Chapter 33 - Itsumo

"Tohru?"

"It's beautiful," she breathed.

When she opened her eyes she found herself in a wide open field with not a soul around for miles. The field stretched out endlessly toward the same mountains she could see back at her bedroom balcony. Behind Kyo and Tohru was the path that Kyo had taken her down and the black outlining of trees lining the field. The zero population and remoteness of the scenery made the boundless sky the real breathtaker.

Millions upon millions of tiny lights enveloped the skies, going on forever. She had never seen such a beautiful sight in her entire life. It made Tohru feel so small. All those nights sitting on the roof with Kyo could not compare to the amount of stars she could see from here. With her right hand still holding onto Kyo's hand, she extened her left hand toward the heavens, wondering how such a sight could take her breath away.

Just deep blankets of stars in an open field, sharing this sight with Kyo.

Kyo watched Tohru bring her hand back down while continuing to stare upward. "I want to reach up and touch the sky, it just goes on forever and ever." She turned to Kyo and jumped into his arms. "Oh, Kyo-kun, this is so wonderful!" From the sudden weight, Kyo lost balance and fell over onto the thankfully dry grass. They scrambled up into a sitting position; Tohru sitting in Kyo's lap with her legs swung to the side while he held her back with one arm and the other on the plush grass for support. She continued to hug him muttering her ultimate thanks over his shoulder.

He blushed, hugging her back nervously at their current position. He tried to make conversation. "It's nothing like the stars we see at home. When I was smaller I would run away from home and come here. It is sort of like my secret spot... I guess."

"Like Yuki-kun's!"

"What?"

Tohru shook her head. "N-nothing!" Oops, she promised not to tell about that! "B-but this is really a special place," Tohru looked up again only to find the moon. She was slightly disappointed there wasn't a full moon out, but the quarter moon felt just fine. She took a deep breath while closing her eyes and rocked into Kyo, burying her face into the crook of his neck. "Beautiful..." She whispered.

Kyo breathed out feeling Tohru's small frame pressed against his and her soft hair brushing against his face. "Yeah..." He muttered wondering what he was referring to; the moon or her.

"It's better than anything I've ever imagined. Kyo-kun is too kind to me." Kyo let her go as she backed away to stare into Kyo's eyes.

Kyo looped his hands around her back squeezing her gently. "A special place for a special person," he replied huskily.

She blushed while pushing him playfully. "K-Kyo-kun."

He laughed out loud knowing that would make her embarrassed. It was corny but it served it's purpose anyhow. He knew he'd die if he ever saying anything, even if it was in a joking manner, like that in front of his relatives. They'd never let him live it down. Meeting her eyes again he briefly kissed her forehead sending shivers up her spine. She never met a man who treated her so kindly. She pulled his hair away from his face, tracing the lines of his angular jaw with her eyes. Their noses were just barely brushing as her eyes drooped slightly feeling Kyo's hands move from her slender waist, running up her bare back and back down. They were so close.

It all felt like a dream.

Kyo leaned in and kissed Tohru on the lips, both of their eyes closing.

Was this real?

She kissed him back, holding his head close to hers as his soft kiss turned rather wanton. There was no right or wrong, just this moment to hold forever. He didn't know what possessed him to hold her kiss longer than he expected, but her sudden eagerness to kiss him back drove him over the edge. Tohru felt Kyo lean forward, pressing her back against the grass as he continued to send butterfly kisses down her neck. She never thought she'd feel so much love for anyone like this again. She unlaced her hands from the back of his neck gently grazed his toned chest with her fingers as he hovered above her. With the dim moonlight above, it made his eyes glow almost like a cat.

She slowly brought her hands to the sides of his face, pulling Kyo down to kiss her and his skin jolted like electricity at their touch. She felt so daring. Maybe it was the wine? The surreality of it all? The fact he kissed her and told her he loved her? She didn't know why she did it but at the moment all caution was thrown to the wind. She wanted to show him she wanted him just as much as he wanted her. Kyo growled, feeling a huge energy and life emit from Tohru as he held himself up with one arm and let his other hand caress her silky bangs. She moaned at his touch making Kyo's head dizzy.

Finally they came up for air. He stared at her softly smiling face, her pink lips, and her brown hair fanned around her. It took all his self control not to ravish her again. "Damnit, you don't know what you do to me, Tohru." He kissed her lightly again and again. "I love you so much."

"Kyo-kun..." Tohru whispered, seeing the endless night sky beyond the man filling her current thoughts. She never felt such a deep emotion like the one she shared with Kyo. With just their second kiss there was so much to read between the lines. So much she wished to convey through that kiss. She began to sit up and Kyo moved around her so she could lean on his chest while they continued to stare at the heavens, pointing out constellations and squeezing each other's hand once in a while.

There was so much she wanted to say.

Slowly she turned around and just as she leaned in he did as well to kiss each other gently once more in a slow kiss. She licked her lips and put a hand to Kyo's chest, listening to his heart beating in time with her own.

"Kyo-kun, I don't want to ask you for anything since you've given me so much already."

"What is it?"

"But if it's anything can you promise me something?"

"What is it?" He asked again while chuckling.

Tohru got up from his embrace, suddenly missing the warmth they shared as she got on her hands and knees to look Kyo square in the eye. He only stared back at her confused as she continued to search his amber eyes.

"What the heck are you doing?" He finally asked.

She tilted her head to the side, a trait that Kyo always found quite cute on her before inching closer to Kyo. He half expected her to kiss him again but she bumped her head with his gently. "Promise you'll still love me tomorrow."

He gave her an odd look but laughed anyway. "You're a weird girl. Yes, Tohru, I promise to love you tomorrow."

"Always?"

Why was she asking such a weird question? 'Would he love her tomorrow', of course he would! He put a hand on her head ruffling her hair.'

"Itsumo."


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Kyo opened the door to the Sohma estate, letting Tohru in before him. They still had their hands entwined with one another's as they entered the warm home. The entire walk home, the pair walked in compatible silence, just Tohru humming some kind of nameless tune. It made Kyo smile knowing she only sang when she was happy. As Kyo closed and locked the door, Tohru took off her balero and hung both of their jackets in the closet.

"We're home!" She announced. She waited a moment only to hear faint sounds. "Where did everyone go?" Kyo walked ahead of her hearing strange sounds coming from the TV room. Hearing a farmiliar tune, his pace quickened.

"Oh hell no!"

"Kyo-kun?"

Kyo and Tohru burst through the doorway staring at the spectacle before them.

"They're freaking DRUNK!"

"EH?"

"I wanna be your lover," Shigure sang, "your only latin lover.
We'll go around the world in a day." Shigure rolled his hips around.
"Don't say no, no.
Shake it my way, oh shake your bon-bon,
shake your bon-bon, shake your bon-bon."

Kyo slapped a hand over his face at the horrid sight before him. "Why are they singing kareoke?" He wondered out loud. "Not to mention they're half drunk."

Indeed, there in the room was Ayame, Shigure, Haru, Momiji, and Hatori. Ayame, Shigure, and Haru being drunk out of the five, Momiji video taping, and Hatori just watching. Among them, pizza boxes littered the table, various kareoke disks thrown about the room, and alcohol and sodas littering the floor like they'd just thrown a wild party. Kyo put a hand up to shield Tohru's eyes as Shigure began unbuttoning a few of his shirt buttons to give off a 'latin flare'. Momiji just burst out laughing as did Ayame.

"I didn't know there was a miniture stage in the TV room." Tohru said behind Kyo's hand.

"The idea of even having that stupid thing is dumb, but Ayame wanted it there." Kyo glared at Shigure, "You damn dog, put your shirt back on!"

"You're in the presence of a lady!" Momiji giggled as well from behind the camera eye.

Shigure's song ended and he caught the sight of Kyo and Tohru. "The love birds are back so soon!" He laughed. Jumping off the stage rather awkwardly, he nudged Kyo roughly as the already pissed-off-man backed away. "Only a quickie, hua, Kyo-kun? Oh you naughty boy!"

"Damnit, Shigure, you're drunk!" Kyo responded ignoring the fact that Shigure was assuming he and Tohru had sex.

'Gah, don't think about that right now!'

'So you can think about it later?' An evil voice asked in the back of his mind.

Shigure stood up, wavering side to side. "Of course I'm not drunk!" He smiled in Tohru's direction as the girl watched on with wide eyes. "Both Tohru-kun's look... very nice."

Kyo shook his head and pulled Tohru away from Shigure. "Damn sick, bastard..."

Momiji put the camera down and hugged Tohru. "Yeay! You're back! Did you have fun?"

"Oh yes, thank you for asking!" Tohru said as Haru came onto the stage next, choosing his song. She looked around. "It looks like you all were having a lot of fun!"

Momiji nodded. "Yes! Well, I am drinking soda, Haru was too until I think Aya-chan put something in his drink for kicks. Now Haru is crazy too!"

"College reble." Haru muttered into the microphone looking in Kyo's direction. He raised his fist up slowly. "Power to the people."

"Amen to that!" Momiji cheered.

"What? That doesn't even make sense!" Kyo yelled in outrage.

Haru put his hand in the air with just his thumb, pointer, and pink jutting into a rocker pose, as he bent his head down dramatically.

"Backstreet's back, alright

Hey, yeah
Oh my God, we're back again
Brothers, sisters, everybody sing
Gonna bring the flavor, show you how
Gotta question for you better answer now, yeah"

Haru drew his hand across his face, really getting into the song now.

"Am I original?
Yeah
Am I the only one?
Yeah"

Next he drew his hand down his body rather slowly.

"Am I sexual?
Yeah
Am I everything you need?
You better rock your body now

Everybody
Yeah
Rock your body"


Kyo and Tohru sat down to watch the Kareoke performance. Momiji grabbed his camera and sat right next to Tohru. Tohru was surprised that Haru even knew Backstreet Boys. It was how do you say... a little freaky.

"Wow, Hatsuharu-kun is very tallented!" Tohru said while watching him choreograph his own dance routine.

Momiji laughed while filming the whole thing. "I think he's just tipsy."

"Acting like an idiot is more like it." Kyo muttered. He watched Haru do an impression of a robot and spin around into a split before poping back up and continuing to dance. It looked like he forgot about singing and was pretty much just dancing now. "Hatori, how long have they been doing this?" Kyo asked with an eye brow raised.

Hatori turned to the three sitting on the floor and crossed his arms. "I'd say they just started. Ayame found it in the closet and tried to set it up."

"Did you sing yet, Hatori-san? I bet you're very good." Tohru smiled up at him.

Kyo and Momiji stiffled a slight laughter as Hatori coughed from embarrassment.

"Hatori? Sing?" Kyo looked at Momiji. "He wouldn't."

Momiji gave a smug smile.

Kyo's eyes widened. "He didn't."

"Oh. But he did." Momiji tapped the side of the camera showing the evidence.

Ayame leaned over onto Hatori, pressing all his weight on his friend. "Oh Ha-san sang so beautifully! Who would have known? Then again, in our younger days, Ha-san sang in the chorus."

"Ayame, don't you dare say another word or I'll tell every single one of the customers that time you tried to make out with a tree."

"I understand." The silver haired man instantly replied as they watched Haru run off the small stage and grab some leaves from a potted plant in the corner and began waving them around as if he were in a rave. Even Tohru had to burst out laughing.

The party went on for two more hours when a thought suddenly hit Tohru. She sipped her soda as Shigure took another turn and looked around to stare at the couch.

"Where is Yuki-kun?"

Kyo sat up from the floor to see the rat was missing. "Yeah, wasn't he here with you guys?"

Ayame hic-uped and shook his head. "He went for a walk... but that was so long ago!" Ayame put a hand up to his forehead. "Oh where did my brother go? Oh, Mine-chan disappeared as well! My loves, where have you gone to?" Suddenly an empty soda can came sailing through the air and hit Ayame square in the face.

"I'm right here! Please be quiet, the neighbors might call the police thinking we're torturing people over here." Ayame looked up to see Yuki close the door behind him.

"Yuki-kun, welcome home!" Ayame slurred.

"I'm home." Yuki turned to see that Tohru and Kyo were back from their date. He brightened up. "Honda-san, did you enjoy yourself?"

She smiled up at Yuki. "Of course! Kyo-kun was very nice. I'd love to go out again with him."

Kyo blushed scarlet and Yuki just smirked. "That's good to hear."

"Where did you go, Yuki-kun?" Tohru asked, watching him sit on the couch beside Hatori.

"I... went for a walk." She watched as a ghost of a smile crossed his features. There seemed to be something more.

"For more than two hours?" Kyo asked with skepticism.

Yuki's smile disappeared and he gave Kyo an annoyed glared. "Yes. Mind you're own business and shut up."

"Ohh, touche." Momiji said as Tohru only watched on with curiosity.

One could almost see the cat ears poking from his orange hair. "No, you shut up!"

"Shut your face." Yuki responded knowing it was a juvenile thing to say. It really didn't make any sense either. Kyo opened his mouth only to be cut off by Yuki's hand. "FACE." Yuki cut Kyo off again, "FACE."

"Damnit, what jumped up your @$$ and died?" Kyo grumbled while turning back to Shigure's performance of "I like big butts." It was disgusting but better than looking at Yuki's nasty face.

Yuki caught Tohru staring at him worriedly and he only winked ever so slightly. So he was just teasing Kyo? She watched Yuki lean over to whisper in her ear.

"I'll tell Honda-san later."

"O-okay."

Haru waved at Yuki tiredly. He sat next to his cousin as a slow smile crept upon his face. Haru gave out a long yawn and extened his hand around Yuki's shoulder. Yuki glared at the other boy while Momiji and Ayame burst out laughing while Tohru's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates and Kyo just looked away.

"That must be the worst move ever." Yuki growled while tossing Haru's arm away from him.

"It wasn't supose to be discreet."

"Haru, you must be seriously drunk."

"No. Shigure-niisan is seriously drunk. I am merely horny."

"GOD...!"

Haru point a finger at Yuki's disgusted face and with a monotone voice said, "got'ch ya."

"Haru you're not funny," Yuki muttered while sinking down into his chair. He wondered why he even bothered coming back home tonight. He'd much rather be back at that little coffee shop with Machi again.

The group watched as Shigure began shaking his butt while howling like a dog. This was just too weird. This time both Yuki and Kyo covered Tohru's eyes.

Yuki looked to the clock. "It's nearly one in the morning now. We should get to bed." He said trying to get this party wrapped up.

Kyo rolled his eyes. "They won't settle down. Just look at that," Kyo said motioning toward Shigure who was slapping his own behind. "We'll have nightmares."

"Maybe I can get everyone to calm down!" Tohru said with a detemined face.

Yuki put up a hand, "Please, Honda-san, I rather not see you get molested by butt-shaker on stage over there."

Momiji sat in Tohru's lap with a smile. "I think you can settle everyone down. Why don't you sing a pretty song?"

"I don't think..."

"Please?" Momiji asked. "I really love it when you sing..."

After a moment she gave in to those adorable eyes. "Okay."

She stood up when Shigure was done and climbed on the small stage. She went through the list of songs and came upon a slow one that would hopefully make everyone calm down.

A slow piano started up and Ayame scoffed. "It's too slow!"

"Shh! Tohru's singing now!" Momiji hissed while video taping. She focused on the small screen and began singing.

"Why, oh why do I love you so much?
My tears overflow this much"

She opened her eyes as the beat picked up and her voice gained amplitude, softer than the original singer, but still lovely to hear. Kyo watched in awe since he never heard her sing in such a manner.

"Back in that time, there was so much to lose that I couldn't sing anything
A place just a little ways away--That was where I was"

All the men watched her smile as she sang, her voice lulling them to a higher state of mind. Passionate, tender and loving was what she tried to project. She was singing this because she was happy. She blushed as she continued to sing.

"Why do I love you so much?
"Your voice rings inside me so much it makes me sad
Just what it was that supported me so much
From afar, I realize it now"

An instrumental picked up as she brought the microphone away from her lips. Sometimes singing what she wanted to say was so much easier than saying it herself. Singing this song, she could relate to it. Why did she love Kyo so much? Did she really have an answer to that? It was something she couldn't express in words. It was so easy...

Already she could see Ayame, Shigure, and Haru calming down as they stared at her. She smiled and continued her song.

"Like a lost child, crying and searching
But there was no such thing as forever
'It's okay if you don't believe in anyone' you whispered
Were the two of us really alike?"

Were she and Satsuki ever alike? He was the one who took her from her friends and made her believe she was nothing. Kyo brought her back though, he was the one she loved so much. Tohru breathed at the pause in the song before trailing off the last verse.

"Why do I love you so much?
It's so easy I just can't answer"

There was complete silence as Tohru put the microphone down. Maybe it was really bad singing? She'd destroyed their ear drums? They were deaf now?

She closed her eyes. "I ah..."

"That," Shigure interupted quietly, "was beautiful." Opening her eyes she saw all her friends grinning at her. It really did feel good to sing so openly now. It made her feel alive again.

"Arigatou!" She called while bowing.

She turned off the kareoke machine quietly as possible and went off stage to the linnen closet across the hall as everyone began piling out of the room. She pulled out blankets and handed each of the Sohmas a blanket claiming it 'might be chilly tonight'. As they proceeded out of the room, she came around the table and draped a blanket over Momiji before taking the camera from his hands and placing it on the table. He was just too cute to wake up!

'Thank you so much everyone. Not just for listening to me, but for being a family to me.' She thought as she went to dress for bed.

Later that night as Tohru was walking from her bathroom to her bed, she stopped to look out her balcony window. There weren't nearly as many stars out and the moon was covered by clouds. She breathed, remembering her time with Kyo in the medow. She turned to her door, staring at the wooden frame with thought.


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Kyo turned over in his sleep as Tohru poked her head into his bedroom. Was this okay? She wasn't doing anything bad, she just wanted to talk to him. Creeping over to his bed side she saw that he was asleep. She smiled lightly at his calm figure. No, she wouldn't bother him now.

She placed a blanket over Kyo. Staring at it now, it was the same blanket she covered him with on that train ride to the beach. That all seemed so long ago. She wanted to keep her memories of her and Kyo forever. She promised that even if she couldn't say she loved him, she'd show him. And one day, she prayed for the strength she needed to tell him exactly how she felt.

Exactly how much she truly loved him.

She kissed him gently on the forehead only to have Kyo shift and open an eye at her and then close again. "Tohru?" She was about to hush him back to sleep when he pulled her down with one hand, bringing her head down to his shoulder. "Tohru..." He mumbled. "Are you okay?"

"I... I just wanted... to talk to you, Kyo-kun," she whispered. She wasn't sure if he was awake or talking in his sleep. When he didn't reply, Tohru tried to get out of his hold.

"Just sit here with me, Tohru." He muttered again, holding her with both of his arms now.

She blushed as she stiffened at the sound of her name. He was dreaming of her? Oh, she hoped it was a good dream at least. She slowly brought her legs up on his bed awkwardly since he was holding her torso. She didn't want to wake him up. She cuddled into his chest trying to get comfortable when she heard Kyo sigh and place his chin on top of her head. Was this okay? To be sleeping next to him like this? They weren't doing anything but still, wasn't this indecent?

'What are you talking about? It isn't like you've never slept with a man before!' The little voice in the back of her mind said.

'But I haven't,' she argured, 'I've slept with Satsuki but this is different. This is gentler and more loving. He doesn't want me in his bed just to have sex, he wants me here because he loves me.' She smiled, ' I'm sleeping next to Kyo-kun, the person I really love.'

To that, the little voice had nothing to say.

"I... I love you... Kyo," she whispered dropping the horrific off his name. There she said it, but it didn't count since he was asleep. That wasn't fair. She sighed at her cowardliness and shook her head. The only time she had courage was when the man of her dreams was asleep and didn't hear a word she said. She listened intently to his even breathing and she felt herself grow sleepy as well. She entangled her leg with Kyo's subconsciously and wandered off into her own dreamworld. She hoped she and Kyo would meet together in their dreams as they lay together sleeping side by side.

'Promise me you'll still love me tomorrow?'

'Itsumo.'

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