Chapter Text
A Kind and Steady Heart can make a grey sky blue
As Kyo lay in bed with Tohru, he still couldn't shake the feeling of how surreal yet right it was to be living in their old home again. It was completely theirs now, no longer Shigure's. After four years of intense training in the dojo by that lovely, hilly seaside town, he and Tohru had returned home. The house had been empty ever since they left, but it was still Sohma property and Akito and Shigure had more than enough servants working in the main estate to come by once a month to ensure the house was still in good condition.
Shigure, ever the mastermind, had long planned on bestowing his former home to one of the young people he had shared it with. Turns out that since they had arrived home before Yuki moved back, it meant that they automatically 'won' the house.
They'd moved in just two days ago, and most of their things had been put up, with decorations and photographs mounted on the walls, along with Tohru's collection of books and DVDs. They wouldn't be there forever, as Akito had promised to have houses built not just for them, but for Yuki and the other former Zodiacs she had wronged. Kyo still found it bizarre to see Akito, of all people, being so kind and generous with the Sohma clan's seemingly bottomless coffers, but Tohru had that effect on people. Or maybe it was Shigure's idea, a way to make up for his own past sins and to keep the house a personal little getaway for him and his wife.
Kyo had to admit that Shigure wasn't all bad for a highly manipulative, perverted bastard. His sense of humor was still awful though. He decided it was best not to linger on Shigure's many vices, he wouldn't want to destroy the gratitude he felt towards the former Dog of the Zodiac. After all, if it wasn't for him and Yuki, he wouldn't be with his precious Tohru.
When lying in their bed due to struggling to sleep or, in this case, waking up early, his eyes tended to gaze out the window of their room, which had once been Yuki's (they had chosen to make his former room theirs since it was the largest bedroom in the house), or close his eyes and reflect on the past or present happenings, but most of all, he liked to just watch his sleeping fiancé.
She still wore her cute blue pajamas, sleeping soundly as she nuzzled against his topless body. He smiled as he carefully brushed some stray strands of her lovely brown hair out of her sweet face. It had been nearly five years since they became a couple, and he still enjoyed just looking at Tohru, cherishing the feelings she sent through his heart, mind and body.
He gently moved his arm under her and pulled her into an embrace which she accepted with a happy sound, it was as if even when asleep she could feel him and loved his touch. All those years of little to no affection from anyone, save his Shishou, had made Kyo needy when it came to hugs, so when he hugged Tohru it tended to last a while. This was something she understood and was more than happy to give him all the affection he could ever need.
She was an endless source of love and kindness, the fact that he and others were no longer bound by the Zodiac Curse was proof enough of that. Now it wasn't simply the kinship of the Sohma clan that bound the former Zodiacs together, instead, they were bound by their love for one another, but especially for Tohru, the girl who had been the key to their salvation.
Kyo's body was stronger now, his muscles were very well-developed and he was even a couple inches taller than he had been when they left the Kaibara area of Tokyo. He had spent four years of intense training to master karate, he had learned and perfected nearly every punch, strike, kick and move the martial art had to offer, and he also dabbled in jujutsu, judo and aikido to spice things up. While he had been an average student in high school, he excelled at martial arts; it was only natural, since had been raised by Kazuma Sohma, who was unquestionably the best there was.
Kazuma had elected not to retire, feeling he wasn't old enough just yet, which was something Kyo was happy with, so they decided to run the dojo together. Kyo had no doubt that however old his Shishou got, he'd easily be able to kick anyone's ass if push came to shove. He could easily picture Kazuma as a seemingly senile man nearly a century old, cryptically teaching foolish youngsters the wisdom and strength they needed to become strong, just like in the old legends.
Kyo wondered if he'd be getting students when he was that old.
Of course he would. He planned on living for a long time, and keeping Tohru in his company until the day he died, which he would make sure wasn't going to happen any time soon. She had already lost so much, he'd make sure she wouldn't lose anything else.
Especially since the wedding was in a week.
He had proposed to her not long after they moved to the seaside, using money granted to him by Kazuma to buy a pair of engagement rings, which they had been wearing for four years now, but they both agreed they wouldn't get married until they came home.
It was quite easy to wait, because they had been with each other nearly everyday, save for a few times Tohru had went on trips to visit Saki, Momiji, Kisa and the others here at Kaibara or up the coast to visit Arisa and Kureno or to Hokkaido to visit Yuki at the university.
Of course, they had made a few trips to Kaibara before moving back, the first trip back had been to attend Ayame's wedding to Mine Kuramae a mere five months after moving to the seaside. Kyo was rather reluctant to come but Ayame had won him over with the promise that when he and Tohru got married, he'd craft her the second most beautiful kimono his skilled hands would ever make. The most beautiful wedding kimono, of course, was reserved for his beloved Mine. Kyo had to admit that Mine's black and white wedding wardrobe was rather nice, though he had zero fashion sense and knew that Tohru would look beautiful in anything.
That wasn't the only wedding they attended in the past few years and Ayame got repeat business from his fellow ex-Zodiacs, as only three months later was the wedding of Hatori and Mayuko Shiraki, the former teacher of Tohru, Kyo, Yuki and some of their friends. Of the many things Kyo found odd, the fact that his Shiraki-sensei was now a member of the clan didn't rank particularly high compared to the rest of the craziness in his life.
Their third return home had been during the last autumn for the wedding of Shigure and Akito. Despite the…very complicated feelings most of the former Zodiacs had in regards to the ex-'God' they had been bound to, they had all attended, though Isuzu had attended the ceremony as it unfolded in the garden, she only came at Hatsuharu and Tohru's insistence. Ayame had naturally crafted beautiful outfits to the specifications for each of them, and Tohru had found Akito to look strikingly beautiful in her white wedding kimono decorated with red camellia flower patterns.
It had been at that wedding where Tohru had met Shigure's parents, and she found them to be rather uptight, but they were probably more relaxed when not engaged in such important matters as their son's wedding. They were courteous enough to her, but it didn't take long for Tohru to figure out that they shared Hatori, Kyo and Yuki's…mixed emotions towards their son. Tohru couldn't help but wonder where Shigure got certain aspects of his personality from, as he seemed absolutely nothing like his parents, unless they were very good at hiding certain personality traits.
When Shigure gave a speech thanking everyone for coming and announcing his intentions to stay true to his vows and remain by his bride's side for the rest of their lives. He had said this with such sincerity that even Yuki and Hatori said they could see absolutely no hint of his usual sly and subtle nature, and that it was more than a little surprising to see him being completely transparent for once.
He voiced his love for Akito and ended his speech thanking his 'Musketeers' Hatori and Ayame for helping him along the way and thanking Tohru, Yuki and Kyo for staying by his side for several years, making it clear to everyone, in his typical evasive way, that they had helped him break down the barrier between Akito and the world and had helped her embrace her true self. Many in attendance had been half right in assuming he meant helping Akito get over the extreme issues she had suffered in regards to her gender, thanks to the madness of her mother Ren.
It hadn't escaped notice that Ren Sohma had been absent from the wedding.
If there was one thing Kyo could empathize with Akito, it was that he too knew what it was like to suffer under an abusive, mentally unstable parent who irrationally despised you. That was how he had been able to forgive her.
One of Tohru's solo trips to Kaibara had been nearly two years ago to be with the other Sohmas when Hatori and Mayuko welcomed their daughter Kinu into the world. Kyo wished he could have been with her, but he had very important training to do, and some opponents who weren't going to be in the area for very long. Neither of them had ever had to worry about being unfaithful while separated, because as far as Kyo was concerned, no woman in the world could compare to Tohru and she felt the same way about her beloved Kyo-kun.
He closed his eyes and took in her scent and the sensation of his arms around her petite body. He had done this hundreds of times, but never got tired of it. Who could? He decided just to savor this moment of peace, because the day was going to be quite busy. With Yuki moving back home, Akito and Shigure had decided to throw a small celebration to welcome Tohru, Kyo and Yuki back and to begin preparing for the wedding. Kyo was going to drop Tohru off at the main estate while he'd join Hatsuharu, Isuzu, Machi and Kakeru to pick up Yuki from, as well as Arisa and Kureno, who's train would be arriving about half an hour later.
Tohru wished to spend as much time as she could with the others to make up for how long she had been gone. They'd had visits from Hiro and Kisa, Momiji, Isuzu and Hatsuharu from time to time, mostly during the summer or some other break, but it just wasn't the same as living in the same area as them.
She especially wanted to get to know those who could potentially become future members of the family such as Momiji's girlfriend Usagi Sakai and Kagura's boyfriend Raizo Tanaka. Neither had been told about the Sohma curse yet, both Momiji and Kagura wanted to wait until they felt they were ready. Tohru had met both a few times, while Kyo had only met the former once and the latter twice.
Mayuko, Mine, Arisa and Saki, along with Mitsuru, who had been going steady with Ritsu for a few years now, were all made aware of the now broken Zodiac Curse, with blessing from Akito.
Some of them had a hard time believing it, but were eventually convinced it had to be true due to how serious the former Zodiacs were about it. Saki Hanajima had believed them right away, which didn't surprise those who knew her, as her gift of sensing people's 'waves' had allowed her to detect the intense vibes and emotions those who had been cursed with the Zodiac gave off. She had remarked "It makes sense, you and Yuki-san always reminded me of a cat and rat fighting."
Uotani, on the other hand was a little skeptical at first, but believed them due to how earnest Tohru was with her confession, as well as her pleas for forgiveness for hiding the truth from her best friends for several years, which the duo instantly granted her without much thought. Kureno had also fessed up the truth about being formerly cursed to be the Rooster of the Zodiac, and it was part of the reason he had been so loyal to Akito even when she didn't deserve it.
Kyo was ripped out of his thoughts when the alarm clock went off.
"Wah!" Tohru cried as she shot up, tearing herself out of Kyo's grasp.
Kyo mentally scolded himself for not shutting the damn thing off, but he had been so lost in his thoughts as he savored Tohru that he'd forgotten all about it. He reached over and pressed the button, silencing the alarm. "Good morning." He told her, giving her that smile that sent her heart aflutter.
In return, Tohru gave him her own irresistible smile, the one with her eyes closed that he found so damn cute. "Good morning, Kyo-kun!" She said as she calmed down, leaning into his bare chest, wrapping her arms around his neck. His arms once again wrapped around her waist, pulling her into him for their good morning hug and kiss. He cherished these sensations so much, on those days she had been off visiting the others, he had found himself almost as moody as he had been in his early teen years, but now they were home. She wouldn't have to go off anywhere that often anymore, now that they were with the majority of their friends and family again.
Their lips parted and Tohru cuddled into his chest, kissing his bare pecs. "Did you have a good sleep?" She inquired.
"Just fine," Kyo answered, "And you?"
"I slept wonderfully." she returned as she opened those dazzling brown eyes while she quickly found herself once again staring lovingly into his own orange pair. She reached up, running her fingers through his hair, which now ran down to the bottom of his neck.
He had decided to grow it out, not just because of his Shishou's influence, though that was certainly a factor, it mainly had to do with the fact that he during their second year by the sea he had caught her watching the DVD Momiji had made of that insane 'Cinderella-ish' play they had put on their third year for the culture festival and she had remarked that he looked very handsome with the fake wolf tail he had worn to play the Prince.
He never got tired of hearing that. While he had suffered a lot of hatred and contempt in his life, the love of his late mother, Kazuma, Tohru and even Kagura, in her own funny and violent way, had kept him stable. It's just that…it felt so right coming from her.
"Wanna get up and start the day?" He asked.
"We should," Tohru replied, blushing under his loving gaze before kissing him once more, "But it feels better to just lay here with you."
"No arguments here, but people are expecting us. Uh…wanna save time by…erm, showering together?" Kyo asked, blushing.
Tohru's cute face turned a dark pink, her eyes going wide and white as her mouth fell open.
They had seen one another naked before and when it finally happened, Tohru had practically fainted. It had taken just under a year to actually get to that point in their relationship, not because they didn't trust one another, but more because of how bashful the both of them could be. However, they both very much enjoyed what they saw, and while they hadn't had sex yet, they had enjoyed some very passionate nights.
From Tohru's point of view, her Kyo-kun was the apex of how attractive a man could be. There were many men Tohru would consider handsome or cute, like Yuki, Momiji or Hiro but Kyo was the only one she truly considered to be sexy. That made her feel a bit inadequate over her own body, as there were times she felt he deserved someone a bit more developed. As much as she didn't want to admit it, Tohru was indeed a skinny girl. She wasn't at Akito's level of flatness but she felt she lacked the curves or other certain features that Arisa, Saki, Kagura or Isuzu had, but she always found solace in the fact that even if a woman had breasts larger than her perky B-cups or wide hips or a better butt, Kyo never spared such women so much as a second glance.
"If you don't want to, that's oka-"
"Yes!" She cut him off quickly, still blushing like mad, "Yes, I would like to…we can both fit in the shower and…I think we can control ourselves until after the wedding."
Kyo smiled. They were both still virgins, Tohru was old fashioned in that way, wanting to remain celibate until they said their wedding vows. While many would find it frustrating or a cliche, it was just so Tohru, and he was perfectly fine with waiting for that day. They had waited together for nearly five years, what was a few more days?
"Yeah, we can," He said with a smile, kissing her forehead before swinging his legs off the bed as she sat up and slowly began to unbutton her pajama top.
The former Cat of the Zodiac walked out of their room and past the mostly empty room Tohru had once resided in, down the stairs and into the bathroom where he turned on their showers, letting the water get hot.
He took off his pants and boxers, letting them pool onto the floor as he stretched his body out. He heard Tohru approaching so he turned around before glancing back to see her enter the doorway. She stopped, clad in her underwear and blushing like mad, she couldn't help but admire his toned, muscular form. Despite the fact that she had glimpsed his bare form multiple times due to a side effect of the Zodiac curse and their more intimate moments, or the fact that they had been a couple for half a decade and their wedding was mere days away, Tohru still got nervous when she saw him naked.
Kyo understood, he got flustered seeing her in a state of undress as well. Tohru rarely ever wore anything that showed off too much skin, even her swimsuits tended to be conservative one-pieces that only showed off her arms, legs and upper back, but to Kyo she was breathtaking no matter what she wore, and he just couldn't take his eyes off of her when she was half or nearly naked.
"If you don't want me to look, I won't." He promised, closing his eyes.
"Uh, erm, no! No, you can look!" Tohru managed to say as she closed the door and then gathered the courage to finish undressing. Kyo glanced at the mirror and saw her take the undergarments off, and he just couldn't help himself.
He turned around and scooped her up into his arms, lifting her up and pressing her against the door as he kissed her passionately. Tohru let out an adorable squeal of surprise, her eyes going wide, but she returned the kiss and wrapped her arms around his torso.
They reluctantly ended their kiss after a minute, gazing into one another's eyes as they had done countless times before. "I love you." She told him in that soft, sweet voice that could erode his rough exterior.
Kyo lowered his head, burying his face in the crook of her neck, "Say it again. Please." He begged.
Tohru had said it to him countless times since that rainy night where she had confessed her feelings and he had confessed the truth about his past with her mother, but no matter how often she said, she was always happy to oblige, "I love you. So much, Kyo-kun." She added as she ran one hand across his back to soothe him while another caressed his orange locks.
"I love you too, Tohru. For as long as we live, I'll love you." He told her before carrying her into the warm shower.
After showering, getting dressed and sharing breakfast together, the couple departed the house and made their way to the main Sohma estate, holding hands almost the entire way there and enjoying the lovely Spring Saturday, looking like a textbook definition of young lovers. Tohru's hair swayed long behind her with loops framing her while Kyo had tied his longer hair into a warrior's wolf tail. When they made it to the main estate, they were greeted by an ecstatic Momiji and Kisa.
"Tohru! It's about time you got here!" The former Rabbit of the Zodiac said as he hugged her.
Momiji was a little taller than he had been when they left, he was just a few inches shorter than Kyo and was just as handsome as the typical Sohma man, with eye-catching blond hair and his German accent. He currently worked alongside his father in one of the businesses run by the Sohmas, something that surprised most who knew him as he never struck them as a business-oriented fellow, but he was apparently quite good at what he did.
He still dearly loved Tohru, but no longer held romantic aspirations for her, he knew her heart belonged to Kyo. Now he was very devoted to his girlfriend, a student nurse named Usagi, and the fact he ended up with a girl whose name meant rabbit made everyone wonder if it was fate or if the blond just went out of his way to start a relationship with a girl of that name just for the sake of the joke.
Tohru found Usagi to be a sweet, spunky girl who was quite caring and had a very optimistic outlook on life, she was a perfect match for the ever cheerful Momiji and she couldn't be happier for him. Momiji deserved someone as lovely as her after what he had been through. She knew Momo was likely in the estate somewhere, alone with Momiji's no-longer-amnesiac mother Anne, who's memory had come back to her after spending enough time around her son.
Instead of being disgusted by him, she was deeply ashamed and horrified by how she had treated her first child, as well as her attempted suicide. Anne was still struggling to forgive herself, as was her husband Gennosuke Sohma, who blamed himself for the amount of suffering his cheerful son had been forced to endure. Momiji, however, forgave them both without a second thought.
It was probably part of the reason why Momiji had managed to forgive Akito for her past wickedness once he found out the truth about her. A mother who had gone mad and hated them was something the two had in common. Sadly, Ren Sohma was not regretful like Anne was. When Anne next encountered Tohru, she thanked her profusely for being there for Momiji, saying she had been a better mother to him than she had.
The now eleven year old Momo had once remarked to Tohru that while Momiji was an optimistic and understanding person by nature, he might have been able to forgive them both so easily because of the influence she had on him. Personally Tohru didn't believe that, she felt that Momiji just wanted to be with his family and wouldn't let petty grudges get in the way.
"You saw her last night. I swear, you can be needier than me." Kyo remarked with a smile before he patted the blond on the back.
Momiji smiled and slapped exchanged a high-five with the orange-haired man before replying "No one's needier than we ex-Zodiacs, Kyo-kun."
"No one knows that better than nee-chan!" Declared Kisa, who had grown up quite a bit, she was now Tohru's height and developed into a very beautiful and attractive young woman. She had just begun attending classes at the University of Tokyo, which Hiro would also begin attending early next yet. The golden-haired ex-Tiger of the Zodiac's incredible beauty never failed to turn heads, many even mistaking her for some exotic foreign girl, but like how faithful Tohru was to Kyo, Kisa only had eyes for Hiro.
Despite the vicious beating Kisa had suffered at Akito's hands in the past, Kisa had found it within herself to forgive the 'God' of the Zodiac. She had been wary and scared of Akito, but at Tohru's insistence, came to understand what Akito had gone through and forgave her. Kisa had told Akito "I will not let pain you inflicted on me in the past get in the way of our future." Upon hearing this, Akito hugged her tightly and thanked her profusely as she wept, still apologizing.
Akito had also once sadly remarked to Kisa that she would always be a better person than her, as she had said "Had I been in your position, I would have transformed into a Tiger and mauled the one abusing me. The fact that you didn't is proof of how strong you truly are, Kisa-Chan."
Kisa had only hugged Akito in response and assured her that she forgave her. She wasn't that wicked 'God' anymore. She was just Akito.
"I still can't believe how big you've gotten, Kisa-chan!" Tohru cried, feeling tears form as she remembered Kisa as that quiet, shy girl she had first found hiding in her Tiger form, biting her when she tried to get close.
"Yes, but you'll always be a big sister to me, nee-chan," Kisa told her as she hugged her tightly, her voice was no longer as soft as it had been but was still melodious. She released Tohru and went over to hug Kyo, who smiled as he hugged her back. Despite their rough start, they had become fairly close over the years. Kyo had once told her, "We felines gotta stick together."
She released Kyo and told them "Kazuma-san, Raizo-san, Hanajima-san and Mosca-san haven't arrived yet, but everyone else is here and waiting for you at Akito-san and Gure-nii's house."
"That's good," Tohru said as they walked through the estate together. She frowned, however, when she caught Kyo stopping to gaze at a certain house not far from the main gate. She knew that's where his father, Daigo Sohma, resided. Where Kyo had spent the first five years of his life experiencing the cruelty of his father and the weak, desperate attempts at comfort from his poor mother, the late Yuuna Sohma.
"Kyo-kun?" She asked carefully. Every time they had come back for the weddings, Kyo had made a token attempt to speak to his biological father, but it never went well, and he would often return to their guest room seeking comfort in her arms.
He turned away from the house to face her, "Sorry. Every time we come here, I can't help it. I know he's still in there, slowly drinking himself to death."
"Oh, well…actually, Harii has been able to keep his drinking to a minimum." Momiji informed them.
"Really? What, did Hatori use hypnosis on him?" Kyo asked as they resumed walking.
"He said he was tempted to, but it was more a choice on Daigo-san's part," Momiji said, careful not to refer to Daigo Sohma as Kyo's dad or father, because they all knew who his true father was. Momiji continued "He had a bad case of alcohol poisoning last year, came close to death or so Harii says. He cut down on it big time, but still drinks, or so I've heard."
Tohru reclaimed Kyo's hand in hers, "Wo-would you like to see him, Kyo-kun?" She asked gently.
Kyo considered it, but shook his head, "Nah. That bastard always leaves me feeling depressed and frustrated. Wouldn't want to ruin the mood I'm in. Let's just keep our distance until after the marital bliss settles down, okay?" He told her as he managed a smile.
"I agree with Kyo-nii-chan," Kisa voiced, "I don't want that man's misery affecting your happiness."
Tohru nodded and squeezed Kyo's hand comfortingly, but she still felt bad about how seemingly irreparable the relationship between Kyo and his biological father was. She glanced back at the house, glimpsing it from between other homes, knowing that the angry, lonely man was in there.
They walked through the estate, Tohru, Kisa and Momiji bidding a 'hello' or a 'good morning' to everyone they saw, while ignoring those who shot dirty looks at Kyo. Sadly there were still those among the Sohma family who held onto old prejudices regarding the Cat Curse, even though it had been broken for half a decade now. Kyo paid them no mind, he had long stopped caring what they thought. He didn't give a damn about what they thought of them as long as he had Tohru and the rest there for him.
They soon arrived at the estate's main house, the home of Akito and Shigure. Hatsuharu, now the tallest of the young Sohma men, sat out on the porch, casual as ever, playing on a handheld game system as Isuzu, her beautiful black hair now shoulder-length, lay her head on his lap, reading a novel as they silently enjoyed one another's company.
Hiro was with them, along with his five year old sister Hinata, cute as ever with her brown pigtails, reading a picture book telling of 'A Story of Oki Islands' to her as she sat in rapt attention as he performed voices for the brave heroine O-tokoyo and the vile sea serpent Yofune-nushi. Hiro had become fairly close to Hatsuharu and Isuzu, the latter of whom had come to greatly appreciate the concern he had shown for her and sympathize with the trauma he had suffered from witnessing her fall.
Like Kisa, he now viewed most of the older Zodiacs as elder brothers and sisters, but he still felt he was more mature than most of them, as evidenced by the fact that no longer called Tohru 'Stupid Girl', mostly because he genuinely cared for and admired her, but a minor reason was that he knew it would earn him a beating from Kyo now that he grown up.
Like Isuzu, Hiro had struggled to forgive Akito; he had been traumatized by witnessing the Horse Zodiac's fall, by the sight of the blood bursting from her body the instant she hit the ground, and the physical violence Akito had inflicted on his beloved Kisa because he had asked permission to romance the girl had made him suffer immense guilt and self loathing.
Another big reason was that after the curse on him had lifted and he was no longer the Ram Zodiac, he had been terrified of Akito enacting a terrible punishment on him by harming Kisa again, maybe even worse than the first time. Or harming his parents…or worst of all, his newborn sister. He confessed to Kisa that during the days and nights after the curse broke and before Akito held the meeting with the former Zodiacs he would suffer horrible nightmares of finding Hinata dead in her crib and Akito emerging from the closet with a wicked yet playful smile on her face. He had also experienced terrible dreams of finding Kisa stabbed to death while Akito would stand behind him asking why he had forced her to do such horrible things.
Despite his young age, Hiro had done an admirable job of hiding his fears and true emotions, as he tended to do, and how he managed to conceal how tired he had been due to staying awake to not experience the nightmares. Everyone knew Hiro did his best to avoid being emotionally vulnerable in front of others, but Kisa said that when he confessed these things to her, he had broken down sobbing in her arms. Tohru had wished so badly she could have been there to help the girl who was like a little sister to her comfort the poor boy.
After finding this out during their first trip back home, Tohru had embraced Hiro as tightly as she could and even Kyo did his best to reassure the two youngest former Zodiacs that he'd look out for them, and even apologized for how he initially treated Kisa when she stayed at Shigure's house. Kisa could only hug the orange-haired man while Hiro settled for a handshake of mutual respect.
Eventually, with help from Kisa, Momiji and the others he was able to conquer his fear of Akito and forgive her. Though the encounter had left Akito emotionally drained as she realized just how much damage she had done to both he and Kisa, practically coming off like some demonic Yokai out of a folktale.
The youngest of the former Zodiacs noticed their approach and placed the book down as he said "They're here, Hinata-chan."
"Tohru-nee-chan! Kyo-onii-chan!" She cheered as she ran for them. Tohru giggled and dropped to one knee, capturing the little girl in a hug.
Kyo let out an exaggerated sigh and he smiled before ruffling Hinata's hair, "Good to see you too, squirt."
Hiro stood up and approached them, "Tohru-san, Kyo-san, I trust you're having a good morning." He was now a very handsome eighteen year old, about as attractive as one would expect from a young Sohma man.
"We are indeed, Hiro-kun," Said Tohru as she stood up with Hinata in her arms before she captured Hiro in a hug, which Hinata was happy to be a part of. "You better keep a tight grip on this one, Kisa-chan! Knowing the Sohma boys, he's bound to have a gang of admirers."
"Don't worry, nee-chan! I've got my 'claws' into him pretty deep." Kisa joked as she joined in the hug and leaned up to kiss him on the cheek, making him blush.
Indeed like Yuki, Momiji and even Kyo, there had been no lack of girls chasing after him and gawking at him with dreamy expressions during high school, but he had always politely declined, for his heart belonged to Kisa. In fact, Hatsuharu had been the only one of them to not have any fangirls, not only due to his personality which many saw as 'weird', but because there had been a few times during his third year of high school where Isuzu had shown up during break and lunch periods to visit him and firmly establish to the girls that her Haru was off limits.
Kyo smiled as Haru put down his handheld and Isuzu sat up, "Yo," Haru said in that bland, casual tone of his that betrayed little emotion. He got up and approached them, Isuzu right behind him.
"Yo yourself, Haru." Kyo said with a smile as they caught one another's hands firmly, resulting in a mighty 'slap' sound as they began to arm wrestle.
While Haru put up a good struggle, he ultimately had to admit defeat, "I surrender. For now," He said, he knew how much stronger Kyo had become in his time away, and had no doubt that if push came to shove, he would emerge victorious in a battle, but still wanted to find out for himself just how powerful Kyo had become. "How about a fight later?"
"Eh, after the wedding. Wouldn't want either of us to wear a cast or something during the ceremony." Kyo said with a laugh while Tohru put Hinata down.
"Fair enough." Haru conceded.
"How's that game testing job of yours coming along? Play anything good?" Kyo inquired, as Hatsuharu had landed a job as a game tester for a major game developer.
"Fine. Some good, some bad, a few terrible, a few great." Haru answered plainly.
Like his girlfriend, Haru had struggled to fully forgive Akito. He had come very close to totally losing control of his 'Dark' side and assaulting her before he rescued Rin from the now demolished prison cottage used to imprison the Cat Zodiac. The deepest part of 'Dark Haru' had genuinely wanted to kill her that day. This was something Akito didn't begrudge him, as when he forgave her, she had wept and hugged him, offering desperate apologies as she confessed that had she been in his place, she wouldn't have been able to purposefully miss that punch, she would have given in.
He eventually came to sympathize with and forgive Akito, as he felt that it was the fault of those who had raised her that she had become so cruel, along with her fears of being abandoned driving her to irrational acts of cruelty. Forgiving her hadn't been easy, as because of her evil he had nearly lost the love of his life, and those closest to Hatsuharu could tell that he was still a little distant from Akito, he remained civil towards her
"Hi Tohru-kun. Is he treating you well?"
"He better be," Said Isuzu, who hugged the shorter girl affectionately. While Isuzu, Rin to those closest to her, could still come off as a little cold and distant at times, she was a little more open with those she considered her true family, and Tohru was among them for the kindness and compassion she had shown her, even in light how how rude she had initially been to the Honda girl.
"Don't worry, he is." Tohru assured her as she hugged Isuzu back while Hiro shook hands with Kyo, "I don't think Kyo-kun's capable of treating me poorly."
"I know, you mean as much to him as Haru does to me." Isuzu told her as she glanced up at Kyo and offered a small smile "You're the things that kept us sane in our darkest moments."
Isuzu was currently enjoying a job working for Mayuko's parents at their bookstore and thanks to Hatori's connections with other doctors, she no longer suffered from stomach problems and had been treated for some severe ulcers. She still hated staying in hospitals, the lingering trauma from being abandoned by her parents, who now lived on the other side of Japan, still made her uncomfortable in them but she was able to handle it when Haru was at her side.
To Tohru's dismay, Isuzu was the only one of the former Zodiacs who hadn't forgiven Akito for her past sins. The scar on the former Horse Zodiac was a constant reminder of what Akito had done to her, as well as to the others. She had tried, but the anger, fear and misery still lingered deep within her, something Akito didn't blame her for. There had also been an altercation shortly after Hatori married Mayuko and told her the truth about the Zodiac curse, an intense confrontation between a furious Mayuko and a submissive, regretful Akito that Isuzu had been a witness to.
According to Hatsuharu, she had watched the ordeal with a subtle, satisfied smile on her face.
As bad as Tohru found that to be, she couldn't really blame Isuzu, the scar on her back a constant reminder of what Akito had done to her and the others. Like Hiro, Kyo, Yuki and some of the others, she too had suffered from nightmares due to the physical and psychological trauma she had endured because of Akito. During one of their previous conversations regarding forgiving Akito, Isuzu had opened up about nightmares she had suffered because of the Sohma family's head; the worst of them being locked up alongside Kyo in the Cat's Room, her head almost completely bare, covered in bruises and scars from the forced cutting and tearing out of her hair, forced to watch as Akito brutalized Haru, Tohru, Yuki and the others before having her fun with the two who had been locked away.
Tohru knew that getting Isuzu to reconcile with Akito was going to be a long, difficult task, some might even say a hopeless one. Now that she was back, Tohru hoped to spend more time with all her friends, and also help them in any way she could. She knew it would be wrong to force it, and it would take a very long time, but she still had hope that someday the former Horse of the Zodiac would find it within herself to forgive Akito.
They didn't notice Kyo had spaced out. The mention of treating Tohru poorly had made him flinch and recall those times he had yelled at her or treated her like a nuisance when they were still getting to know one another, or how he had struck her when she confronted him when his hideous beast form had been forcibly revealed to her by Kazuma.
He remembered how, one day while they lived by the sea, the area was hit by a light typhoon and the two had decided to just stay inside their cozy apartment until it passed. The rain had always made Kyo despondent, so after doing morning exercises he just lay in bed with Tohru, cuddling with her.
As he watched the rain pour down outside, he apologized for how he had hurt her that night, striking her hard enough to draw blood and send her flying into the pond. It was easily among his biggest regrets and shames, yet she simply smiled at him and said that she had forgiven him mere moments after it happened and no apology was necessary.
He had asked her why, and she answered it was because she could tell how much anguish and misery he was experiencing, the self-loathing, shame and loneliness that had radiated off his beastly body that it was so horribly obvious to her he needed love and compassion more than she needed an apology. She told him that she could no more blame him for striking her that night then she could blame Kisa for biting her when they had first met.
Kyo had hugged her tighter than ever as he failed to hold back tears, thanking her for everything. He should have known better; Tohru didn't have an ounce of resentment in her body.
Once again Kyo was snapped out of his thoughts as Haru slapped him across the back, "Earth to Kyo, you in there?" He asked dryly.
"Yeah, just remembering something." Kyo answered before looking at Tohru and smiling, "We got like two hours before Yuki's train arrives, right?"
"Yes, I'll drive us to pick up Machi and Kakeru, then to the station," Haru told him, "They're both very eager to see him."
"More like desperate in Machi's case," Remarked Momiji as a familiar figure emerged from the doorway.
"Ah, Tohru-kun, Kyo-kun! It's about time, everyone's eagerly awaiting you!" said Shigure Sohma, looking much the same as he always had, even clad in a green kimono similar to the one he often wore during those years they lived at his previous house.
"Hello, Shigure-san!" Tohru greeted as she came forward to hug him.
Shigure accepted her affectionate gesture, smiling down at her, "I trust you both enjoy having the house to yourselves? Does it make for a proper love nest?"
"Yes! We love being back in your old home, Shigure-san, I'm just happy Kyo-kun actually has a bed there this time!" Tohru said, as it had never sat well with her that her boyfriend had slept on a mere futon, even though he never complained about it.
"Yes, and the fact that he's sharing your bed makes it even better, right?" Shigure quipped, making both Tohru and Kyo blush, the orange-haired young man rolling his eyes.
"W-well…yes," She admitted.
Shigure chuckled, "Well, I'm just happy someone's living in that house again. Let's head inside, everyone's very eager to see you two again!" He told them, gesturing for them to go inside.
"Come on, Hinata-chan, let's go." Kisa said, holding the little girl's hand.
"We'll finish the story later." Said Hiro, picking up the picture book as they all headed inside.
The group arrived at a large washitsu room in the main house that Shigure had turned into he and Akito's personal living room, making it a curious mix of a traditional washitsu room with Western-style sensibilities such as bookshelves and several futon couches. Inside of the room Akito was conversing with Kagura, Mine, Mitsuru and Anne while Satsuki was having a friendly chat with Mayuko and Momo and Usagi were playing with the young Kinu. Off to the side was Ritsu, clad in a wonderful green kimono, speaking to Ayame.
"Two of the guests of honor have arrived!" Shigure announced jovially.
Kagura wasted no time in shooting out of her seat and rushing to capture both Kyo and Tohru in a powerful hug. "Kyo-kun! Tohru-kun! It's about time you got here!" She told them, "Good to be back, right?"
"Right!" Said Tohru as she returned the hug, while Kyo just sighed and also returned Kagura's gesture. While Kagura still cared deeply for him, she had managed to totally move on from her romantic feelings for him, she knew how he had utterly fallen for Tohru and that her youthful, sometimes violent enthusiasm hadn't won him over. Kyo, however, had forgiven her for the injuries and beatings he had gotten at her hand whenever he had done something to tick her off and he was glad they were now on good terms.
Kagura had calmed down significantly and was no longer as violent as she had been. She would be working alongside him at Kazuma's dojo, where she had started her own self-defense classes for teenage girls and women. Woe be upon whatever mugger or pervert tries to pull something on any of Kagura's students.
"I'm looking forward to working with you, Kyo-kun. I know you'll make a great sensei." She told him.
"Thanks, Kagura. I hope so." He replied with a soft smile.
"Ah! Tohru-chan, Kyonkichi! It is wonderful to have you both back and grace us all with your presence!" Ayame said in his typical flamboyant fashion as he approached them, "With Yuki-kun returning home to stay as well, it'll be just like old times, perhaps even better!"
"I certainly hope so." Said Tohru happily as Mine pardoned herself from her conversation to join them. Mine's stomach had a noticeable swell to it, as she was four months into pregnancy, when she and Ayame called to deliver the news to Tohru, they had been over the moon with happiness.
"Looking as adorable as ever, Tohru-chan! Excited for the big day?" Mine asked.
Tohru blushed, "Yes, I am. I just know it's going to be wonderful."
"Speaking of wonderful, don't think I've forgotten about my promise to you two! My dear Mine and I need to take your measurements as soon as possible and you need to take a look at the designs I've sketched out and pick the ones you like the most so we can get started on making your wedding clothes! We only have a handful of days to create my secondary magnum opus!" Ayame declared loudly.
Kyo managed to suppress a laugh when he noticed Akito covering her face to hide how obnoxious she found him. While Akito had never done anything personally to Ayame, as his overbearing personality was enough that she wanted as little to do with him as possible, he was uncharacteristically somber and vague if he had forgiven her for the trauma she had inflicted on Yuki. He wasn't cold towards Akito and didn't act like he held a grudge against her, as the truth was Yuki's suffering at her hands was something he blamed himself and their parents for just as much. It was hard to decipher his feelings towards Akito, but Mine implied he didn't really hate her. Then again, who could ever truly figure Yuki's brother out?
Tohru smiled, "Right! I know whatever you make will be absolutely beautiful, Ayame-san," She said happily, "If it's anywhere near what you did for Akito-san, Mayuko-sensei or Mine-san, I will be a beautiful bride!"
"We'll make sure you'll be a very beautiful one, Tohru! Then again, you're already cute enough that you'd look radiant in anything!" Declared Mine. Ayame's wife had been very accepting of the truth regarding the Zodiac curse; she felt that there had to be some explanation why her husband had been so physically distant from her despite her advances in the past. That was why, when Ayame sensed the curse was broken, he wasted no time in embracing her and announcing his feelings for her.
While Mine initially disliked Akito for what she had done to Yuki and the others, she eventually became very good friends with her, much to everyone's surprise. Naturally, Shigure had talked Akito into letting Ayame create their wardrobes for their wedding and while taking her measurements, while preparing her wedding kimono, they had talked about what Akito had gone through and done, and Mine could tell that Akito had been through a lot herself and was truly repentant. She had complimented Akito on her lithe body, saying that it had been a crime for Ren Sohma to deny the world to see how pretty she really was. After that, a firm friendship had formed between Akito and Mine, to the point that Akito was able to tolerate Ayame a little better.
Ritsu stood and bowed to them, "It truly is wonderful to have you all back. Uh, sorry I didn't come to greet you, but I was a little preoccupied with our conversation." He said.
Tohru smiled, "It's fine, Ritsu-san, it's good to see you again, I hope you've been well."
Kyo was still surprised that Ritsu's notoriously melodramatic, compulsory apologies actually had gotten under control. Since it had been a notable tic of Ritsu's for most of his life, Kyo had expected he'd lapse back into his constant, loud cries of 'Sorry!' and begging for forgiveness in the most ludicrous fashion, but no. He still apologized for nothing, but it was far less over-the-top than it had been. His hair had been allowed to grow out just a little, though nowhere near the length he had kept it at for so long, and he occasionally cross-dressed for comfort and did favor wearing kimonos and yukatas.
When it came to his relationship with Akito, Ritsu had, for a change, been on the forgiving side of the relationship. Despite Akito's cruel mockery of him in the past for his crossdressing and how she reveled in hearing his groveling, over-dramatic apologies, especially after she had reduced him to quiet, broken sobs, Ritsu felt it wasn't right to hold a grudge against her and accepted her apologies quite easily. He had known what it was like to hate oneself and beg for forgiveness, and knew it would be wrong to deny it to anyone, even Akito.
Mitsuru waved to them, giving them a warm smile. She had grown her purplish-grey hair a little, wearing it in a ponytail, and appeared to be much less of a nervous wreck than she had been as Shigure's editor. When Mitsuru had been informed about the Zodiac Curse, she was convinced it was another one of Shigure's strange jokes that he had sadistically enjoyed playing on her.
Eventually Ritsu and the others managed to convince her they were telling the truth, so she was naturally shocked and was shocked and took a while to fully process it. Once she accepted it, she could simply remark "It's only fitting that my ex-sensei was a damn dog."
This had caused Shigure to laugh uproariously.
Mitsuru seemed too nervous around the Family Head to really say anything good or bad against her, as if out of fear that she might disapprove of her relationship with Ritsu. Though Ritsu had convinced her to give Akito a chance, and now the editor seemed fairly comfortable around the head of the Sohma family.
Hinata had dropped down to join Momo and Usagi. "I'm back, Kinu-chan! Sorry, but I really wanted to see Tohru-nee-chan and Kyo-onii-san!" She said to the toddler, who was excited to see her back.
"Wow, you've gotten even bigger than the last time I saw you, Kinu-chan!" Noted Tohru as she knelt down to address the toddler, who had inherited her mother's light brown hair but had her father's violet eyes.
"Tohru, you saw her yesterday." Kyo pointed out.
"Yes, but I'm fairly certain she grew a centimeter or two overnight!" Tohru defended cheerfully.
"Well, considering how tall her parents are, you might be right." Remarked Mayuko as she sat forward, facing her old students with a warm smile.
Mayuko had been quite skeptical about the Zodiac Curse, but came to believe it because Hatori was so dry in his humor and she knew he'd never joke about something as serious as explaining what had happened to Kana and him all those years ago. When Hatori told her the truth about the incident that led to the deep depression Kana had suffered that eventually led to him using his hypnosis talents to erase her memory, Mayuko was livid and coerced Hatori into telling her about what else Akito had done, so he had admitted the abuse Akito had inflicted on Yuki, Kyo, Tohru, Momiji, Isuzu, Kisa and the rest.
After that, Mayuko wasted no time in confronting Akito, she had been absolutely seething with fury and Hatori, Shigure and Hatsuharu all had to hold her back. Mayuko wanted to punish Akito not only for what she had done to the love of her life, her best friend and how she had ruined their happiness, but for the ungodly abuse she had inflicted on children, several of which happened to have been previous students of hers.
When Mayuko calmed down, Hatori had pointed out to her that they were only together because of Akito's cruelty. This was enough to make the teacher concede that in some twisted way they owed their current happiness to Akito destroying his relationship with Kana. The fact remained, however, that she was responsible for some horrible things and had inflicted trauma on children for her own selfish reasons. So while Mayuko had promised Hatori that she wouldn't hate Akito and would try to forgive her, she had made it clear to the head of the Sohma family that if she ever abused anyone other than Shigure (who was fair game as far as Mayuko was concerned) she'd pay dearly for it.
Akito had been utterly terrified, but had done nothing to shout down or oppose the enraged teacher, because the head of the family was still dealing with self-loathing and intense regret for the years of pain she had inflicted on most of the Zodiacs. She had just bowed, weeping and agreeing with the venomous words Mayuko spat at her.
Upon being told of the incident, Tohru, Kyo and Yuki were all astonished that their former teacher truly cared about them so much. Yuki had remarked it was very impressive that despite the casual, deadpan or snarky facade Mayuko put on, she truly did care about them. Kyo was impressed, and made a note to never piss off Mayuko-sensei.
During their wedding, Mayuko had hugged her three former students and apologized for never catching on to what they had been going through, and offered her sympathies to Momiji, Hatsuharu, Isuzu and the others. She had even apologized to Akito for how angry she had gotten, but Akito forgave her, saying she had deserved such a brutal scolding.
"You two taking care of each other?" Mayuko asked.
"We've got to," Kyo replied, "I'd probably be totally lost without her around."
"And Kyo-kun keeps me perfectly safe." Tohru added with a smile, "Are you and Hatori-san enjoying life?"
"Very much, Tohru, thank you," the teacher answered with a smile of her own, "Though that little terror is keeping us quite busy. Apparently I was just like her when I was that young, so I really hope she mellows out as she gets older."
"Oh my, Kinu-chan! Are you giving your parents a hard time?" Tohru asked playfully, the toddler shaking her head 'no'. It wasn't surprising that she was fairly smart for her age, given who her father was.
"She's giving us one!" Laughed Momo, her beautiful blonde hair now reaching the small of her back, "She loves showing off how strong she is. Watch; Kinu-chan, show Tohru-san and Kyo-san how strong you are."
"Yeah!" Said Kinu, her eyes shining brightly before she shoved Momo down, the blonde clearly just falling over on her own, but to the toddler it was proof of how strong she was.
"Try to push me down, I bet you can't!" Teased Tohru.
Taking up the challenge, the two year old charged Tohru and bumped into her. It wasn't very forceful, but Tohru decided to play along like the others and fell over.
"Oh wow, you really are strong! Has Aunt Kagura been teaching you some techniques?" Tohru asked be
"Yeah! She's super strong." Laughed Kagura as Kyo sat down.
"Betcha can't take me down, brat." He dared with a playful smirk.
Kinu took up the challenge with gusto and charged into him, only to be confused when he didn't go down. With a puzzled expression, she looked him up and down as he grinned. She shoved into him again, pushing as hard as she could, but Kyo wouldn't budge, making everyone laugh at the sight.
"Oh Kyo-kun, come on!" Tohru implored, trying not to laugh at the adorable sight.
"Do you need help, Kinu-chan?" Hatsuharu asked, coming down and kneeling beside Kyo.
She looked embarrassed but nodded. "I'll give a little push, you just shove Kyo as hard as you can, okay?" He told her, and she once again nodded. She backed up and charged, and right before she shoved into Kyo's chest, Hatsuharu struck out at Kyo's forehead with enough force to knock him onto his back.
"Yeah! I did it! Hooray! Thank you Haru-onni-san!" Cheered Kinu as everyone in the room laughed at the scene, even Isuzu couldn't help but chuckle.
Kyo groaned as he sat up, "Okay, we're definitely having a real match once my honeymoon is over!" He snarled at Hatsuharu.
"I'll get him for you, Kyo-san!" Said Kinu, and she shoved Haru down.
He gave in without any resistance and fell onto his back, "Oh no, she's so incredibly powerful," Hatsuharu said dryly as he clutched his chest, "I think the wound is fatal. Rin, I'm sorry to leave you, but I promise we'll be reunited in heaven."
Now Isuzu couldn't help but laugh, a rare sight indeed.
"Ah, that takes me back. Hiro could be just like that with Yuki, Hatsuharu and the boys when he was young." Satsuki remarked as she smiled at her oldest child.
As Momiji, Kisa, Momo and Hinata began to play with Kinu, Usagi scooted over to Tohru to talk to her. She was a rather pretty girl with light, honey-brown hair and a sweet face. "So, are you settling in nicely?" She asked.
"Yes, it's wonderful to be back in that house. We have so many fond memories from our time there, I hope to make more." Tohru told the blonde.
Usagi smiled back, "I'm happy for you, you really deserve a happy home after all you've been through and done."
Momiji had told Usagi as much as he could about their relationship with Tohru and how much she had done for them and how he had once had feelings for her. Of course, he had to be quite vague in some regards due to keeping the Zodiac Curse a secret from her for the time being. He had been careful to say that both Akito and his mother had been going through very severe mental health crises for a long period and because of an odd 'tradition', Akito had been allowed to inflict much harm on those 'chosen' without repercussions. It was mainly through Tohru helping them that eventually granted them the freedom to stand up to Akito and helped her realize the error of her way, which would eventually lead to his mother reconciling with him.
Usagi was a smart girl and suspected that Momiji wasn't being totally honest with her, she could tell that it was a painful subject for him and she valued their relationship too much to risk damaging it by prying for more information. During their first meeting, Tohru had been worried that Usagi would be resentful of her due to Momiji's old unrequited romantic feelings for her, but she never had any hostility towards her at all. She could tell that Tohru was utterly in love with Kyo, just as she was with Momiji.
Tohru hoped that her feelings for the blond ex-Rabbit of the Zodiac wouldn't change once he eventually told her the truth. She personally believed that their relationship would survive that particular revelation, as Usagi was working as a student nurse at the Sohma General Hospital and was obviously a very caring and empathetic person. One had to be to work at such a place.
"Will you miss your old seaside home?" Usagi asked.
"Hm, a little. It could be lovely during the summer and even during a storm, and we made many friends there, but it's good to be home. Some of our friends threw us a good luck party before we left." Tohru told her.
After a brief conversation about life by the sea, Tohru stood up and walked over to join Akito and Shigure on their futon.
"Thank you for having this dinner for us, it's very kind of you." She told them.
"It's the least we can do, after all you have done for us, and all you and Kyo have been through," Akito told her with a smile.
Akito was still the Head of the Family and oversaw and had final approval of most of their important business dealings and real estate transactions. She had faced some scrutiny and controversy when she admitted her true gender to the family's various business associates and clients, but was able to save face just by being fair to them and offering a sincere apology for the deception.
There had also been controversy among the Sohma family who knew about the Zodiac Curse, many at a loss about its end and many more vocally angry that Kyo was allowed to go free, Daigo Sohma's voice loudest among them. Akito had stood her ground, however, and made it clear that her change of heart brought about by Tohru and Hatsuharu's rebellion to save Isuzu had caused her to rethink everything about herself and how she did things. Even had the curse not been lifted, she couldn't live with herself if she blindly followed tradition and imprisoned Kyo. In fact, she felt that if any of them deserved to be imprisoned for life, it was her.
After all, the God of the Zodiac had done more harm than the Cat ever had.
Akito had struggled with depression and self-loathing ever since the Curse had been lifted. Nights of lying awake, looking up at the ceiling or sitting in the main house's large tsubo-niwa, looking up at the stars and wondering just how her late father would feel about her actions. There had been days when Yuki, Kureno or Kyo would receive a call from her, begging for forgiveness as she voiced her many regrets. She would call Hatori, Momiji, Kisa, Hiro or Hatsuharu for lunch where she would break down apologizing, even after they made it clear she had been forgiven. She had invited Isuzu several times, but the former Horse declined each time, and Akito never blamed her for it.
For his part, Shigure had been there for her every step of the way to support her and give her the affection she so desperately needed. Every night she would sleep in his arms, and when she woke up he would whisper calming stories to her or just hold her in his arms until she finally fell asleep again.
She also had the support from those who befriended her, such as Kisa, Momiji, Mine, and Saki Hanajima.
Akito was much more stable now than she had been, her depression being under control for the most part, but she still had occasional episodes.
"Where is Hatori-san?" Tohru asked.
"You know Haa-san, he's got at least a few appointments from various Sohmas every day. He'll join us this afternoon." Shigure told her. Tohru nodded before Shigure leaned in and whispered "So, be honest with me Tohru-kun; have you and Kyo-kun given into the passion and done the dirty, sweaty deed yet?"
Tohru blushed a shade of tomato red as Akito glared at her husband.
"Shigure! Don't ask her questions like that!" She scolded.
"Especially when there are children present." Seethed Mayuko.
"Not like they understand or are paying attention," Shigure defended with a shrug, before he received a whack to the head courtesy of Kyo.
"Well I understand and I was," He growled.
"Looks like curiosity killed the dog in this case," Ayame remarked to Shigure with a smile and a shrug.
"Can anyone blame me? It's very unusual these days for any couple to wait before marriage to consummate their relationship." Shigure said as he rubbed his head.
"Not everyone's a lust-crazed pervert, at least not on your level, Shigure," Remarked Hiro.
"Well, I think it's very romantic!" Voiced Kisa as she leaned into her boyfriend with a soft sigh, "Waiting until after they've exchanged vows and united the families to indulge in the ultimate expression of love and trust."
"Yes! The denial of carnal pleasure until you're absolutely sure you've found the right partner to spend life with! What could be better?" Agreed Usagi.
Momiji and Hiro joined Tohru and Kyo in blushing, much to the amusement of the others.
Shigure glanced over at Haru and Isuzu and was tempted to say something, but decided against it. He usually knew when it was time to stop pushing his luck.
After a few conversations and greetings, Tohru went with Mine into another room while Kyo reluctantly joined Ayame to get their measurements taken, to make adjustments for the previous recorders Ayame had down just in case.
"Oh Kyonkichi! I can't believe you, of all people, are going for a traditional wedding and not something a little more modern!" Ayame remarked as he measured the length of Kyo's arms and the size of his muscles to make sure his kuromontsuki kimono would be more than comfortable for him.
"It's what Tohru wanted. Really I don't care what kind of wedding we have as long as we're together and she's happy," Kyo replied.
"Ah, the boy has become a man, and a wise one at that! Making your partner happy is something every aspiring husband should keep in mind, and I can tell you've made Tohru-chan a very happy girl!" Ayame told Kyo.
"Hey, I do my best. You'd do the same for Mine, right?"
"Of course I would! She's become one of my main reasons for being, Kyonkichi! The artful clothes I craft would be nothing without her touch! And with a child forming in her womb, I'll have even more to dedicate myself to!" Ayame declared dramatically.
"Yeah, congrats on that, again. You looking forward to being a dad?" Kyo asked, blushing a little.
"Indeed I am! My father was always more preoccupied with business, especially once Yuki was born. While I love what I do, I'll do my best to let it come between me and my wife and children!" Ayame said with fierce determination before he gave Kyo a wry look and asked "Do you hope to become a father soon, Kyokichi?"
His blush intensified, and Kyo fought the urge to make a smartass remark and simply said "Yeah."
Ayame placed a hand on Kyo's shoulder and said "It's a little overwhelming at first, knowing that you're bringing a new life into the world. I'll have a lot to learn myself, but trust me, Kyokichi; I think you'll make a good father."
Kyo was surprised by how earnest Ayame told him this, lacking his usual flamboyance. "Thanks, Ayame."
"You'll be better than that drunken wretch of a sperm donor you've been unfortunate enough to put up with. Besides, Kazuma-san and Haa-san will be there to give us advice should we need it." Ayame added.
Kyo sighed, "Yeah…yeah, you're right."
"Of course I am! So, you want the traditional black, white and grey?" Ayame asked as he showed a drawing of the traditional groom's outfit.
Kyo smiled, "Yeah…and one little addition Tohru and I came up with…"
Tohru was putting her clothes back on after Mine finished taking measurements and making other notes about what she wanted for her shiromuku.
"Hm, I was hoping for something more than the traditional shiromuku," Mine commented, "There's nothing wrong with it, obviously, but personally I think you'd look much more radiant in a colorful uchikake or a Western-style dress. Then again, you're very pretty no matter what you wear."
"Thank you, Mine-san," Said Tohru as she slipped her pink blouse back on, "I've just always found shiromukus beautiful, always wanted to wear one. Thank you so much for helping us with this."
"It's our pleasure, Tohru," Mine replied with a smile, "We essentially owe our happiness to you, in a way, so we're more than glad to make whatever you require. Though I don't quite understand why you'd want something like that on the back of the shiromuku, but at least it's cute!"
"By the way, how are you doing with the baby?" Tohru asked, gesturing to Mine's stomach.
Mine smiled and caressed her belly, "Just wonderful, especially now that the morning sickness is over and done with. Ayame-kun is just so dedicated to me, practically tried to do everything himself so I wouldn't have any undue strain, but we're working together perfectly. So, you're going to wait until your honeymoon to make love?"
Tohru blushed deeply yet again, but managed to answer "Y-yes, we are. In fact, our honeymoon will be spent at home, just enjoying each other's company."
"At home? You don't want to go to Okinawa or Hawaii or even Paris?" Mine asked.
"We personally don't have enough money to spend much time in Okinawa or Hawaii, and Paris is…well, just too much. We don't want to ask for money from Akito-san or anyone and besides, we just got home, why would we want to leave so soon?" Tohru pointed out.
"Point taken. So, the moment you get inside and lock the doors, you two are going to go at it?" Mine asked with a blush.
"Uh…uh…I…well, maybe…" Tohru answered nervously.
"Relax, I'm just joking. I know you two are passionate, but you've got better control over yourselves than some of us do," Mine replied, thinking back on her own honeymoon and the intimate times she had shared with her husband fondly. She continued, "Still, I know for a fact that you and Kyo will be very happy with each other. When that special time comes there sadly will be some pain for a bit, but it will lead to sensations that will make you feel…indescribable happiness."
"Thank you, Mine-san. I'll keep that in mind, and I certainly hope you're right."
Mine chuckled before hugging Tohru, "As Ayame said, we'll make sure you'll be a very beautiful bride."
It was soon time for Kyo to leave with Isuzu and Hatsuharu to pick up Machi and Kakeru to fetch Yuki, and then Arisa and Kureno from the train station.
"Have fun while we're gone," Kyo told Tohru, giving her a kiss that she was happy to return.
"I will, you stay safe out there." She told him. Normally she'd ask to go with him, as she was excited to see Yuki, Arisa, Kakeru, Machi and Kakeru again, but she had a plan. A plan she knew that Kyo would be very much against.
"I'll be extra careful, just for you." He promised with a sly smile as he headed out with Isuzu and Hatsuharu, they were going to head for the Sohma estate's garage where Isuzu kept her Toyota van, which had just enough room to comfortably seat the seven people, plus Yuki's luggage as well as Arisa and Kureno. Most of Yuki's stuff had already arrived yesterday via Hatsuharu and Isuzu bringing his stuff in their van, as he would be moving in with Machi into a rather nice apartment they had rented out several months previously during one of his visits.
As they made their way out of the main household's front entrance, Kyo felt something, or someone, very close by. He turned and moved his hand just in time to intercept a right handed jab, catching it and holding it back.
Tohru was shocked, then pleasantly surprised, to see Kazuma Sohma had been the one to 'attack' Kyo.
Kazuma, his hair once again long though not to the extent it had been when Tohru had first met him, smiled at his adopted son. "Your skills grow ever sharper, Kyo." He told the orange-haired young man before he moved to strike with a hook kick that Kyo once again caught and used the momentum to toss his master, who easily landed on his feet before defending himself from a volley of jabs and kicks from Kyo.
Tohru, Hatsuharu, Isuzu and Shigure watched with interest as the master and apprentice fought, blocking each move with striking perfection. The kind of perfection that only came with hundreds upon hundreds of hours of training, of Kazuma passing on every skill he knew to the ex-Cat of the Zodiac.
Then Kyo managed to surprise his adoptive father by ducking under a simultaneous sweeping kick and strike, sliding in between his legs and hooking his arms around Kazuma's knees, taking him down before leaping up and planting a foot on Kazuma's stomach.
"Gotcha!" Kyo declared.
Kazuma smiled up at his adopted son fondly from the ground. "I'm glad to see our practice match yesterday was no mere fluke. You truly have become a great fighter, Kyo."
Kyo removed his foot from Kazuma and offered his hand to help him up, "You don't know how much that means coming from you, Shishou." He said.
Kazuma accepted the hand and stood up, "I do, I felt it when my own master told it to me. You'll make a fine sensei for the students." He said before launching another surprise jab at Kyo's face, that he managed to catch just in time. Kazuma laughed and added "And I have no doubt that you'll surpass me."
Kyo shrugged as he released Kazuma's hand, "Gonna be a long time until that happens, Shishou. I'll still need you around to help and advise me."
Kazuma smiled warmly, happy to see how being with Tohru had taught his adopted son humility. Before meeting her, Kyo had seemingly been burdened with a personality that flipped between being arrogantly overconfident or worryingly self-loathing and defeatist because of how much more despair there was in his life than hope. Now that he had Tohru, he had reached his potential and had truly become the man Kazuma had always known he was deep within. He couldn't be prouder.
"Nice to see you came for the party, Shihan," Said Hatsuharu casually as he offered his hand to shake.
"I told you he wouldn't miss it for the world," Voiced Isuzu as she hugged the man who had done so much for her after her parents had cruelly abused and abandoned her.
"You couldn't pay me enough to avoid this." Kazuma told them, hugging Isuzu back gently before he moved to hug Tohru, who had truly come to love Kazuma Sohma as a father-in-law.
"We're happy you could make it, Kazuma-san!" She said, "Can Kunimitsu handle the students in your absence?"
"I would let him if I didn't completely trust him," Kazuma answered as he embraced Tohru, "You keeping Kyo happy?"
"As happy as he can be!" Tohru answered with one of those precious eyes closed smiles.
"Better than I was before I had her, Shishou," Kyo added with a fond, loving smile, "We're gonna leave to pick up Rat Boy, the delinquent model and Kureno, so we'll spend time once we get back, okay?"
"Of course. I look forward to seeing them." Kazuma told them.
Kyo gave Tohru a kiss on the cheek before following Isuzu and Hatsuharu towards the garage.
"So, Kazuma-san," Began Shigure, "Rin-chan says you've had a few movie stars come to study under you to prepare for roles in action films. Any truth to that?"
"Oh yes, several. Word of my prowess has spread." Kazuma admitted.
"Kyo-kun says that you could defeat any martial arts champion or action movie star with ease," Tohru commented, "He said that you could easily wipe the floor with Sonny Chiba in his prime!"
"Part of that is due to how Kyo idolizes me, but my skills are quite sharp. Those actors and aspiring martial artists keep asking me why I don't seek fame and notoriety like they do." Kazuma said.
"And why don't you? You could easily make some money with your abilities now that you don't have to look after Kyo-kun." Shigure pointed out.
"Fame can be a dangerous thing, Shigure, and you know better than most how we Sohmas prefer our privacy. I simply prefer a peaceful life, and I know I can do more good training others than I would be able to as some movie star." Kazuma said.
"I suppose you have a point, that's one of the reasons I declined an invitation to write the screenplay when Toho adapted my book 'The Hermit's Mountain' into a film, even snubbed them when they invited me to the premier." Shigure said, "Though I must admit I was very happy with how it turned out."
"Yes, I enjoyed it very much, though Kyo-kun thought it was boring," Tohru told him.
"Even as an adult he lacks taste," Shigure sighed with a shrug before quickly adding "Except when it comes to his taste in women, of course! There, he made a most excellent choice, Tohru-kun."
"No arguments there, Shigure-san." Kazuma voiced, smiling at Tohru kindly, causing her to blush.
"Thank you both, I'm very happy to be with Kyo-kun. I'm very excited for the big day." Tohru admitted.
"As are we all, we couldn't be happier for you, Tohru-kun." Kazuma assured her as he followed Shigure inside of the main house.
Tohru went with them and returned to the washitsu room to rejoin the others. After a while Akito excused herself and made her way towards the tsubo-niwa, but noticed that Tohru was following her.
"Excuse me, Akito-san, but I need to ask something of you." She said, bowing her head respectfully.
Akito gave her a small smile, "For you, Tohru, anything." She answered, but her expression turned troubled when she noticed how uncertain Tohru looked.
"Kyo-kun's father, Daigo-san…I wish to talk to him." Tohru told her.
And a task that seems impossible is quite possible for you.