There are a few notes to keep in mind when reading this: the first is that I wrote "Light in My Life" last May and soon after began writing the short add-on I promised. But for some reason I abandoned it after a few pages and didn't start it again until the first of January, when I watched my brand-spankin' new Fruits Basket DVDs and re-read the entire story and finished this short piece. I know some of the bits are very scattered, but I like it that way. I think it adds a little more depth to an ending that didn't have much meat. At the end I also have the original end note, which explains a few silly things.

Also, this is the first of what I hope will be a few good "add-ons" to make the ending a little more complete and leaving you a little less empty.

Epilogue: The Man Only I Can Know

The villa was silent. A breeze blew in through a forgotten window, causing the paneled walls to make fluttering sounds as it passed. Suddenly, the sound of a door thrown open disturbed the silent, deserted air. Giggling could be heard, and the same door was thrown closed once more with an audible slam. The giggles were silenced abruptly. A shadow could be seen coming down the hallway, but its previous progress seemed to have stopped.

"Akito-san..."

One of the rooms was disturbed as a man, carrying a heavy bundle in his arms, opened its sliding door. "Shhh." He closed the door behind him.

Tohru kept her arms wrapped around Akito's neck, her eyes focused on his. Akito slowly kneeled to the ground, letting her rest on it, but he kept his hands securely around her. "I've wanted to do this for a long time, Tohru."

Tohru raised her eyes. "How long?" she asked, her voice quiet.

"Since I first did this." Akito traced her lips with one finger, lightly placing his own on them. He browsed her sweet taste with his tongue, his hand cupping her chin as his arm released her waist. The silence was tangible as Akito released Tohru from his all-encompassing grasp.

She inhaled deeply and watched with wide eyes as Akito brushed her hair from her forehead. He let out a sigh, tenderly kissing her nose. "When your mother died... What was it like?" he asked.

Tohru watched him for a moment before responding. "Every day before she left for work, I said, "Be safe!" On the day of the accident I had been up late studying and I didn't wake up to tell her: "Be safe!" If I had just gotten up and done that small thing for her, she would still be here. At first, I felt guilt... But I knew she was still with me, so I wasn't sad. She wouldn't have wanted me to be sad."

Akito sat back and stood up, walking across the room to where a large futon lay on the floor. He raised his eyebrows and prodded it with his foot. "How did this get here?"

Tohru shook her head and stood up as well. "It's a double," she realized, a blush spreading across her face. Akito watched her and smiled slightly.

"I thought I saw Shigure here during the reception." Tohru laughed at that. "My mother died when I was four."

Tohru raised her eyebrows, then frowned sadly. "You were so young..." Akito nodded and shrugged.

"My father told me that I would die too, and then he disappeared." Akito looked at his hands and closed his eyes, shaking his head. He let out a sigh.

Tohru walked up behind him, putting her arms around his waist and leaning her head on his back, squeezing him. Akito put his hands on hers, looking away with lowered lashes. "I really don't deserve you," he told her.

Tohru shook her head. "I need you. I want you," she replied, "I don't care if I deserve you or not... I know that now that I have you, I am going to be with you forever."

Akito let himself chuckle slightly. "That's why I love you. I don't tell you nearly enough."

Tohru looked up and sighed into his neck, murmuring, "I used to have dreams. I didn't know what they meant then, but now I do. I was meant to be with you."

Akito turned around and Tohru released her hold on him, Akito stooping down slightly. He put his hands around her waist and looked straight into her eyes, his hair becoming ruffled about his head. He closed his eyes and set his lips against hers.

Akito wrapped his arms more tightly around Tohru and lifted her feet off the ground. He leaned over, not allowing her feet to touch the ground, and slowly set her down on the futon. He released her mouth, his breath heavy as he drew back in an effort to gain back lost air. He let out a familiar, deceivingly sweet chuckle. "You're my wife now," he informed her. Tohru nodded, long used to his mood changes. She lifted one hand to his face and traced his ear with her finger.

"That is true," she replied. In the time they had known each other, she had grown considerably; she had become more outgoing and less easily pushed over, but she still couldn't help but care for everyone she knew. Although her unconditional kindness often made Akito jealous, he had become used to it. No one was really sure when they decided to get married; to Akito and Tohru, it had just been a decision they made without a second thought, something which had occurred some time after Tohru's graduation. They didn't announce it to the family, but the news slowly spread and soon all the arrangements had been made. Akito refused to have more than the immediate family present.

Only Tohru's grandfather had been there. He was getting much older, and Uotani and Hanajima had to walk him wherever he wanted to go because of his bodily weakness. The old man seemed to know better than to ask how they had met, but he had told Akito, "You are a fine young man. Take care of my granddaughter, since I can't." Akito hadn't responded, but Tohru's grandfather only smiled and asked Uotani if he could get something from the buffet table.

"You know what that means, right?" Akito asked, putting his hands on either side of her shoulders to prop himself up. Tohru nodded slowly. "It means I'll take you as mine in every way. You'll bear my heir, and you'll cook me breakfast, lunch, and dinner."

Akito lowered his head, narrowing his eyes dangerously. "I'll always protect you. While I'm around, no one will ever harm you... the way I harmed you."

Tohru could only nod her head as she kept eye contact with him. Akito dropped his intimidating countenance and lowered his lashes, one knee resting between her legs, the other knee on one side. "I can't take care of you the way Yuki or the cat or the rabbit could have, but I can do what I can," he whispered, kissing her ear. Tohru tried to stop the giggle that erupted from her as he traced her earlobe with his lips and tongue.

"That tickles," she whispered back. Akito continued down to her cheek, kissing ever so lightly, leaving small red marks down her neck and to her collar bone. After the formal ceremony, they had taken the liberty of changing into more comfortable wear for after events. Tohru wore a formal light blue dress and Akito donned his usually summer yukata; the warm weather just called for it.

Akito sighed as he reached her collarbone, suddenly resting his head there. Tohru lowered her lashes and lightly brushed her fingers through his hair. "Somehow," he began, "here we are… I can't understand why, though."

Tohru only smiled and kissed his head as he shifted, propping himself up by putting his hands on either side of her. "You don't have to, we just are." A crafty smile crossed his lips and his eyes narrowed. Leaning down, he kissed her collarbone just under her dress. Having inspected the item prior to the ceremony, Akito easily untied it at the bow it was bound in at the front. With gentle hands and fingers he slid the shoulders down, revealing more of her creamy skin. He kissed that as well, glancing up slightly to catch the blush on her cheeks.

She would never fail to be cute. As he slowly removed her dress and saw, touched, felt, and kissed more of the perfection that was her body, he realized that there was so much more to learn. There would always be something to discover, and he had a faint idea that everything would be a new adventure.

Within moments the tides had changed and Tohru was, with excruciating and intricate delicacy, removing the various pieces of his thin yukata. They had drawn to a sitting position where she was running her small hands over every inch of his skin as she removed the cloth, marveling at the pieces and parts that were all put together in his smooth, unmarred body. Akito untied the rather casual yobi wrapped around his middle, letting his yukata drift open. He raised his shoulders so it slipped with finality from him--every last piece of it. Tohru smiled and lowered her eyelashes, hardly taken by surprise as he stole a kiss.

It was a rush of emotion as Akito slowly drew her down to the futon, surrounding her smaller body with his long arms. He had put a normal amount of muscle on his once bare bones, a long-time effort that paid off every second that he was with Tohru.

"Now," Akito started, "you have to make a promise to me." Tohru raised her eyebrows, nodding her head. "Will you?"

"What is the promise?"

"That you will never call me 'Akito-san' again." He stared at her firmly, his dark gaze penetrating. Tohru, pleasantly used to his severe countenance, smiled.

"I promise."

And then Akito was suddenly complete. As he felt her all around him, as he heard her gasps and looked into her tender eyes, he knew that he had truly broken through his black cage and found his true destiny. He would never be her perfect husband: he was too cold still, too dark, too repressed to truly be everything that she deserved, but he knew he could let her past his wall and truly show her how he felt.

And Tohru would always accept him. She gasped again, her body's ecstasies joining with those of her mind. Every emotion possible seemed to crackle like lightning, making everything that much more intense. She was truly safe there, wrapped in his arms and held like the most precious thing in the world. And she knew there would be hard times, but there would also be good ones, and in the end everything would always work out.

Original End-Note: Published May 25, 2003, the end of what I call the one-month-inspiration. If anyone notices, the entire fic was produced in exactly a month, minus a day or two. I don't think I'll ever be able to accomplish anything like it ever again.

First off, I'm thinking of making a one or two chapter "add-on" to this that will probably be rated R. I wanted to extend Tohru and Akito's relationship a little more and tie in the dreams Tohru had at the beginning a little better. Although I'm sure a lot of you (the readers) made the connection between her dreams and the end, I wanted to make it more clear, so those of you who aren't afraid of a nice lemon can check out this add-on when I write it. It may take some time for me to get back into the mood after the relatively anti-climactic last chapter, but I'll do it eventually.

A question was raised about the curse. This is how I think of it; it isn't a matter of changing the hearts of the Jyuunishi, but changing the heart of the one who oppressed them and controlled them. In previous years the Jyuunishi married and had children, but it is just my own personal philosophy that the curse could only be ended by amending the God's heart (i.e. Akito). I know some other writers have contemplated that when the curse is broken, the Jyuunishi will no longer transform, but I think that would betray it a little too much. I really believe that love is all it takes to change the world.

Anyway, I just want to thank everyone who reviewed. And for those surprised at daily updates, it really isn't that difficult; just take a few minutes out of your day to type up a few pages, and you can stay on top of a story without losing interest in it. Though I can't say this is my longest story length-wise, I think it was the best thing I've written in regards to the inner workings of people. I really enjoy exploring the mind, so I think I'll be doing a lot of that when I decide on just how to go about this little addition I'm planning.

Thanks for reading.