long in Shigure's company to encourage him; he knew that once Shigure got started, it was almost impossible stop him.

For her part, Tohru didn't know how to respond. She hadn't meant to make anyone uncomfortable by hugging them, and she had honestly felt her hug with Shigure had been innocent.

Still, it was possible Hatori had a point. There were people who were especially gifted at pushing Kyo's buttons, and Shigure was near the top of that list. And rather than risk setting Kyo off at their own sendoff, she did what she usually did when Shigure was teasing: pretended she didn't hear what he was saying.

"It was so nice of you both to come! And you have great timing, too; breakfast should be ready any time, and I'm sure it's going to be delicious. We're having a walking breakfast, doesn't that sound fun?"

"A walking breakfast?" Hatori wasn't familiar with the term, and he frowned curiously. But before Tohru could explain, Shigure jumped in.

"You know, Hatori, a breakfast consisting entirely of handheld items. Things you can eat easily while standing or walking around. Things on sticks. Rice balls. You know, festival-type foods. And what a wonderful idea a walking breakfast is! It's such a lovely morning, it would be a shame to have to go inside to eat."

Tohru nodded. "That's what we were hoping! Plus we weren't sure how many people would be stopping by, or how long anybody would be staying. This way just made everything easier!”

Not that Tohru herself had been allowed to really weigh in; her friends had been insistent that they handle the food.

"That makes sense." Hatori said, then looked around the rest of the courtyard for the first time. He saw Rin, Hiro, and Kisa, which didn’t surprise him at all; Ritsu, amazingly enough, along with his girlfriend. Many other non-Zodiac Sohmas, including some families. Several young men who he guessed to be members of the dojo, some young people who might be friends of Kyo and Tohru from school?

But the thing that surprised Hatori the most as he looked around was that neither Kyo nor Yuki were anywhere to be seen.

"Has Yuki been by yet, Tohru? And where is Kyo?"

"Ah yes, where is fair Romeo?” Shigure piped up. “I would have thought he'd be hovering diligently at your elbow, making sure no lecherous men with suspicious intentions would try to take advantage you under the guise of ‘goodbye.’"

"Oh, is that how you're describing yourself now?" Hatori snorted. "It seems almost too complimentary."

Ignore, ignore, ignore...

"Ah...no, Hatori, I haven't seen Yuki yet, but he had said he'd be here closer to when we were leaving. And Kyo should be just in there, actually,” she said, pointing beyond them to the main practice building. “He and Hatsuharu wanted to have one last fight before we had to leave."

But as Tohru lowered her hand she frowned slightly. Now that she thought about it, they had been gone a long time; either Kyo and Haru were having a record-breaking match, or it was possible that one of them was hurt.

Shigure and Hatori both saw her expression change, but it was Shigure who jumped in the quickest.

"Well, if Kyo's been sparring for this entire time, then I'm sure he's more than ready to throw in the towel. Besides, he shouldn't be leaving you to handle the social niceties alone; since he's the one to blame for you leaving Tokyo to start with, then it's only right he be out here to pretend he's enjoying himself. I'll just go fetch him."

Tohru tried to protest, but Shigure was too fast, and he disappeared into the building with an evil grin.

As she stared after him, Tohru uttered a silent prayer, hoping that Kyo and Haru were fine and Kyo wouldn’t be too annoyed. But a tiny part of her was also grateful to Shigure; a lot more people had arrived at the dojo since Kyo disappeared, including people she knew that Kyo would likely want to talk to.

At the same time, she knew this whole event was a lot for Kyo, and if he was enjoying his time with Haru, she wouldn't want to stop him. Kyo would stop regardless if Tohru was the one who found him, so Shigure was the better choice to check up on him. Kyo would be more than happy to ignore Shigure if he was busy, and Shigure could let her know if something had gone wrong.

She just hoped Kyo wouldn't be too annoyed by Shigure. Their erstwhile guardian was in very high spirits that morning, and she wouldn't be surprised if he took a jab at Kyo.

"Well, that was brave," Hatori commented as Shigure disappeared. "I'm surprised he's willing to go anywhere near Kyo, especially when he's apparently sparring."

"Oh, I'm sure it will all be fine, Hatori; Kyo knows how Shigure is."

That was meant to be encouraging; Tohru almost succeeded. As it was, Hatori only let out a resigned sigh.

"Don't we all, more's the pity."

Inside one of the dojo’s practice rooms, Kyo and Haru were sprawled on the floor, each of them drenched with sweat and breathing heavily. Neither one of them had been keeping track of the time; ‘just one match’ had led to another, then another, and then another. Kyo had come out the victor every time, but it had been close enough that Haru had kept calling for rematches until neither of them could stand. And they’d both enjoyed themselves and found it all satisfying...right until Kyo collapsed in near-exhaustion and finally had the chance to think about what he ought to be doing.

As he flopped there on the tatami dripping with his sweat, Kyo had to wince as he wondered how much time had passed. Sure, Tohru hadn’t turned up looking for him yet, but that didn’t mean he shouldn’t have been more responsible.

And he couldn’t help but wonder how much he had to stink, which posed an entirely different kind of problem...

Haru was the first one of them who could actually speak. "One more round, Kyo?"

"Shut up, Haru,” Kyo replied tiredly. “You can't even sit up right now, let alone fight me."

"Well, maybe if I got you to agree I'd be able to sit up, ever think about that?"

"No. We're done, that's it. We oughtta’ve been done three rounds ago, we're definitely done now. What time even is it?" Kyo asked, half afraid.

He had an arm thrown across his face, so he didn't see when Shigure walked in. But Kyo immediately knew the irritating voice that cheerfully chirped out the answer, "It's seven forty-five, boys, so you'd better get up and make yourself presentable!"

Haru lifted his face from the floor and stared at Shigure in mild surprise. "When did you get here, Sensei?"

"Long enough ago to get a cozy hug from Tohru; clearly seeing me made her overwrought at the thought of moving, because the poor girl practically flung himself into my arms!" Shigure sighed dramatically, then waggled a finger at Kyo. "You'd better make sure you take good care of her, Kyo, otherwise who knows who might try to take advantage of her emotional state?"

Shigure knew exactly what he was doing; the bait was more than enough to make Kyo shoot to his feet, exhaustion be damned.

"Don't you start with me today, Shigure. And shouldn't you be dragging along on Akito's coattails or something? What're you even doing here, anyway?"

Shigure smiled in an obnoxiously serene way, pressing his hand over his heart. "You wound me with your hostility, Kyo; I'd think after all this time you could at least try to be civil to someone only here to see you and Tohru on your way. Clearly she hasn't rubbed off enough on you, you are every bit the savage boy you’ve always been."

"Don't go blaming anything on Tohru, Shigure. If anything, it's 'cause of her I don't just punch your face." But Kyo didn't have the energy to fight with Shigure, especially if he was telling the truth about the time. "Is it really seven forty-five?"

Shigure’s expression became slightly more serious. "It was when I walked in here, so it's even later now. But if I could make a little suggestion to you both, you may want to scamper off and take a couple quick showers. I don't know if you realize it,” he said, starting to smirk, “but you're both more than a little bit rank."

Kyo sighed, knowing Shigure had a point there. "Would you let Tohru know I'll be out there soon? She's probably wondering if we got lost in here."

"Of course; I'm here on Tohru's behalf, anyway."

Kyo stood in the hot water of the shower, his face tilted up into the spray. It was almost painfully hot, but he needed the heat to work out his stiffness before he went back outside.

That, and the stinging water acted as a penance for his idiocy in agreeing to fight.

And as he stood in the scalding water he sighed. That morning was supposed to be about Tohru. He had planned to smile and be polite and be there for her, ready to support her whenever she needed him. Instead, he'd been outside for...maybe five minutes, tops? And they'd been awake for over two hours now.

He was kicking himself as he thought about his behavior, irritated he was being so selfish. Yes, Tohru had said it was ok for him to spar, but he hadn’t exactly told her how long that would take.

That was over now, though, the sparring and selfishness both. It didn’t matter how many people were milling around, he was going to stay beside her until they stepped on that train.

If she needed any more tissues, they would come from him.

Satisfied with his plan Kyo turned off the water, then rapidly dried himself with grim efficiency. But when he went to grab his clothes, he realized there was a problem, and he promptly started swearing a blue streak.

Haru stuck his head around his own shower stall. "Everything ok there, Kyo?"

Kyo was scowling and practically barked out his response. "No, everything is not. My clothes are fucking drenched in sweat and stink to high heaven, and all the rest of my clothes are in my bag in my room."

"So? Just go grab your bag."

"Master gave us a room off the courtyard last night,” Kyo growled, rubbing his face in frustration. Haru just stared, clearly not understanding, and Kyo ground his teeth as he clarified, “The courtyard that's apparently filled now with people?"

"Oh...right."

Kyo wrapped his towel around his waist and sank to the floor with a groan. How was it possible for him to screw this up so badly? It was like he was trying to abandon Tohru when she needed the most support, and he was furious with himself for not thinking things through.

If she was looking for him and he wasn’t around...

Haru suddenly appeared fully clothed, albeit wearing his vest as a shirt instead of his actual shirt. And as Kyo looked up at him, Haru held out a hand. "Hey, don't worry about it. I'll go grab your bag and bring it back, just hang tight. Which room is it, and which bag?"

Kyo had never been so grateful for Haru as he was right then. "Fourth door from the gate, south side of the courtyard. My bag’s the third smallest, should be on its side."

"Got it."

With that, Haru was off, and Kyo was left alone to contemplate his poor decisions.

"Well, there's Haru, but Kyo's not with him." Momiji said, frowning as Haru emerged from the building alone, and beside Momiji, Hiro frowned as well.

"Didn't they say they were going off to spar together? I would have thought Kyo would be turning up too, he hasn't exactly been doing a great job socializing. Even if a lot of people came here to see Tohru, it would be nice to have a chance to talk to him, too."

"Oh, so you think it would be pleasant to talk to Kyo? Color me surprised, Hiro," came another voice.

"Yuki!" Momiji turned, delighted that Yuki had finally turned up. He'd started to wonder if Yuki had been waylaid somehow, because it seemed surprising for him to be so tardy. But there he was, looking for all the world like he was on time.

"It's about time you showed up,” Momiji continued playfully. “We were wondering if we needed to send out a search party!”

Yuki’s response to the teasing was to smile. He knew it seemed strange for him to arrive so late in the morning, but the timing had been a deliberate choice on his part. He'd had the chance to say everything he needed to Tohru yesterday, and he’d had ample opportunity to talk to Kyo before that. Yes, he wanted to see Tohru one last time and say goodbye, but he didn't need to take this time anyway from anyone else.

This morning’s sendoff was for everyone else, not him. And that was just as well, because Hiro and Momiji's conversation had piqued Yuki’s interest.

"So, where is Kyo?" Yuki asked, looking between the pair, who both answered the question with a shrug.

"No idea,” said Hiro. “He and Haru went off together a while ago to fight, and Shigure went looking them not too long ago. Haru just came out," he said with a gesture, "but we haven't seen Kyo."

The three of them watched as Haru sauntered along the engawa that ran along the outside of the courtyard, then suddenly ducked in through one of the doors. They exchanged confused glances, then Momiji frowned, asking himself if that wasn’t Tohru and Kyo’s room.

But before Momiji or anyone else had time to think much about it, Haru reemerged with a suitcase and went back the way he'd come.

"Oh, I get it."

Without pausing to explain or missing a beat, Yuki strode off after Haru and caught him before he went back inside. As Hiro and Momiji watched, he exchanged a few words with Haru, then Haru passed the suitcase to Yuki and returned back to the courtyard.

Momiji and Hiro exchanged a look as Haru approached, then both of them looked blankly at Haru.

"What?" asked Haru mildly, looking back at the pair, and they both blinked before Momiji broke into a grin.

"You are going to be in so much trouble," he teased, causing Haru to look at him in surprise.

"I am? What'd I do?"

"Gave that bag to Yuki, natürlich. I wouldn't want to be in your shoes when Kyo sees you next."

Haru simply shrugged. "Well, what was I supposed to do, fight Yuki for Kyo's clothes? It's not like that would have attracted any attention. And it's not like Yuki's gonna do anything that upsets Honda today, even if he does twist Kyo's nose a little bit."

Hiro snorted as what was happening finally made sense. "So you idiots went off to fight without thinking you'd get all sweaty and gross? And then Kyo didn't think about the fact he wouldn't have clean clothes handy?"

"Pretty much. I was lucky I can just wear my vest by itself, though hopefully my pants aren't too ripe. I don't think they're too bad, what do you guys think?"

"I'm not going to smell your pants, you ass, that's disgusting!"

Haru lowered his ankle as he shrugged his shoulders. "Well, if you can't smell 'em, then that's probably good. Now,” he said, looking down the courtyard, “is it too late for me to grab some food?"

Momiji gestured to the opposite side of the courtyard, where a line of tables had been set up. "Better get over there and tale something while you can, as you can see it's gotten pretty busy."

‘Busy’ was a good descriptor by that point. The courtyard was bustling with groups of chatting people, many of them carrying some of the 'walking breakfast.' Together Momiji, Haru, and Hiro looked around, all of them impressed with the number of people who had turned up.

It was nice, seeing how many people had shown up for Tohru and Kyo...

And a relief in way that still hadn’t gotten old.

Haru was the one who said it aloud: "It's nice to be able to be in a crowd and not worry, isn't it?"

He didn't need to elaborate; both Momiji and Hiro were thinking the same thing. And Momiji smiled as two women brushed past their group, none of the three of them so much as leaning away.

"Honestly, I still worry,” he admitted softly. “I don't know how long it will take until I stop worrying, since it's been something I lived with for so long. But it's nice to be able to worry and then remember, ja? And we'll always be able to remember it's ok, now. All of us,” he said, “because of Tohru."

Hiro looked around the crowd, then over at where Kisa was sitting with Kagura beside Rin. She noticed him looking at her and gave a little wave, and he waved back to her with a warm smile, thinking the entire time how right Momiji was. Hiro might have broken free of the Curse on his own, but how much longer would it have taken Kisa, if not for Tohru? How long would it have taken until the Zodiac had all been freed? And how hard would it have been for the one who was last?

Fortunately, they'd never need to know.

"It almost makes you wanna randomly hug some woman, doesn't it?" Haru asked thoughtfully, and Hiro immediately bristled.

"No, it does NOT and that's a disgusting thought, Haru. Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should!"

Haru shrugged. "I didn't say I would, just that it kind of makes me want to. Rin would kick my ass if I tried, anyway."

"Ja, well, if you did, you'd deserve it, too."

It seemed like an eternity before Kyo heard the locker room door, but when it finally opened, he was ready to go. While he’d been waiting, he had thought about ways to apologize; to let Tohru know he was sorry he’d abandoned her. Unfortunately it had proved a fairly short list, with Kyo deciding that the best option was just to do better right then. He couldn’t go back in time and say ‘no’ to more sparring, all that he could do going forward was stay at Tohru’s side. With any luck, Tohru had been managing fine without him, and all of the problems he’d envisioned were totally in his own head.

That was certainly possible; he was good at thinking up problems.

At least Haru hadn't had too much trouble finding his luggage, Kyo thought with relief as he rose to his feet. It hadn't occurred to Kyo until Haru had left that he'd just sent the most directionally challenged person he knew on a time-sensitive mission of urgency, and he was kicking himself for gambling Haru wouldn't get lost. It had been an enormous relief when he heard the door open, and relief tinged Kyo’s tone as he called out,

"Hey, hurry up with that, would you? I haven't got all morning."

"You don't, do you? Then I don't understand what you were doing, wasting so much of it sparring when you were supposed to be socializing."

His relief evaporated at once and Kyo swore loudly again.

Damnit, when had Yuki gotten there, and what was he doing in the locker room?

That last question was answered when Kyo's bag came flying at him, and he reached up and caught it with one hand.

"Nice to ‘see’ you too, you damn Rat," Kyo replied gruffly. “What brings you in here, aside of my clothes?”

As he spoke, Kyo was already digging through the bag, relieved to see that it was the right one. If it wasn't at this point, Kyo might have flipped his lid, and dealt with either his sweaty clothes or even Tohru sundresses rather than sending anyone out for his things again.

Meanwhile, Yuki was leaning against the lockers, just around the corner and out of sight from Kyo. A lifetime of transformations, locker rooms, and living together meant they’d seen each other naked more times than they cared to count; Yuki didn't need to add to that number any more now.

"Just bringing you your clothes, as a matter of fact, since you did a pretty pathetic job planning your morning."

Kyo wanted to growl at Yuki over his sharp manner; even though the two of them were mostly on decent terms, Kyo didn't appreciate Yuki’s condescending tone. Yuki had always been good at getting under Kyo’s skin, and it was almost second nature now for Kyo to snap.

But instead of lashing out, Kyo took a deep breath. Then he turned that growl inwards, where it truly belonged.

"Yeah, well, you got that right," Kyo said quietly, and around the corner, Yuki raised an eyebrow. He had expected to scold Kyo, but he hadn't expected agreement; sure, it happened occasionally now, but it still always surprised him.

The fact Kyo agreed he’d screwed up made things easier, though, and Yuki's tone became a little less accusatory.

"A serious question, then. How are you doing, Kyo? I already know how Tohru's doing, but how about you?"

Kyo froze in the act of pulling on his shirt, caught off-guard by the easy ‘Tohru’ from Yuki’s lips. Hearing Yuki say her name was completely surprising; for as long as Kyo could remember, Yuki had called her 'Miss Honda.'

How recently had Yuki made the switch to 'Tohru?' And how long would it take for Kyo to get used to it? Even though he knew Yuki was no romantic rival, there was enough history and tension there that it made any degree of intimacy between Yuki and Tohru feel...weird.

But beyond that, Kyo was surprised by the question. He hadn't really thought at all about his own feelings, not for a while and definitely not that morning. He'd thought about Tohru, and things in relation to her. How she was coping, how she was feeling, what would be easier for her; how he could make things better for her, and help her with their transition.

But how he was feeling?

How the hell was he feeling?

Kyo tossed his dirty clothes into one of his bag’s outside pockets, then walked around the corner of the lockers to where Yuki was leaning.

"Honestly?” he said, meeting Yuki’s gaze, his shoulders thrown back and his body tall. “Stressed. Excited. Freaked out. Eager,” he said with a shrug. “ I'm ready to be outta here, away from all this. Ready to stop thinking people are talking smack about me, or having everyone treat me like a kid, even myself."

Kyo ran a hand up through his damp hair, thinking about how little trust he'd had in himself to behave that morning. He'd expected he wouldn't know how to act during this party, so was it really surprising he had proved himself right?

And taking a deep breath, he looked back at Yuki. "Did you see Tohru before you came here? Was she holding up ok?"

He was half-fearful of the response; if she was a mess while he wasn’t there, he was going to be really, really pissed-off with himself.

Yuki uncrossed his arms and shrugged in response. "I haven't talked to her yet, but Machi and I did see her. She was talking with Miss Uotani and Miss Hanajima the last I saw, possibly helping them out with the food. She seemed fine, as far as I could tell from where I was, and she was laughing and looking relatively normal. I was honestly surprised,” he said with a small smile. “I had expected her to be in tears long ago."

"Yeah, well, then you should've been here earlier. Starting at five-fifteen in the fucking morning, when that damn Momiji decided he needed to turn up and start yelling."

Kyo looked so disgruntled that Yuki couldn't help but laugh, both at the mental image of Momiji's wake up call and Kyo's current expression just remembering it. "That must have been quite the experience,” Yuki said. But then his expression softened, and to Kyo's surprise Yuki patted his shoulder.

"You're going to be fine, Kyo, you and Tohru both. You don’t need to worry about her, not as much as you are, and once you stop overthinking things, you'll realize I’m right. I would have thought that you, of all people, knew what Tohru is like."

Kyo could only stare at Yuki, unable to reply, and Yuki smiled slightly before briskly moving away.

"Now then," said Yuki, holding open the locker room door, "Go out there and try to act pleasant for the time you have left."

Yuki’s smile had become something taunting and filled with challenge, and after a moment Kyo chuckled himself. Picking up his bag he headed out the door, giving the other man a shove as he went by.

"I suppose I can manage that...you damn Rat."

"You had better, you stupid Cat."

Chapter Text

Kyo had known that many people would likely come see them off. Tohru was incredibly loved by a lot of people, and it only made sense those loved ones would want to say goodbye. But holy hell he was not prepared for the sight of the crowd outside, and he stopped so suddenly Yuki nearly crashed into his back.

Yuki caught himself in time, but he still scowled and prodded Kyo sharply in the ribs.

"Outside is that way, Kyo. Or have you suddenly forgotten how doorways work?"

Kyo twisted uncomfortably away from Yuki's hand, avoiding Yuki’s eyes as he looked out at the courtyard.

"For fuck’s sake, I know, alright? It's just..."

Kyo didn't think he'd ever been around such a close crowd of mixed sexes, outside of a very, very few exceptions. All his life, he had had to be cautious around crowds, because the risk of him transforming had been high.

There was also the part where he just didn’t care for crowds.

Consequently, as he surveyed what felt like an ocean of people, Kyo felt both completely unsure and totally unprepared. The crowd itself would have been overwhelming on its own, but the fact it was there for Tohru…and him…was something else entirely.

As Kyo slowly looked over the crowd, Yuki realized what it was that had caught Kyo up short. And once he realized, Yuki understood; he felt more than a little unsettled himself, as it was still a rare thing for them, being around so many women.

It was going to take getting used to on all of their parts, if they ever got used to it at all. But Kyo didn't have the luxury of easing into this crowd, so Yuki gave him another nudge.

"Come on, it's fine. Nothing's going to happen. You might have to smell someone's body odor, but that's probably the worst thing that’s likely to happen. At least you shouldn't offend anyone with your odor anymore."

Kyo gave Yuki a sour look at that, but his sigh was pure resignation. Yuki was right, of course, annoying as he as; Kyo was long overdue for joining the actual party.

Hugging the wall along the inside of the engawa, Kyo made it safely and without much notice to the door of his room, where he quickly deposited his bag. Then he squared his shoulders and looked out into the swarm.

There were so many people it was honestly staggering. Almost all of the former Zodiacs, for starters. Lots of dojo people, which was touching to see. A surprising amount of people he recognized from school.

Relatives of Tohru's.

 Lots of other Sohmas.

Some women who he was pretty sure were Tohru's former coworkers. Even at least one of their teachers, weirdly enough; that was definitely Sensei Shiraki with Hatori and Shigure.

So very many people...

All there to say goodbye.

"It's a very nice turnout, don't you think?"

Kyo just about jumped out of his skin and looked at Tohru's grandpa, who had appeared at his elbow out of nowhere.

“Ah! Yes, yes, it is, sir. I don't think Tohru expected nearly this many people," Kyo said as soon as he could speak, looking around the sea of heads for Tohru's familiar face. "I know I sure wasn't," he added, unable to hide the amazement that accompanied that statement. "I know I shouldn't really be too surprised, though."

Kyo took a deep breath, then looked at Tohru's grandpa, smiling the tender smile he always got when he thought of her. "Your granddaughter is very special, Sir." Kyo paused, then continued a little more seriously, "I want you to know I'm gonna take care of her."

Grandpa smiled and placidly looked over the crowd himself, as though he were anywhere and talking to anyone. "Oh, I know that, young man. I know both of those things. Tohru was born a special child, after all, so it's only fitting she's grown up to be a special young woman. But remember,” Grandpa said, turning to look up at Kyo, “it's not just about her. You are clearly a very special young man yourself, or else she never would have chosen you to start with. So you can, and should, take care of her as you say, but remember to let Tohru take care of you, too.”

Grandpa smiled then, his eyes crinkling at Kyo. “The strongest structures can't be borne by a single support, but need to equally distribute their load. Don't try to shut her out of supporting you both, but let her help you lift the pair of you up."

Then Grandpa bowed to Kyo, a bow of deep respect, and Kyo returned it with a smile of gratitude. He admittedly had mixed feelings about Tohru’s family, but when it came to Grandpa himself…he was pretty ok.

"Thank you, Sir. I'll try to remember that."

Grandpa smiled, offering his hand to Kyo for a shake, and after a moment’s indecision, Kyo quickly took it. And as they shook hands, Grandpa’s smile deepened, his eyes twinkling as he said,

"I'm glad to hear it. Though while we’re on the subject of couples working together, remember that children are another blessing. I look forward to meeting my great-grandchildren before I die, so please don't make me wait too long, ok, young man?"

Kyo hadn't been expecting that, and his blush rose all the way to his hairline. But Grandpa had his hand trapped in a grip that was shockingly strong, so Kyo did his best to stammer out a coherent reply other than his initial thought, which was 'oh hell no!'

Not because he didn’t want children, especially not with Tohru. The very idea of her with his baby went straight to Kyo’s heart. But that was something for them to think about in the future, not the very day they left for their new life.

"Yeah, well, we've gotta see about settling ourselves, and we're still pretty young, and there's a lotta things we need to figure out, and..."

Then Grandpa laughed and he let go of Kyo's hand. "I'm just teasing you, young man. Don't worry, I know you will take care of everything in the proper time. But now, if you're looking for Tohru, she's just over there," he continued, pointing into the crowd.

Kyo was relieved for a multitude of reasons, and he was smiling sheepishly as he followed Grandpa's point. Then he saw Tohru himself…and his whole face lit up.

Tohru looked so happy right then, he thought as he studied her; laughing and smiling, giving hugs, being hugged herself. If she was crying right then, he actually couldn't tell; if she'd been crying, he couldn't tell that either.

All that he could tell was that right then, she was happy, and that realization made him pretty damn happy, too.

"Thank you, Sir," he said as he looked back at Grandpa, and Grandpa smiled once more back at him.

"You're welcome, young man,” Grandpa replied. “But please, if you would, feel free to call me ‘Grandpa.’ After all,” he continued, glancing out at Tohru, “we're really family now, you and I."

Grandpa said it so simply and matter-of-factly, but the words went straight to Kyo’s heart. So his smile became even brighter, and he nodded as he said,

"Well, you're not wrong there...Grandpa."

It felt weird to say, but it was a good sort of weird. He'd be able to get used to it, with practice.

Fortunately, he had a lifetime to practice.

All of them did, because Kyo would always be there for Tohru. That meant that, for better or worse, he’d be there for her family too. On which note…

"And please, Grandpa? It’s Kyo. Kyo Sohma."

Grandpa’s eyes twinkled once again at Kyo. "I know, Kyo Sohma. And I think it will be very easy to remember that name."

Kyo and Grandpa both smiled somewhat sadly then, thinking of that other 'Kyo' name so very much like his. Thinking about Kyoko was always bittersweet; today, for Kyo, it sparked a multitude of feelings.

In particular, he thought about the promise he’d made last summer, while standing with Tohru in front of her parents’ grave: the promise to Kyoko that he would take care of Tohru.

He had taken much too long to live up to his first promise, but he wasn't going to drag his feet anymore.

Grandpa was also looking out over the crowd, and his voice was soft as he spoke to Kyo, "Be sure to tell Tohru that I'll look after them: Kyoko and Katsuya both. But they'll be watching her as well, I know, and I know you two are going with their blessing as well as mine."

And Kyo looked gratefully at the soft-spoken old man. He hadn't had much chance to get to know Grandpa, but that didn't seem to matter; Grandpa clearly knew just what Kyo needed to hear.

Kyo opened his mouth to respond, then closed it after a moment. Nothing seemed to be the right thing to say, not now.

But Grandpa understood, and he simply patted Kyo's arm. Then he pointed across the courtyard again to where Tohru was standing, telling Kyo with a playful smile, "I think it's time for you to join my granddaughter, Kyo Sohma."

Fighting back his last urge to run away from the crowd, Kyo stepped off the engawa and started making his way to Tohru. Much to his surprise, he was greeted by everyone he met; people who wanted to wish him well, tell him congratulations, offer him advice (some of it very, very bad), and even pat his back. It consequently took him a lot longer than he'd expected to cross the courtyard, but every person who stopped him helped to lift his spirits. Even knowing that most of them had come because of Tohru, the outpouring of love and support was staggering in the best way.

By the time he made it across the courtyard he was beaming, and Tohru’s smile when he caught her hand put him on top of the world.

"Kyo, there you are!” Tohru exclaimed happily. “I was really starting to worry, even though Shigure said that you were fine. I hope you're having fun!"

Tohru’s smile was mostly bright but also a little bit searching, and Kyo tried not to squirm at the knowledge she didn’t think that he was. This event was always going to be more of her thing than it was his, but that didn’t mean she needed to worry…even if he gave her reason.

Kyo was uncomfortably aware of the fact that the people around them were watching; there was no way they wouldn’t be, when Tohru and Kyo were the guests of honor. And sure, that was a fact that would always make him feel awkward, but Kyo was done trying to hide from anyone else’s stares.

Why wouldn’t people look at them when it was their party, in honor of the fact he’d landed the best girl in the world? If she wasn’t his girlfriend, he’d be staring at them too, and it was time to remind her that being with her was never a burden, even at a party.

So Kyo, after a beat, wrapped his arms around Tohru, hugging her tightly in front of all and sundry who cared to watch.

"Yeah, I'm having fun, Tohru. Are you?"

Tohru looked at him, then around at all of their friends. So many people had gotten up early to come and see them off; so many people had hugged her, and so many cried with her. She was honestly overwhelmed, but in a wonderful way: a way that made her see first-hand just how loved they were, and feel better about leaving that she'd ever thought possible.

"I'm having fun too, Kyo. Lots and lots of fun."

"Oh, are we talking about fun? In that case, I must say we have absolutely excellent timing, Mine!"

Ayame's voice cut through the air like a knife, and nearly every conversation in the courtyard ground to a halt as everyone looked towards the dojo gate. Ayame, dressed in a bright number of his own creation, stood there beside Mine, who was wearing a maid costume almost dripping with lace. Each of them was carrying a fabric bag; Mine's, a frothy pink and white number, and Ayame's, an elegant black.

The image was enough to make Kyo’s hair stand on end.

And with the sixth sense that only Ayame possessed (and perhaps a little help from Kyo's bright orange hair), he found Tohru and Kyo almost immediately. And once satisfied he’d made a sufficient entrance, Ayame promptly started beelining their way.

Naturally, everyone wanted to watch Ayame and Mine. Who wouldn't, when they were so very interesting?

Kyo had been so happy for maybe a minute; now he wanted to sink into the ground. Or better yet, dig a hole in the ground and bury Ayame in it. But as it was, Kyo was powerless to do anything except stare as Ayame and Mine flounced over, Ayame barely having to gesture to have people clear a path. And while Kyo didn't know what Ayame had meant by that 'fun' comment, he doubted he wanted to actually learn.

Plus, how had Ayame managed to overhear them, anyway?

Tohru was equally caught off-guard by Ayame’s appearance, and she looked wildly around in an attempt to process what was happening. She caught a glimpse of Shigure smirking and Hatori rolling his eyes; Yuki, covering his face with his hands while Machi patted his shoulder. 

Other people were whispering to each other, or nudging each other. While all of the Sohmas and most of Tohru and Kyo's former schoolmates knew who Ayame was and recognized him on sight, there were a fair number of people present who were mystified.

But they were largely excited by the dramatic new arrival, and everyone was curious what he might be up to.

Ayame was in his element. There were few things he loved more than being the center of attention, and thus he had planned their arrival with an attention to detail that would make a general proud. He'd chosen his outfit with care, given Mine his thoughts on hers, and decided to time their arrival close to when Tohru and Kyo would be leaving, thus allowing for the largest possible audience to be around not only for their arrival and the necessary Dramatic Remarks, but to also witness his bestowing of The Presents.

Ayame was particularly proud of The Presents. Years of work had been spent honing his skills, learning and perfecting the art of needlecraft; he knew the finest materials, and how to work with them. Every tool and technique at his and Mine's disposal had gone into making The Presents true works of art, right down to the ‘wrapping paper’ that doubled as exquisite handbags.

He and Mine had already assembled and mailed a collection of ‘care packages’ to Tohru and Kyo's new home up in Hibe, but he had wanted to give them The Presents personally.

How else could he properly show his love and gratitude than by doing the whole thing publicly?

Mine had been delighted with Ayame's plan and had enthusiastically thrown her own taste and talent into the project. Their previous work as costumers for the 2-D class play had proved a stroke of luck in more ways than one, considering Tohru and Kyo had both acted. Mine had kept every set of measurements from the play ‘just in case,’ and she and Ayame had already put Kyo, Yuki, and Tohru's to good use.

What was the point of sending anyone clothes that didn't fit?

Tohru was worth all the time they'd spent on her and a lot more. She was an incredibly adorable girl, after all, and particularly well-suited to wearing the kinds of clothes that Mine adored. But she'd also done so much to help Ayame, starting with facilitating the new, softer relationship between Ayame and Yuki. Ayame’s joy in that relationship was Mine’s too, and she would always be grateful to Tohru for the role she’d played. Add to that whatever Tohru had done to help break the Curse, and she had Mine’s undying gratitude.

Tohru deserved everything they could do for her, and more.

Yes, there had been simply no question; Tohru (and Kyo, by association) could not be allowed to leave without being properly recognized and rewarded. And who better to bestow that reward and recognition than Ayame?

"Excuse us, pardon me, so sorry, watch your feet now." Ayame was like a snake fixated on a mouse as he wove his way through crowd, his golden-green eyes never leaving Tohru and his giant eager smile never leaving his face. "That's right, if you'll just step out of the way, so kind of you. Now then."

Reaching Tohru and Kyo, Ayame flipped back his long silver hair and adjusted the back of his coat, then swept a critical eye over Mine. She pirouetted in response and Ayame smiled his delight, giving her a thumb's up that she promptly returned.

She was perfect. He was perfect.

That meant it was showtime.

"Now then," Ayame repeated, his voice easily carrying over the courtyard and into the buildings. A few people who'd been inside promptly emerged at the sound, and Kyo bit back the urge to groan when he saw Kazuma was among them. Then he didn't even try to stop his subsequent groan when Ayame reached out and pulled him and Tohru into a smothering hug.

Shigure couldn't help himself and he promptly burst out laughing. Hatori sighed and elbowed Shigure in the ribs, but it didn't do anything to stop the other man's laughter. And Shigure wasn’t alone as others were also laughing, while yet other people giggled, or whispered and nudged each other. No one really knew what was going on, but the general question on everyone’s mind was how long before Kyo blew up.

Kyo definitely wanted to blow up. He had worried about a lot of things that could have happened that day, some of them admittedly ridiculous. But 'publicly captured, assaulted, and embarrassed by Ayame' had failed to appear on that list, which was his own fault; if it had, he would have made sure to bar the gate himself.

"Geez Ayame, what the hell?"

Kyo hated making scenes, but Ayame had already made it too late to avoid one. Flailing a little to escape from the lapels of Ayame's coat, Kyo shot backwards and glared at Ayame as he hauled Tohru with him.

"Can't you just say 'hi' or 'goodbye' like a normal, sane person?"

Ayame wasn't the least bit offended or surprised by Kyo, and he simply laughed in response to Kyo’s venom.

"Behaving like everyone else, what sort of fun would that be? I swear, sometimes you seem as clueless as you've ever been, Kyonkichi."

At the nickname, Kyo could feel himself start to twitch, especially when he heard some of his high school friends snickering 'Kyonkichi.’ But there was nothing he could do, he quickly realized; he was trapped, every bit as effectively as if he was in a cage.

For her part, Tohru was also feeling a little awkward, but moreso on Kyo's behalf than on her own. She had been worried that Ayame and Mine weren't going to make it; while she had seen them fairly recently at their shop, it would have been sad to leave without saying one last goodbye to them.

And she had thought Ayame and Mine’s entrance was wonderfully 'them;‘ her only real worry was how Kyo was handling them.

Considering how red Kyo’s face had become, the answer to that question seemed to be 'not that well.'

He was still holding her hand after pulling her away from Ayame, and Tohru gave Kyo’s hand a firm squeeze. That got his attention and he glanced from Ayame to her, softening again when he saw the expression on her face.

At first, Kyo was sheepish. He was trying to work on his temper, and he had been largely successful, but there were some things no man's patience was meant to handle. But after seeing Tohru’s smile Kyo became resigned; if Tohru was ok with this, then he could be, too.

Still holding Tohru's hand, Kyo raised his other in a gesture of surrender. "Fine, Ayame, this time I'll humor your weirdness. Don't make me regret it."

That was all the invitation Ayame needed. Turning eagerly to Mine, he announced with delight, "Did you hear that, Mine? He actually said he was going to humor me! Imagine that, our little Kyonkichi is going to actually let me do something I want without getting angry with me about it!"

"A-ya-meeee..." Kyo's voice was still nominally pleasant, but there was a little edge now; even the new and improved Kyo could only handle so much.

Mine grinned. "I think you'd better get on with it, Aaya. We don't have much time, remember?"

"Oh, you're right, Mine, I mustn't let our flair for the theatrical, no matter how appropriate and well-executed, keep us from meeting our deadlines. We can't be the ones responsible for Kyo and Tohru missing their train!"

"You're so right, Aaya!"

"Very well, then!" Handing his bag to Mine, Ayame took Tohru and Kyo's free hands in each of his. Then he took another deep breath…and suddenly spoke in a voice that was both low and serious.

"Tohru, Kyo. I know you've heard a lot today, and you've heard a lot lately, about how much we're going to miss you.”

Kyo was stunned and he doubted he was alone; the jovial, comical Ayame from just before had melted away, leaving a speaker who actually sounded…sincere.

“I know you've heard it from every person here, possibly dozens of times in some cases, and I know you've said it back. I know you've been thinking about it, and have been worried. Dear Tohru, I know very much how much you've worried, in particular."

Ayame looked from the two of them to meet and hold Tohru's gaze, and she found herself once again fighting back tears. She had expected something dramatic and fun from Ayame, but this...this felt so much more solemn than that.

 Like it was so much bigger than just Ayame, even if it was Ayame who was talking.

"You’ve worried that leaving will mean you are forgotten; I want you to understand how baseless those fears are. Innumerable times, we have told you how much we’ll miss you, and I assure you, dear Tohru, those words have been sincere.”  

Ayame took a deep breath, then firmly pressed their hands. “I know I speak for everyone when I say, dear ones, that you two will be missed and cherished long after we part ways. You've been a part of our lives and our hearts for so long that going on without you is going to be difficult. Many of us will struggle,” he said solemnly, “trying to get used to our new reality where we can't always see you, or hear you, or talk to you. It will feel like something is missing, even during times we wouldn't normally be with you."

Even with Ayame speaking 'quietly,' his voice carried. Everyone else in the courtyard was silent, everyone listening to every word. But Tohru couldn’t look around to witness their reactions; her lip was trembling, and she had to let go of Ayame's hand to wipe her eyes with Haru's handkerchief. And Ayame smiled fondly as he looked at her, but he kept speaking in that same solemn tone.

"But even though we'll miss you, Tohru and Kyo, and we know you'll be missing us, we'll be grateful. All of us. Because we've gained the privilege of missing you by the virtue of knowing you, and knowing you both is one of the greatest gifts we could ever be given."

Tohru needed to look somewhere else, anywhere else at all, or she was going to completely lose it.

Her eyes first landed on Kisa, who was being held by Hiro and was full-on sobbing. The sight wrenched Tohru’s heart; she had to keep moving.

Hiro himself, though dry-eyed, was nodding slightly in agreement with what Ayame was saying, and in the moment Tohru met his gaze he gave her a wordless smile. Coming from Hiro, that smile carried a wealth of meaning, and Tohru gulped before looking on.

Through teary eyes, Tohru saw Rin aggressively wiping her own, Haru's arms draped soothingly around her shoulders. Nearby, Ritsu was almost in hysterics, supported by an equally emotional Mitsuru.

At Haru’s side, Tohru saw familiar blond hair, and even though it was hard to breathe, she met Momiji's eyes. They were shining at her through tears of his own, and when Tohru met his gaze Momiji tapped his heart.

There was no hope she could hold back her tears now.

"You've made our lives better, dear Tohru, some of us by more than I could possibly describe if I had hours to speak instead of only minutes. I know how much I myself personally owe you," Ayame looked from Tohru to Mine, and his eyes were soft and shining. "And how much I can never repay you. You've been so much to so many of us, both of you. Son," as Kazuma discretely wiped his eyes, "and daughter. A sister and brother. Friends."

Behind Tohru, Arisa and Saki stood together, Saki's head resting on Arisa's shoulder, both of them teary. And Tohru gulped a giant sob as she looked at them, thinking about the new lives they were all about to start apart.

"Sweethearts. And even, dare I say, a mother."

Tohru's eyes unerringly found Yuki's, and she saw that he was almost as teary as her. But tears aside, he stood in the crowd tall and strong, a picture of confidence where once there had been only nerves and fear.

Yuki smiled, knowing Ayame was talking about him, and he was grateful that Ayame could say it for him, too. Tohru had been all of those things and many more precious beside; Yuki was going to miss her, more than he could say. Even more than Ayame could say.

So Yuki didn’t try to say a single word, instead touching a hand to his lips, then lifting the kiss towards Tohru.

Tohru was full-on sobbing then, but she didn't care who saw or what they might think. Without a word, Kyo pulled her into his arms and held her close.

Kyo himself was emotionally overwhelmed, which he never would have expected would actually happen. But in that moment he was glad to comfort Tohru, the action providing a cover for his own feelings.

He was overwhelmed by so many things right then, like what Ayame was saying, and by everyone there to support them. Overwhelmed by the fact they’d actually made it there, that he was being embraced rather than banished and locked away.

Overwhelmed with the realization that it was all really true: that everything he'd ever wanted was within his grasp.

"We love you, Tohru and Kyo. We love you, more than you can possibly ever know. And we'll always love you, and that love will follow you wherever you go. No matter what, we'll be with you. Always."

Shigure had long since stopped laughing, and he stood with that half smile of his as he looked at the ground. Ayame hadn't said anything about wanting to give a speech, but Shigure wasn't surprised Ayame had actually made one. The only thing that had surprised him was how appropriate it was, and as he watched Tohru cry Shigure silently asked himself, 'how much of this did you know, Tohru? Because it's all true.'

And it always would be.

When Ayame finished speaking, everyone was silent at first, save for the sounds of several people crying. In the midst of it all stood Kyo, tears in his own eyes as he held the crying Tohru and murmured to her, his voice soft but rough, "It's all true, Tohru. It might be Ayame saying it, but yeah, it's all true."

Every single word…and he’d never let her forget it.

But then the silence was broken by Ayame himself, in a return to his normal buoyant form. "And now, my dears,” he said, his tone much more lively, “I believe it's time for us all to walk you two to the train. I know you're deeply in awe of my public speaking skills, but as I said I'd hate to have you be late on my account. I know you have to have luggage around here somewhere," he said, looking about him with a mildly disinterested eye, "but first, in the spirit of the occasion, my dear Mine and I would like to present you with these!"

With a flourish, Ayame handed over the bags, the frothy one to Tohru and the black one to Kyo. "Much as I enjoy a good dramatic reveal, I must beg you two to keep them closed until you've reached your new home. But I do you hope you like them, both of you."

There was nothing like a good dose of embarrassment to wipe out any excess of sentiment, and Tohru and Kyo both flushed crimson at the same time. Knowing Ayame and judging from the look on his face right then, both of them had a few suspicions about The Presents, and they were in agreement they didn’t want to open them in public. But they took the bags anyway, trying to look nonchalant, and after wiping her face Tohru hugged Mine and Ayame.

Those two might be dramatic, but the drama was part of their charm, and Tohru was going to miss them both.

"Thank you both so much, especially you, Ayame." Tohru's lip trembled again as she thought about all the things Ayame had just said, but Ayame gently tsked and pressed a finger against her lips.

"I know you're overwrought right now, Tohru, and I don't blame you. It's a lot to process, this much love at once. But it's all true. All of it." He smiled, then straightened up and clapped his hands twice. "But now, to the train station!"

As Ayame spoke Kyo looked across the courtyard to their room, wondering how they were supposed to get to their bags. But he didn't have to wonder very long, as he saw Haru, Hiro, Momiji and Kisa emerge with the luggage.

Seeing Kyo looking their way, Haru lifted the bag he was carrying, and Kyo smiled gratefully in return. That problem sorted out, there was nothing holding them back, and Kyo hugged Tohru as he nodded towards the gate.

"Guess it's time then, Tohru; you heard the Snake." Kyo was smiling as he spoke, his eyes filled with love, and Tohru heard the double meaning in his words.

"I did hear him, Kyo."

She'd heard everything, and she doubted she’d ever forget it.

Chapter Text

Tohru and Kyo were swept up in the crowd, everyone eager to walk them to the station. Kyo released Tohru's hand so they could mix and mingle, both of them happy to squeeze in a few last conversations.

The walk to the station didn’t take long under any circumstance; this time, it seemed to pass in the blink of an eye. There were more hugs, more jokes, more tears, and many, many more words to treasure. Then they were on the platform, with nothing to do now but wait.

"Take care, you two!"

"Safe travels!"

"Let us know when you arrive, ok?"

"Be well."

"Tell me when we can come visit, ok?"

"Be sure to tell me when you'll be coming back to town! I want to see you as soon as you're back!"

"I'll miss you so, so much!"

"We love you. Always.”

It was a blur of faces by the end, both because there were so many and because Tohru couldn't really see well through her tears. But even with them all being blurs, she knew and loved them all.

"Tohru."

Rin's voice broke in Tohru's last weepy exchange with Arisa and Saki, and she turned in tearful excitement to the one friend who hadn't come to talk to her at the dojo.

"Isuzu! I'm so happy, I was worried I wouldn't get to talk to you today. Thank you for coming to see us this morning, really!"

Rin smiled awkwardly, shifting from one foot to the other. She'd never been good with sappy emotional stuff; that was why she hadn’t made it over to Tohru yet, even though Rin had been at the dojo since very early. But she'd made good use of that time and the proof was in her hands, which she promptly thrust into Tohru’s.

"Here. This is for you. I hope you like it."

Tohru looked down at Rin’s sketchbook, first in confusion but then her face lit up. Even without opening it, she knew of Rin’s skill, and she was sure that whatever Rin had drawn would be beautiful.

"Thank you so, so much, Isuzu! This is so sweet of you!" Tohru started to flip open the book, wanting to see it and compliment Rin right away, but Tohru was firmly stopped by Rin’s hand.

"Not now. Just take a look when you're on the train, ok?"

Tohru looked at her for a moment, then smiled and hugged the sketchbook. "I will, Isuzu. Thank you." Then she launched herself at the other girl, and for once Rin didn't fight it. Instead, she returned Tohru's hug with tears of her own, and emotion crept into Rin's usually calm voice.

"Be well, Tohru, and please be happy. For all of our sakes, please be happy."

"I will, Isuzu. And you be happy, too."

"Kyo."

Kyo turned towards the voice he’d always know and love, emotion he'd been suppressing all morning bubbling up as he faced Kazuma. The two men stared at each other for a long moment, then Kazuma reached out and pulled Kyo into a final hug.

There were tears in both of their eyes, and at first they just stood together, the silence between them saying more than any words possibly could. Then the call for Tohru and Kyo's train loudly sounded, and Kyo stepped back with a choked-up laugh.

"Guess that's it, then."

"I suppose it is,” said Kazuma softly. “I hope you have safe travels, Kyo."

"Thanks."

They looked at each other again, and Kyo fought to keep the smile on his face. He'd been pretty teary for him that day, but Kazuma was the only person who made him want to weep.

Though honestly, he didn't care who saw that; not today.

"Please let me know when you make it to the house. I'll be expecting a call to know you've arrived safely." Kazuma exhaled, then smiled at Kyo, adding gently, "It will always be my prerogative to worry about you."

As he looked at Kazuma, Kyo knew he was right. And he chuckled as he rapidly tried to blink back tears, looking into the face of the person who'd always had his back.

The one person who had always been there for him through his darkest days, who had always protected him, who had taught him and fought for him…

Who’d loved him from the first.

And as he looked up into Kazuma’s gentle face, etching that beloved smile into his mind, Kyo nodded quickly, taking a breath as he said, "You'll be the first person we call...Dad."

One word, delivered simply, but with Kyo’s whole heart. And as he watched Kazuma’s eyes widen, then fill up with tears, Kyo knew that there was no question: ‘Dad’ was the right call.

Because that was who he was, and would be forever; not Kyo’s karate master, but his loving father.

"Be safe, Kyo."

"I will."

Kyo worked his way through the crowd to Tohru, their bags in tow. "It's time, Tohru."

She turned to Kyo and nodded, hugging Rin's sketchbook close. "I know."

It had been an amazing morning, and an amazing sendoff. But it was officially over; it was time to go.

The two of them made their way onto the train and found their seats, Kyo stowing their luggage out of the way behind them. Then both of them leaned over to the window, looking out at all the people waving at them.

Most of the people who'd come to the dojo had also come to the station, and they were all still there, watching them and waving.

And Tohru knew she would miss every single one of them. But Ayame was right, she knew, and that fact consoled her. All of their love would go with her and Kyo up north to Hibe, and her own love would remain with them.

This wasn’t a farewell; it was an ‘until next time.’

The train started moving, slowly at first. Several people started walking down the platform with it, then running beside it until they ran out of platform. And they still stood at the edge until they vanished from sight, at which point Tohru finally sighed, resting her head on Kyo's shoulder.

Kyo wrapped his arm around her and laid his cheek on the top of her head. They were quiet for a beat, then he asked curiously, "So what's in the sketchbook? It's from Rin, isn't it?"

"Oh yes! I can look at it now!" Tohru exclaimed, glad to have something to distract her from their initial departure. And sitting upright, she flipped open the book, not sure what she expected, but what she saw was…

Home.

The first page was a sketch of Shigure's house, every little detail captured beautifully by Rin's skilled hand. Then Tohru flipped over to the next page, and saw the front of Kaibara High.

Then the dojo. The 'secret base' with peppers and spinach.

A view of the city, as seen from a height.

At the next page, Tohru caught her breath. It was a drawing of her parents' grave, delicate little trails of smoke twisting up from the incense. And as she stared at the familiar image, Tohru started crying again, this time in earnest.

Ignoring the looks of the other passengers, Kyo hugged Tohru as best as he could.

"Tohru, your Grandpa...he told me not to worry. He's gonna make sure your parents are taken care of."

"I know." Tohru sniffled but leaned into the hug, glad for the comfort of his body right then. "Hana-chan said she'd be sure to visit often, too. So I know they won't be lonely, even without me around."

It was just a place, Tohru reminded herself. She knew that Kyoko would be with her, no matter where she went.

And thanks to Rin, she'd always be able to see their grave, whenever she needed an extra little reminder.

Composing herself, Tohru resumed flipping through the book, both of them watching as places gave way to people. And Tohru felt her eyes grow hot again as she looked at the pages, thinking how Rin’s drawings were a gift she’d cherish forever.

On the pages, she saw Kisa, her face tilted up in laughter. Momiji, smiling as he played his violin.

Shigure, reading a book while sprawled on the engawa.

Hatori, wearing his lab coat and smiling off into the distance.

Hiro, leaning against a wall and kicking at the ground.

Ayame, his arms spread open wide, his face alight with laughter.

Kagura, smiling sweetly, her hands clasped behind her back.

Ritsu, holding his hands together in earnest supplication.

Kureno, staring up at the sky with a soft smile on his face.

Haru, his arms around Rin herself, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead.

Yuki, beaming up out of the page with a warm, tender smile.

Master Kazuma, serenely drinking tea.

Saki and Arisa, sitting together and laughing.

Kyo standing at the dojo, wearing that half-smile of his.

Tohru herself, holding her arms out wide.

And Kyo and Tohru together, holding each other close.

All of those sketches had been made with care and in great detail; Tohru and Kyo both felt like the people in them could breathe. But after the drawing of Tohru and Kyo together, the book gave way to more sketches that had been drawn in less time.

People at the dojo, talking, laughing. In Rin’s rapid pencil strokes, Tohru could see herself, and her friends.

Scenes from that very morning at the dojo…

Including Kyo standing with her grandpa, smiling and shaking hands.

Kyo was amazed at the detail Rin had captured. He'd known Rin liked to draw, but she was always so secretive he'd never actually seen anything she'd made. But as they looked through the sketchbook together, he was struck by just how talented she was. They had photos of the people and places they were leaving, but Rin’s gift was something different entirely.

Tohru closed the book with a happy sigh, then looked up at Kyo with a teary smile. He smiled back, gently wiping away her tears with his hand, and they both sat, beaming at each other, thinking about that moment.

It was finally happening; they were finally on their way.

Kyo was so happy, and so excited to go. He was nervous about what was coming, but ready to do his best; determined to do Kazuma, Tohru, himself and his new master proud.

Tohru was excited too, Kyo could now say for certain. He'd second-guessed her so much, and wondered about her so much. Worried about her so much. But she had been right from the very beginning, Tohru. She had said that she would struggle as graduation drew near, and that the last days before they left would be very hard. That the goodbyes would be very hard.

That she would cry, a lot.

All of those things had been true, in the end.

But Tohru had also said that she would be ok, because they'd be together: the two of them, side by side. That no matter how hard it was for her to leave Tokyo, it would all be worth it, as long as she was with him.

She had been right about the rest, he had to trust her on this.

Kyo pulled Tohru close and she leaned into his embrace, smiling as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"You good, Tohru?"

"Yes,” she whispered, “I'm good."

Everything would always be good, as long as she had him.