This and several other thoughts had crossed Akito’s mind as she cursed holy, reaching for the head of dark hair below her waist, tangling her fingers in the fine, silky stands as she pulled him closer.

It was a shame that her lover had to be Shigure Sohma of all people, prideful bastard that he was.

She tugged at her tie, loosening it and throwing it to the ground as she filled her lungs with shallow breaths whilst Shigure worked his tongue against her, unleashing some primal instinct with each stroke. He paused to laugh against her inner thigh as she squirmed, pulling back enough to look up at her, perfect teeth flashing in a grin.

He knew her.

Knew her down to her bones, to the very blood that ran through her veins.

And yet, she could never say the same about him.

He could predict her every movement, know exactly where to push her to make her come apart, fall like a helpless victim into his waiting arms. But she could barely scratch the surface of him, so thick was his armour.

Part of it was her fault.

She could admit that much at least, breath hitching as he slung one of her legs over his shoulder and pushed his tongue deeper inside her. It took all she had to keep her eyes open, to keep from closing them and giving in to him completely.

She needed to witness this.

Needed to see him giving her exactly what she wanted, needed that semblance of control over him no matter how insignificant or fleeting it might be. She needed to know she had him, even if just for this moment, because when they were done she would lose him again, just like always.

He was always someone she could never be deserving of. Or perhaps her wretched heart deserved nothing better than this man who could fuck her like she was his god, like he worshipped no one but her, and then turn on her with flippant indifference.

His tongue lashed against her wildly, sending sparks searing through her skin and a different kind of warmth between her legs. But before it could blossom into anything more, Shigure pulled away.

His warm exhale sent shivers up and down her spine, but before she could ask him why he’d stopped, he was standing before her. Those dark unreadable eyes stared down at her as his finger hooked against the top of her shirt.

“I hope you’re not too fond of this,” he murmured, tugging at it harshly. The top button snapped loose and skittered across the floor. Akito huffed in annoyance, undoing the other buttons herself and letting the loose material slide off her, exposing the tight bindings she still wore across her chest.

Shigure made short work of them, eyes locked onto hers the entire time. She felt lighter the moment they fell away, breasts aching from the sudden freedom. If Shigure noticed her wince of pain he didn’t show it as his hands ran down her naked form.

It was her fault his armour was so thick.

She’d hurt him, and he’d bled, and he’d scarred, and then she’d done it again and again. With every consecutive cut, his scars had grown thicker and thicker until they were so tough that she couldn’t get through to him anymore. He was impenetrable, and she often found she barely recognised the empty gaze that watched her so keenly.

His touch was slow and caressing, but his kiss was anything but as his mouth collided with her own. It was all teeth and tugging and tangled tongues as his hands reached her chest, massaging and flicking her breasts. This time they ached in a pleasant way and she sighed into him.

She ran her hands across his smooth shoulders, drawing off his kimono and boxers until he was kissing her as bare as she was. His cock was hard as he ground his hips against hers, and she throbbed for him to be inside her already.

“Hurry up,” she snapped, biting at his lip hard enough for it to sting and opening her legs wider for him. He pulled back with a hiss, running a hand across his full lips. He tilted his head at her, tutting softly.

“Have a little patience, Akito,” he said lightly, smiling infuriatingly. “It’s not like we’re in a hurry. Unless, of course, you’re expecting someone?”

Mischief glimmered in his eyes, taunting her to respond, to refute or confirm the statement but she refused to rise to it. Instead, she gripped the back of his hair tightly, giving a sharp tug.

He chuckled lowly, chest vibrating and breath ghosting over her face as he adjusted himself and pushed into her. He was slow, agonisingly so, with those calculating eyes took in her every expression as he stretched and filled her, smiling smugly as he felt how wet she was for him

“You’re so beautiful,” he gasped, dipping down to groan into the softness of her breasts. Her body quivered as his tongue traced unholy words on her skin. “It’s such a shame you choose to hide this you.”

“I thought I told you to hurry up,” Akito hissed, tugging his hair again as she longed for the fullness of him inside her and for his mouth to stop talking so much.

Shigure rose and pressed his forehead to hers, his already dark eyes shifting to pure black as his hands settled against her hips. “Don’t say you didn’t ask for it,” he whispered sensuously, ramming fully into her without any other warning. It was enough to steal her breath away, leaving her clinging to him for dear life.

Shigure moaned into the shell of her ear, slurring something about how good she felt as he began to thrust in and out of her. He was forceful enough to make sure her hands were on him at all times, holding onto his back, his ass, any part of him she could reach so long as it made her his.

Her hands traced the muscles on his back, toned and rippling with every pant as he sank into her, hard and full and thick enough to make her gasp with every stroke. Akito shuddered as his hips pulled away, screaming in pleasure when he thrust back into her fully.

His hands slipped to the side of her neck, thumb brushing her chin as he towered over her. “That’s a little loud, love,” he growled, his hand crushing her mouth as his pace intensified, muffling the moans against his skin, capturing them in the palms of his hands as his own heavy breathing filled the room.

He groaned as she tightened in the best way, clenching around his cock as she screamed something that was unmistakeably his name, legs shaking as an orgasm rocked through her. It was almost enough to make him come from the sound alone. He slowed to a stop, brushing Akito’s damp hair out her eyes as she came down from her climax, held up only by his strength alone.

Shigure brought them both to the ground, sitting her against the wall before lounging lazily beside her, his eyes raking across her shaking form as the last shudders of pleasure ran through her.

Her breath was still shallow when she laid eyes on him, trying to decipher that look on his face that lingered somewhere between tortured and pleasured. “What are you thinking?” he asked when she was quiet for longer than she’d intended to be.

“Nothing,” she said, unable to hide the annoyance in her tone. She hated that he was so upfront like that, asking her to bare herself for him whilst never doing it himself.

“It’s not that again is it?” he said with a disappointed lilt to his deep voice.

Akito’s eyes flashed dangerously. “What?” she challenged, hoping, and praying to whatever higher being there was than her that he wasn’t going to bring that woman up. Not now, when he’d just been inside her.

Shigure clearly caught onto how dangerous his words had been and changed his tone completely. “It was nothing, don’t trouble yourself,” he said nonchalantly, as if he was merely going to ask her what the weather was like tomorrow.

But there was that gleam in his eyes that betrayed him.

“No,” Akito said firmly, leaning in closer to him so their faces were merely inches apart. It didn’t escape her notice that he was fully aroused, but she was too focused on his words to care about anything else. “Say it,” she pushed.

He might have been stupid enough to bring up the topic, but she was the one who’d make sure he saw it through. Shigure worked his jaw as he breathed out a wary sigh. His hand ran down his face before resting on the ground in between the two of them. “Akito, the thing with Ren was-”

The back of her hand connected with his face so quickly that she barely had the conscious thought to lash out before she’d already done it.

His head cracked to the side, cheek gleaming red from where the impact of her nails had sliced against his skin like claw marks. Small beads of blood rose to the surface, staining the hair that had flicked across his face.

Shigure was barely phased as he pressed his fingers to his face, smearing a bloody trail down his cheek, proof of her sin. He leaned towards her slowly, grasping her chin in the same bloodied fingers as he forced her to look at him, to stare at those infuriatingly empty eyes, devoid of all emotion.

“I was wondering how long it would take for you to do that,” he murmured, his breath pushing against her lips, his nails digging into her jaw. It wasn’t enough to break the skin, he would never go so far as that, but it was uncomfortable to say the least.

“Get off of me,” she growled, attempting to shake her head as she pried at his fingers with her own. But his grip was like a vice, and with every attempt to escape, he only held on to her harder.

His mouth collided with hers, teeth knocking against hers in a violent kiss. She hated that she wanted it, that she returned it instead of shoving him away like she ought, knowing that nothing good could come from this.

“What did you think that would achieve?” he asked, voice a harsh whisper as he dragged mouth along her jaw, teeth scraping along her skin.

“Do you think that hurts me? That it’ll make me weak enough for you to control,” he continued when she said nothing, a quiet chuckle rumbling through his chest. Akito gasped as his free hand dived between her legs, fingers dipping into her. “Try. Harder.”

She squirmed as he curled his finger, buried inside her to the knuckle. She bit her lip hard to keep from crying out as he moved quickly, too quickly. She grabbed at his wrist, pinning it to the ground, his finger covered in her slick as she backed off it.

“What?” Shigure said, raising a single brow at her. “I say one truth that mildly upsets you and suddenly you don’t want this.”

She did want it. She wanted it so bad that she ached for him despite how horrid he was to her. That was what scared her, what made her hesitate.

“You look like you want it,” he said smugly, pulling his hand free and bringing his slick finger to her lips. “See for yourself.” She could taste herself on him, the watery sweetness only further proof of her need for him.

She pushed his hand away once more. “I can do that much without your help.”

“Maybe,” he countered. “But it’s me you’re thinking of when you do it.”

“Is it?” she said, frowning as if in thought. “Because I can think of others who can please me the way I want.”

Shigure clicked his tongue, pulling her by the waist until she rested in his lap. She tried to snap her legs shut but it took him no effort at all to pry them apart. “Two can play at that game,” he whispered against her neck, pushing his hard cock into her with a single smooth thrust.

Akito gasped as he filled her with his warmth just as he had before.

And again, she let him.

Let him lift her hips and slide into her over and over and over at a punishing pace. She hated that she loved it, loved that she hated it. She wanted him to go, but she never wanted him to stop, didn’t want to lose the connection she had to him, the way he made her very soul shudder with delight.

“You know he can never compare right? The one you always run to when things get too hard to handle.”

Akito tried to reply, but he thrust into so hard that she had no breath left to even protest his roughness let alone argue, her arms tight around his neck as she held onto him.

“I don’t know what you mean,” she said breathlessly when he finally slowed a little. She reached down to trail her fingers down his arms as he continued to pound into her. His muscles flickered under the touch, his cock twitching wildly as he shoved her back roughly, her head knocking hard against the floor as he covered her with his large frame.

“He can never fuck you the way I do. I know you better,” Shigure spat, jealousy simmering off of him in hateful waves with every word as he pressed his body further into hers, moulding himself to the shape of her.

“He can learn,” she bit back.

“No,” he said with a slight shake of his head, frowning as he stared down at her. “There’s no learning you.” One of his hands tangled in her hair, nails dragging down her scalp pleasurably.

“I can make you whine and beg and scream and scratch and claw and bite with every shove of my cock inside you. That’s not something he can learn, no matter how many times you try to convince yourself he’s just as good as me,” he said stonily, catching her lips in a bruising kiss as he picked up the pace, fucking her into the ground with every thrust of his hips, relishing in her breathless moans and whimpers.

She hated that he was right even as she loved the way he stretched her, treated her as anything but a delicate doll, like she couldn’t be broken.

Kureno was … adequate. He was gentle and tender, which was nice until it wasn’t.

He was good until she remembered that Shigure could do all that and this, could be loving and rough all at once. But there was no chance in fiery hell that she would ever admit that to him. Not when he’d slept with her mother, the vile woman who had birthed her and tormented her, all in the name of revenge.

And some revenge it had been, when it was he who had been the first to drift away from her.

“Do you think of me when he’s inside you?”

The words brought her back to the present, and instinctively she pushed against his chest to get away from him and his twisty double-edged words. But he met her resistance with his own, keeping her against him.

“Do you lie back and moan into his ear, pretending that his writhing pleases you when with every thrust you imagine my face on his, my lips on yours, my cock inside you.”

She pressed her hands against his mouth, trying to get him to choke on his own words even as she chased paradise with every lift of her hips to the rhythm of his. But he was trickier than that, of course he was. He opened his mouth under her fingers, sucking on them and making her lose her delicate threads of control.

She pulled back with a loud hiss the second his teeth nipped at her skin, locking her left leg around his and flipping him around so he was underneath her, his hands finding her hips instantly to pull her deeper onto him.

Akito reached out to the side, panting heavily as her hand searched for purchase on anything she could use to her advantage against the man beneath her. It landed on something silky and she pulled it towards her, finding the tie she’d abandoned earlier.

Without another thought, she shoved it into Shigure’s mouth, muffling whatever taunt he was currently in the middle of. It was one way to keep that infuriating mouth of his shut at least she decided, wondering why she hadn’t thought to just gag him sooner. But even still, those damned eyes of his glimmered with mirth.

The bastard was clearly enjoying this.

She supposed she could see why. She was working herself on him and pleasuring them both, whilst all he did was sit back and admire the view. She wanted him to suffer though, she wanted to take and give nothing in return the way he did to her so often that she was left wondering how he had any space left in that tiny heart of his.

She had very few weapons at her disposal, especially now, but there was one that would do the trick just fine.

She lowered herself onto him, deep and full over and over until she felt him begin to twitch wildly inside her, waited for him to throw his head back and moan through the fabric in his mouth. But just before he could find release, she shifted off of him effortlessly, rolling off and to the side in a single fluid motion.

“I’m tired,” she said sourly, ignoring how empty and unfulfilled she felt without him inside her as she turned to face him. “Leave.”

Shigure let out a shocked half-chuckle, partially sitting up on his elbows as if half believing her actions to be a joke. His cock was still hard and pulsing as he pulled the tie from his mouth. “You’re not serious?”

But she was. If he wanted her to get him off, then he would have to beg for it. And she knew he never would.

“I said you can leave now,” she said again, narrowing her eyes dangerously.

“So that’s how it’s going to go, is it?” he said, sitting up fully and facing her. “You get everything you want, and I get to leave unsatisfied.”

Akito said nothing, focusing her gaze on the open window and staring blankly at the moon.

“Of course,” he continued quietly. “That’s how it’s always been and that’s how it always will be,” he said, laughing violently as he threw is head back, his smooth chest glistening in the moonlight.

“Maybe next time you’ll learn to keep your mouth shut whilst in my presence,” Akito snapped.

He pulled on his clothes with venomous force, his lips plastered into a smirk as he dressed himself, kimono draping over his raging boner and hiding it from view. “Maybe next time there won’t be a next time.”

Akito bristled at that, hating that she couldn’t so much as hide how much she hated the thought of that. Of losing him forever.

“You were the one that brought up Kureno,” she spat, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes from pure frustration. “How you were so much fucking better than him.”

“I am,” Shigure yelled back, the mask of indifference slipping for a single moment as hurt flashed across his face. But then it was gone, so quickly that she wondered if it had ever really been or if she’d just imagined it. “And in case you didn’t notice Akito, you liked it.”

“I … didn’t,” she said, her words dying to a whisper.

He sighed, composing himself once more. “Don’t lie to yourself. And don’t worry,” he said, voice as soft as honey, deceptively hiding the anger she knew simmered just below the surface. “I’ll send Kureno to finish what I started. Or perhaps he’s already outside, waiting like the bitch he is.”

With that, Shigure sauntered out the door and Akito felt the tension in the air release. The door slid shut behind him and already she felt her heart ache for his presence, for the feel of him pressing into her, taking up too much space and forcing her to make room for him.

But with him gone, she found herself shaking from the cold night air. The window had been thrown wide all evening, but with Shigure here sharing his warmth, she’d barely noticed it. Akito stood to close it before heading into the bathroom.

She didn’t recognise the person in the mirror. Dishevelled hair and red-rimmed eyes stared back at her. Shigure’s blood was still smeared against her chin like a mark of possession, reminding her that she was his no matter how much she denied it or fought against it.

She ran a finger down her skin, the blood mixing with the light sheen of sweat on her face. It disgusted her. He disgusted her.

Akito slammed open the tap and threw hot water onto her face, scrubbing brutally at her skin to remove every trace of him. She dunked her head under the water and when even that wasn’t enough, she walked into the shower and turned it so hot that it almost seared her skin, letting it burn away the remnants of his touch as she scoured herself raw.

It was a long while before she felt clean again, pure. But though her body had been cleansed, her mind was anything but. As she stepped out of the steam and stared at herself again, skin as pink as a new-born and hair hanging damp around her face, thoughts of Shigure pressed her again.

He was exasperating and maddening, but she couldn’t help but long for his touch again. For his lips to kiss every inch of her skin, to find rapture every time he sank into her, for him to call her beautiful, call her his.

Akito ran a finger down her chin, tracing where his blood had stained her chin. It was gone now, but she could still feel like, like an invisible scar binding her to a man she despised often and loved often more.

Shigure was bound to her by a chain entirely other to the zodiac bond they shared, but somehow this one seemed more powerful, more important. Though all the zodiac members held the potential to hurt her, to leave her and pain her, Shigure alone held the power to ruin her.

And he would.

Given half a chance, he would destroy her and everything she stood for. And yet Akito knew that all the broken pieces of her would continue to find a way to love him anyway. To cut him and make him bleed, but also to love him so brutally that there’d be nothing left of her.

They say the devil you know is better than the devil you don’t. And so what if the one you know is the worst of them all. So what if he’s difficult and manipulative and definitely worse than anyone else out there. What does that matter when sometimes he’s yours and yours alone, fucking you senseless in a hell of your own making.

“Grandpa can’t see us today. He’s really busy with some appointment,” she said after a long silence. “He said he’s fine and not to worry but … I really wanted to see him today.”

“I know. I’m sorry,” Kyo soothed, letting his chin drop onto her head. Tohru was almost faultlessly happy, so to see her upset made him want to do whatever it took to cheer her up. “We’re here for a few days, maybe we can try and find some other time he’s free?” he offered, hoping it might be enough to boost her mood.

“Hmm,” Tohru replied noncommittally, curling in closer to him as if he were shielding her from the hurt. She had been looking forward to seeing her grandpa, and though she wasn’t saying anything right now, he knew it was only because she was still trying to figure out what she was feeling.

Kyo didn’t push her on it, knowing she’d talk in her own time. He pressed a reassuring kiss to her temple and left it at that, deciding to distract her thoughts with other things in the meantime.

He let the quiet silence that fell around them heal her disappointment, holding her close as the train rolled closer and closer to the city. They’d be arriving at their station soon, so if he wanted to cheer her up, he was going to have to think of something quickly.

“You know, instead of heading straight over to Master’s place, we could just wander around and sightsee for a while. You want me to check if Hanajima and Uotani are free this morning?” he asked.

He wasn’t thrilled at the prospect of meeting the two of them the moment they set foot in Tokyo, but Tohru had already been disappointed once this morning. He could suffer their presence for her sake.

Tohru lifted her head to look up at him, her hair falling into her eyes that brightened at just the mention of her two best friends. “That would be really nice,” she said, a small smile blooming on her lips.

“Alright.” Kyo brushed the hair out of her face with his fingers, stealing a quick kiss. “I’ll call them.

“So, Tohru,” Arisa said casually, leaning against a tree and stretching her arms above her head. “How’s living with that hot head going?”

Tohru and Hana sat at the base of the tree, shielding their eyes from the sunlight that filtered through the canopy of leaves above as they glanced up at her. The three of them had paused their stroll around the park to rest, and Kyo had wandered off to find refreshments.

“It really is wonderful,” Tohru admitted, her cheeks flushing involuntarily as a myriad of thoughts about her husband ran through her mind. He’d only been gone a little while, but already she missed his presence and found herself glancing around to see if he had returned yet.

“Look at that beautiful glow,” Hana said, pinching her cheeks playfully. “He might not be us Arisa, but it seems he’s at least figured out how to keep Tohru happy.”

“Oh, I’ll bet he has,” Arisa said, chuckling as Tohru’s face burned so hot she wondered if she’d start melting. “So, any idea of when he’ll propose?”

Tohru’s heart dropped to her stomach. “What?” she stammered out.

“Well, despite his many many flaws, he does seem prim and proper. You know, the type that wouldn’t keep a lady waiting. In fact, I’m surprised he hasn’t done it already.”

The back of Tohru’s neck broke out in a cold sweat and she giggled nervously, hoping that Kyo would come back and help her before she blew their cover.

Unfortunately, he was still nowhere in sight but luck took physical form in Hanajima, who broke through Tohru’s strained silence with her own observations.

“Tohru has always wanted to get married someday. There is no chance that Kyo would risk losing her by holding off. He’s as loyal as a cat that one, so I don’t think we have any need to worry in that department.”

“Hana, I think the phrase is loyal as a dog, not cat,” Arisa corrected.

“Oh is it,” Hana replied, gazing wistfully off into the distance as if the mix up didn’t bother her at all. “I’m not sure I see the difference.”

Not for the first or last time, Tohru found herself wondering just how much the dark-haired girl knew about the Sohma’s history.

“Well … as much as I could watch Kyon suffer, I can’t stand to see you being hurt Tohru,” Arisa said, leaning down and running a comforting hand through Tohru’s locks. “You know, we can talk to him and set him straight if-”

Tohru never got the chance to hear the rest of Arisa’s words as she straightened up at the sound of her name being yelled across the park. Tohru followed the sound to see Kyo heading down the path, four ice cream cones balanced precariously in his two hands.

“Come give me a hand before I drop all of these you damn Yankee!” he called out, struggling to keep the cones upright as he slowly made his way over.

“Who’re you calling Yankee, you damned idiot!” she fumed back, and Tohru wondered if she was more angry at being called a delinquent or the fact that Kyo had interrupted her midsentence.

“Do you want to eat ice cream off the floor? Cause that’s what’ll happen if you don’t take some of these off of me!” Kyo responded, grimacing as some passers-by stared at him for causing a commotion. Arisa rolled her eyes before slowly and reluctantly heading over to help him out, taking both her own and Hanajima’s cones off of him.

“Thank you for going all the way,” Tohru said as Kyo dropped to the ground beside her, handing her the double scooped cone of vanilla ice cream, a tantalisingly warm stick of chocolate fudge sticking out of the top.

“Now that you’re here Kyon,” Arisa said, taking a large bite out of her ice cream as Kyo watched on in horror. “I got a question for you.”

“No!” Tohru squeaked in alarm, her hands flying up so fast that she almost dropped her cone. “Please don’t ask that,” she said, her face flitting between helpless and panicked as she realised where the conversation was headed.

“Something isn’t right,” the blonde girl said, glancing between Tohru and Kyo with a look of pure clarity and an odd gleam in her eye.

“I agree. The waves are in turmoil … but in a pleasantly insistent way. It’s very strange indeed,” Hanajima added, her gaze never leaving the sweet treat in her hands as she devoured it.

“It’s nothing … really,” Tohru said nervously as she glanced at Kyo for support, hoping he’d catch on to what was happening. “We just haven’t really discussed marriage and proposals and … any of that stuff really.”

There was a soft thud from beside her and both Hana and Arisa looked at the source with a curious surprise. Tohru followed their lead only to see Kyo lift his head up from the crook of his arm, looking as if he’d given in.

“No, it’s not nothing,” he grumbled, looking over apologetically at Tohru. “I’m sorry, but I just can’t make you lie to your friends about this.”

Tohru stared at him in shock. “But … what about Master?”

“He’ll find out later tonight, so I guess it doesn’t really matter if we tell them first.”

“Tell us what?” Arisa said suspiciously, a smile on her lips that seemed a little out of place considering the fact her tone was laced with concern.

“Uh,” Tohru stammered a little helplessly, biting her bottom lip as she considered where to begin. With a deep breath to centre herself and a reassuring glance from Kyo, she told her friends everything that had happened over the past week.

About how a simple visit to a festival had spiralled into so much more. Both Hanajima and Arisa listened quietly and patiently as she explained everything from the mistaken paperwork to the ritual and everything after.

“Wait,” Arisa said once she was done, trying her best to hold back a hearty chuckle. “So the two of you got married accidentally,” she said, beginning to cackle gleefully. “And you’ve been hiding it this whole time?”

“A normal person would usually say congratulations or something,” Kyo grumbled.

“I’m sorry, I’ll get there, but that’s gotta be the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. You two are such dorks!” she replied, wiping a tear of mirth from her eyes.

“An unpredictably bizarre turn of events, I’ll admit. Although it still doesn’t explain the strangeness I sense around you,” Hanajima said, locking onto Kyo with her sharp gaze. Tohru’s chest went tight as her husband shrank under her scrutiny.

“Okay, that’s enough Hanajima. Let the poor guy live. He can’t be a good husband to Tohru if he’s traumatised by your waves.”

“I suppose not,” she agreed, relenting her mental attack on the red head in favour of reaching for Tohru’s half eaten ice cream who handed it over without a second thought. “I shall send you both blessings on your marriage of absurdity,” she finished, mouth full of pilfered ice cream.

“Thank you,” Tohru replied, looking perkier and less nervous than before. She felt so much lighter and excited about everything now that she knew she could share it with her two best friends.

“Yeah, what she said. Congrats to you both,” Arisa said, leaning forward to thump Kyo on the shoulder. He made a small whine of pain, rubbing at his arm with a deep frown as she took a seat beside Hanajima. “Good job on locking her down,” she added a little more softly, looking as if the words hurt her soul a little.

“Thanks,” he replied to the tall blonde, reaching for Tohru’s hand, and pressing a casual kiss against her knuckles. “It means a lot to both of us.” Tohru wanted nothing more in that moment than to reach for him and press kisses all over his face for being so wonderful and doing his best to get along with her friends, but that would have to wait.

For now, she settled on holding tight to his hand as she caught up with the others and how their lives had been going. It was so delightful and nostalgic, that she almost didn’t notice how the time had flown by. Before she knew it, it was almost time for her and Kyo to meet with Kyo’s father. Hers now too, she realised as an afterthought.

“We should make a move if we want to get to Master’s in time. Tohru and I planned to get there a little earlier, just in case he needed any help in the kitchen since the guy can’t cook for anything,” Kyo explained, his face betraying how horrified he was at the thought of leaving his father in charge of dinner alone.

“I’m sorry to have to leave you both so soon,” Tohru admitted sadly.

“That’s okay. As wonderful company as one of you are, Hanajima and I really have to get going too,” Arisa said, glancing pointedly at Kyo who bristled in response. “Relax, we don’t hate you just yet,” she added with a smirk, noting his response.

“Oh yes, our appointment for this evening had almost slipped my mind. It would be best if we get going too,” Hanajima agreed, reaching to pull Tohru into a warm hug that reminded her of the types she’d get from her mother. Arisa ruffled her hair affectionately before heading off with a goodbye of her own.

“I’ll miss you,” Tohru said a little tearfully as the two girls disappeared down the path that led out of the park.

Once she and Kyo were alone, the first thing Tohru did was grab a hold of his jaw and pull him down for a hard kiss, her teeth skimming against his bottom lip as she pulled away.

Kyo was stunned, looking for all the world as if he had forgotten his own name let alone how to speak actual coherent sentences. “What … ?” he started helplessly, unable to find the words he needed to finish his thoughts.

“I wanted to show you how much I appreciate what you did for me today,” she said quietly.

“I didn’t really do anything,” Kyo protested as he rubbed at the back of his neck bashfully, but Tohru frowned lightly at him.

“I know how much you wanted Master to be the first person we told about our marriage,” she explained as she shifted her hand to press gently against his warm cheek.

“Your happiness is more important than something superficial like that. Besides, Uotani and Hanajima seemed to take the news well, so no I have hope that maybe Master will too.”

“Of course he will,” she reassured him, pulling him into another kiss, longer and softer than the last. “Master thinks the world of you Kyo, and I hope you see that someday.”

Kyo took a deep breath but said nothing more on the subject. “Ready to go?” he asked before a mischievous glint flickered in his eyes. “Or we could find somewhere a little more private for a while,” he murmured against her cheek.

As much as her skin heated at his words, she knew that neither of them were really serious about following through. Not when Master was at risk of burning the entire Dojo down without their supervision.

“I’m sure we can find somewhere,” she said, pressing a soft kiss against his nose as she reached for his hands. “But … not right now,” she smiled happily she began to run, dragging him along behind her with a burst of laughter.

… xxx …

um, lol, so i might have accidentally forgotten to post anything for the last five months ... sorry? this chapter probably wasn't worth the wait, but unfortunately it's all i have right now so i hope you at least tolerated it.