Introduction

Looking into her eyes, I knew how much she cared. It frightened me at first. Why would she care so much about – about a monster like me? I was disgusting, hideous, cursed…. Why would she care? She couldn't even hug me like she could hug a normal boy! What made me so special?

She held my arm… my ugly, ugly arm in her soft, smooth hands, and wanted to go back to the house. She wouldn't look at me. I thought she was just saying that to make me feel better…. I thought she was just saying that so that she wouldn't have to face me anymore once we went back. She would pack up her things and go.

I didn't want that. I didn't want to go back and give her up. I couldn't… I didn't want to face what would surely happen if we returned.

I didn't want to lose her. Not after what she just saw about me….

I flailed my arm that she was holding. I wanted to get away. I had to escape. I couldn't go back. Not now. Not ever!

She didn't let go…. I was afraid that I'd hurt her. I was shocked. Surprised. Afraid. Why was she still holding onto me? why wasn't she running away?

She got onto her knees, still holding my arm in her hands. She wouldn't look at me. I knew she couldn't bring herself to do that. Her voice sounded hurt and tired. "I really… don't have the strength," she uttered.

Then let me go. Please… I don't want to hurt you anymore than I already have….

She slowly pulled herself up from the mud in the rain, holding onto my arm tighter. She began to tremble. She quivered all over like a frightened kitten. "I'm scared," she murmured. "That Kyo-kun is scary."

No! No!

I didn't want to hear that. I didn't want to hear how she really felt, what she really feared…

Me.

Then she looked up at me. Her bright eyes bore into mine with such intensity, I couldn't tear myself away. "But… but…" her eyes filled with tears as she stared up at me. "From now on… together… together…" she lowered her eyes. Tears fell silently down her cheeks as she held me in her arms. "…I want to be with you."

Me? Why? Why would you want to be with me? A monster…

She still held on. She never let me go. It was as if… she had no intension of letting me go…. Could she really care that much?

She continued, her voice just as soft as the falling rain, "Eating meals with you. Studying with you. Be worried together. I want you to hear what I want. I'll take the bad with the good. That's why… I want to be with you!"

I… I couldn't believe what she was saying. She still wanted to be with me… even after she'd seen the real me? Even after she admitted… that I frightened her?

The bad… with the good?

But when she uttered those words… those truthful, honest words… I couldn't turn away. I knew then, that I couldn't leave her. I knew then, just how much she really cared about me. Even if she didn't like my ugly side, she still wanted to be with me.

And I… I loved her.

...

Akito wouldn't hear it. He never wanted her to stay with us in the first place. She didn't belong. More than that, he didn't want Yuki, her, or I, to be happy.

He would do anything to keep her from accomplishing this. But his plan backfired….

A/N: My first Fruits Basket fic! Yay! This chapter was mostly a flashback of episode 26 (?). The next chapter starts off where the anime series ends. I'll try and keep the characters as in character as possible, but keep in mind that the characters are growing and maturing because of upcoming situations (heh heh). So they will eventually become very out of character at some point. DON'T SUE ME! Oh ja, and I don't own Fruits Basket or the song "With Arms Wide Open" or any other song lyrics I make reference to. I hope you enjoyed it! (I've based the spelling of names from the official English Fruits Basket website and the English translated versions of the manga)

2010 Update:

I own ALL of the manga now (all 23 volumes of it). Some things in the manga won't apply to this story because at the time I was writing this fic, I was only just starting my Furuba collection and therefore could not grasp everything that was supposed to happen in the original. That will become obvious when it happens in this story. JUST TELLING YOU ALL THIS NOW SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO POINT OUT SOMETHING OBVIOUS IN THE MANGA!