A/N: Please keep in mind that this is my first serious attempt at a Fruits Basket fanfic. I use italics for both thinking and flashbacks - it's easy enough to tell between the two, though. Oh, and this is set after volume six of the manga.
"What do you even think? Don't you get it? You're the cat! Stupid, worthless cat! No one will ever want you! No one would ever love a monster like you!"
Kyo blinked his amber orbs a few times to focus his vision again. Lying on the roof, all he had to look at were the clouds above him, but the slowly setting sun seemed intent on trying to blind him completely. He reached to rub his eyes and was surprised when he felt an unexpected pain. Of course. He had forgotten about his black eye. He shouldn't have, though. It was only one of the several wounds that he had received from the head of the family not more than a few hours ago.
The god's words circled around in his head. Every word, every strike, every single thing that had happened replayed itself in his mind. He didn't want it to. He wished it would stop, but it was like he couldn't end it. Hating the fact that he let Akito have such a hold over him, especially now, when he was away from him and on his roof - where he had always come to escape.
He's right, though… I hate him. But he's right. The orange-haired teen rolled onto his side, one curled arm cushioning his head. How could anyone ever…really love me? Even Tohru favors that damn rat. He sighed and closed his eyes as he tried to stop thinking. He wasn't making much progress, but he did realize that he was much more tired than he had originally thought. The sun continued to set in front of his closed eyes. Ever so slowly, he let sleep take him, hoping for an end to reality. Even if it was only temporary.
What made the cat mad, is that sometimes fiction can be worse than reality. Especially when said fiction is a nightmare induced by painful memories. Kyo grimaced as if he were in pain, squinting his eyes shut. Sometimes he wanted nothing more than a lack of remembrance. Nothing more…than to forget.
However, childhood musings were soon replaced by more recent ones. Thoughts of Akito's words…Yuki's scorn…his exile from the family…Tohru. Tohru. The sudden image of her smiling face in his mind was completely unexpected, even though it shouldn't have been. Deep down, he knew he was in love with her. He had always known - ever since that first time she left to go live with her grandfather again. It had perplexed him at first, his feelings for her, but that was mostly because he wasn't willing to admit it yet. Even now, he really wasn't ready to admit it. It only added to his confusion - something else that he didn't mind that much. He already felt so lost…one more thing wouldn't matter.
Opening his eyes again, he realized it was night. Probably about three a.m., by the looks of it. The way the moon's glow kept becoming covered by the darkened clouds reminded the cat of the forecast for tomorrow. Thunderstorms. Just what he needed. Yeah, right. "K-Kyo-kun?" The orange-haired boy nearly jumped clear off the roof, despite the face that he had been lying down. In the obscured moonlight, he could barely tell who it was. Finally realizing the person's identity calmed him down a little, but that didn't change the fact that he was angry at being snuck up on again.
"What the hell are you doing up here?" The brown-haired girl's face fell as she sat down next to him.
"I-I'm sorry. I just… You never came back inside after you got back from the main house. I was…" she nervously twisted and untwisted her fingers together. It took a few moments of silence for her to work up the nerve to continue. "I was worried about you."
"Tohru," he said the name more to himself than to her as his eyes widened a little. It was nothing above a whisper.
"I'm sorry," she repeated, apparently taking his near-silence as a negative response. "I shouldn't have bothered you." She started to rise to her feet without ever stopping the apologies that quickly spilled out of her mouth. "I didn't mean to-"
"Tohru, wait," Kyo said the words without even thinking first. Grabbed her arm without even realizing he was doing so. It was then that he realized the few tear streaks on her cheeks, reflective of the dull moonlight. "Don't…don't go," he told her, voice dropping in volume once again. "Don't leave me…just yet." Concerned by his unusually quiet demeanor at the request, the girl sat back down.
"Kyo-kun?" she finally asked when at least fifteen minutes of silence had drifted away with the cool night breeze. "Is there something on your mind?" Kyo kept his gaze forward, not trusting himself to look at her. If he looked at her, he would get lost in those eyes, and everything would come out before he could stop it. He didn't want that. He didn't want her to know how scared he really was. Didn't want her to know how broken up inside he was. Didn't want her to know that he was hopelessly in love with her. "Because, if there is," she slowly continued, "I want you to be able to talk to me about it. I don't want you…to have to deal with it own your own. Whatever it is."
Kyo crossed his arms over his bent knees and buried his face in them. He wasn't sure how else to react. He just wanted to run away again. Back to Shishou's dojo, or…or anywhere but here. He heard Torhu moving beside him, and soon felt a hand on his shoulder. "Kyo-kun…"
I don't get it. Thoughts played through his mind, trying to process. Akito was right. I'm the cat. The worthless cat. Why would anyone… How could anyone…love...?
"Kyo-kun…please…"
"I just don't get it!" he finally yelled into his sleeves. He sat up to look at her so abruptly that she jumped back out of instinct, but quickly moved to where she had been. "Why don't you hate me! Why- How could you even-" He grimaced at his inability to find the right words. Tohru looked more hurt than he did, staring at him with wide, occasionally-blinking eyes.
"Why…why would you ask something like that?" she softly inquired as she allowed her gaze to fall to her knees. "Do you think that I hate you?"
"No, of course not!" he said quickly, cringing at the pain in her question. Great. He had hurt her. Again. Can't I just do something right? "That's what has me confused. You…should hate me. I'm a monster, Tohru. I'm-I'm not…" Good enough, he silently finished.
"Kyo-kun, please don't say things like that!" she exclaimed, briefly returning her hand to its place on his shoulder. "You are a wonderful person who is kind and strong and-" she stopped as if she had choked on her words. Out of nowhere, a thoughtful look crossed her face. A look that was also nervous, and a little scared. After she had averted her gaze, she spoke again, more quietly: "And I…I love you."
Kyo's heart stopped. Stomach turned. Every fear that had ever haunted him concerning her came rushing back all at once, knocking the wind out of him. She…she couldn't love me. He desperately tried to compose some sort of thought in spite of the sudden tumult of unsorted emotions inside him. She's in love with that damn rat, right? I…I always thought she would choose him…over me. But she wouldn't lie… Does she really…?
Acting before any thought could stop him, he turned, gently put one hand on the back of her head, and pulled her forward into a kiss. It wasn't anything too much - short and sweet. But it was everything he had hoped it would be. Everything he had imagined it to be. When he pulled back a few moments later, he saw the clouds had moved away, allowing the moon to illuminate her face. Her eyes were still closed, mouth slightly parted, and a deep blush covered her cheeks. The soft breeze played with her hair, ruffling her bangs. He smiled at the way her chestnut locks shone in the light and mirrored every beam of it. She had never looked so beautiful. He forced himself to resist his urge to kiss her again, and silently waited until she opened her eyes. That's when he said it:
"I love you, too."
The teenage girl found herself unable to say anything. Completely at a loss for words, but ecstatic at the same time. Kyo smiled at her again, smoothly lacing his fingers with hers. They both lied down on their backs, hands clasped in between them and content with watching the storm clouds roll away.
I don't know…if anything can come of this. Kyo mused, disposition darkening slightly. If Akito found out… He refused to let himself finished the thought and instead cast a glance at Tohru - the clumsy, well-meaning girl that he had somehow fallen completely and totally in love with. Then he couldn't stop the grin from spreading across his face. She had healed him. Not completely, not yet. But even so, he had no idea what would have happened to him if he had never met her. He didn't even want to wonder. She had always been there for him, trying to heal his wounds and make his skies clearer.
He knew he would never be able to pay her pack for what she had done. He knew he couldn't even come close. Even though he knew he would always protect and take care of her, it would never be enough - at least, not in his mind. But that was all right. He was with her, and that meant that everything was okay. He couldn't remember ever being more contented then at this moment.
Just being with her.
Letting her chase the clouds away.
A/N: I hope everyone liked it. If you could, drop me a review and tell me what you think. Criticism is welcomed, but no flames please