{FIC} When you know 3/? TK tinges lime

[jade]

Disclaimer: I don't own FB or the song. I'm getting lazy. See previous chapters for the credits. =) Kiyone and her girls are mine...well, not MINE mine, but...you know what I mean.

Citrus Warning: This chapter gets pretty limey towards the end.

Chapter 3 Movement

Tohru laughed at something Uo said as they ambled down the street. It was, once again, a happy-to-be-alive kind of day?the joy of it chasing away all the doubts that had surfaced as she prepared for bed. She had fretted about the ?incident? with Kyo on the roof as she tossed and turned, wondering how she could face him after what had happened; wondering what had come over her, wondering if she would ever have the chance to do it again. In those moments before sleep, she had made up her mind to say something to Kyo, a decision that had faded with the morning light. Standing in the kitchen the next morning he had looked so uneasy, so unsure, that she hated to say anything to make him feel worse.

We can talk later, she thought to herself as she gave Kyo her most reassuring smile and passed him the milk carton. He seemed to understand because he relaxed visibly and later handed her her book bag with a hesitantly reassuring smile of his own.

Tohru was still laughing when she bumped into Uo, who had come to a halt mid stride. ?Hey, check it out, a soccer game,? her eyes squinted as she attempted to make something out across the field. ?Is that carrot top out there??

?It is. I can sense his waves from here,? Hana replied. The air sizzled with wicked electricity. ?Shall we join the spectators??

?Of course,? Uo answered with an evil grin. ?I could never pass up the chance to heckle that guy. What do you say Tohru? You still have some time before you have to go to work, don?t you??

Tohru never had the chance to answer. The two girls were already dragging her towards the bleachers of the soccer field. Upon settling themselves upon the bleachers, Tohru studied the group that had gathered. She took in the eagerly cheering soccer fans, surveyed the players shouting words of encouragement from the sidelines. She briefly acknowledged Kiyone Kobayashi?s circle of friends sitting behind them minus their flirty leader. Tohru wondered almost absentmindedly where the girl was.

She jumped only slightly when she heard Noriko Izumi?s awed squeak. ?Wow, I never knew Kyo was so good at soccer.?

Tohru?s eyes darted immediately towards the field. There was Kyo, his hands resting lightly on his knees, his body alertly coiled. His brow was creased with the same passionate intensity as when he was practicing martial arts. As the ball came back down the field, he sprinted, pausing just long enough to trap his teammate?s pass between his feet. Like lightning, Kyo brought a long leg back and launched the ball at the goal. When the ball curved into the goal a roar rose from the crowd.

Tohru beamed as Kyo jogged for the sidelines, a grin splitting his face. She thrilled for him as the other players thumped him on the back and whistled their congratulations. Her gaze narrowed when she spotted Kiyone sauntering forward, her outstretched arm offering Kyo a towel. Tohru?s blood sizzled at the hoot behind her.

?There goes Kiyone,? commented Kiima, modulating her voice to sound like a nature show commentator, ?The sleek lioness begins to stalk her unsuspecting prey. Who knows what will happen when this superior female springs for her victim.?

The feeling that had been plaguing her so often recently jolted through her like a hundred fiery pinpricks. She surged to her feet and hopped violently down the bleachers. She ignored the game that had swung back to life around her; her attention was focused solely on the chatting couple too far away.

Kiyone said something and Kyo nodded in agreement. Tohru?s world tilted, swayed and slowed when he began to tug off his soaking shirt.

To this day the lady Honda still blushes profusely when asked to explain why the sight affected her so. She had accidentally seen the Sohmas transform often enough that sometimes even the sight of a bare bottom barely caused her to blink. She had certainly seen Kyo shirtless before?on hot days he had the tendency to shed his shirt while training. Maybe it was the way the sweat dripped of Kyo?s body, the tiny droplets reflecting the sun just so. Maybe it was seeing the sheer exhilaration on Kyo?s face, a look that filled her heart with so much feeling she thought it would explode. Maybe it was the way he took the towel from Kiyone, an innocently innocuous movement that filled her with envy. She stopped dead in her tracks even as her eyes continued to admire Kyo?s lithe form, her insides churned with an acid emotion she could not name, and her head seemed to throb with the thought, ?That should be me.?

She didn?t register the warning shouts, didn?t notice the look of panic in Kyo?s eyes, didn?t realize that the soccer ball was heading right for her until darkness descended, swimming with stars.

*****

Tohru felt heavy and light at the same time. She attempted to shake off the clouds in her head and winced at the pain. Hesitantly, she opened her eyes. There was Yuki, his cultured face furrowed with concern. Turning her head ever so slightly, she saw that he was flanked by Uo and Hana, twin looks of worry gracing their features. She heard a delighted shriek and knew that Momiji was close by.

Yuki smiled, his relief evident. ?Miss Honda, thank goodness you?re all right.?

?Tohru,? it was Uo this time, ?how do you feel??

Tohru?s skin prickled as Hana studied her. ?You electric signals, while a little unsteady, have stabilized,? her mouth bent into a slight smile, ?I am glad.?

Tohru nodded slowly. ?I?m okay.? She shot up suddenly, ignoring the dizziness that followed. ?Where?s Kyo?? her voice was panicked and her eyes scanned the room frantically. Her instant anxiety was calmed when he responded.

?I?m right here.? He stepped into view and she felt instantly soothed. ?Lie back down now before you make yourself sick.?

Tohru complied. ?I?m sorry, when I didn?t see you I got worried.?

Kyo stalked forward. ?YOU?RE the one we were worried about! What the hell were you thinking? Didn?t you hear everybody screaming LOOK OUT??

?It?s a good thing Momiji has a cell phone. He was able to call Hatori to look you over and get you home,? Yuki commented softly. ?He said that you?d be fine, but that you should take it easy. And don?t worry about work,? he added when she made to speak, ?Momiji handled that too.?

?I?m so thankful to everyone. I?m so lucky to have so many people taking care of me.?

?You bet your ass you?re lucky,? Kyo yelled. ?You could have been killed out there! A ditz like you doesn?t belong anywhere near a soccer field!? He raved on, the walls shaking slightly with the force of his tirade.

The injured girl sank back against the pillows. While her expression was apologetic, inside she felt a strange satisfaction. HE was worried about HER. It was a good thing everyone was paying attention to the ranting Kyo because she didn?t think she?d be able to explain the reason behind her smile. Her calm was punctured when Yuki stood up.

The rat?s eyes were purple slits as he faced his enemy. ?That?s enough, Kyo. You?re upsetting Miss Honda.?

?Oh no, Yuki. I?m fine, I promise,? Tohru protested.

Kyo had already assumed an attack posture. ?Don?t tell me what to do, you damn rat. If you want me to shut up, why don?t you get your scrawny ass over here an make me??

Yuki sneered. ?Maybe I will??

Swish. The door slid open just in time. ?Yuki, Kyo, you?re not upsetting Tohru, are you?? Hatori queried, the tone of his voice making it apparent that he knew what had just taken place.

?It?? Kyo started but was hushed at the look on the doctor?s face. ?Whatever. I?m going to take a bath.? He walked out of the room, hesitating at the door for a heartbeat before continuing on his way.

?Now Tohru,? Hatori said as he moved past an ashamed Yuki, ?Let me take one last look at you.?

*****

When Tohru opened her eyes again, her room was coated with shadows. Hatori had given her a clean bill of health and left shortly thereafter, even offering rides home to Uo and Hana. She blinked again and stretched luxuriously. Her eyes scanned the room, adjusting to the darkness. A smile touched her lips when she made out the figure lounging in the corner.

?Hi, Kyo.? The figure on the floor shifted, then got to its feet.

?Uhm?hey,? he answered, mumbling something she couldn?t quite hear.

?I?m sorry Kyo, I can?t hear you. You can come closer,? even though she was not sure if he could see it, she grinned invitingly, ?I won?t bite.?

Kyo shuffled closer to the bed. In the darkness Tohru could see that his body was slumped in a posture as close to submissive as one could ever expect from him. He inhaled deeply then exhaled in a giant whoosh.

?Listen,? he began again, ?I just wanted to say I?m sorry. You know, for the way I acted earlier. I shouldn?t have yelled at you. I?m?I?m sorry.?

Tohru reached for Kyo?s hand, tugging on it until he sat reluctantly on her bed. ?It?s all right. Really it is. I know you were worried about me.?

?I didn?t mean to yell at you, I swear I didn?t. It?s just?when I saw that ball hit you, I couldn?t move fast enough to do anything. Then you were laying on the ground and I wasn?t sure if you were breathing or not.? He rubbed agitatedly at his face. ?I was so relieved, so happy when you woke up. But then I thought about what happened and I was so mad at myself because I didn?t do anything to protect you, I just got mad and yelled.

?I just wanted you to know that I wasn?t yelling at you, I was yelling at myself.?

How could anyone not feel anything for this boy, this man who felt everything so strongly his feelings exploded out of him in a fireworks display of words? How could anyone not want to reach out to him, to let him know that he was, in fact understood? How could anyone not feel herself falling, dizzy with the stars his proximity put her in eyes?

?I know, Kyo, I know. I know you?re sorry. I know you were worried.?

?But how?? he interrupted. ?How could you know when I spoke to you like that? How could you know when I said those things to you??

You can feel love surround you like the sky ?round blue
This is how love has found you, now you know what to do.

His words, his actions, his presence trigged something inside, begging her to do something, anything about the way she was feeling. Some primal instinct told her that this was an important moment and pleaded with her to take advantage of it. The human body is an amazing machine. At her internal surrender, her brain shut down and her needy heart took over. It was as if she lost control of her faculties, as if she had willingly given up the reins to a more aggressive self.

Tohru squeezed Kyo?s hand. ?Everyone has their own way of displaying their feelings. As you get to know a person, you learn all these little ways. I know you, Kyo. I could see the worry here,? she tapped a finger lightly at the corner of his eye, ?in your eyes. I could tell by the fact that you hadn?t changed out of your sweaty clothes. I could even hear it, just a little in your voice. It?s obvious, even now. Were you in here to make sure that I made it through the night?? her voice was just a little raspier than usual and she wondered if he could tell.

?I?m not a pervert if that?s what you?re think??

She cut him off by leaning closer, placing her face closer to his. ?I like the way you worry about me, Kyo.?

She pressed her lips to his, imprinting everything she felt into this kiss. She felt him press back, felt his fingertips brushing against her chin. They pulled away and her blue eyes met the red brownness of his. The room seemed to swell with heat so thick she thought she could swim in it.

With a single finger, he traced the outline of her face causing little volcanoes of heat to erupt and overflow all throughout her. Instinctive agreement pulled at them and their lips met again in another, more fervent kiss. When Kyo?s tongue barely touched her own closed lips, she parted her lips readily and gasped as his own heat spilled into her.

Their tongues tangled and their fingers entwined in the other?s hair. Their open mouths slanted against each other and their bodies strained towards each other.

Closer, closer, the thought of it echoed through Tohru. Imagine the feeling of his body pressed up against yours. His mouth was on her neck now. It felt so good, so wondrous, but she couldn?t speak, and even if she could, she didn?t know if she could find the words. She dragged his mouth back up to hers for another heated kiss. Closer, closer. Soon it would be impossible to ignore the demands.

She pushed closer, realizing too late that she had pushed too hard, that she had pushed too close. Both bodies went tumbling off the bed and Tohru landed right on top of Kyo. She barely had an instant to enjoy the nearness before she was engulfed in the poof of smoke that accompanied his transformation.

She had enough sense left to know to move off of him and sit up. Chests heaving with heavy gasps, their brains were still too foggy to do anything but stare at each other, their eyes still colored darkly with desire. Neither one heard Yuki until he was actually in the room.

?Miss Honda, are you okay! Did you fall out of bed?? He shot a dirty look at the cat, briefly wondering why Kyo wasn?t countering with a nasty look of his own.

The fog that had earlier consumed Tohru dissipated. ?Oh Yuki, I?m fine. I just lost my balance and fell.?

Yuki looked puzzled. ?How did you lose your balance in bed??

Huh. Good question. ?Uhm?well, see I??

?Look,? Kyo interjected, his voice strong, ?she said she?s fine so leave her alone already. Go back to bed. You wouldn?t want to miss out on any more beauty sleep, would you??

Yuki shot Kyo a withering look and turned back to Tohru. ?Miss Honda, if you?re sure you?re??

?I?m fine, Yuki. Please go back to bed.?

?Very well.? The dark haired Sohma turned to leave the room, sparing one last annoyed glance at Kyo. ?You better leave and let Miss Honda get some rest.?

?Yeah, yeah,? Kyo mimicked. When Yuki was out of earshot he turned to Tohru. Before she could say anything, Kyo shook his head, his whiskers quivering at the movement. ?I know what's coming, and don't. Just?? tenderly, he placed a paw on her lap, ?good night.?

Mom, I think I'm starting to understand.