5 5 - The Plan

Kyo Sohma was hovering about the kitchen, standing barefoot on the white marble tiles, waiting for the kettle to whistle, with two mugs perched on a bamboo tray. He glanced up at the white plastic clock at sat beside the fridge. It was six in the morning, far too early to be awake, the cat thought to himself. Luckily he wasn't rudely woken by a screeching alarm clock or the sun beaming into his brown-dyed eyes, instead, he woke up naturally. He cursed his body clock, the one day he had a rare day off and he couldn't have a lie-in.

The cat's thoughts were interrupted by the whistling of the kettle coming from the stove. Kyo removed it from the hob and began filling each mug with boiling water. He had chosen to make himself a cup of coffee, hoping the caffeine would help make him feel a little more human than he did right now in his half-asleep dazed state. For his partner, Tohru, he had made a cup of breakfast tea. Maybe I should make breakfast in bed? He asked himself, having a small debate with himself. He didn't want to go overboard and risk worrying her that something bad had happened, or her to suspect something was out of the ordinary. Kyo picked out a small china plate from the cupboard before loading up the toaster with a couple of slices of bread. The cat removed both the milk and butter from the fridge, topping up their mugs with the cold liquid and stirring well just as the toast popped. He smiled, flicking the slices onto the plate after they were quickly buttered.

Kyo made his way across the narrow corridor after he had ensured the kitchen was tidied, with the round bamboo tray in his hands. He carefully eased open his bedroom door open with one foot, trying his best not to spill the boiling liquids over himself or the toast. He tiptoed across the cream carpet, careful not to wake his sleeping companion, setting the tray onto their shared chest of drawers. Tohru was curled up on her left side, her arms outstretched onto his side of the bed, her soft sweet snore rung through the almost silent room. Kyo couldn't help but smile, he loved the noises she made in her sleep, reminding him of a baby bear they had since at the city zoo a few years back.

He seized his orange mug with his right hand and hastily took a sip, not realize he was, in fact, slurping up the hot liquid. "Ack," he spat, sticking out his tongue to inspect. He is haste he had managed to burn it a little, "Dammit," he sighed under his breath. Typical him to do something terribly silly. Suddenly the snoring has ceased and instead replaced with a soft mumbling coming from the bedsheets. Kyo winced, knowing full well he had disturbed her sleep. His partner stretched out her slender body on the cream-dyed sheets, letting out barely audible squeaks. Kyo's heart skipped a beat, her sleepy noises always made his heart flutter, like a reminder this beautiful woman was with him.

Tohru lifted her brunette locks from the bedsheets, her tree-bark eyes opening, catching sight of her partner standing in front of her, "Good morning Kyo-Kun," she said sleepily, giving him a sweet smile while rubbing the sleep from her eyes. The cat handed her favorite pink colored mug with a plum onigiri printed on the side. She accepted it, cupping it in her pale hands and immediately taking a sip. The sweet liquid warmed her body, a smile appearing on her lips. What a lovely way to wake up, she thought to herself.

"Good morning beautiful," Kyo purred, "If you're hungry, I made some toast," he said picking up the china plate before perching on the side of the bed. Tohru removed the mug from her lips, and planting a soft kiss on his cheek.

"How thoughtful, thank you," the brunette thanked her partner, placing a soft kiss on his cheek before taking a nibble of her buttered toast. The cat smiled, letting out a chuckle, she made him feel like the luckiest guy alive. He just hoped she still felt the same this evening when he had planned to pop the question. Guess I'll have to wait and see, he thought to himself continuing to smile at his partner.

♡

Kyo had moved down the hallway and into the living room, hopelessly flicking through the television channels. He had left his partner to shower and get ready for work in peace, giving her a little privacy. It was the perfect time to collect his thoughts about the preparations for the evening. He was struggling to keep all the information into his head, over-thinking every scenario that could occur. The cat was a little nervous that she may reject his hand but hoped this wouldn't be the case. Kyo began jotting a few notes using an app on his mobile phone, he feared using a notebook would raise suspicions with his partner if she suddenly walked in and saw a range of scattered notes.

He had made himself a second cup of coffee to get the caffeine flowing into his bloodstream, ready to put his plan into action. He made a note to contact his cousin Yuki and arrange to see him this afternoon to discuss his plans. Of all the Sohma family members, Yuki had been the closest to Tohru [aside from Kyo] back in high school. Kyo felt he was probably the best person to speak to regarding the plans to ensure they were perfect for his partner. He took a quick sip of his coffee, hearing the sound of light footsteps aside the wooden flooring coming down the hallway he locked his phone, returning it to his pocket to hide any evidence. In the background, he had settled on the local news channel and pretended to take notice.

"Oh no," Tohru's voice appeared in the doorway, "Another fire? How awful," there was a sad undertone in her voice. She wasn't fond of hearing bad news, especially with her optimistic personality. Kyo turned to face her, noticing she was wearing a simple black ensemble of tailored black shirt dress and loafers. She had tied her brunette locks into a fishtail plait, cascading onto her left shoulder and tied with a black ribbon. A goofy grin appeared on his lips, even in her work uniform he thought she was the most beautiful woman in the room. His partner noticed his gaze, feeling her cheek ablaze.

"Stop it Kyo-Kun," she pleaded, waving a hand inches away from his face, "Stop looking at me like that, silly." Tohru let out a childish giggle, Kyo couldn't help but chuckle along with her. She always brought out the best in him, even back in high school. He couldn't help but fall deeper and deeper in love with her. The brunette quickly checked the time on the television set, noticing it was now eight o'clock.

"I've got to run," she squeaked, dashing out the doorway to find her handbag. Kyo heard her run around, banging a few cupboard doors as she went, like a headless chicken, before hearing a satisfied hum, "Found it," she called from the kitchen. The cat couldn't help smiling, shaking his head as he drained the last of his milky caffeine before pushing himself off the leather sofa to meet his partner in the other room.

The couple stood by the front door saying their goodbyes to one another. Kyo promised his companion he would stop by the bakery for a spot of lunch before he ran a couple of errands. Tohru nodded in reply and planting a soft kiss on his lips before grabbing her keys and leaving for work. Her partner waved her goodbye until she was out of sight before closing the door behind him. He took a deep breath, finally, he could begin setting his plan in motion ready for this evening, in the comfort of his own home without the fear his partner would see any of the details.

Kyo's first plan of action was to call his cousin, Yuki. He rummaged in his khaki joggers pocket, fishing out his smartphone and dialing the fellow Sohma's number. The cat took a seat at the small dining table, a pen and notebook to hand, patiently waiting for his cousin to answer. The phone sounded the dial tone, a sharp tone ringing in his ear as he waited. Finally, after four monotone beeps later, Yuki answered the phone.

"Hello, Sohma residence, Yuki speaking," a soft male voice answered in an overly polite tone.

Kyo winced, raising an eyebrow at the phone, "No need to be formal, rat. It's me, Kyo." He said speaking a little louder than normal, beginning to doodle in his notebook.

The voice on the receiver sighed, "What have you done now?" Yuki replied concerned, it was unlike his cousin to call him, especially given their fallout over Tohru back in high school. They had both confessed their love to Tohru, however, Kyo was the Sohma victorious, much to Yuki's disappointment.

The cat scowled at the phone, "Hold up!" he began to raise his voice, "I haven't done anything. I wanted your advice," he continued, his cheeks glowing pink with embarrassed. It was rare for him to ask for any kind of help.

"Hm," Yuki pondered, reconsidering his previous question, "What's wrong?" he asked in a less concerning tone.

Kyo swallowed hard before explaining himself, "I want to ask for Tohru's hand in marriage, but I need some help finalizing the details," he answered, "I thought you'd be the best guy to ask." The phone line went quiet for a moment, he assumed his cousin was considering his reply or perhaps he didn't want to answer at all. Kyo couldn't help but almost regret his decision to call upon the rat, considering the history between him and Tohru.

"I think you know deep down exactly what to do," Yuki finally replied, snapping the cat back to reality, "I honestly don't believe I am the best person to ask. You are her partner, you know better than anyone." Kyo nodded at the phone, he knew his cousin was right, he did know his partner than anyone and this plan was going to prove it.

"Thank you, I'll let you get on," he said to the phone, quickly jotting down a few notes regarding his plan.

"Let me know how it goes," his cousin replied before ending the call. Kyo put the phone beside the notebook on the table. He took a peek at his list, so far he had only listed a bouquet of tulips and dinner at her favorite restaurant that evening.

I'll surprise her at work with the flowers and invite her to dinner this evening, Kyo thought to himself, she'll like it if I wore a smart shirt, his mind suggested. He jotted down 'wear a nice shirt' then quickly added 'smart jeans' beside it. I've got to look the part, he reminded himself. He thought about maybe laying out his partner's clothes for her, but he didn't want to come across pushy and decided it was best if she chose her own outfit for the evening.

Kyo picked up his smartphone again, searching for the restaurant's number. He dialed it, waiting a shorter time for it to be answered than he had waited for his cousin, Yuki. A man with a slight Italian accent had answered making him feel a little lost. He asked for a table for two, in the garden area of the restaurant, thinking this would be something his partner would like - surrounded by beautiful scenery. He thanked the manager, securing his reservation for seven pm and a bottle of champagne in aid of the celebration.

Satisfied with himself for organizing a fair bit of his plan already, Kyo stopped to make himself a quick hot beverage - another cup of coffee, knowing full well he would need the caffeine boost for this evening to balance out his anxiety. He made the coffee in his rinse-washed orange cat mug, remembering the time his partner had picked it out for him. A smile appeared on his lips and his heart begun to flutter. Kyo shook his head, feeling his cheeks ablaze. He truly loved Tohru, and it was written all over his face. He couldn't hide his excitement and how nervous he was for tonight. He hoped with all his heart it was going to go the way he dreamed it would.

The cat sipped at his coffee mug, after waiting a few minutes to first let the liquid cool. He didn't want a repeat of his accident earlier this morning. Kyo returned to his seat back at the dining table, pondering over where to acquire a bouquet of tulips for his fiancé-to-be, I hope, he reminded himself. The only place that popped into his head was the florist his partner worked at. While Kyo believed they could help him create the perfect bouquet for his proposal, as they knew Tohru and well as he did. He drained his mug of coffee before disappearing down the hall to make himself presentable for the day to begin setting his plan in motion.

♡

Kyo locked the front door securely behind him before discarding his keys in the canvas rucksack on his back, alongside his spiral-bound notebook. He turned left when he left the garden gate and began marching up the street. The Happy Petals florist was located in the center of town, the opposite direction to the bakery. He was glad they were a good distance apart, it meant Tohru wouldn't be able to see him running the errands and raise her suspicions. It was a good twenty minutes walk to the middle of town but Kyo didn't mind so much, the exercise was needed to keep his anxiety running away with him. He quickened his pace, turning his walk into a light jog, his rucksack patting him on the bag as he went.

♡

The cat reached the town center just as the clock tower struck ten o'clock, the brass chime weaving itself through the town on the warm wind. He smiled, looking up at the ancient building, something about the tune was soothing. Kyo scanned his surroundings, taking a few steps towards an illustrated town map, he never had the time to venture out past the dojo most days. He peeked at the map, finding himself in the 'you are here' circle and exploring the page with his index finger, discovering the route to the florist. Satisfied he had deciphered the correct path he set off towards the east of town, avoiding the crowd completely and disappearing down a small alley. He continued to walk a little way down the street, away from the town center and into a narrow market. The Happy Petals florist stood at the back of the market, it's exterior painted to match the color of laurels. It had a striped canopy protruding from above the windows, with a row of neatly placed flowering plants on wooden tables. This is it, Kyo told himself, looking up at the hand-painted script lettering on the window panes.

He made his way inside, pushing the door gently open. A little bell dinged as the wooden frame made contact with the pastel-painted walls. No sooner had he entered the boxy store did the owner Sakura Tomoe appear from the back room. She was dressed in a simple pale blue shirt and jeans with a striped apron tied at her waist. Her cropped sandy-blonde hair was decorated with a matching headband.

Sakura noticed Kyo standing in the middle of the checked floor, his brown eyes gazing around the room looking bewildered, "Hi. Can I help at all?" she asked with a smile. The cat turned to face the woman, shaking his head from his daydream and remembered they never had met, despite his partner working there two days a week.

"Hi," he replied, taking a step towards her counter, "I'm here to buy something for my partner, Tohru. Tohru Honda." He was hoping she would be about to help him.

"Oh!" the clerk was a little taken back. He guessed this might of been because she had never seen him before, he hoped his partner may have mentioned him once or twice, at least, "You're Kyo. Oh, Tohru never does stop talking about you. It's nice to put a face to the name." She said, beaming at him, clearly excitement by his presence inside the store. He smiled awkwardly in reply as she continued to talk, "Anyway, it's nice to meet you. I'm Sakura Tomoe and I run this little store The Happy Petals," the clerk outstretched her hand for him to shake. Kyo accepted it graciously, shaking hers.

"So," she continued, placing her hands on top of the white marble counter, "What can I help you with?" she asked.

"Actually, I was hoping to get a bouquet for Tohru. Tulips, maybe?" he questioned himself with the flower of choice, "Do you think she'd like that?" he asked her colleague to be sure.

Sakura nodded, "Tohru is quite fond of the tulips. What's the occasion, if you don't mind my asking?"

"Well," Kyo replied, scratching the back of his ginger hair nervously while his heart began skipping beats, "I am hoping to propose to Tohru this evening."

The clerk's jaw hit the floor, "Wow, really?" she asked to confirm, making sure she heard him correctly. He nodded, letting out a soft nervous chuckle, "Good for you both. Oh, I'm so happy. I know it's not official, but, we both know what her answer is going to be." Kyo raised an eyebrow, Do we? He thought to himself.

Sakura moved to the front of the counter and let him over to the buckets of tulips she had in stock, "I can probably make a beautiful bouquet from these light pink and lilac stems. Maybe a few white to help balance the palette and a few sprigs of baby's breath," she looked up from the plants to see his face even more confused than before, "What do you think?" The cat was dumbfounded, stumbling to find the words to say.

"I can honestly say I trust your judgment," he replied after a few minutes, smiling awkwardly at the clerk, "Sorry, I'm not good with this stuff. Tohru deals with the garden too. But I think that would be great. Thank you."

"Perfect," Sakura said, smiling back at him. She began gathering up the stem ready to prep the order for him, "I could have in done within the hour if that's okay?" Kyo nodded in response, "There's a little café opposite, it serves wonderful cakes, and the coffee isn't half bad either." After he had thanked Sakura for all her help, he followed her suggestion and helped himself to an early lunch of cake and coffee while he waited for his order.

♡

Kyo returned to The Happy Petals florist after he was finished with his lemon drizzle sponge, Sakura was right, this place is delicious, he thought to himself rubbing his now full stomach. The tiny doorbell chimed once more as he walked through and was immediately greeted by Sakura's smile, beaming at him from behind the marble counter. She was just finishing tying off the bouquet ribbon when she noticed him walk in.

"Hi Kyo," she said looking up from her work and greeted him with a smile.

"Hi," he replied, then quickly remembered the extra treat he had purchased, "Here, thanks for doing me a big favor. A coffee and a slice of their lemon drizzle. It was delicious. Thank you for the recommendation." He handed her a brown paper bag and a to-go cup.

Sakura accepted them graciously, "Thank you, that was really kind of you." She took a quick sip of the hot beverage and began smiling again, "I really love their coffee." She set the cup and the sweet treat to one side to turn her attention to the finished bouquet.

"I've used the colored tulip stems as discussed and I decided to add just a little of the baby's breath to make the colors pop a little more," Sakura said, showcasing her work, clearly proud of what she had produced, "I hope you don't mind me adding the lilac wrap and pink bow. I think it finishes it off nicely. What do you think?" She was excited by the work, desperately hoping he liked it.

"Actually," Kyo replied, eying up the bouquet, checking all the details, "I think Tohru is going to love it. It's perfect. Thank you." He beamed back at her, overly impressed with her handy work.

"Thank you for your kind words, Kyo. Tohru is a lucky woman."

"Honestly, I think I'm the lucky one in the relationship."

Sakura began to laugh, she enjoyed hearing the thoughts of her customers, particularly when it concerned her friends too. Kyo paid the bill for the bouquet, noticing the clerk had added an extra little discount, referring to it as a friend and family discount for staff only, and refusing when he had offered to pay the full amount.

"Consider it a good luck gift, and be sure to remember me for the wedding bouquets!" Sakura joked, handing the cat his purchase. He chuckled.

"I'm sure Tohru wouldn't hear it any other way. It has to be you," Kyo replied, walking to the door, "Thank you again," he said before disappearing out the door.

"Bye Kyo," Sakura called out after him, waving her customer goodbye. He gave her a quick wave back before pressing on with his journey back towards the center of town. Kyo had successfully completed step one of his elaborate plan, but would the rest of it go as smoothly, he wondered to himself. He glanced at the beautiful bouquet cradled in his arms, I really hope she says yes.