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Kyo stood on their small balcony, watching clouds drift across the cratered face of the crescent moon.
It had been a year. Three-hundred and sixty-five days since his life changed in a million ways all at once. Fifty-two weeks since he was last possessed by the spirit of the cat.
Twelve months since he finally told Tohru how he truly felt.
It had been the happiest day of his life up until then. And in the year since, he’d had so many days that might be a “happiest.” Days that represented a life he never thought he’d get to have; free of the curse, living out in the world, sharing it all with the one person he loved more than anything in the world.
But one year was nothing compared to seventeen years, a lifetime to him, as the most cursed Sohma. He still had a flash of panic every time Tohru hugged him. His heart still stopped when his eyes landed on his bare left wrist. He was still haunted by nightmares about his mother, Kyoko, Tohru’s fall from the cliff, or the Cat’s house. Really, the list of horrors that kept him up at night were endless.
Tonight, it had been his true form. He watched himself slash Tohru’s shoulder and heard himself shout horrible things at her, desperately trying to get her to leave so she wouldn’t be hurt even worse by him.
And even though he knew he was no longer cursed; he knew Tohru loved him more than anything, and he knew he would never hurt her, the past still plagued him.
What if? What if the curse returned one day, and he couldn’t hold her anymore? What if he transformed back into his true form without his beads, and hurt Tohru, or worse? What if he hurt her, even without a curse to blame?
What if Akito changed her mind and decided to lock him up after all?
Was that fair to Tohru? A life with so many question marks? How could he justify taking her away from all her friends for him , of all people?
Kyo heard the door behind him slide open. Tohru slipped out, coming to lean against the balcony railing right next to him.
“Which one was it tonight?” she asked.
“True form,” he grunted.
Tohru winced. She knew exactly how each dream would make him spiral. They all caused guilt to eat at his insides, but the dreams where he was in his true form were especially awful. He was still so afraid of hurting her. She wished he could see himself the way she saw him: a kind, gentle, incredibly loving young man who she was lucky to call her fiancé.
“Kyo-kun,” she said, stubbornness creeping into her voice. “Hold me.”
“Tohru...?”
“Just... hold me. Please.”
He stepped closer to her, wrapping his arms around her, surrounding her with his comforting warmth. She leaned into his embrace, sighing happily.
“Kyo-kun, you always make me feel so safe. I know nothing bad could ever happen when I’m in your arms, because of how gently you hold me. I still can’t believe how lucky I am to be with someone who cares for me like you do.”
She felt him start to shake; his breathing became ragged, and she felt moisture drip into her hair.
“Kyo-kun, you can hold me now. You’re not possessed anymore, and you never will be, not ever again. But I fell in love with you when you were still cursed. It would take a lot more than some curse to change how I feel about you.”
“Oh yeah?” he replied, voice thick. “Like what?”
She could hear the slight smile that had crept onto his face, and felt her own lips start to turn upwards. “Well, you’d have to be a completely different person, for one. That’s basically the only way I can see myself ever falling out of love with you.”
“So just that?” he asked, teasing.
“Hmm... yes, Kyo-kun, unfortunately that’s the only way you’re ever going to get me to stop loving you. Now, do you plan on becoming someone else anytime soon?”
“Tohru,” he laughed, planting a kiss on top of her head. “Thank you.”
“I mean it, Kyo-kun! Our love is invincible! Don’t ever forget that!”
“I won’t,” he said, trailing kisses down her neck. “My stubborn girl. What am I gonna do with you, hm?”
“I have some suggestions,” she said, fixing Kyo with a mischievous grin.
At that, they sped back into their apartment, making a beeline for their bedroom.