Disclaimer: I do not own fruits basket! TT^TT ~sad but true..

ps: I'm sorry for being a dork for not updating like...FOREVER! okay, this chapter is still suck in grammar.. I'm really sorry..Oh and forgive me for being rude for not replying your reviews! I'm sorry! ~Ristu has possess me... Oh, and I want to thank JoFlower-san for explaining to me about step-families/siblings...and i already edited chapter 16..see author note on chapter 16 please..^^

and thanks so much FadingNoctis-san for being very loyal to this story! She has been hinting many, many times to make me update this story! I'm very honoured to have you as one of my very valuable readers! 3

The Reason I Love You

Chapter Seventeen

Yuki stood by the doorway leading to the living room with his eyes shut, apparently thinking. Kakeru sat few footsteps away from him, occasionally throwing glances at the silver-hair. Another male was also sitting nearby, crouching beside Kakeru. About an hour ago Yuki brought both of them to the main house, both Kakeru and Takuma, to see Kyo. Just as soon as they arrived there, Hatori rushed pass them to the former cat's room. A few minutes later, they learned about Kyo's outburst a few hours before their arrival, and Kyo's encounter with some mysterious person beforehand. Its lucky Yuki came back to the main house. Tohru had been standing in front of Kyo's room knocking the door for nearly two hours, until Hatori came running to help the poor girl though Hatori's arrival isn't really helping, since Yuki was the one who broke the said door in the end.

Takuma had his first glance at his brother for the first time, though all he saw was a mess of fine orange hair and who, at the time, sprawled face down on the floor. They hurriedly picked him up and laid him on the bed and Hatori quickly check on him, ensuring that he's okay. The young boy turned around to see his brother's fiancée's glistening features. Her hair was undone; her face was shining with tears. Her body was shaking violently. At that time, no one seemed to notice him, an outsider standing in the same room. All attention was at Kyo. Takuma saw his brother's face clearly this time, inwardly admitted that both of them really resembled each other. The only differences were the orange hair, Kyo's more slanted eyes, the darker shade of skin, the shape of the lips and their heights.

Hatori rushed them all outside except for the young woman. A moment waiting, Hatori and Tohru emerged from the room and they all walked to the living room. Takuma was nervous. He was surrounded by the people he hardly knew anything of, and now on his way to their living room too. Sooner or later one of them is going to start asking about him. What the hell am I suppose to say? Takuma yelled in his head. Hi! I'm Takuma, and I'm that guy who- fell- off- his- bed's lil' bro! And yeah, you're my soon-to-be big sis, lady! Takuma shook his head. He's sweating and shaking. GOD! I'm such an ASS! What am I going to do?

000

Smoke loomed around the room, initiated from sullen looking lips of a man in his early forties. Sohma Arashi puffed the white-gray smoke out of his mouth as he exhaled. He was relaxing to say the least, on his favourite armchair. He turned his gaze towards the sliding doors, where all the beautiful trees and flowers his maid had planted, and wondered whether his life was ever as beautiful as the plants. No, of course not. He told himself. It never was...

Arashi closed his eyes. Thinking. Remembering that years ago, in this very room where he sat relaxing peacefully was the same place he first thought he found happiness. His first day of marriage life with his beautiful wife, Chie was a lifetime dream of his. He first met Chie when they were both in college. Both of them were so young, and Arashi admitted, he was way more passionate and kind-hearted when he was younger. Arashi was a kind man, though a little pompous for being a rich Sohma. Chie was soft-spoken, and was a very pretty woman. Both of them were meant for each other, as what their family and friends often told them, and their marriage was blessed by both sides of the family.

Arashi had never met the former Sohma head before, until the day of his marriage. The Sohma head was young and fragile and very sickly. He wondered why and how this man could be the leader of such a huge family. The head also recently married and had a son, though at his wedding, Sohma Akira didn't bring his child along. He felt blessed though, with the arrival of the Sohma head himself at his wedding, because it was unusual for the Sohma leader to participate in an inferior's ceremonial event.

After almost three years of their wedding, three very happy years, Arashi and Chie were both in their heavenly life. They were both young, romantic and everything was perfect. Even though they still couldn't conceive a child for a while, nothing seemed to flaw their happiness and Arashi was more than happy when Chie told him she was pregnant. He's going to be a father! If only it wasn't so childish to hop all around the place, he would have done so. For months had he been loving to his wife, and proud to tell everyone of their happy news. Yes, he's a proud man, who's very proud of his unborn baby. He told everyone who would listen of who his offspring would become and when he learned that it was a boy, he was overjoyed! He always wanted a son as his first child.

Until that fateful day, on the chill and wet early January evening, when Chie was busy cooking their supper, she suddenly screamed. Arashi rushed over to her from the living room and found that she was already on the floor and there was water everywhere. He panicked; her water broke but she's only in her seventh month! He had once heard his parents talking about the curse which hindered his family for generations. He was so young when he first heard it and never did once he believed in such preposterous superstition. Though then, 'this can't be happening!' was all he remembered reciting in his head all the while he waited at the operating room when Chie was sent into labour.

He heard the cries of his child and saw him for the first time. He was half happy, half miserable. Half wanting his child and half of him just wanted Chie to kill it. He didn't know why, but he felt betrayed, frightened and ashamed when he first saw his son transformed into a hideous creature in Chie's arms. Chie screamed, along with all the nurses. All the doctors cringed and fled, some throw up because of the stench smell the baby let out; all except one male doctor, the one who delivered the child with his bare hands. He stood still, watching the chaotic event happening all around him, as if he was in some other world. Chie threw her deformed son away from herself until the doctor came and took the baby in his hands once more. There was a faint sound as Arashi's son turned once more, this time as a human child with orange hair and beautiful red eyes. He was so small. The baby cried. Chie was suffering, she screamed, gripping her hair. The nurses tried to calm her. Arashi stood frigid, staring at the man opposite him whom he saw putting on a bracelet around his son's tiny left wrist.

The doctor, who was also a Sohma, looked at him straight in the eye. "This thing (the bracelet) will prevent him from turning into his true form...if you want nothing like what happened just now to repeat again, never let it slip off his wrist." was all he said before he left, bringing the baby with him for cleaning.

Arashi turned to his wife; she was miserable. She cried as she looked at him. Her eyes plead him to forgive her, but no, his heart was crushed. What monster does she give birth to? Who does she think she is, giving him a beast instead of a son? How dare she shame me with this filth? His eyes stared angrily and mercilessly at his wife. His proud shattered, tainted and disgusted. All the love, all passion he held for her gone in an instant. All that's left for her was hatred. And the child, the child is a beast and not his. He refused to claim that that child was the son he's so willingly love and care. No, he said to himself. That beast is no child of mine! He left the room and his wife, leaving her moaning alone, begging for him to return to her. But there's no longer comfort or love for her in his darkening heart. Not anymore.

Arashi opened his eyes slowly. His eyes wandered around the living room. If only he wasn't born a monster...if only she didn't give birth to him...everything will still be like how it used to be. He covered his face with his hands. He ruined everything!

He was so deep in thought that he almost jump in his seat as he heard the loud knock on the door, banging the house. Arashi growled. His maid hurriedly opens the door and let the person in. A man in his thirties came in, with a determined look on his face. Arashi looked at him for a few seconds before started, "I expect news from you for your intrusion. Your coming here is very unusual."

The younger man nodded. "Yes," he said. "I have news; and a rather anticipated one too." He smirked.

Arashi hated that petty smirk of his that he growled again. "What is it?" He said harshly.

The man's smirk widened. "That boy," he said slowly, "is 'waking up'." Arashi sat straight on his armchair, his eyes widened, frowning. "That boy remembers..." he paused, "...everything."

Arashi jumped off his chair, grabbing the young man's collar in his fists. "WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?" he yelled. The other man was smiling completely now. "That's what I heard, and that is what I'm telling you." He freed himself off the older man's grip.

"Your son remembers...How and why, I do not know. I'm merely relaying the news to you. You are in trouble now aren't you, Arashi-san?" He said as he looked into Arashi's pale face. "Though for the time being, he's unconscious again. You're very lucky." Arashi stared at him. "What do you suppose you should do this time? Run away? Or kill him again?"

Arashi gawped at him. "I-I don't know..." The young man slowly came to him, whispering, "Tell me what you want to do, I'll do it for you...If kill him is what you want, then permit me to do it for you. Though, of course, you know the price. If not, you know the consequences...don't you?"

Arashi was shaking and sweating. He couldn't think anything anymore. He nodded, agreed. And the man smirked again. "I know just the thing to do..."

000

Just as Takuma feared, he's now bombarded by the Sohmas oncoming and non-stop questions. He was sweating furiously and one particular person seemed to be enjoying the moment, one with sly features and black hair whose name was Shigure. Earlier on the doctor called the Sohma leader, who, Takuma learned, was married to this guy. Twenty minutes after the call Sohma Akito and her husband arrived at Hatori's house. After a while, they didn't seem to mind about him being there; after all, Kakeru was there too, and he was not family, but that Kakeru guy was one hell of a talker compared to him, and he already knew them all.

Tohru and Hatori told them all everything. After some time they sat thinking there in the room and did nothing and Takuma was thankful that not one of them was paying any attention to his existence, until one question, no scratch that, one statement made the whole room quiet in wonder: "You looked a lot like him, my dear boy."

Takuma, who had his head hung low, looked up at the speaker. Sohma Shigure's smile was torturous. His stares penetrated the young boy who was starting to sweat again. Shigure smile as if knowing and he let out a bark-like laugh. Hatori was now staring at the boy, apparently having the same idea, though he did not say it out loud. Tohru gazed him as she tilted her head, her face was unreadable.

"Just for a bit, I thought Kyo was sitting here with us," Shigure beamed. He then leaned closer to Takuma's frightened face, "but now that I have a closer look at you, your eyes are not red. Well, brownish though, but not red." He leaned back to his original position, scratching the back of his neck as he sighed, "I guess I miss him, I'm seeing him everywhere!" He chuckled. Takuma bowed his head again.

Yuki watched the boy, concerned. He knew that Takuma had very little confidence and uncomfortable especially surrounded by older people he barely know, and with the presence of the Sohma head herself, too. This boy, he knew, was not Kakeru (whose confidence mirrored his loud brother so much that sometimes he couldn't stand it), and to be caught in his families' oddities would be a huge blow for an outsider, even though they shared the same surname. Yuki sipped the tea Hatori's housemaid made for them. This boy may look like him, Yuki thought, but he is not the same person. Yuki glanced at the said boy, at least this boy is polite enough, very unlike his dear brother...Yuki smirked.

Shigure (and Kakeru, who did it for self-entertaining) was asking Takuma questions, which the boy stutteringly answered. Yuki thought, he might just let them be, maybe Takuma might slip of something that might be useful to them, until Shigure pop the question that left Takuma speechless.

"Takuma-kun, why exactly are you here for?" Shigure asked tactlessly. "If you're not someone Kyo know then I'm sure you wouldn't likely to be here. Or are you a Sohma too? It's very unusual for an outsider to be in any of the main Sohma houses, except for Kakeru-kun of course. He knows no bound, this boy." Kakeru laughed heartily and nodded his head, agreeing to everything Shigure said.

Takuma sat there stunned. Yuki saw Hatori sighed at Shigure's straightforwardness. Akito let out an exhausted sigh herself, as she rolled her eyes at her husband. Tohru merely hear the other people talk. She hadn't been talking since she told the group the about Kyo's tantrums. Takuma doubt that she's even listening to them talking in the first place, since she often glanced at the wall on her right, wishing that she was in Kyo's room beside his bed, tending to him; or stared outside the shoji with empty eyes. At last Yuki figured that he should say something, for Takuma's sake.

"He's one of Shihan's new students, Shigure," Yuki calmly lied, as he continued sipping his tea. "I was the one training him when Shihan or Kyo's unavailable. We were having a walk just now and thought that I should bring him here, to see Kyo. It wouldn't hurt to bring him to visit one of his instructors now is it, especially since he is sick."

Shigure smile as he nodded. "Of course not, that would be impolite. It's just that it's a bit weird, that's all. After all this time..." He left his sentence laid hanging. They knew what he was trying to say, and none of them want to finish it for him. They all know, they understand. Apart from Tohru, Kakeru, occasionally accompanied by his girlfriend Komaki, Arisa, Hanajima and Kunimitsu, every other visitor Kyo usually have would be a Sohma and, for being an outcast and antisocial for so long that he had had very few friends who actually knew he was bedridden; he's only visited regularly by Tohru, Yuki, Shigure, Kazuma and Hatori. Another reason would be to keep him away from his own father's clutches whom Akito warned not to step a foot near Kyo.

One of Hatori's maids came into the room, bringing them news of Kunimitsu's arrival. Hatori bid her to welcome the man as usual and not too long after that Kunimitsu stepped into the living room. His face glum, and a very un-Kunimitsu like frown plastered on his face as he told them about Kazuma's warning. Akito and all the men stared at Kunimitsu who sat before them. Tohru had her head bowed, not wanting them to see her already bloodshot eyes.

As Kunimitsu and the rest sat in the living room discussing about Kyo, Kunimitsu was taken aback at the red-head's reaction towards Tohru and shot her a worried and sympathetic glance. Takuma turned to her too; feeling sorry for her he dragged himself closer to the distress young woman.

"I'm sorry," he started, as Tohru shot her head up to meet his gaze. If only the eyes that stared at her were red, and the boy before her was Kyo, she would have jump on him. But this boy was not Kyo, however vivid their resemblance may be. She has to control herself. "I...I hope everything will turn out okay, for both of you." Takuma's face was red as he spoke but the colour drained a little as Tohru smiled at him.

"Thank you, Takuma-san." Tohru held the young boy's hand in hers as she sighed. "Thank you..."

They were still discussing about Kazuma's warning when suddenly they heard cloud crashing sound coming from the next room. Sounds of metals and heavy burden hit the floor. They all jump in their seats and the men were already all up on their feet. The living room was then suddenly covered with white fumes and all of them started having a coughing fit. Yuki ran to the shoji and opened them, only to get more white smoke-like gas on his face. He fell to his side, coughing. Hatori ran to him, but later on, he too, fell onto the floor. Akito yelled at the top of her lungs calling the maids, but none of them came. They already fainted even before the crashing sound occurred. Kunimitsu, who was covering his nose and mouth bid them all to do them same, but it was too late. Shigure and Akito were already unconscious, and Yuki was too weak to move. Takuma tried to stand as Kakeru weakly dragged him out of the room, but then later there was a heap of thud heard; Kakeru fainted and Takuma's eyes lulled back as he shut his eyes. Tohru was already at the doorway with Kunimitsu, calling Yuki's name, but no answer came. Kunimitsu, though weak, pulled Tohru's arm. They were already at the hallway when Tohru fell, and Kunimitsu can stand no longer as he too, fell onto the floor beside her.

A few hours later, as they weakly open their eyes, they realised that they were all laid on comfortable futons, but now at a different location. Yuki opened his eyes only to see Hatsuharu stared back down at him. He lifted himself off the futon, looking around. Hatori was already awake, so did Shigure and Kunimitsu, though Akito, Tohru, Kakeru and Takuma still lay unconscious on the futons.

"What happened," Yuki murmured before coughing. Haru laid him once more on the futon, ignoring his weak protests.

"Hiro and Kisa came to Hatori's place only to find you guys on the floor, unconscious," said Haru meekly. "They called me and we brought you all here to my place. The maids told me there was gas all over the place, which must have been the cause for all this."

Yuki nodded. "I don't know what gas it was, but it surely bad for your lungs." He smiled. Haru however, did not smile back. Yuki thought he saw anger in the domino-haired man's eyes. Black Haru was on his way out of his cage, though the container was trying hard on pulling him back. Yuki cautiously asked, "Haru, is everything alright?"

Haru let his gaze fell onto Yuki's beautiful yet weak face before turning his head to the others. "I'm afraid not." He said slowly. Yuki raised himself off the futon once more, putting his hand on the younger man's shoulder. "Haru..."

"Did you not notice we are one person short, Yuki?" Haru said as he tried to contain his anger. Yuki frowned. He looked around him. Rin was busy tending Tohru, Akito and the boys with Kisa, and Hiro was holding emergency kits in his arms. Hatori and Shigure were both trying to recover from the dizziness, as they and Kunimitsu all bore the same expression: regret. Then it ticked. Yuki looked desperately around the room, but everywhere he looked, he couldn't see any red-headed boy laying on the floor or standing or simply existing in the room with them.

"Haru, where is he? Where's Kyo?" Yuki search in Haru's pallid face for any sign of joke. Surely he must have been hiding him, isn't he? thought Yuki, hopeful. Surely Kyo is with us in this place, this room. Kyo is here with us, isn't he? He was already unconscious before us all did. He was in his bed, sleeping! Haru must have brought him here too, didn't he? Yuki stared at the former cow, "Haru..." he said slowly.

"He's gone, Yuki. Somebody took him away! I couldn't find him anywhere! His room was crashed, everything was upside down! There was blood on the floor and walls, everywhere!" Haru loudly said as he pummelled his fists on the tatami floor. "Kyo's gone!"

ps: what happen to kyo? i wonder? is he hurt...or dead?
stay tuned for chapter 18 of TRILY!

it's gonna take me much longer time to update, so i apologise in advance...anyway, review babes! thx for reading! XD