Chapter 38 - tears for kyo (last one!)

Kyo stormed up the flight of stairs, faster than he ever ran before. Time was ticking away and every moment he spent away from Tohru the more danger he was putting her in. He cared so much for her he only hoped he made it in time.

He came upon the door and banged on it with his fist three times. He stood ridged waiting for someone to open the door at the count of five before he bust the door down with his bare fists. "Open the damn door!" He bellowed while banging on the solid door again.

"God, Kyo, leave us in the dust why don't you?" Yuki panted behind him as he, Shigure and Hatori came around the corner just in time to hear Kyo yelling.

Kyo said nothing and sensed someone coming to the door. This was it. He was going to beat the crap out of Satsuki! The door creaked open and Kyo slammed the door open, hitting the man in the face. He reached around the door and grabbed him with both hands, ready to strangle him.

"Got you! You little son of a...!"

"KYO STOP!" Suddenly Kyo was whacked on the back of the head with a newspaper and Kyo stopped mid sentence.

"What the hell was that for?" He screamed at Shigure. The older man pointed and Kyo turned to the man he was dangling from the ground with his arms. It was senior citizen just staring up at him with a crooked smile. "You've got to be kidding me..."

"My, my, you boy scouts just get more and more aggressive every year, don't you? Got me with the door and everything." The old man said while pushing his glasses frame up the bridge of his nose. "I'll buy some candy if that's what you came around here for, sonny, but in my day, a kid didn't go around swinging doors open. Why, we had to walk fifteen miles to the closest house! With no shoes!"

Kyo almost fell over while the old man continued his rant. "S-sorry old man."

"Idiot, it's the next door over," Yuki said pointing. The rat boy walked over and raised his hand to knock before pausing. Just behind this door, Tohru was there. Was she okay? Or was she...? He didn't want to think about it. He knocked the door hard.

"Honda-san! Honda-san! Are you there?" Yuki called. Kyo meanwhile apologized to the old man and ushered him back into his apartment door before closing it and running to Yuki's side.

"Damn it, you could have warned me earlier!" Kyo growled.

"You're an idiot for not even reading the apartment number, stupid ca--"

Their bickering ceased as the door flung open and the bullet missed Kyo. Everyone would have breathed a sigh of relief except upon turning around, he saw red.

The shot went for Yuki, right at the side of his abdomen. It was unexpected for a bullet to go sailing though the hallway in such a quick moment. Yuki yelled in pain, clutching the wound, as he looked up to the wild gaze in Satsuki's eyes and he audibly gasped. He feared the next shot would end his life and he shut his eyes. Two bullets sailed through the air but neither ever made their mark. Yuki stared and saw Kyo had Satsuki by the hand, aiming the gun away from any of them.

"Yuki-kun!" Shigure ran over to the injured cousin. "Are you okay?"

"Go! Get Honda-san! Get her now!" Yuki yelled shrugging him off. Shigure was startled to say the least and almost fell over as he dashed into the apartment. Yuki lifted his hand to see the shot only grazed side, but blood soaked his white shirt and it soaked fast.

Hatori stared at Yuki for a moment, reaching out to him but Yuki shook his head violently. Yuki bit back his tears and motioned for Hatori to follow Shigure in. Hatori almost snorted at Yuki's reckless gallantry but saw that his wound was not critical. At the least he would faint. He turned his attention to Satsuki and Kyo, struggling against each other for control of the gun while Satsuki suddenly punched Kyo and the gun went flying. Hatori jumped slightly when both men came at him and he stared down at his feet to see the gun. He kicked it toward Kyo and the boy caught it but not before Satsuki tackled him again and the gun was once again up for grabs. Hatori was about to go after Satsuki but Kyo yelled, "Go get her the hell out of here!" Hatori looked down at Yuki to see he had already blacked out. He ran past them to follow Shigure into the apartment.

The room was immaculate, as if no one had ever touched the place. It was too ordinary for there to be a hostage in this home. He heard a vase break and spun around to see Kyo punch Satsuki, the man falling over on the table and onto the floor. Kyo's eyes shot up to Hatori. "Stop gawking! Find Tohru and get out!”

"She's mine!” Satsuki bellowed as he lunged at Kyo again. The pair continued to tumble around the room, legs and arms floundering about. Satsuki dropped the gun just as Kyo right hooked him in the jaw. Satsuki fell to the floor with the gun barely two feet beside him. He reached for it when Kyo kicked his hand out of the way and tackled him away from the gun.

"Hurry!" Kyo yelled to Hatori.

"Help me with this door," Shigure called down the hallway leading to a bedroom. It seemed everyone was giving him one too many orders today. Hatori drew his attention to the door Shigure was talking through.

"Tohru-kun, I want you to get away from the door." Shigure stepped back and ran himself into the door. Hatori approached and the two men together ran at the door. "At the count of three. One, two three!" All at once the door broke open and they stopped to stare at the girl covering her ears and shaking her head.

She was as skinny as a rail. Her skin looked almost like an eerie shade of olive green and her sparkling blue eyes were dull and shallow. They both took notice of her red and blue wrist and a bruise mark on her bottom jaw. She had not showered for days and the room smelled of a thick body odor and humidity mixed in. They were glad they made it in time but aghast with the scene before them. Satsuki had gone too far.

Tohru stopped shaking and gradually brought her hands away from her ears. Her breathing turned shallow as she saw two familiar faces staring back at her. Were they real? She stood straight and watched them with wide eyes. They came… they finally came.

Shigure rushed to grab Tohru into a hug, burying his face into her hair. "Tohru-kun," Shigure cried, holding her tightly, "you're okay."

Tohru's face burned scarlet with relief, fear, and total exhaustion. She cried into his shirt, gripping onto his clothing. "Shigure-san, Hatori-san you really came."

"Shh, we're getting you out of here," Hatori said, watching the door. "We need to move."

"Haru-kun called the police and they should be here any moment. Kyo-kun..."

Tohru gasped and raised her head from Shigure. "Kyo-kun!" She pushed past Shigure and ran into the main room.

"Tohru-kun, come back!" Shigure cried.

Tohru saw Kyo's figure and she stretched her arms out to hold him. He turned to her, his amber eyes widening. "Kyo-kun!" Tohru wailed, so happy he was not shot. She was entranced with Kyo’s safety that she did not realize she had just kicked the gun toward Satsuki who instantly picked it up.

It happened all too fast. Suddenly Satsuki pulled her hair back, snapping her sideways and onto the ground on her knees. She didn't have the strength to get up as she stood still, facing the carpeted mats below her. She could hear Kyo screaming for her but at the click of a loaded gun all was silenced.

She nearly stopped breathing as time slowed down. She barely raised her head to see Kyo kneeling on the floor directly in front of her and Shigure and Hatori frozen in their spot just feet away from them. Her eyes shifted slowly to the gun raise at her temple and the mad man holding her down by her hair. "S...Sat..suki...?"

"Quiet!" He barked, pushing her head to the ground.

"Tohru! Are you okay?" Kyo asked. He felt stupid asking such a question when clearly she was not okay. Tohru on the other hand smiled regardless of everything happening at the moment. She thought for a moment she was just going crazy, lost her marbles, whatever. But even so, at least she’d die smiling with the thought of her love, knowing she was able to see him one last time. Just to hear his voice again made her smile all the same. To hear the concern in his voice, the concern, the love. She nodded her head slowly.

"You came..." she whispered. Satsuki tightened his hold on her hair making her scream with pain.

"I said quiet!"

"Leave her alone!" Kyo shouted.

Satsuki pulled Tohru up so Kyo could see her tear streaked face. Satsuki leaned close to Tohru smirking at Kyo’s anger. "Don't tell me what to do or I'll blow her pretty little brains all over this apartment!" Satsuki's finger closed around the trigger tightly making Tohru squeeze her eyes shut.

Everyone stood silent as the tension smothered the air. Kyo was at a loss. He was so close to her. All he wanted to was to hold her once more, feel that she was real... He closed his eyes and opened them. Now what? He turned to the open hallway, hoping the police would show up soon when he noticed something. Where was Yuki? He turned to Satsuki and hoped he didn't realize what he just did.

"What do you want?" Kyo finally asked.

"Simple really. Tohru does not love me at the least. I have nothing but hatred to the stupid girl now." Satsuki exposed his teeth looking like the devil himself as Tohru sat frozen under the gun. "I want her to suffer."

Suddenly, Kyo could see Yuki with what looked like a golf club, staggering as quiet as a mouse toward the back of Satsuki's head. If it was Kyo, he'd have sliced his head off in a heartbeat, but then again, Satsuki had Tohru like a shield at this moment. It was possible he could hurt Tohru. He decided for the first time in a long time, he'd see what Yuki would do. Kyo's eyes darted quickly to the side hoping to stall time. "...So you want to kill me?"

"No. I don't want to kill you. That would be too easy." Just as quickly, Satsuki turned the gun barrel over his shoulder and shot a bullet before quickly placing the gun back at Tohru's temple. Yuki had barely dodged death once again, the bullet missing his head by mere centimeters. Satsuki's eyes darted to his side. "I know you're there Sohma, I can see your reflection in the window. If you try anything funny I'll pull the trigger on her next time. Don't think I won't do it. You said you’d break off every one of my fingers for hurting her? Well how about me hurting you but shooting off every one of her fingers while she screams to be killed instead?" He barked. Everyone paled and Yuki unenthusiastically threw the club to the side, the metal clanging against the wall loudly. “Good… now stand where I can see you, you little dumbass.”

Kyo looked disappointed as Yuki stepped away from Satsuki's back. Yuki glared at the man like no one had ever seen before. Hatred mirrored in his eyes as he showed himself in front of Satsuki, his breathing labored and his face ghostly white.

"If you hate Honda-san that much, why don't you let her go then? You bastard..." Yuki growled clutching his side painfully.

Satsuki chuckled, "I want her to suffer. I want her," Satsuki pulled Tohru's hair so that she winced in pain, "to remember the pain of seeing the one she loves," he turned to Kyo, "when he does not love her back."

"I love her!"

"Silence!" Satsuki bellowed once again. He was holding Tohru so tightly she barely had time to cry. What was he getting at? Kyo on the other hand stared wide eyed. He stared at her exposed neck and how her jugular moved up and down erratically as she struggled against Satsuki. He had to save her. He just had to.

Satsuki turned on Hatori, his eyes blazing like hot steel. "You. I want you to erase Kyo-san's memories of Tohru. All of them. I don't want him to remember ever meeting her, ever talking to her, ever even laying a hand, on her disgusting body." Satsuki barked. "And if you don't do as I say, I promise you I will shoot her. Then all of you will suffer and not have your precious little whore."

Everyone turned to Hatori who stood stunned. He had not had to erase anyone's memory since Kana. Could he do it again?

"I said to erase his memories!" Satsuki said.

"I won't let you do that." Kyo said glaring at the man before Hatori could speak up. "You can't take my memories."

"Fine. Keep your memories and I'll end her life. Say good bye!" Satsuki's finger applied more pressure to the trigger.

"NO!" Kyo cried desperately as Satsuki paused with a grin. "Don't shoot her!" He was so close. The woman he loved was barely three feet away from him and he couldn't save her. He... he couldn't. If he forgot her, his life would be empty again. His entire life would be nothing if not for her. It’d be like starting back at one.

"Kyo-kun..." Tohru mouthed without a sound coming out of her. A tear fell from her eye like a shimmering crystal before dripping onto a familiar engagement band on her finger. He stared at it wondering why she was wearing it to begin with and it pissed him off. She didn’t belong to him anymore. She was free. He knew she was. She had to have told him she didn’t love him anymore to make him hold a gun to her head. Damn Satsuki.

He clenched his fists. There was a plain solution to all of this. It would be difficult but he would have to give up his memories of Tohru. He would not remember a thing.

"Hatori-san..." Kyo said quietly. "Do what he says..."

"Kyo-kun," Hatori stepped forward. He did not want to be the decision maker of this entire engagement. Kyo not remembering anything of Tohru? What would their lives be like from then on? "I... I can't..."

"Do it! Do it or she dies!" Kyo's teary eyes turned on Hatori. He looked so scared and angry. "What the hell is there to think about? Erase my damn memories!"

Hatori felt panicked. Kyo was right... it was Tohru's life on the line here. But still, it was plain to the eye that they belonged together. She'd be torn if all her time spent with the man she loved were washed away like sand in the sea. All the fragments could never be put together again. But Tohru's life...

Hatori approached Kyo and held his hand to his forehead but pulled away.

Hatori turned on Satsuki, "How did you know of my powers?"

"Tohru here was babbling to herself the other day. I couldn't help but listen in on it. Your powers really are of great use don't you think?" Satsuki began to cackle as Hatori turned away with a frown.

This was not fair. This entire situation...

Hatori lowered his hand over Kyo's eyes only to feel warm tears brush on his palms. The feeling only made Hatori's heart tighten and he choked back his own tears. He could feel the great sadness from Kyo just by those warm tears flooding his eyes. Eyes that would never remember the girl he loved and longed for.

"Kyo-kun, don't... don't forget me..." Tohru said even though Satsuki once again barked at her to silence. Her voice cracked as she pushed on, "I... you shouldn't get involved... please..." Her hand reached out for him, desperately wanting to hold on.

"I told you if you ever ran away, I'd find you. You're special Tohru. Don't worry about anything. You'll be... you'll be okay. Ayame, Momiji, Haru, Shigure, Hatori, hell even Yuki... they'll protect you. They'll remember. You'll remember." Tohru watched as Hatori pulled his hand away and Kyo continued his intense gaze, his eyes bright as the moonlight she remembered on their first date. "Even if I forget these memories, don't cry it's going to be okay."

"K-Kyo-kun..."

To see her in such pain... "I said it will be okay!" Kyo shouted to cut her off while shutting his eyes. Even with his eyes closed he thought of every moment he had with Tohru since she first descended into his life. Every moment imprinted that was about to be cleaned away. Maybe if he thought really hard, he would remember. But it was only wistful thinking. He knew of Hatori’s powers and he would take the person’s memory away from that very moment to the first time they met that person… he knew he would forget everything about his darling Tohru.

The last image he had of her was that beautiful smile the last time they kissed before she left the Sohma house. Those smiles that were only for him... he didn't want to forget. It felt like cold ice in the pit of his stomach. His memories were all he had of her and now he'd lose that too. "Even... even if I forget these memories..." His voice fell quieter, "I'll just fall in love with you again." Her lip trembled as Hatori's hand to cover his face.

Tohru’s eyes widened as a bright light emitted from Hatori's hand. Kyo's body pulsed and he fell forward in a heap almost as if he'd just passed out.

"KYO!" Tohru screamed more tears flooding her eyes. When the bright light flashed, Shigure and Yuki both lunged at Satsuki by surprise, pinning him down to the floor as the gun skidded away from him. Tohru flew from his iron grip and rushed to Kyo forgetting everything in the room. Shigure took a good swing at his skull, punching the insane man out cold. Even with such resentment to Satsuki, Shigure didn't make a noise or a curse. Neither did Yuki. Hatori stared at his hands hating himself for what he just did. There was no other choice though.

Kyo lost his memories.

Everyone was utterly quiet, the storm clearing away only to find the destruction in the wake of its path. There were no words for what they felt. It was unfathomable and unnecessary. The only thing ringing through their ears...

... Were Tohru's sobs...

"Kyo!" Tohru cried while shaking him. "Kyo!" She pulled him up to cradle his face in her lap as she cried with grief. "Wake up. Please wake up!" She didn't deserve such kindness from him. She pushed his orange hair from his face as her tear fell onto his cheek, rolling off his skin and onto the floor. "Kyo, I never told you but... but I love you so much. I love you. I never told you because I was scared, I wasn't ready, and I was a fool." She closed her eyes while shaking her head. "Now it's too late..."

'I'll just fall in love with you again.'

She cried in torture. It wasn't fair. "You have to wake up and remember! Wake up so you can tell me you love me too!” She knew he would eventually wake up, but she wanted to hear him with the tone he used only for her. That voice that said he would never leave her and that he’d always love her. She gently lowered her lips to meet his, kissing him tenderly before moving away and letting her fingers trace his jaw. “Kyo, I love you." Using her arms she deputized her sleeves and smoothed away her tears. "I always will."

Seeing him still not moving she breathed shallow and shaky. "I'm so sorry." She felt her chest tighten as she let him go and she turned away to pound her fist into the floor. She loved him and he loved her. Wasn't this supposed to be a happy ending for them? Wasn't everything else that happened to them enough? When would the hurting end? She couldn't live with herself knowing she loved him so much but he never knew. Now he would never know.

"I love you so much..." she cried while balling her fists. Her hair covered her face as the room fell silent. The sound of car door slamming and police sirens echoed outside as Tohru heaved her aching heart and continued to try and restrain her lonely tears.

After a moment Tohru heard shuffling next to her and she turned to see Kyo waking up. She paused to stare at him and he blinked, only staring right back at her with blank, unmoving eyes. She hopped for a moment that he didn't forget her. That it was all a joke and he'd just hit her on the head and say, "stupid, I'd never forget you!'

But he just stared at her.

He forgot her.

He didn't remember.

Her lip trembled and she continued to weep. She bit her lip, trying to control her sobs raking through her small body. She loved him and he'd never know. It was unfair. This wasn’t happening.

'I'm sorry Kyo. I'm so sorry.'

She felt hands move over her own and she blinked away her tears to see clearly. Slowly, she followed those warm hands up to his arms, chest and finally met his warm amber eyes.

"I love you too."

With a gasp, she stared at Kyo who was sitting up as if he'd just woke up from a deep sleep. He grinned at her as her eyes only widened.

"K-Kyo..."

"I'm glad you finally said it though. I think that's the first time you just called me just 'Kyo' too." She sat breathless until he nodded in understanding. His eyes seemed to tell her all she need to know. He remembered. He didn't forget.

He still loved her.

“Well don’t just sit there staring at me. You look like a fish with your mouth opening and closing like that,” Kyo joked while ruffling her hair playfully.

Her heart swelled and she lunged herself into his arms crying with happiness. "Oh God, Kyo! You-- how? Oh, I'm so happy!"

They heard a swarm of people barking out commands around them, and Sohma members hugging Tohru from every which way, but she wasn't there anymore. She kept her face buried deep in Kyo's warm chest, listening to their hearts beat together.

He patted her back, holding her safely in his strong waiting arms. He let her cry and babble. He didn't care. He thought he'd lost her forever...

He raised her chin to catch her lips once more before rescue workers came to take her.

...but now forever was only about to begin.
HOped u enjoyed the story while it lasted sorry but there will be no sequal!

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