Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Everybody Wants Her ❯ Chapter One - Cynicism and B2 Agonists ( Chapter 1 )

A/N: Howdy everybody. Welcome to my most recent Furuba fic. This one's gonna be a weird combination of couples, something I like to call Kyokitohru. This sounds like Kyo, Yuki, and Tohru, doesn't it? See, the problem with that is it makes sense. Instead of Yuki we've got Akito in there. Fun, huh? It's going to be a multi-chaptered effort, though I'm not quite sure how long it'll be.

Do I need to tell you anything else…?

Oh yeah! Chapter 97 is going to be totally ignored. For a fangirl, even one who doesn't desire her obsession's two-and-a-half dimensional babies, the news is traumatizing. So if you want some hot yuri action then you've come to the wrong place.

And that's about it! Have fun reading!

 

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Everybody Wants Her

Chapter One - Cynicism and B12 Agonists

 

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Everybody wants her.

Nobody says it, but everybody loves her. It's not her smile, it's not her kindness or her looks. It's not the way she seems to heal everybody in her path. Hell, problems seem to crop up just so she can fix them. She's their savior, but that's not why she's so adored. It's inexplicable, she's beautiful and means the world. Why is irrelevant, all that's known is that the Sohma's love Tohru to death.

Akito tries his best to hate her. Tries so hard, with his fists clenched and his teeth grinding down, his eyes closed with the effort. He says he hates her, says it everyday. He never sees her and she must know the stories, the family lore. What he's done to the ones she loves. If he hates her he won't need her so much.

But he can't. Love and hate mix well in Akito's world, but all he hates her for is fearing him. At night when he's alone, (alone alone, why is he ever alone?) he squinches to one side of the bed and pretends she's near him. She's undone all the damage he's worked for, and Akito thinks that she could fix him too. Smooth away the rage, obliterate the desperation. Make his headache go away.

Seriously, he's on his last legs and Tohru's his last hope. He feels dependant, needy and all he sees is her. He wants to get better and Tohru can heal what his doctor can't. If she loves him, if she changes him, then Akito might feel like he's worth saving. To mean the world would be wonderful, he's sick of Hari rolling eyes at his complaints.

It's a great fantasy, being in love with Tohru. It makes life worth living for the five minutes he believes it. When he remembers he jams fists into his eyes to stave off tears.

 

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Kyo flips channels on TV, baking in the heat of a broken air conditioner. Tohru's lying sprawled on the floor with a fan to her face, panting with her panties showing. Kyo doesn't even comment, they're both too hot to care. Yuki's in the garden, asthmatic in the heat and his medication's lying on his bed inside. Shigure's half-asleep in his studio, doodling fukos on his manuscript. Nothing matters but the sweat pouring down their own backs, Yuki's passed out now and no one really notices.

“Anything good on?” Tohru says, popping an ice cube in her mouth.

“Nah,” says Kyo, watching it with his eyes glazed anyway.

“Then why are we watching it?”

“I dunno.”

They stay there staring for a few more minutes, too lazy and stuck to the floor with their sweat to stop it. Finally Kyo flips off the TV, slides down from the couch to be with her. “You been doing your summer homework?” he asks, feeling like now's the time to bring up what they least want to think about. Tohru shakes her head, blushes brilliant and heats up her face even more.

“I don't get it,” she says. “I can't do the math, and I'm having trouble with the essay. I'm not smart enough Kyo-kun, I don't know what I'm doing.”

“You could prolly get the rat to help you out,” Kyo mutters, scratching idly at the hardwood floor. “He's perfect, he knows everything. Ask him if you need help.”

“Yuki-kun's been busy, hasn't he? He's got the school committee to deal with, they're making plans for next year.” Tohru shifts to face him, blinks her big eyes in his face. “It's sort of a waste of time, don't you think? Yuki's just there to look pretty, they don't let him have any real say in things.”

Kyo blinks, wondering at Tohru's words. Is she starting to see how fake he is, is she getting cynical? “No,” he says. “Yuki's working hard, he's doing good things for the school.”

It's not that he believes this, he knows perfectly well that Yuki's the school's trophy wife. Much as he hates him Kyo doesn't want Tohru doubting Yuki, doubting anyone. She's loving, trusting and Kyo can't stand to think she's changed. No, no she's perfect just the way she is. “I guess you're right,” Tohru says, shutting her eyes in half-sleep. “But he is overworking himself. He's going to get sick again.”

“You worry way too much, you know that?” Kyo says, rolling closer to her, just an inch before touch. Tohru shifts and he can see her breast, tiny though they are. She's skinny as a little girl, innocent and he wants to kiss her. He's trying to push that thought away when Shigure bursts in, gasping and panicked. “I need the phone. We have to call Hatori right now.”

“You had it last,” Kyo says snarkily, imagining no scenarios in which Hatori's help could be crucial. Tohru's already up and mobilized, searched with a franticness she couldn't have summoned before.

“What's going on?” she asks, eyes sparking with terror and she doesn't know what's wrong. She's wringing her hands and scanning the room, trying to find the phone before the world ends.

“Yuki's passed out, he isn't breathing,” says Shigure, tearing the place apart to find the phone. He finds it slower then he should have, misdials several times. Kyo is chuckling to himself but not too loudly, he's in no mood to make anyone mad. But the convenience is hilarious, hadn't they just been worrying over Yuki's health? He knows it isn't really funny, but he hates the rat and it's ridiculous. The phone is found and Shigure screams breathily into it. “Hello Haa-san? Yes it's important …no it's not about my novel…not about my sex life either…just shut up and listen Hatori! Look it's about Yuki! He's passed out in the garden and I don't know why and he's not breathing and I don't know what to do Hari!”

There's a lot of nodding and being agreeable, Tohru flying out the room to do what she can with what she doesn't know. “Yuki-kun!” she cries, rushing to be with him and Kyo pouts a little, wishes he could have a medical crisis. Moments later Shigure's out there too, throwing medicine down his throat and babbling something about Hari being on his way. “Is Yuki-kun okay?” Tohru wails, grabbing Kyo's arms in her anxiety. He's liking her touch and he wonders how mad it'll make Yuki to be thanked. Tohru's nails dig in and she starts to cry. “Is he going to die?”

“Don't worry,” Kyo says, wishing he could pull her close. “Everything's fine.”

“B-but Kyo-kun, Yuki probably hasn't been breathing for a while, he might have brain damage or maybe he's dead!” Tohru's babbling, sobbing, and Kyo wrenches himself away from her hands.

“Everything's fine,” he snarls, and Tohru shuts up. He hates himself but he can't take drama, can't take Tohru caring what happens to the rat. Shigure's on the floor, holding Yuki's head because he's woken up and he's coughing, spasming, he can hardly breathe. This is better then the coma, better then being dead but Kyo's trying not to care. Shigure's trying to keep him still, force an inhaler in his throat and it isn't working, Hatori's not here and things aren't looking up at all.

“Come on Yuki, breathe!” Shi-chan says, making a chant of it, breathe breathe breathe and Tohru joins in, pumping arms up and down in support of Yuki-kun. Kyo rolls his eyes but he's whispering the word all the same.

“…it…hurts…” Yuki moans and that's a good sign, he's breathing well enough to talk but they don't know that. Pain shoots Tohru full of fear and she kneels down and stares at him, eyes wide.

“You're in pain!” she squeaks, holds Yuki's sweat-slicked hand. Kyo stands aloof, glares at Yuki because he knows he'll live and pride doesn't give way easily. “Oh my god we have to do something! We can't just let him sit here hurting!”

“Hatori will be here any minute now,” Shigure assures her, to no avail because all that means is that they can't help Yuki. With Akito under his care, it'd be no surprise if Hari didn't show up for hours. Yuki's coughs are tapering off and he seems to be breathing alright, but the pain is strong and he's spilling tears. He can't seem to sit up though he breathes much better that way. He begs for help and they don't know if they should move him, don't have a clue what to do.

Time creeps by with dazzling slowness. It seems like years before Hatori finally comes striding in. But when he's there he's there and he can fix everything, it's over. They think he's magic but he hasn't done a thing, his presence calms Yuki right down and that's all he needs, the attacks been over for ages. Yuki's scooped up and carried inside, medicated a little more. “Are you feeling alright?” Hari asks him, propping up pillows so he can sit.

Yuki nods, coughs again but he's okay. “I'm sorry…” he says, all his energy spent. “Did I worry anyone?”

“Not me,” says Kyo, crossing his arms and glaring down. “I'm just disappointed you're not dead.”

He's ignored and Tohru flings herself at Yuki-kun, forgets the curse and she's crushing a rat, one who's having another attack from the impact. None of them know if rodents really have asthma, but this one does and they have to go through the whole drama again, but Hari's here this time and it's over fast, Yuki's naked and exhausted and he wants to lie down but he can't. Tohru blushes at what she sees, turns her face away while Hatori drapes a blanket on him, tells her its okay. “You'll need to be less rough with him,” he says, passing boxers under the blanket for Yuki to put on. “This is the fifth major attack he's had in a week. I don't think I'm alone when I say that things do not look good. He could die if this keeps up.”

Yuki looks horrified and he's coughing again, Hatori apologizes right away. “I'm sorry Yuki,” he says, finally addressing the boy himself. “I'm just used to dealing with Akito, and he generally wants the truth from me.” He smiles, as if he's made things better. “Now I won't bore you with a bunch of medical jargon. I know you won't understand me anyway. The main point is that Yuki has been getting sicker. You guys are really, really going to need to learn how to deal with this. I keep telling you every time what to do for him, but you never remember. I know you can't help panicking but it's very important that you get past that. Yuki needs to have his meds with him at all times, and you three need to help him take them if he can't. Don't panic and don't call me every time, you know I have Akito to deal with.”

“It's really scary though,” Tohru says, staring at the ground with her big eyes swimming. “I keep thinking he'll die and it'll be all my fault…”

“That won't happen if it's handled properly,” Hari says, raking fingers through his hair. “Now Shigure, I'd like to speak with you privately. Kyo, Tohru, you two keep Yuki company, and let me know if he has another attack…he'll need different medication to prevent an overdose.”

“I am not staying here with that stupid—” Kyo starts but he's stopped short, Hari's hand's out and he doesn't want to hear it.

“Now is not the time for petty animosity,” Hatori says, stalking out of the room with Shigure, leaving the three of them sitting alone.

“I'm gonna conk out…” Yuki mutters, falling down and Tohru pushes him up, props him back on the pillows and tucks him in. Kyo can't stand to watch her touch him, stuffs his disgust down deep because he understands it. Yuki's out in minutes and Kyo and Tohru find each other, clinging as close as they can without the cat coming out.

“I'm scared,” Tohru says, repeating herself because it's all she feels right now. She crying and her heads on his shoulder, she's soaking his shirt with her misery. “That was horrible Kyo-kun, and it keeps happening…what if he dies, what do we do then?”

“Christ Tohru, he's gonna be fine! Look at him, he's all…breathing and stuff. Remember a while back when Hatori said this asthma thing was pretty much gone?” He laughs because that news is so irrelevant now. He's annoyed with Tohru but he doesn't throw her off, he keeps her in the awkward half-hug he needs to stay human. Yelling at her doesn't make it better and she cries harder, he pats her head. “I'm sorry Tohru…I didn't mean to yell at you it's just…well you know I don't like Yuki that much and I don't like to see you upset…”

She looks up, glares at him. “He almost died and you can say that? What is wrong with you!” She puts her palms on his chest and pushes off, kneels near Yuki and strokes his hair. She mumbles motherly words in his direction. Kyo heaves a sigh, says he's sorry once again. “I'm sick of people dying on me!” she screams, burying her face in Yuki's discolored hair. “I keep losing everyone that matters and I can't take this! Yuki can't die too!”

Yes, yes he can because nothing governs these things, any one of them could croak in heartbeat. If these things made sense Akito would be dead by now, Kyo's mommy wouldn't have killed herself. “Please Kyo,” Tohru raves, nonsensical. “Please stop this. Make this not be happening anymore…”

He's not magic, he can't heal Yuki and he's not sure he would if he could. Kyo gets closer to freedom with every attack poor Yuki suffers. The boy's deteriorating, falling apart and if Kyo times it right he may just be able to knock him out, win a fight and cheat his way out of lock-up. He'll be eighteen all too soon.

But Tohru's still sobbing, Tohru just wants to make it go away. The best Kyo can do is make her forget, be obscene when all she feels is despair. He kneels down and tips her face toward his, presses sweaty lips against perfect ones. The tongue slips in and she jerks away, blushing with her face in her hands. She turns away from him.

 

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“Can I smoke in here?” asks Hatori, not sure if he should, if it would reach the sickly kid or not. He hasn't had a good cigarette in ages, its not like he can leave Akito, not like he can smoke around him. Shigure nods, sticks his feet upon on the computer table. He'll probably knock the whole thing down but he just can't bring himself to care.

“Go ahead,” he says. “You'd get a day off for lung cancer I'm sure.”

“Very funny,” Hari scoffs, stubbing out the cigarette as soon as it's lit. Shigure's right about the risk and too much depends on him. Besides, smoking would be awfully hypocritical considering what he's about to say. “Never mind, you're right. It's a terrible habit…which is why you need to stop too, you do it around Yuki and he can't take that. You're going to have to sterilize the whole house, get rid of anything that might set off his asthma. He's nearly as bad now as he used to be and I'm worried it might kill him. He nearly died today, didn't he?”

Shigure nods, real slow because he's not quite sure. All he remembers is major panic, his heart slamming against his ribs because he can't remember what to do and it's all on him, everyone he knows has felt this before. Too many Sohma's need others just to live, too many turn into clones of Akito. “I guess he did, yeah,” he says, scratching idly at the side of his face. “But it would take a really long time to sterilize the house…even if I worked non-stop with Kyo and Tohru's help, it'd still be a few days. And you know its not like we can do that.”

“Well it's crucial that you do.” Hatori stares him down, eyes narrowed and he's serious. Shi-chan shakes his head, says he doesn't know what to tell him. He shrugs and argues, babbles really until Hari shuts him up. “You have to do something!” he snaps. “If you can't clean the house then you suggest something, Yuki can't just keep having attacks and half-dying all the time!”

“Well why doesn't he stay at the main house?” Shigure snaps back, rolling his eyes because Hatori's right. “I'll get the house cleaned and he can come back when it's done.”

“That might be a good idea,” Hatori says. “I don't know about the little subsections, but Akito's house is as clean as it gets…but then again the stress of living with Akito might just make things worse…”

“So can't he live in another part of the compound?” Shigure asks, turning around to face Hatori. Hatori shakes his head, kneeds his knees with bony fingers.

“That'd be no different from him staying here. And you know as well as I do that Akito wouldn't allow it. If Yuki comes home he'll have to room with his master.”

Shigure groans, throws himself back on his computer chair. “I can't do what you're asking Hatori, I'm sorry but I just can't. I don't have time and this place is a disaster area. Besides, what am I supposed to do about the outside? This is a massive property and it's not like I can gut the place of every offensive plant…hell we don't even know most of the time what sets him off.”

“I suppose,” says Hatori. “I suppose it's really up to Akito, isn't it? If he'll have Yuki then it may be for the best…I'll keep Akito in line as well as I can, keep them apart as much as possible…it'll only be only you've finished cleaning, right?”

“Yeah, but that could take months,” Shigure moans. “I have a 300-page novel due in September, and wonder of wonders, I haven't even started.”

“Really?” Hari tilts his head. “Usually when you say that its been done for ages.”

“Yes really this time Hatori. I have writer's block, which is like the clap for a prostitute but worse! I can't write at all!”

Hatori rolls his eyes, sick of the melodrama. Honestly the Sohmas go through so much that Shigure's workplace issues just don't seem like much. His job is a million times more stressful then Shigure's could ever be. “I don't know what to tell you,” he says. “I'm not a writer.”

“No shit,” Shigure laughs. “I've never seen you use your brain for anything other then doctoring. Remember that time in third grade where that girl scraped her knee and started freaking out and you cleaned it and calmed her down? You're really perfect for this job, you know that?”

“Yeah,” says Hatori. “Sure I am.”

“Alright well, I guess you should be getting back to Akito, eh Hatori-san?” Shigure stands up, kisses him lightly on the cheek and Hari wipes it off, disgusted. “So I keep giving him his regular meds, and what was that thingy you prescribed? Ago-somethings?”

“B2 agonist tablets,” Hatori says, and when Shigure's eyes glaze over he just says to hand in the prescription at the pharmacy and let them take care of it. “Just make sure you follow the instructions. Also, tell Yuki that he has an appointment tomorrow morning at my office. Now that he's actually sick he can't skip out on me anymore.”

“No worries,” he says, hoping that the worries will stop because he says this. Hatori gathers his things, heads for the door without waving bye. Shigure heads for the kitchen, downs some of the Yanyan he has hidden in the cabinet. “Yuki's sleeping?” he asks, mouth full and spraying crumbs.

“Gross,” mutters Kyo who's wandered into the room for a rice ball. “Yeah he's asleep.”

“Well,” croons Shigure, brushing crumbs off his ratty yukata. “I can only hope you took advantage of this time to score with Tohru-kun.”

Kyo lunges at him, bangs fists against his back and Shi-chan's laughing, Kyo's in hell because he tried it, because Tohru turned him down. All he can do is beat this man, fly into rage for the mockery. “You are such a fucking pervert!” he yells, standing there with his fists clenched and his face flaming. “What the hell is wrong with you!”

“Jesus Kyo,” says Shigure, not shaken enough to show it. “I was just kidding. The way you're acting I'd say you like her.” He grins. “Do you Kyo? Do you want to plant your little kitty babies in Tohru-kun's tummy? Hmmm?”

“FUCK YOU!” Kyo shrieks and stomps out, leaving Shigure with a lot to think about. And as more Yanyan would greatly assist the thinking process, he takes the rest down and starts eating.

 

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Nana: Well you made it through Chapter One without hitting the back button, which makes me a happy little pancake indeed. Please leave a review and check back soon for chapter two, where you'll find out a little more about what's going on, and hopefully my roundabout plot-setup will complete itself!

Thanks for reading! (No I couldn't help the emoticon. It owns my soul.)