Lost

Chapter 15: Yearn

Huff... huff... huff...

 She sprints, her feet pounding at the ground with every step. She glances everywhere, in every direction.

Here...

She makes a right and heads straight until she meets the woods. She pauses to wipe her forehead clean of sweat and to take a big breath.

Almost there...

She could feel it. Someone calling to her. Someone yearning for her as much as she yearned for them.

 What's this feeling? Why do I feel this way? Why?

That birds chirped happily and it made her smile. Soon... she was going to be reunited with the one...

The one I love.

 Ah... how could she possibly forget the feeling?

She bounced on her feet yet again and ran faster this time. Only a couple of steps more.

"Honda-san?!"

Wiping her head back, she came face to face with a pretty boy. One who looked like he was out on a run because of the sweat that dripped from his face.

"Yuki-kun?" Surprised by her own words, she gave out a grand smile out of habit then touched her neck and felt her pulse run steady.

Not him...

She felt warm by the sight of him but the feeling she had before was different. Something like a color that brightened up her world. That cleared the noise and replaced it with a happy melody.

Dancing notes.

A child's first laugh in the world.

Holding hands for the first time.

A summer's first kiss.

How would you describe this feeling? This feeling of yearning, of obsession, of necessity.

"Where have you been?" Yuki reminded her of what she was doing and she grinned. "We've been looking everywhere for you." He sounded so kind and gentle. 

"I was just a little lost but I've come home." She said with as much as she could. "Where is..."

She still couldn't place them. Her feelings that is...

Who was it that she loved? How could she possibly forget... him.

"He's in his room." Before he could say any more, she ran up the stairs to his room and paused in front of his door.

Behind this door is...

She couldn't wait anymore but she couldn't bring herself to open the door just yet.

What if it was all in her head? Was this an illusion? A made-up reality?

How would she know? How would it end?

She could hear heavy steps walk around behind the room. 

She waited, then knew.

She just knew...

She knew this feeling was real. A real feeling. The feeling was only waiting for them to appear.

For Kyo to appear.

"Kyo-kun!!" She frantically blurted out behind the door. "Kyo-kun!!" She shouted. The footsteps stopped, the ringing stopped, her heart stopped.

Everything became instantly quiet and only their breath could be heard.

"Tohru?" A muffled voice entered through the space between them. It became still for a few minutes until he finally struggled to get to his feet. 

He had fallen from the shock.

My love, Kyo-kun.

"Tohru?" He repeated in disbelief. "Tohru? Is that you?"

"..." Tears were pouring from her eyes and landed on the palms of her hands. She struggled to keep the sobs from plummeting out of her. "Kyo...kun." 

The door quickly slid open and he stood there... out of breath and completely drained of energy.

Their eyes met simultaneously and they each held in a breath. Their gaze never failing to break, for fear of losing the other in a single blink.

 She wondered what he had been doing the whole time. Was he lifelessly fading away? Was he perhaps miserable without her? If so... what would he do now? Now that she was here once more?

For a moment, he looked at her as if waiting to see if she'd disappear again or if this was a painful trick to remind him of what doesn't belong to him. He waited to see if she was really there in front of him. If so... why had she chosen to be right there, in that moment, with him? Why him? Why choose him?

Even as he asked himself this, he smiled and the tears that had been held back the whole time came down his face and he was reminded of miracles. Miracles only Tohru could make.

His lovely flower...

Without a second to waste, he embraced her. "I love you... Tohru." He voiced out his regrets. "I love you so much." He clutched her tight. "I'll never let you go again."