If you don't like romantic sap and Sohma silliness, read no further! And I have NO idea why the centering doesn't work. All my recent stories are being screwed up format-wise. I'm terribly sorry. Let me know if you know how to fix it.
The Way of Love
Chapter 3
By Zapenstap
The sound of a door opening and sliding shut alerted Shigure from his books. "Ah, Yuki. You're back."
Yuki didn't turn as he was called. He stopped at the door to remove his shoes, his face to the wall, and then made for the stairs without a word.
"So?" Shigure prompted. "How did things go with Tohru?"
"About how I expected," Yuki said, turning his head slightly to answer over his shoulder.
Shigure was about to inquire more, but his words failed when he saw Yuki's face. The young prince's features were blank, his eyes empty like softly blown glass, but there was hurt there, down deep and under the surface, a lonely pain that seeped from his expression when he looked away.
"Yuki…" Shigure said worriedly, standing up. "Tell me what happened."
He was fended off with a carelessly waved hand and a sigh. "Don't touch me. I'm fine. I told you it went as I expected. My train leaves in a few hours. I have to pack." He took several retreating steps up the stairs.
"Will you be eating dinner?" Shigure interjected. "I asked Kyo to make it, but it turns out Tohru had it all prepared in the fridge already. It just needs to be heated up. I don't suppose you'd like to eat dinner with all of us one last time before you go? She made your favorite."
"I don't have time," Yuki said. "I… Look, Shigure. All those things you said before, they're just not true. Tohru is staying here. With him. And I'm going to school."
"I see," Shigure answered slowly. "Well, it seems sad to me, that you would give up so easily."
Yuki turned then, one hand on the rail as he looked over his shoulder, and Shigure was surprised to see a content smile on his face, albeit, a sad smile. "I'm not giving up. I chose this for myself. Tohru and I will always be friends. The hard part isn't letting her go; it's not even letting him have her."
Shigure's eyebrows rose in surprise. "So you knew. I'm impressed. What then, is the hard part?"
Yuki looked blankly into the distance. "The hard part is leaving myself. I can't stick around to say goodbye anymore. If I see them… I have to just go, before I lose my nerve. It's just difficult, to say goodbye this way."
"It doesn't have to be like that," Shigure told him. "It doesn't have to feel like you're dropping your entire life up to this point, like you have to start over with nothing."
Yuki said nothing for a moment, lowering his eyes and looking at the ground just past his feet. "I… I have to pack."
*****
The sun still clung to a blue sky, a shining yellow orb that hovered just above the horizon. In a few minutes it would dip below the earth and the sky would be awash in hues of red and pink and purple. Kyo sat on the roof where he had an excellent view, comforted by the familiar feel of a slanted floor beneath his feet, soothed by the high-rising wind that ruffled his orange hair. His melancholy was placid and ignored. He sat and stared at the sky without thinking, muting his thoughts to a quiet buzz that nattered behind his ears. His heart beat dully, sometimes painfully in anticipation, but he ignored that too.
When he saw Tohru and Yuki coming out of the woods, standing shoulder to shoulder, he took a deep breath. Tohru saw him from a distance, as obvious as he was when outlined by a dusky sky. She waved, one arm stretched high in the air and a bright smile on her face. He couldn't read her expression terribly well in the fading light, but he waved back with less energy, and concentrated on forcing his heart to keep beating. Yuki said something to Tohru and she lowered her hand, turning to listen to him. Kyo looked carefully away.
He purposely didn't think about it further until he heard someone climbing the ladder that led up to the roof.
"What are you doing?" he demanded, starting back in surprise and catching himself with his hands. He had thought she had gone in the house!
Tohru stopped on the last ladder rung, blinking at him with those large, pretty eyes that at times seemed so clueless and at other times were filled with a warm and loveliness he could not entirely describe.
"Do you not want me to come up here, Kyo?" she asked, and her tone was oh-so-innocent, like sugar and cream.
He swallowed, feeling his throat catch and his blood heat up. "It's not that. I just thought you'd be inside."
"Well, it's almost dinnertime," she said. "I thought maybe you would want to eat too?"
"Yeah, well when Shigure forced me into the kitchen to make dinner I saw that you made leek soup," he said, eyeing her sideways. "And something else Yuki likes."
She blinked and then rubbed her head with her fist. "Oh, well, I guess I did. I didn't think of that!" She stopped, looking at him with eyes that seemed to fill up with emotions he wasn't sure he had ever seen in her face before. He found himself staring at her, unable to decipher her expression. "Well, can I sit with you then? Just for a minute?"
His heart clenched.
Please don't come here to say goodbye. I don't want to lose you…Tohru.
"I don't know," he said a little more gruffly than he meant to. "It's kinda steep and you might fall or somethin'."
She stared blankly at him. Realizing how stupid that sounded, considering the many times she had come up before, he floundered around for a different tactic.
"Uh…I mean…Ah, hell. Yeah, you can come up."
She climbed up the rest of the way, light and airy as a feather, and sat beside him with her arms around her knees. She sat close, close enough that he could smell the residue of strawberry-scented shampoo in her hair and the lotion on her skin. He breathed in the smells and closed his eyes, refusing to look at her, hoping she would speak her mind quickly and go. He just couldn't refuse her, couldn't help listening to her, whatever she had to say, even if she babbled or cried or moped or carried on about nonsense. He never could. He enjoyed hearing her speak. He just…didn't want to think of it being the last time.
They were silent for several minutes, each looking at the roof between their feet, or the lines on their hands, studying the fabric of their clothes and the definition of the leaves in the trees at a distance. Kyo could feel emotions growing in his stomach with every moment she stayed near and it became harder and harder not to look at her, to find excuses to touch her hand or rub against her arm or stare at her when he thought she wasn't looking. When he did sneak in a glance, her eyes were pure liquid, staring straight down with a heaviness that was rare to see on her usually bright face. He knew she was troubled, fighting to find words, but this time he couldn't help her, couldn't make himself encourage her to speak. He was too afraid of what she was going to say. But he found himself continuing to look, encouraging her with his attention.
She took a deep breath that was like the beginning of a sob. "Kyo," she whispered. "I don't know how to say this."
He wanted to say 'it's okay,' but the words wouldn't come out. He also wanted to grab her hand, but he couldn't do that either.
"I didn't know what Yuki was going to tell me," she said. "I really didn't think he was going to say what he said." She smiled a little, as if recalling a fond memory. Kyo swallowed and remained silent, trying to just listen. "And I… the whole time I couldn't help thinking that if either of you were hurt, I could never forgive myself. I don't want to cause any trouble."
"It's okay," Kyo mumbled. "Whatever you have to do to be happy is okay with me."
She lifted her head, staring at him with eyes that shimmered suddenly with unshed tears. Her eyes were so close, so open and honest and innocent and full of love. He choked up, pulling back a bit, unable to face that.
"Yuki kissed me," Tohru said softly.
The crushing feeling around his heart was anticlimactic. "So are you going to go with him?" he asked numbly, so softly it could barely be heard. "It's okay if you do. I want you to be happy and everything." He couldn't move a muscle, couldn't take her hand or fight to hold onto her, though his eyes remained locked on hers by a force he could not break.
Her eyes shimmered and her fists clenched imploringly. "Kyo, I want you to kiss me, too."
His lips parted in surprise and he stared at her, unable to process what she had said rationally, but his fingers leaped to her face as if spurned by the spark of lightning. Her cheeks were smooth beneath his fingertips, and he found himself murmuring "you can't have it both ways," contrary to the last as he leaned in. His lips sought hers gently, but with a compulsive power that came from somewhere deep inside. She leaned in, her eyelids shutting out the light, her hand rising to touch his wrist. Warmth flooded through him as he kissed her, tilting his head to make it easier and he was surprised by how easy it was, how little he had to think about it, how natural and wonderful it felt. And then he remembered where he was, and with who, and pulled back a little abruptly, his stomach shaking and his arms trembling with the sort of nerves that rarely afflicted him.
Tohru's eyes were still closed as he pulled back, and she leaned in a little when he left her space before opening her eyes slowly, as if waking up from a dream.
"Okay," he said, swallowing, trying to hide the way he was shaking. "You've got what you wanted. If Yuki is waiting, you can say your goodbyes and…"
"Kyo," she whispered. Tears filled Tohru's eyes, welling up and sliding down her cheeks. The tightness in her spine collapsed and she wilted a little, going weak under his stare. "I'm so scared. I don't want things to change. I'm afraid, of Yuki leaving, of what I feel for you…"
"Don't say things like that!" he said thickly, half yelling, and scooted back with his feet under him so that he could get up.
Tohru grabbed onto his sleeve so that he couldn't rise and bowed her head so that he couldn't see her face. "Kyo, I'm sorry. I thought…" She cried, "Yuki told me he wants to be friends. He also told me I could find you in the yard, but I saw you up here, and I…." Kyo stopped, staring at her with open-mouthed surprised that was half amazement and half disbelief. She raised her head, appealing to him with her eyes. "Kyo," she whispered.
He sat back down slowly, compelled to be there for her if she was going to cry. He didn't exactly process what she was saying, but if she wanted to be comforted, he could do that. As soon as he was settled she moved her hand from his wrist to his shoulder and her whole body came with it, falling against him an embrace that was half a collapse and half a hug. His arms went around her automatically, pulling her close, his body letting out a quiet sigh of contentment as her head fell against his shoulder. He closed his eyes, stroking her back, and was so absorbed by her that he forgot to think how amazing it was that he could hold her now without transforming.
"It's all right," he said. "I'm not going anywhere."
She mumbled against his shoulder. "I'm not either!"
He froze. Was she saying what it sounded like she was saying, or was this her way of making him feel better, of doing what she had to because she cared about him? "If this is some kind of pity... If this is some kind of sacrifice, then you don't have to…"
Tohru raised her head, drawing back enough to look him in the eyes, half in his lap. He didn't have the strength to push her out. "He let me go," she said. "Yuki is going away. He's going alone. But he told me to stay here, with you, because he knew that that was what I wanted. I love Yuki, Kyo, and I'm going to miss him, but I want to be here, with you."
He pushed her hair out of her eyes, searching her face. She was incapable of deceit, of lying, of doing anything she thought might hurt someone else. There were still tears in her eyes, but she smiled a little as he looked at her.
"Are you crazy?" he asked her. "I mean…" He couldn't express it. Why?
"I've always loved the cat from the zodiac," she told him with her kind of seriousness, so sweet and simple and sincere, one hand pressed to her heart. She smiled a sad, reassuring smile, and reached up to touch a lock of his hair. A breeze picked up, blowing it from her fingers, but her hand did not move. "But even though you're not the cat anymore, Kyo, I still love you."
He stared at her, mesmerized by every detail, and slowly understood that he had been chosen over Yuki, for some crazy reason he could not understand. It slowly became real, and as he came to believe, his eyes appraised her with a sweetness that was the true expression of his heart. His heart was so full, his head so stuffed with lazy thoughts, that he couldn't think or feel or do anything except let the air in his lungs circulate throughout his body. His hand curled around his fingers, pulling her close by the arm. "How could anyone not love you?" he told her and lifted her chin lightly. "Tohru."
She leaned in toward his face and he kissed her a second time, with more confidence than before, knowing where he was, and who he was with, and for some reason that only made a vague sort of sense, why he was with her. When he pulled away, it was with sweet regret, and found himself looking at the sky, watching as the last cloud melted beyond the horizon, following the sun as it touched the top of the mountains. Kyo pulled Tohru closer, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and allowing her to nestle close to him. She turned in his grasp, leaning with her back against his chest and staring up at the sky with his arms over her shoulders.
"So…what do you want to do now?" Tohru asked him, watching the sky as he watched it. "With Yuki going away and everything, what do you think of the future?"
"As long as it has you in it, I don't care."
"You wanted to take over the Dojo right?"
He nodded, amazed in spite of himself at what had just changed so suddenly, and what had remained the same. He supposed that people would always have to remain themselves, in love or otherwise if anything was going to be real. She could always be herself around him. She would always accept him for who he was. Was that why? "Yeah. That was my plan. But I'm a bit young to do that right now. My master's an old guy, but he's not decrepit."
Tohru pushed herself out of his embrace and stood up. Standing, she clasped her hands behind her back and looked out over the Sohma property. Kyo lay back on the roof, hands behind his head and legs stretched out, watching her.
"Maybe we could open a rice ball factory," she suggested.
He blinked. "A rice ball...?" His incredulity turned into laugh. "Where do you come up with these ideas?"
She turned to look at him over her shoulder with embarrassment. "Um…I don't know. I just thought, since we both like to cook…"
"You could go to culinary school, I guess," he interrupted, musing up at the sky. "If you really wanted to do that. I could see you making food to feed people for the rest of your life. You know, host banquets and fancy dinners and all that."
Tohru turned back around. "Yeah. Maybe. I don't really know what I want to do, I guess."
He looked at her. She would be someone to love people, all people, for all the days of her life. She would be a wife and a mother and a friend and as the years grew on her they would pass her by. She would never quite get old. She would always be Tohru, that strange, silly, beautiful person that he loved.
"Just be yourself. You'll figure it out eventually."
When she looked at him this time it was with an expression that made his heart wrench. She sunk back down again, tucking her legs beneath her, and looked down at the rooftop, fiddling with the patterns in the tiles.
He watched her mope in silence for a few minutes and then sighed. "If you're worried about that damn… about Yuki, his train doesn't leave for a good hour. We can still make it there if you want. Say goodbye and stuff. It will probably cheer him up."
She bit her lip, looking at him with such suppressed happiness that he sat up and hung his head.
"Man, the both of you need someone to pry your thoughts out sometimes. How many times do I gotta tell ya to just speak what's on your mind? Yuki's going to miss you a lot. Even if he's acting all chivalrous, he probably wants at least a hug good bye or something before he goes."
"You wouldn't mind?"
He looked away. "Nah. I'd probably better get used to sharing you with him; it doesn't look like things are going to change too much." He scratched his head. "I've tolerated Yuki this long. He's really not…that bad, I guess. I don't really like him, but if you still want to be friends with him and stuff that's okay with me."
She smiled so sweetly in response that he wondered if he couldn't do more than that, just to see her smile.
He sighed, climbing to his feet, and stretched out his hand for her to take. "Well, you comin' or what?"
*****
In a bustling crowd of people juggling luggage at the train station, of strangers elbowing for room right and left, of young people meeting and chatting and sometimes exchanging numbers and information, Yuki sat off by himself, dropped off by Shigure and Hatori. He felt alone in a crowd.
He had planned to take the bus, but Shigure insisted on driving him and before he could argue Hatori pulled up with the car and Shigure began loading his things in the trunk while singing some bouncy farewell tune. As the sun began to set on the Sohma house, Yuki cast one glance up on the roof where Tohru and Kyo were talking side by side. Neither of them saw him and he didn't draw their attention away from each other. When Shigure asked if he wanted to say goodbye he politely declined, reminding Shigure that they would want to be left alone, and got in the car.
"Are you sure you don't want us to wait with you?" Hatori asked once his things were on the curb and his ticket purchased.
To have these two older cousins stand with him, likely in silence, while he left home for an undeterminable amount of time was too much. He wouldn't mind their company, but he wouldn't know what to say to them, or how to say goodbye when the time came. So he told them he would be all right, that he would call once he got to the university, and bid them farewell by the curb. When he watched Hatori drive away, his heart was heavy.
I should be excited, he thought. This is what I want. I'm just weak. A timid mouse even still.
No. It wasn't that he was afraid of going to school. Leaving home was just difficult. He had been bound here all his life, believing deep down that he would never leave. Now that he was finally going, he was coming to realize how much he loved his home, his family, even the people he didn't like, how much he depended on them for just knowing him, for not having to explain himself all the time. What if he went to college and had no one to talk to, no one to come home to? He was so used to having attention all the time, but he'd heard that people often got lost in college, that even the most popular people became obscure and it could be difficult to make friends. Even in High School, when he was surrounded by admirers, as mistaken as they were in their praise, he had found it difficult to make friends. Was it so strange that he'd be a little apprehensive now? He was leaving behind the people he loved most.
"Hey."
Yuki looked up to see Haru standing over him, hands in his coat pockets, expression cool, his demeanor mellow. Yuki got to his feet, surprised. Over Haru's shoulder he could see Rin, standing just a few yards away, watching the crowds pass by and occasionally sending Haru a glance with a casual twist of her head.
"I heard you were leaving," Haru said. "You didn't tell me."
Yuki turned his attention back to his cousin, one of the people who had always looked out for his heart, and felt a curious wrench in his breast. "I apologize."
"You didn't want to have to say goodbye," Haru said. "But I know you well enough to know you'd like to, so we came by, Rin and I."
"Why did she come?"
Haru looked away. "Well, the streets here are like a maze to me. I would have gotten lost without her help."
Yuki nodded knowingly.
"Besides, she wanted to say goodbye too. We both wanted to wish you luck."
"Yuki!"
Yuki turned, mouth parting slightly as he spotted Momiji darting between people, apologizing every few seconds for stepping on someone's foot or jostling a purse. The blonde boy's smile was wide and welcoming as he skidded to a stop before Yuki and spread his arms wide.
"Yuki, why didn't you tell us you were going away?"
"Momiji, how did you…?"
"I took the bus with some of the others, but Hatori brought just about everybody else," Momiji said, nodding happily, his hands clenching into fists that bounced with excitement and energy. "Not the whole family, but… Oh, here they come now!"
Yuki looked over Momiji's head to see…everybody… walking toward him. Shigure led the way, meeting his eyes with a knowing smile, challenging Yuki's accusing stare. But it was too late to be angry. Hatori walked beside Shigure, his coat flung over one arm. Beside him came a sweetly smiling Kisa and an indignant Hiro walking cross-armed at her side, ignoring Yuki entirely. A mild-mannered Kagura followed behind Shigure with Kureno. Ritsu trailed behind everyone, a little off to the side, his eyes growing wider by the second as he eyed the number of people crowding him on all sides. The muted sounds of "I'm sorry. I apologize. I'm sorry. Forgive me. I'm sorry. Excuse me," whispered in his wake.
"They had some gifts to send you off with," Hatori said by way of explanation.
"I brought you a blender!" Ritsu shouted, rushing to the front. Yuki jumped at the sound, his eyes darting for the speaker as Ritsy shoved a rather large and cumbersome box suddenly into Yuki's arms. Yuki stumbled in receiving it, grunting as he adjusted his balance, unable to see around the box. "Shigure said something about how you might need a mixer to get acquainted so I got you the best one in the store!"
Yuki shifted his burden awkwardly and finally passed it off to Haru, who set the box by his other things. Shigure laughed shamelessly. "You might actually find that useful, Yuki!"
The other gifts were more predictable and made quite a pile next to Yuki's things. Haru produced a hefty canvas bag to store them in, arranging items in an organized fashion and telling Yuki he could keep the bag as his and Rin's gift, probably the most practical thing in the lot.
"I think you're train's here," Momiji said, rocking back on his heels.
The crowd was beginning to move, lining up at the gateways, arranging themselves for entry. Yuki smiled at everyone, pleased that they had come to wish him luck even if he wasn't going to say so.
"Oh, YUUUUKI!"
"Oh, Ayame made it," Shigure said with an innocent smile.
"So it seems," Hatori said.
Ayame burst onto the scene, posturing momentarily in eye-assaulting assortment of bright colors and outrageous fabrics, and then shoving several innocent pedestrians out of his way as he charged toward Yuki with arms extended with a dazzling flare. "Yuki! Brother! How dare you try to escape without saying goodbye to your dear older brother!?"
To his horror, Yuki found himself caught up in an embrace. He fought, choking for air until he was released, and then had bend over to keep from getting dizzy.
"Oh, Yuki!" Ayame exclaimed worriedly, "Can't you breathe?! It's not your lungs again, is it?!"
"I think it was you," Hatori said. "But he has a point. Don't hesitate to call me if you have any trouble with your respiration, Yuki."
"Where's mom?" Yuki asked, surprised to find himself a little saddened by her absence, since Ayame bothered to show up.
"Ha ha ha! I spent all day with her today, Yuki! I am trying so hard to mend the breach of her rejection of me! I told her such fascinating stories about myself! A few were ones she hasn't even heard before! Then she had the nerve to tell me she was too tired to see you off! We didn't even go anywhere! Can you imagine that? How could she be tired? I think she was just sulking! But no matter! I am here to see you off and I will make up for her absence! Perhaps you want two hugs from your big brother?"
"No!" Yuki said hurriedly. "Thank you."
He looked over his shoulder as the passengers began to board. It was time to go.
"Probably best if you get situated," Hatori said. "Promise to take care of yourself."
"Ha-san is right," Shigure said, "But don't take your work too seriously. College is about a lot more than school."
"That's right!" Ayame exclaimed. "I expect lots of stories about all the new experiences you will have! I want pictures and telephone calls every night! I want details about all the parties you will attend and all the lovely ladies you will meet!"
"Aya, I think you're scaring him," Shigure interrupted. "You should behave yourself, Yuki, but don't over behave. You should make the most of your experiences."
Yuki was at a loss for words, taking in all these comments and advice gifts and well-wishing in a close to bewildered state. As for what Shigure and Ayame may or may not be implying…he wasn't going to think about that just yet.
"They're almost boarded," Haru said blandly. "You'll miss your train if you don't hurry."
Starting, Yuki picked up his bags (Momiji helped) and 'got situated' as Hatori advised. Once his stuff was stored, he lingered outside, looking over the people who had always been in his life, some more than others, and contemplated life without them. For some reason, he wasn't as nervous now. After all, they would always be here.
"That cat and that idiot girl are here," Hiro said suddenly. Kisa's happy smile compensated for Hiro's attitude.
Yuki looked up with a start as the sea of Sohmas parted, stepping aside as Kyo came through the crowd, pulling Tohru behind him by the hand. Yuki looked at the pair of them, swallowed, and was surprised when a rush of warmth spread through his body. Kyo's face was a picture of determination. He plowed forward like a steam roller and Tohru was dragged behind him, her expression complete bewilderment. It was the way she had looked when Yuki and Kyo together had brought her back home after her short stay with her paternal family. Yuki remembered and realized suddenly that things would always be like this.
"All right, you damn…" Kyo's words faltered. "Ah, hell. I don't know what to call you anymore. We came to say goodbye and stuff."
Yuki stared at Tohru, her hand clasped in Kyo's, and suddenly knew why he had tried to leave without anyone knowing. This was the moment he had dreaded, the final goodbye that he had been afraid to face. He had hoped to lose it in the distraction of passing Tohru to Kyo, but now that it was here, he found that he was glad, glad to see her, one last time. And even Kyo, trying to look so aloof, so completely above coming here for any reason except to appease Tohru, made him smile.
"Yuki, I brought you dinner," Tohru said, presenting a bento box tied up with cloth. Something about her expression was strange, lacking the smile he was used to. Instead, anxiousness was in her eyes, and he knew that this was hard for her.
Yuki took the bento box, almost overcome by feelings he couldn't sort out.
"Miss Honda," he said politely, "I didn't expect to see you again for awhile. Thank you, for coming to say goodbye. And for dinner. You didn't have to go through the trouble."
Tohru bit her lip, and then, all at once she flung herself at him. He had a moment to collect himself, to shift his balance, to process the moment, and then Tohru was in his embrace, her arms draped around his neck, her head buried in his shoulder. "Oh, Yuki! I'm going to miss you! Please, call me Tohru if you're going to say goodbye!"
He held her, speechless, wrapping his arms around her back and pulling her close. "I'm going to miss you too, Tohru," he whispered into her ear. "Goodbye. Thank you, for everything."
"Are you going to be okay?" Tohru asked. "I mean, with friends and money and everything?"
Kyo stood with his fists on his hips. "I heard Ritsu got
him a blender and Ayame packed him some alcohol, so
that takes care of the sort of friends he's used to, and if he needs work he
can get a job at Bebe."
Yuki glared over Tohru's head. "You
shut up."
"You want me to shut up?" Kyo countered, shaking his fist. "What are you going to do about it, eh?"
"Tohru," Yuki said, relishing in the way her name came so easily to his lips, much more easily than he thought it would, "I don't have time now, but if that cat ever gives you any trouble, don't hesitate to call me."
Kyo bristled. "Oh yeah? We'll see about that, girly boy!"
Yuki narrowed his eyes and unbuttoned his sleeve.
"Um, the train's leaving, I think," Shigure said.
Glaring at Kyo, Yuki released Tohru with a smile and looked up. "Goodbye, everyone," he said, and climbed aboard.
Kyo was glaring at the family, assessing their expressions as everyone contemplated the separation of one of their number.
"What is the freakin' big deal?" Kyo yelled at them. "He's going to be back for New Years!"
There was a moment of profound silence.
"Oh yeah," Tohru said. "New Years. I forgot."
"Funny," Shigure said. "So did I." He waved. "Well, then I guess we'll see you for New Years, Yuki! Good luck!"
"Bring back lots of stories!" Momiji shouted.
"I'll call you if you don't call me, little brother! And if you don't answer I'll come visit you!"
Yuki flinched inside the train. As he settled himself in his seat, he looked out the window, surveying his family with contentment. Hiro with his arms crossed, Kisa with her hand clenched around Hiro's coat, Haru's wandering gaze, Rin's dark-eyed stare, Shigure's complacent smile, Hatori's straight-laced expression, Momiji jumping up and down, Ayame trying to out-do him, Ritsu's timid wave and Kagura's friendly smile. This was his family, whom he was actually feeling glad to leave now, but would miss by New Years.
Kyo stood like a statue, fists on his hips while Tohru waved, a smile brightening her face. Something about Kyo make him look in the ex-cat's eyes, and Yuki saw something there he hadn't seen before, a stare that was not hateful, nor full of vengeance, but a challenge issued to a rival with no stakes in the balance, a competition between equals that was sportsmanlike and almost friendly in its nature. So when Yuki smiled, he included Kyo, and enjoyed that look of shock that passed over the orange-haired boy's face.
When the train pulled away, Kyo grabbed Tohru hand again, clasping her palm with his own. "Come on," he said. "Let's go."
"Oh, I see Kyo's got a girlfriend!" Shigure said slyly, and much too loudly.
The shock that crossed the faces of some of this other family members caused Kyo to tense up, but when he turned to look at Tohru, her smile brightened the world. She clasped his hand as she said hello to everybody as they passed through the crowd of Sohmas. But all at once the feelings of fear and abandonment receded as Kyo caught that Shigure's joking was endearing, that his teasing was a method of acceptance. And he saw Hatori's knowing smile, and Hiro's rolled eyes, and Ayame's excited clap. Rin ignored them, and Haru didn't seem to notice anything, and all of it was acceptance, down to the last detail, displayed in eleven different ways among eleven different people.
"That's right," Kyo said as he passed through them, his anger merely a practiced front. "But right now I'm hungry. And there's no way I'm eating that leek crap."
"I'll make something else for you!" Tohru exclaimed. "Right away!"
"No," Kyo said.
He stopped suddenly and she bumped into his back. They were away from the family, but not out of sight. He didn't care. Turning around, he leaned in and kissed her, sweetly, discreetly, but not hiding anything. She blinked in surprise, but when he took her hand she grasped it, a smile spreading across her face. Kyo didn't care about the eyes of his family on the pair of them.
"I'm taking you out," he told her. "You know, to celebrate Yuki's leaving."
But he found that he didn't mean it, and by her answering smile, she knew it.
Well, I guess that's it! I managed to wrap it up in 3 after all. I probably could have gone on and on with Sohma antics and Yuki's leaving, but I'd rather just finish it and conserve my energy for other stories. This was my first Fruits Basket story to try my hand at writing these characters. A lot more people read the first chapter so I don't know if the second one wasn't as good or if people just didn't return or didn't review or whatever. At any rate, if you liked the story or this chapter specifically, please review and tell me what you liked! I'm working on another, longer, plot-oriented fantasy Fruits Basket story called Evermore so the comments will be useful to me.
For your information, Bebe is a trendy, girl's clothing store and the reference is a personal joke. My friend's boyfriend watched an episode of Fruits Basket with us once and referred to Yuki later as "Bebe boy." I haven't stopped laughing since. Also, if you don't know much about college life, a "mixer" isn't a blender, it's a sort-of introduction party where people are invited to mingle, though drinks may be available. However, people who have blenders at college are rare and may find it easy to make friends due to the existence of that appliance (margaritas anyone?). The fact that Yuki is what I call "pretty," polite, uncursed and single makes good groundwork for a very interesting college life. I may write a story about that sometime ^_~.
Anyway, thank you for reading my story! I really enjoyed all of your reviews and I hope to hear from you all again!
Incoherence1: I'm glad you came back to review, even though the computer ate yours. I'm so sad! Hopefully it doesn't happen again! (hint hint)
Runic Knight: Oh thank you!! I'm glad you like my depiction of Yuki. I tried to shower him with a good light b/c I really like and identify with Yuki, even though Kyo got Tohru in this fic.
Furygrrl: Ah, those were the things I was aiming for! Thank you very much. I am so glad you like the story. I hope you came back for this chapter!
ChibiCat: So glad to have you back as a reader! I'm glad you like my Yuki even if you don't like Yuki. I hope the fog clears soon too! And though I'm not sure "better than perfect" is a bit much, I thoroughly enjoy the compliment!
Mizaya: You're a pancake too. I have a comedic mind? Really? I'm never entirely sure it's just not silliness! Do you feel lucky knowing the end? *hugs Mizaya*
Syaoranbabe17: I hope you feel better about Yuki now. I have full confidence that he will find someone. At least he has a blender. Thank you so much for your review!!
Purrfect679: I'm happy to see your name again!! Thank you for the review. Tohru and Kyo will be happy! And so will Yuki!
SAL-chan: Oh, thank you! I saw that you also reviewed my other story. Thank you so much! I really appreciate having you as a reader for your encouragement and enthusiasm.