Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Every Single One ❯ Last Bit ( Chapter 2 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

As Tohru sits alone in a barren room that she could once call her own, she finds comfort in a stuffed animal. A stuffed animal that holds a fond memory and an unsurmountable flood gate of emotions. Take a trip back through Tohru's memories and read about the last gift she ever received from the Sohma's. Her last bit of home...

Anime/Manga: Fruits Basket Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Drama | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 07.28.2005 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.5K | Visits: 898 | Status: Completed

Chapter Two: Last Bit

A/N: Konnichiwa minna-san!I'm so amazingly sorry about the long wait! My computer had died, but don't worry! Here is chapter two, which is longer than chapter one, and I already have the rough draft of chapter three (now I just need to type it up). I would do individual reviews, but I'm pressed on time, but I promise to do them next chapter. After all I am determined. ^,^ So, thank you all very much! And now, on to the story! ^^

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Tighter. Tohru wrapped her arms around the soft plush; squeezing it to her chest. Never wanting to let go, never. The fake orange fur stained dark by wet tears. She felt her legs give way as she slid to the cold floor of the room that, now, no longer belonged to her. Tohru was told to come and get her things and then she was to go to her grandfather's house to stay until graduation.

The pain hurt so much-having Hatori drive her, having him talk to her, and then coming into this house... one last time. It just seemed so normal, but, it was too quiet. Silence. It kept reminding her...

“Just one more minute. Just one more second.” She told herself as she curled up on the floor beside the small box, which held her few belongings. Slowly reaching into the small, square cardboard structure, Tohru pulled out an old blue hat. Who did the hat belong to? Tohru did not know, but it had always brought comfort to her in the past, and comfort was something she most desperately needed right now. So, with great care and gentleness, Tohru placed the blue hat on top the orange neko's stuffed head. Yes, this was the last gift she had received from a Sohma. From Kyo.

The tears were no longer falling as her large brown eyes became blank. She was no longer concentrating; she was stuck in the past. Stuck in her memory of that day-that day not so long ago... When Kyo gave her that stuffed orange neko.

Flashback-

It was a Friday and summer vacation and graduation was on the way. After tomorrow's half day there would only be two more weeks left of school. The bittersweet realization of this tugged at her heart. She only had two more weeks. Only two more weeks to save him...to save Kyo...

“Dear Tohru, your waves are rather distraught. Is something wrong?” Saki Hanajima seemingly appeared out of thin air, surprising Tohru greatly.

After being so shockingly ripped out of her musings, Tohru began her apology almost incoherently,” No, no! That is, I mean,...Gomen! Gomen ne for making you worry, Hana-chan!”

Sitting not that far away and playing a game of Rich Man, Poor Man with Uotani and a few other classmates, was the normal “You don't haffta apologize!” from Kyo.

“Ya, if anything it's Hana's fault for sneakin' up on ya like that.” Came the additional words of Uotani to calm Tohru down.

Tohru felt slightly overwhelmed so she just replied with a small and stuttered,” H-Hai.”

“It was my fault after all. I shouldn't have interrupted your thinking, sweet Tohru. So, for that, I apologize.” Hanajima explained in her normal monotone voice. She then in circled Tohru in one of her over protective hugs. And Tohru just gave her automatic smile in return.

Just as Hana let Tohru go from her embrace, there was an outburst from Kyo, and by the sounds of it he had lost,” Hell! You must cheat ya damn Yankee!” Yes, Kyo had let his temper get a hold of him yet again, and he jumped onto the table pointing an accusing finger at Uotani.

“Aww...Your just a sore loser, Orange Top.” Came the teasing tone of Arisa's voice.

That statement, of course, made Kyo loose his, not really cool, cool and thus, much yelling and accusation ensued. This bout of commotion caused Tohru to rush over to Kyo and Arisa and tried to calm them both down. Though, it seemed that all of Tohru's efforts were in vain...Fore Arisa continued to tease Kyo, which then in turn, cause Kyo to get angrier.

Just as Tohru was going to go into complete panic mode, Hanajima's calm and slightly eerie voice could be heard,”Tohru-kun, do not even try to bring calmness to this calamity. All three of your waves are much too distraught to bring peace to any. The bell should be ringing now anyway...” Just as Hana's voice drifted off, a bell reignited through the whole class (and throughout the whole school), signaling the end of another school day.

And so, the show was officially over.

Yuki was at a student council meeting; leaving just Kyo and Tohru alone to walk back to the house (since Kyo was not visiting the dojo that day). But yet, as they were walking out of the school they saw Hanajima walking in the opposite direction than her home. Tohru was oblivious to the fact that her friend might be visiting someone was she waved good-bye. Kyo on the other hand...

“Hey, you're not going to visit shishio are ya?” Tohru stopped walking and turned around on the spot. Looking at Kyo with doe innocent brown eyes as the words escaped his lips.

“He just asked me over for tea. His waves were clean and peaceful and I do not mind his company, nor the fact that I find his appearance to be quite alluring.” After Saki finished her confirmation of were she was, in fact, going...All three were met with an extremely awkward silence. “I bid you both good-by and good waves.” And with that Saki Hanajima turned and headed off in the direction to which she would meet and hold the company of one, Kazuma Sohma.

With that whole incident behind them, Kyo, with his face the same shade as his hair; took off down the street. He stopped short only to turn around and yell at Tohru to hurry up, and getting return two widened and slightly flustered chocolate colored eyes, and an armful of apologizes. Face now back to its normal shade of tan, Kyo just sighed and put his hand to his face. Tohru, who has been walking behind Kyo, was now walking by his side, turned to look at him with concerned eyes. Her voice left her lips with a small,” Kyo-kun...” tone filled with uncertainly and concern.

In response Kyo took his hand off his face and turned to Tohru with a smile. A smile that she then reflected back, and the Kyo laughed and that made Tohru laugh. Once the small bout of laughter was finished, Kyo just stuck his hands in his pockets and said,” Those two...It kinda unnerves me. I mean, what if I get denpa girl as my mother...or something.” He shivered slightly at the thought, a thing of which Tohru took note of.

Tohru responded simply with,” But if it makes them both happy...then I don't mind.” This was the last thing said as they started walking again. The science continued for a while, both lost in thought about what the other had said. Tohru was thinking solely on the words that Kyo said about having Hanajima as a mother.

“Yet, if I can't break this curse...if wecan't break this curse. Then you'll be locked up, and it won't matter who you have for a mother. Nothing will matter anymore...Nothing. But, you don't know that I know, Kyo-kun. You don't know...” This train of that rattled Tohru's senses and dipped her into a pit of untamed sadness as she felt the warmth of tears prickling at the back of her eyes.

“Only two weeks left. Time is almost up...TIME IS ALMOST UP!” Over and over again it rang in her head until...”Kyo-kun!”

Kyo stopped walking and spun around. Saw the tears that were running silently down Tohru's face, sighed, and asked,” What's wrong? Why are you crying?” His tone holding annoyance and yet a slight bit of concern as well.

“I-I-It's nothing, Kyo-kun. Gomen! I was just thinking about graduation and my emotions got the better of me...Gomen...” Tohru chocked out as her tears turned into soft sobs.

Trying to calm her down and get her out of such depressing thoughts, Kyo looked around the busy street for any sign of help. Sure enough he found it, and ice cream pallor. “Oi, Tohru, want to get an ice cream?”

Kyo watched as Tohru slowly began to wipe away the tears that had once formed and slowly looked up at him. Her eyes now shining and filled with glee she replied,” Really, Kyo-kun?”

“Really, Tohru.”

“Arigato!” Was the immediate response from her lips. Then, taking Kyo by surprise, she wrapped her hand in his and began walking to the ice cream pallor. Instead of letting go she just looked back at Kyo and smiled. After the initial shock was over he smiled back and caught up with her, so that they were walking side-by-side, hand-in-hand. They stayed that way until they walked into the ice cream pallor. The realization of how long they were holding hands sunk in, and so they quickly let go-both of their faces burning red.

Kyo ordered vanilla while Tohru ordered...strawberry. They both sat down at a booth-Tohru on one side with her kiddy cone and Kyo on the other side with a large cone (two scoops). They ate their ice cream in a comfortable silence that was broken only by Tohru,”I didn't know that you liked ice cream, Kyo-kun. I always thought that it would be too sweet for you.”

“Ya, well, I only like vanilla the other flavors are too sweet for me.” Kyo answered Tohru's question and then pulled a face. The effect...Was the ringing of Tohru's laughter. “What's so funny, huh?”

“I-It's just...Kyo-kun's face...” Was all that Tohru was able to get out between her small giggling fit.

“Is my face that ugly, that it can send you into that much laughter?” Kyo asked her in a teasing voice.

Tohru. Sweet Tohru, takes too many things seriously, for Tohru is much too gullible. “Gomen, Kyo-kun. You are not ugly! In fact, in fact, I find you to be handsome...” Her eyes went wide and she gasped. As if she just realized that she had said that out loud. Both with burning faces and both with pounding hearts looked away from each other and ate their ice cream in complete silence. Both thinking heavily on the words that were spoken and the words that were not.

As they walked out of the ice cream pallor (this time not holding hands) Tohru stopped looking at something across the way. Kyo noticed this and dragged her over to the other side of the road. “What was it that you noticed over here?” Kyo asked her.

“Huh? Oh, ah, that is...” At which Tohru's voice died off and she left her sentence hanging as she pointed right at an orange plush neko. Its location was in a claw game. So, after quite a bit of yen, swearing, and failed tries-Kyo won the orange neko plushy.

“Uwahh! Kyo-kun that was amazing!” Exclaimed Tohru as Kyo handed her the plushy.

With a small blush on his face he just shook his head to deny the accusation. “Demo...Kyo-kun really is good at this! It is one of Kyo-kun's many talents!” She clamored on in her bubbly voice. The awkwardness of before long forgotten and placed with a happy contentment.

As they began their walk home, Tohru held the plushy tightly to her chest. A glowing smile was etched like stone onto her face...

End Flashback-

As the memory of that day faded, so did the blank look in Tohru's eyes. That did not mean that she was all there, it just meant that she was slowly getting back to the present. It was because of this that she had not heard Hatori walking up the stairs and enter into the room. Instead of speaking he just stayed silent. Watching the eighteen-year old girl who carried too many burdens upon her shoulders. Looking like nothing less that a little girl wide naive eyes, even after everything she knows...heard...saw.

Tohru finally turned around ready to go meet Hatori outside in the car, She was unaware of how long she had been sitting there thinking, that is, until she saw Hatori standing in the doorway. Eyes no longer blank, but deadened, the only words that would escape her lips were, “ It's my fault, Hatori-san. It's all my fault...”

No comfort could be given because an embrace was forbidden. As Hatori watched the once ever optimist young woman fall into a sea of despair, he could only feel anger. Anger towards the person who did this. To a person who could, now, not even remember why or what the plan was to do or for. No, he escaped this pain by forgetting. Hatori could only pray that everything went according to his plan because...

Everything was falling apart. He watched as Tohru lay upon the floor in a pitiful state. Curled up in a tight ball and tightly clutching an orange stuffed animal. Only to come to the obvious conclusion that...

That Tohru was clinging to the last bit she had to the life she once had.

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A/N: Twelve and a half pages!I will get the next chapter out as soon as I can. Thank you all for reviewing once again, and tell my if you enjoyed this chapter or not, and gomen if any of the characters were OOC. Thank you, yet again!Sayonara.