Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Dark Prince ❯ Chapter 4

Dark Prince

 

 

 

Chapter Four

 

 

 

“Tohru!”

 

Tohru looked up at the sound of the familiar voice. She smiled joyfully at the beaming young man before her.

 

“Momiji, you came!” She reached out and tweaked his nose, causing him to blush in return. “Of course, Tohru! I wouldn't miss your graduation party for anything!” He grabbed her hand and led her to the house. Tohru couldn't help laughing as she watched him.

 

Although he was now a young man, Tohru still pictured him as the adorable boy she'd first met. Even though he was older, Momiji still had the same looks and charm that left many girls starry-eyed.

 

Once they entered the house, they were greeted by a chorus of well wishes from various members of the Sohma family. Tohru blushed, not used to so much attention.

 

“Please, everyone, don't make such a fuss over me!” She spoke up, smiling happily. Shigure waved a hand at her. “Of course we're going to make a fuss over you! You're the shining light, the blossoming flower, the…”

 

“Shut up already!” Came Kyo's irritated voice from the kitchen. Shigure gave her a wide smile. “Not everyone is as polite as I am,” he said in a conspiratorial voice.

 

“And by your definition of polite you mean…?” Hatori asked sarcastically with the barest hint of a smile. He ignored Shigure's look of hurt and nodded toward Tohru.

 

“You have my warmest congratulations, Tohru-san.”

 

As Tohru watched the people around her, she couldn't help feeling happy. Her gaze traveled around, lighting up with each face. Shigure, Kyo, Hatori, Momiji, Kagura, Kisa, Hatsuhara…surrounded by so many familiar faces, she felt like she was truly part of a family again. Of course, there was one that was missing…

 

“Hey, don't look so down. This is supposed to be your party.”

 

Tohru accepted the drink Kyo was holding out to her. She gave him a smile, taking a sip from the cup. “Oh, I am!”

 

Kyo shrugged and took a seat beside her. “But you know,” she said, gazing at him, “this is for you, also.”

 

His cheeks turned red as he scoffed at the idea. “Nobody here cares if I graduated from high school. If anything, they're all surprised that I made it this far.”

 

Tohru saw the look of pain that flashed through his fiery hazel orbs. Despite his tough attitude, his eyes told everything, which was one of the things Tohru found so endearing about him. Those eyes which could glitter like the rarest gems, were like windows into his soul.

 

“I care,” she said quietly. He glanced at her quickly before grabbing her hand and tugging her to her feet. “Kyo, what…?”

 

“Just follow me.” He ordered as he led her away from the common area and up the stairs. He stopped in front of his room and looked over at her. “I'm not trying to do anything perverted like that dog Shigure,” he said quickly.

 

“Eh?” Tohru responded, confused. Kyo shook his head and slid the door open, pulling her inside after him. Tohru gazed around the small room, realizing that in all the time she'd been living there, she'd never stepped foot inside Kyo's personal domain. The room itself, surprisingly, was neat and tidy; the furnishings sparse. It was entirely unlike Kyo's unpredictable behavior. She'd expected chaos and mayhem, not cleanliness and order.

 

“Go out on the balcony,” he instructed. Tohru tried to suppress that smile that threatened to break free as she did as he said. Night was beginning to fall and a chilly breeze played with her loose russet locks. She closed her eyes and turned her face up to the sky.

 

`I hope you're proud of me, mama. I did it, I graduated from high school!'

 

She opened her eyes and smiled, knowing her mother was looking down on her with her trademark smile.

 

Remember that you can do anything you put your mind to, Tohru. You can because I believe in you.

 

“Thanks for believing in me,” she whispered.

 

“Don't you get tired of doing that all the time?” Kyo asked, stepping out onto the balcony. Tohru opened her eyes. “Doing what?”

 

“Talking to yourself,” he pointed out. “Well, I guess it might seem a little strange to some people, but mama used to tell me that even spirits like to hear good news every now and then.” She blushed when she saw Kyo's raised eyebrow.

 

“I know it sounds silly, but mama used to talk to daddy after he died. Sometimes I'd hear her at night laughing and telling him all about me.” She looked back up at the sky. “And so now I talk to mama and tell her everything that's going on with me so she'll never feel lonely.”

 

Kyo felt guilty for always teasing her about the habit now that he knew her reason for it. In spite of everything that she'd gone through, she was still such an optimist, only choosing to see the best in life. He smiled softly.

 

“You really are something else.”

 

Tohru frowned. “Is that a good or bad thing?” Kyo turned to her, his head cocked to the side. “Definitely a good thing.”

 

Tohru could feel her cheeks heating up at Kyo's compliment. “Um, thank you…” She paused as he hurriedly thrust a small package at her. She looked up at him, but he quickly turned away, crossing his arms over his chest.

 

“It's just something I picked up…you know, for graduating and all.”

 

Tohru looked down at the small velvet pouch, wondering what was inside. She turned the pouch upside down, watching as a thin gold chain slid out into the palm of her hand.

 

“Oh!” She gasped, bringing her hand closer for a better look. Attached to the chain was a small gold silhouette of a cat with two bright rubies for eyes. She looked up to find Kyo staring at her apprehensively. She could tell he was anxious for her response.

 

“I-it's beautiful!” She exclaimed with a wide smile. Kyo let out a breath he hadn't even known he'd been holding. He hadn't realized how much he'd wanted her to like it until just this moment. Seeing her eyes light up made his heart jump and he realized he wanted to see it again.

 

“Do you really think so?” He asked, unconsciously biting his lower lip. Tohru held the necklace out to him, silently asking him to put it on her. He took the proffered necklace and unfastened the clasp.

 

“You know, in some cultures, cats are thought of as guardian spirits,” he said as he gently secured the necklace around Tohru's slender neck. He let his hands rest on her shoulders.

 

“That's kinda why I decided to get the necklace…because, you know, if you need someone to protect you…” The sentence trailed off as the two stood staring at each other as if locked in a trance. Tohru reached up and traced the outline of the cat charm.

 

“So you're kind of like my…guardian angel, huh?” She joked, her voice barely above a whisper. Kyo swallowed hard, nodding his head slowly. The only other time he'd been this close to Tohru was when she'd found him at the lake after his transformation. At the time, the only thing he'd wanted to do was take comfort in her, feeling relieved that there was someone who accepted him for who and what he truly was. Now, however, he wanted nothing more than to kiss her, his emotions riding high.

 

“Tohru,” he began, his throat dry all of a sudden. “I've always liked you and…well…” Kyo became frustrated with his inability to express his feelings. He was trying to tell her how he truly felt about her but it was coming out in a confusing jumble.

 

“Kyo?” She looked up at him, her azure eyes full of questions. Since words were failing him, Kyo decided to take action. Before he could talk himself out of it, he leaned down and pressed his lips to Tohru's.

 

Tohru stood stock still, her senses reeling. She was so shocked that she couldn't move, her hand still clutching the cat charm. She couldn't believe what was happening. Was Kyo really kissing her? His lips, pressed firmly against her own, was evidence that it was.

 

After a brief moment, he leaned away from her, breaking the kiss. Tohru gazed up him with wide, dazed eyes. A slight blush tinged his cheeks as he looked away.

 

“I'm sorry if…I mean, you know, I should've asked first or…”

 

Tohru placed her hand on his arm. He reluctantly looked at her, his gaze guarded. Tohru realized he was afraid of her reaction, that she'd reject him. Truthfully, she didn't know how to react. Part of her was thrilled by the kiss, but there was another part of her that held out hope for…

 

`Yuki.'

 

She felt a painful stab in her chest at the thought of him, the urge to cry sweeping over her. How could she be so happy when Yuki wasn't here with her? Was it possible to find joy in life without him? What did she say to Kyo? How could she explain her confused feelings?

 

Luckily, fate stepped in.

 

“I knew you wanted Tohru all to yourself!”

 

Kyo and Tohru looked over at the intruder peeking his head inside the doorway. “And all this time you tried to make me out to be the bad guy!” Momiji said with a knowing look. Kyo instantly went on the offensive, offering up excuses that only made Momiji's smile widen.

 

Finally, Kyo whacked the younger boy on the head before angrily stomping out of the room. Momiji, ever the child at heart, began whining about Kyo's lack of concern for others and trailed after the older boy. Tohru was left behind, much to her relief.

 

`Oh, mama! What am I going to do now?'

 

~*~

 

It was colder than he'd expected. The sky was bruised and heavy with blotchy clouds. The weather was a perfect reflection of his own disturbed feelings. It was strange being back in a place he'd been gone away from for so long.

 

As the taxi took him down familiar roads, his thoughts turned to the past. He frowned, his gray eyes flashing. What had changed? What had stayed the same? As much as he didn't want to dwell on those questions, he couldn't help it. He would know soon enough…

 

“Well, this is your stop.”

 

He snapped out of his thoughts and glanced at the cab driver. “Thank you,” he responded shortly, handing the man some money.

 

“Need any help with your bags?”

 

He shook his head, slowly climbing out of the cab. He walked to the trunk and removed two duffel bags and a large suitcase. As the cab drove out of sight, he turned to the familiar building in front of him. It stirred conflicting emotions within him, making him uncertain for a split second. His indecision soon passed, however, when he reminded himself what he was here for. He had a purpose and he would carry it out no matter what.

 

*end*