DISCAIMER! I do not own Fruits Basket or any of the characters! I just love them.

It is an AU story where Tohru never came into their lives.

If you like it, please leave a review, and be patient with me as I go back and make edits to the early chapters (there were some very cringy things that needed to be edited.)

I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 1: Causing A Commotion

Kyo sulked outside the main house of the Sohma Estate, listening to the festivities going on inside. He never really cared whether or not he was allowed at the New Year's banquet, and he never really got along with the others too well either. But for some reason he couldn't identify, he felt more pissed off than usual on this beautiful, cloudless night.

"Ugh! Damn it anyways!" he exclaimed angrily, slamming his fist into the wood of the porch on which he was sitting. He got up from his spot and walked to the nearest window. From where he was standing he could just see the banquet hall perfectly. Momiji had just finished his dance, bowing respectfully to his small audience. He then joined them at the table, smiling and laughing as the food was brought out of the kitchen by various estate servants.

Kyo turned his attention towards the head of the table, where Akito and that damn rat were seated. He observed them as they chatted amongst themselves, and Kyo swore for one second that he saw Akito wink at the boy next to him, and touch his hand affectionately. He shook his head rapidly; convincing himself he was only seeing things. Nonetheless, the more he watched the more disgusted and jealous he became of his cousins, who all appeared to be having a wonderful time while he was stuck outside in the cold. He ignored the fact that he had chosen to stand outside in the cold, resenting his family for being part of something he would never be allowed to attend, instead of just hanging out in the guest chambers prepared for him.

He continued to pace back and forth across the small porch, agitation wearing him thin, and he knew he was losing his internal battle. It meant doing something he would likely regret later, but at the moment he did not care. After another moment of consideration, he simply could not take it anymore. "Ah, to hell with it!" he said proudly, heading for the front entrance with his head held high and adrenaline pumping through his veins.

As soon as he stepped inside, the smell the broiled salmon and shrimp wafted from the dining hall and kitchen, tantalizing him and making his stomach growl involuntarily. As he walked purposely down the hall towards the enticing aroma, he was stopped short by someone calling his name from behind.

"Kyo?" an innocent voice said quietly. "What are you doing here?" Kyo turned around slowly to see a young girl approaching him. "Kagura…" he began. This was not the person he wanted to run into first, and he began to back away from her.

"Oh Kyo! Kyo my love!" she charged at him, clinging to his neck, as he tried in vain to dislodge her arms from their vice like hold. Very suddenly, he was regretting his decision. I should have never come here.

"Kagura, shut up!" he snapped, threatening her. When she paused, taken aback by his words, he pried her arms loose from around his neck. "Do you want me to get caught or what?!"

"Oh. Kyo, I'm sorry…." She bowed her head. "It just made me so happy to see you here. I thought that maybe it meant you were allowed to come to the banquet."

Kyo shook his head, beginning to take steps back the way he came.

But it was already too late. Members of the Zodiac began to stir in the dining hall at the commotion in the corridor. "I need to get out of here. Now!" Suddenly afraid, Kyo retreated more quickly down the hall towards the front doors, but a cool voice from behind stopped him in his tracks.

"Going somewhere..?" that voice drawled. "Has my little monster come to join in the festivities tonight?"

Kyo froze. The smart thing to do was run—run for his life—but instead he slowly turned around to see the head of the family leaning against the doorframe, staring at him curiously with those menacing dark eyes. Akito smirked and approached the cat. Kyo knew he didn't dare run away now—not if he wanted to live. And Kagura, standing in the background watching the scene in front of her, was helpless. Every member of the family knew the consequences of defying Akito. Kyo glared at the female as she stopped a few inches in front of him. Evil bitch.

"You look lonely," she said softly and matter-of-factly, stroking his cheek. "Perhaps you'd like to join us…?"

Kyo remained silent as he continued to stare her in the eyes defiantly.

"Of course, you already know that's not a possibility, don't you?" she said spitefully, and ran her fingers through his orange locks. It made him shudder.

"Yes, Akito," he replied through gritted teeth.

"If you were smart, you would have stayed away. But I should have expected nothing less from you." She jerked his hair roughly, bunching it tightly in her hand. Kyo heard Kagura scream for him as Akito dragged him towards the dining hall, moaning at the pain her unrelenting grip caused him.

She shoved him through the open door, and he tripped and fell flat on his face. "Look who decided to show up tonight of all nights!" Akito proclaimed to the rest of the Sohma's, all staring open mouthed at the sight of Kyo on the floor in front of them. "Let us give him a warm welcome," she spat, and kicked Kyo in the rib, earning a collective gasp from the rest of the room. Akito was livid, and Kyo was definitely regretting his life choices at the moment.

He curled up in pain, coughing and short of breath from the impact. Kyo looked up to see members of the family looking away and at the ground, ashamed of the scene before them and of their own inability to help the outcast. Kyo's gaze then fell on Yuki, the only one looking directly at him, smug as always. Kyo even thought Yuki seemed happy to see his rival lying on the floor in pain.

Kyo shakily rose to his feet, shaking in anger as he glared daggers at the rat.

"Stupid cat," Yuki called quietly. "What makes you think you could actually join us?"

"No one asked you, you damn rat! It's none of your goddamn business."

"Oh, but it is. As long as you are determined to beat me, it will always be my business." Yuki began to turn away from the pitiful creature in front of him, feeling his previously good mood ruined by this encounter.

"Screw you. I don't need your bullshit." Kyo spared one more fierce glance at his silver-haired nemesis and began to walk away when a swift, pale hand caught his arm and pulled him back.

"If that's the case…then why the hell did you show up? There has to be a reason…" Yuki challenged, still clutching the cat's arm tightly.

Kyo stared into Yuki's violet eyes, filled with loathing, and after a few moments said quietly in defeat, "I just want to belong."

The look on Yuki's face turned from disgust to confusion, then sorrow, and finally ended in anger, as he back-handed Kyo across the face. "You want to belong? Stupid cat….you will never belong here…you will never be a true part of this family, so don't concern yourself with these silly dreams of belonging! When you finally understand this, it will be way too late for you anyways!" Kyo knew the boy was speaking of the cat's room, designed specifically for him unless he could beat Yuki by the end of high school.

Rubbing his bruised cheek, Kyo opened his mouth to retaliate, but the rat was quicker, and before he could even speak, he was doubled over again as the impact from Yuki's punch reverberated through his core. He coughed violently, and spat out blood on the floor before him. He knew he couldn't fight back; not with Akito there too. He couldn't even stand up for himself. It was pitiful. He knew that Yuki was right, and not even his own stubbornness could make up for the fact that he would never belong; no matter how much he wanted it.

The rest of the Sohma family stood off to the side, silently observing the scene before them. As much as they felt sorry for Kyo, especially Kagura, who loved Kyo dearly, they knew they were all powerless against the Zodiac curse. Kyo's fate was determined long before he was even born, and there was simply no changing it. In less than a year, he would be locked up in that awful cage, just as Kazuma's grandfather and many others before him; confined to a lifetime of solitude.

No one, however, was prepared for what happened next. Kyo stood up straight, defiant, and finding the courage to defend himself, spat in the rat's face. "I will never be locked up in that cage." Whether or not he believed his own words, he was compelled to say them. He believed there had to be some glimmer of hope; that there was some way to change his own destiny, but he didn't know how he would do it. "I will find a way to break this damn curse, and I will do it without the help of anyone in this room!" One by one he looked everyone in the eyes, and said with disgust, "You're all cowards! Each and every one of you!" He finally brought his eyes back to Yuki, still glowering in front of him. "Especially you. You are the pitiful one— you can't even see that all you are is Akito's pet," he sneered. Yuki, taken aback by these words, took a step back. "You really think she cares about you? She doesn't care about any of us! All she wants is to control—"

"That's enough!" Akito bellowed, penetrating Kyo's side with a knife she pulled from somewhere within her robes. She released the blade, and he collapsed to the floor, feeling the warm blood spread and pool around his body. The onlookers gasped, murmuring amongst themselves, yet unable to come to his aid. Hatori, the only calm one, rushed from the dining hall, and returned in minutes with his emergency medical kit.

Akito grabbed a handful of Kyo's hair and roughly tilted his neck back, forcing his crimson eyes to look at into her own. "You will be dead long before you ever get a chance to break this curse. You can count on that my dear, little monster," she said sarcastically.

"That's enough, Akito," Hatori said sternly, placing a hand on her shoulder. She nodded and dropped Kyo to floor without sympathy. "I think enough damage has been done tonight."

She obeyed haughtily, and turned to leave, calling for Yuki to follow her. However, when she turned to look for the rat, he was nowhere to be found. She shrugged carelessly, and stalked out of the room.

Hatori addressed those still remaining in the dining hall. "The festivities are over, everyone can go home now. There is nothing left to be seen here." He paused in consideration, "Shigure, stay and help me take care of Kyo." He motioned for his cousin and long time best friend.

"Yes, Ha'ri." He replied solemnly. They lifted him gently off the floor and carried him out carefully, yet hastily.

"Wait!" Kagura cried, finally finding her voice and running after them. "Let me come with. I need to know that he will be alright."

"He will be fine Kagura. For now you both need to rest. You can come see him tomorrow." His words were final, as he gestured for her to leave. She resigned without argument, and made her way home, torn apart by her cowardice.

. . .

Yuki had run from the room when Akito had stabbed Kyo. It's not like he cared, really, but he couldn't help but feel that Akito's actions at the end were unnecessary and, if he were being entirely honest with himself, a bit cruel. He hated Kyo, more than anything, but somehow, the words he had spoken kept repeating in his mind, as if it were a tape recorder stuck on repeat.

All you are is Akito's pet!

No, he thought to himself, leaning against the wall in the corridor. But he was second guessing himself, and Akito, regardless of how much he tried to convince himself otherwise. He slumped to the floor with his head in his hands. "Ugh, why does he get to me like that?" he whispered. Of course, he would never admit this to that stupid cat, but Kyo definitely had a way of making him second guess everything, especially his own significance to Akito.

"Yuki…" came a soft, familiar voice from down the hall. He knew that voice immediately and somehow found himself reassured by it. "Why did you leave like that? If I scared you, I didn't mean to," Akito crouched in front of him and placed her hand on his cheek. "I'm sincerely sorry, my love." Yuki brushed her hand away gently. Taken aback, Akito narrowed her eyes involuntarily. "Yuki? What's wrong?"

"Am I—" he paused, searching for the right words. "What Kyo said—am I just your pet?" He stared into her eyes, searching for the truth in their steely depths.

"My dear Yuki, of course not. Don't believe that monster." She leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on his forehead. "What can I do to prove it to you?"

He looked up at her carefully, gauging her sincerity. Of course she was telling the truth, and he had been stupid enough to let Kyo's words get to him like that. But it didn't stop him from smirking up at her, with a glint in his eyes and a feeling like molten lave settling in the pit of his stomach at the sight of her eyes on his lips. "Kiss me," he breathed.

She smiled wickedly, and rose to her feet, holding out her slender hand. He thought she was beautiful when she smiled like that—only for him. When she pulled him up, she pinned him against the wall and her lips collided with his, all pent up longing and passion. Her kiss enveloped him, like always, and he kissed her back fiercely, tangling his fingers in her ebony locks. Her hands slipped beneath his loosened white buttoned up shirt, and she ran her fingernails along his spine, sending shivers throughout his entire body. He pushed her away and switched positions with her, easily lifting her so her legs were locked around his waist and her back pressed against the wall.

She trailed her mouth along his neck and breathed into his ear, running her soft hands through his hair, and grinded her hips against his teasingly. He moaned and she gently pulled his hair in response. This was Yuki's undoing, and the next thing they knew they had ended up in a small, closet-like room just off the hallway with their clothes quickly discarded around them.

Yuki paused momentarily. They had been in this secret relationship, though he wasn't sure exactly how secret it was anymore, for the better half of a year. Yet, they had not taken that step yet, though not for lack of wanting to. There was always something nagging at the back of Yuki's mind, telling him that it wasn't right. Tonight, however, was different. It was New Year's, and he decided to ignore those pesky thoughts and finally allowed himself to be consumed by his desires. His earlier misgivings and insecurities vanished from his mind as he returned his feverish lips to Akito's equally flushed skin, and completely lost himself in her.