Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Everything ❯ Strawberry, Oh my Strawberry! ( Chapter 13 )

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

AN:



Er, sorry. I finally got my copies of the Furuba manga, Vol.8 and Vol. 9 (doesn't Ayame look yum-yum on the front cover?!?!).



Apologies must be handed out to all the readers. I know it's been over a month... But in my defense, I was terribly busy and with having Nathan, things have become even more hectic. I will finish this though, I have no plans to leave this story whatsoever, so even if it takes a while for me to update, you all know that I will eventually add more chapters.



I have to commend Takaya-sensei on her excellent humor. Was it just me or did anyone else find the Ritchan-san and Mii-chan bit about takoyaki power completely hilarious? I was also dying with laughter at the 'haunted house' section in chapter 48 where Tohru was having a total breakdown because she was so scared. I just loved the part where Haru told her and Momiji a cute story about one of the dead zombies... LOL! I felt so sorry for Yuki and Kyo. I think out of Vol. 9 I enjoyed the Uo and Kureno chapter the best. It's given me more ideas about another romance fic... Hm. I shall have to put my thinking cap on for that. Perhaps when I have more time on my hands, I will consider writing an Uo/Kureno story, either that or I shall just write a one-shot.



Thanks to; Kaoru4, Nightfall2525, xnewtx, RanmasAngel, sami1010220, fallen_dreamz, Sesshomaru's Heiress, Cardcaptor Soldier, PeaceSeeker, Ariyana, Kaiba's slave, Yokuryu-sama, catgirlversion3.0otakufan, Magletoast, Little red bookworm, Mademoiselle Morte, Hae-jang Lee, Steff7, sayuri, Pebbled Sky, vampgame06, Jojo90, Yukako, blackrose10307, Raven-Skaari1985, blckangel, loyanin, TheeBycth, trunks1gurl, Twilight_Aura, Katara, Hato Shino, phalon22, Frankie Crow, i only pretend to be sleeping, Lisha Lane, mystyxiii and inspire_me for all of your terrific reviews!


PeaceSeeker: I love your long reviews, please make them as long as you want! I love reading what you have to say and your opinions on the chapters. Please continue!!


That goes for everyone, I really don't mind your long reviews, I appreciate each and every single one of them.



On another note, what the hell has ffn done to the user section? It's so damn strange, I didn't know what to think when I first logged in. Don't get me wrong, some of the features are quite useful and interesting. But it's annoying to have to go through such long menus to edit stories! Maa, never mind! Enough babbling from me, enjoy the chapter and hugs and kisses to all, until next time!





Previously...
< br>


She was back!



Their Tohru-kun was back and she knew of their curse! The weight he had been carrying for nine years seemed to evaporate momentarily, until his thoughts darkened and turned towards the cause of this new problem.



"Akito," he growled under his breath, striding purposefully towards his destination.



He did not know what he was going to do once he had confronted the demi-god. But he knew that if he did not calm down, he would do something incredibly irrational–and ultimately, foolish.




Hatori was trembling.



Whether it was from fear or rage, was undecided. But he knew that he was trembling. What was he hoping to achieve in confronting Tohru's tormentor? There was nothing he could do... And he knew it. It pained him to have to admit the truth; it pained him that he could not help the girl–woman, that had tried so desperately to repair the Sohma family's tattered bonds, only to have it thrown back in her face when he erased her memory.



The adrenaline that had been steadily coursing through his veins was slowly beginning to abate and fade away. With every step he took towards the main house, apprehension and regret filled him. Hatori knew that if he confronted Akito without the aid of the other Jyuunishi, the demi-god would not hesitate to do something... Harmful to him.



In other words, he would be crushed.



He stopped on the pebble path and gazed up at the clearing sky. He would need reinforcements... The word was so prolific, so profound. It made him sound like a coward. But did he have any other choice? If he barged into the main house, he would only be thwarted like an insignificant fly; he did not stand a chance. He was not a fighter like Yuki or Kyo, nor could he weasel his way out of a tricky situation like Shigure could. That man seemed to know all the inner workings of the demi-god, much to Hatori's consternation.



And what about Tohru-kun? He had left her in his villa... Alone. He wondered how she would react if she left the room and stumbled upon a mirror, only to see the face of a twenty-six year old woman, instead of the seventeen year old teenage girl she thought she was. It would devastate her. The shock alone would be enough to trigger a harmful reaction. One that could lead to the permanent damage of her mental condition.



He had to break the news to her gently. It was no use keeping secrets from her now. Hatori was tired of his secrets–the secrets that the Sohma family had endured from birth. He would be damned if he allowed that to happen to an innocent like Tohru. Although the truth would be a source of pain, it would also bring a small amount comfort; she would not feel deceived.



And so, there was no other way around it.



Sighing in resignation, the Sohma doctor retraced his steps towards his villa in the hope that he could summon the other members of the Jyuunishi to help him.



Ayame panted quietly as he collapsed backwards against the couch. It was morning; they had spent the entire night in the back room of his shop, unaware of the world outside that small room that had been their shelter.



The faint sheen of perspiration that clung to his torso cooled him slightly, but nothing could dampen the fire he felt within his stomach. It was a burning inferno, raging at every subtle touch and caress he felt from her dexterous hands and fingers. His golden eyes remained shut in the pure ecstasy of the aftermath. His hips tingled unceremoniously at the relief that washed over him like a soothing balm.



A smile quirked at the corner of his lips as his lover's head came to rest on his shoulder.



They sat side by side upon the couch, curled up against one another as they disregarded the heat of the room.



Mine sighed in contentment, “I wish we could stay like this forever,” she murmured wistfully.



He desperately wanted to put his arms around her; he wanted to hug her perfect body and mold her creamy curves against his solid form so that they could become a single entity... But he knew that that could never happen. Before he found love in Mine's arms, he had not felt the bitterness or regret that many of the Jyuunishi members felt. He had accepted his fate without question, without a single word. He learned from an early age to make the best of his abilities.



But Now... Now that was all changing. He was beginning to resent his curse because he could not hold the woman he loved. There was a gaping chasm in the depths of his heart at the prospect of never being able to hug or hold her.



Secretly, he wondered how she felt about their situation. He would have asked her, had he not felt too ashamed that he transformed into an animal every time he was hugged.



“We'll be glued to couch if we don't move,” he joked lightly, chuckling as Mine slapped his arm playfully.



“You and your–”



The shrill ringing of the store's telephone interrupted her gentle chiding. Cursing softly, he rose from his comfortable position and donned his clothes with an inhuman speed. He turned his head, smiling as his eyes grazed over his lover's form curled up on the couch... Looking so comfortable and inviting; he wished that he could wrap himself around–



“Ayame, the phone?” She cut of his wandering thoughts and smiled beautifully.



Ayame grinned devilishly, winking as he walked over to the ringing machine that sat in the corner of the room.



“Moshi moshi!” He blared, “You've reached House of Snake, international fashion designers extra-ordinare at your ser–”



Mine watched with interest as Ayame halted his greeting, his expression growing serious as the seconds ticked by. Worry flourished within the base of her belly as her white-haired lover's eyes narrowed, his brow furrowing with intensity. He deftly hung up the phone and walked numbly back to her side, sitting down heavily beside her.



“What is it?” She asked worriedly.



He shook his head, remaining silent.



“Ayame?” Mine prompted fearfully, placing her hand upon his shoulder. She shivered and picked up her discarded clothing with her other hand, wrapping it around her naked form as she tried to stir him from his stupor. “Ayame?!”



“I have to go,” he blinked and rose from his seat,



“Where are you going?” She pleaded.



Something in the tone of her voice roused him. Ayame turned to her and leaned down to gently kiss her damp forehead, “I will tell you everything when I return.”



“Okay,” she watched curiously as he pulled back with strained smile.



“I love you.”



And before she could respond, he was gone.




Shigure winced as he put down the phone. It was the fifteenth time that his editor and secret love had hung up on him. He was an easy going man by nature, but her refusal to listen to him was beginning to grate on his thinning nerves. He'd never felt so much anger from her before... It was almost as if she was a different person. A different woman from the one he had fallen in love with. But ultimately, he knew that it was his fault... His fault that he had driven her away. If only she would listen to him! If only she could how much he wished to be with her.



His thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of his phone.



A ray of hope burst through the darkened cloud that had settled upon him that morning. That must be her.



Eagerly, Shigure raised the receiver to his ear, “Moshi moshi?”



“Finally! It's about time, Shigure.”



The dog frowned at the anxious voice on the other end of the line. He felt a stab of disappointment pierce his heart, but quickly replaced it with his jolly facade, “Ah, Ha-san! What can I do for you this fine morning?”



The voice on the other end of the line sighed heavily, “This is serious, Shigure... It's about Tohru.”



His ears perked at the familiar name; in his worry about Mii, he had almost forgotten that she was here with her family. The little plans he had been concocting had all flown out the window in his pursuit of a certain editor. For a reason unknown to him, Shigure felt his stomach drop in foreboding and guilt. “Is she all right?”



There was a lengthy pause.



“Yes and no...” came the cryptic reply.



Shigure was soon growing bored of his cousin's way with words. “Spit it out,” he said flatly.



“I think Akito has done something to her.”



Even though Hatori could not see him, Shigure's brow rose thoughtfully, “What has he done this time?”




Tohru sighed as she settled back against the fluffy white pillows of the bed. She felt so relieved... So unbelievably happy that everything had worked out in the end! A bright smile tugged at the corner of her lips. She couldn't wait to return to Shigure-san's house and begin cooking their lunch. She would have to think of something special to make for everyone; oh! She would make each of their favorite dishes. And then, she could ask Shigure-san if it would be all right to invite the other family members to join them... Perhaps even Akito-san would be willing to join them since he had changed his mind about erasing her memory. Deep down, she knew that he was a good person. She refused to believe that he wasn't. Every single person had a small amount of compassion within them; Akito-san just needed to be brought out of his shell a little bit. And she hoped that she would be the one to help him.



She was grateful that he had not ordered Hatori to erase her memories.... Tohru didn't know what she would have done if her memory had been erased. All of the new friends she had made would have disappeared and–and she would been incredibly sad if that had happened. To even think about losing all she had come to love, was terrifying. Not being able to see Hatori-san's face as he afforded her that small precious smile that he would rarely show; that would have been the worst punishment to receive.



But here she was! Memory intact and ready to take on the world!



She held back a delighted giggle.



Perhaps she could even invite Hana-chan and Uo-chan to the lunch! Though, she wasn't sure that it would be appreciated by Akito-san. She would have to take things slowly; one step at a time, as her mother used to say on many occasions. She would make it up to her friends by taking them out next weekend for some ice-cream. She was certain that Hana-chan would appreciate the sugary gesture. And Uo-chan wouldn't mind a chance to show off her mother's trench coat.



As her thoughts accosted her at a rapid rate, Tohru began to hum to herself as she waited patiently for the Sohma doctor to arrive.



A good twenty minuted passed before she began to grow restless and worried. Her thumbs twirled lazily in her lap as she looked up at the ceiling and yawned quietly. Just as she was contemplating the thought of getting up to check on the doctor, the door of the room opened gently.



She grinned happily as the solemn dragon stepped swept into the room and sat on the chair that was beside her bed.



The smile upon her face soon faded away at the somber expression of his fine features. Had she done something to offend him? Had she offended Akito-san? Tohru wracked her brain to find out if she had caused someone to be upset. She couldn't think of anything! So why was Hatori-san looking as though the entire weight of the world was upon his shoulders?



“Tohru-kun, may I speak with you for a moment?”



Her pulse quickened and her palms grew sweaty, “I'm so sorry!” Tohru cried out, balling her fists together and scrunching her eyes shut.



Hatori offered her a quizzical stare, “Eh?”



“I don't know what I did,” she rambled pathetically, “But I'm really, really, really sorry! Please, if there's anything I did, I apologize and I'm willing to accept any punishment that you give me!”



The Sohma doctor sighed wearily, “Please, Tohru-kun. You must calm down. You've done nothing wrong.”



She sniffed. “I haven't?”



“No,” Hatori tried his best to smile for her, “But I need to speak with you about something very important. Something that may come as a... Surprise to you.”



A frown furrowed her thin brow, “W-what is it?” Maybe he was going to tell her that Akito-san had changed his mind! What if he had come to erase her memory?! The tears she had tried so desperately to hold back were beginning to surface. No. She would have to be strong. If not for herself, then for the family that she had come to think of as her own. She would stay strong for them, she wouldn't let them see how anxious she felt.



“There is something that I need to tell you. It may come as a shock, but just remember that the other Jyuunishi members and I will be here...”



Silence reigned as she fiddled with the sheet covering her body.



“Hatori-san, you're scaring me,” Tohru finally whispered, her azure eyes wide with anticipation. She had not meant to admit her fear, but she could not help it when he stared at her so compassionately. She felt that she would drown in his deep olive eyes if he continued to gaze at her in that manner.



With concern, she watched him swallow roughly before opening his mouth to speak; “Tohru-kun, what year do you believe that we are in?”



Tohru frowned at the evading question. “1996?... But why?”



Hatori sighed, closing his eyes away from her innocent face and the untainted eyes that watched him with such adept scrutiny. “I am afraid that it is not 1996. But that it's the year 2005.”



Her face was blank before she began to giggle, “Oh Hatori-san! Are you trying to be a joker like Shigure-san? It doesn't suit you very well! 2005, how funny...” Tohru trailed off as she realized that the good doctor was not laughing with her.



“I am sorry Tohru-kun, but I need to do this...” He presented her a small mirror from his lab-coat pocket and held it out to her.



Tohru almost scowled as the joke continued. She had been amused, but it was being prolonged now! She dutifully took the mirror and waited for his signal before lifting it to her face.



The world around her faded away to black as she stared at the face in the mirror.



It was not her! It couldn't be! The face peering back at her was several years older than her seventeen years. She was a teenage girl, still in school! She had to graduate and then hopefully she would go on to get a degree... But the lines of her matured face contradicted her thoughts. They went against everything she believed in within her mind! Throwing the mirror away she scrambled out of the bed and looked at the man, the one person, that could give her answers. “What's happened to my face?” She heard herself sob, “H-Hatori-san, I don't understand! What's going on?! Please... What–what happened?” Feeling slightly unsteady on her feat, she felt her knees buckle.



Tohru came precariously close to hitting the wood floor, had it not been for the Sohma doctor's quick reflexes. He was by her side in seconds, catching her carefully and returning her gently to the bed, all the while being careful not to hug her.



In an earnest voice, Hatori began re-telling her the tale of how she had come to be here and the different turns her life had taken before she came back to Fukushima and the Sohma household; he informed her about Akito's meddling, about the pain the Jyuunishi members had suffered at her absence. He spoke about her loving marriage, her husband and son that she had loved so dearly. Hatori desperately tried to make her believe that they were real. He tried to bite back his roaring fury at the demi-god as Tohru wept bitterly against his shoulder for the unwanted revelation he offered her. He did not wish for her to suffer, he did not wish for her to feel such pain. But he knew that he had to tell her about all that had occurred–if not for their sake, then for hers. The time for secrets had passed. No more lies, no more secrecy. Only the truth would be their greatest salvation.



And then, he dropped another bomb-shell.



Hatori told her that she was pregnant with her second child.



In the end, it had been that piece of information that had broken her completely. The child growing within a woman that still thought of herself as untouched; a virgin. Pregnant, with no recollection as to who her husband was, or how precious their son was to them.



It was then that Honda Tohru broke completely and utterly, as she was held at a distance within the gentle and loving arms of the Jyuunishi dragon.




The office room of Hatori's private villa was silent. Within the spacious room a dog, rat and snake waited impatiently for their dragon counterpart to appear... The shoji panels were shut, offering no light to the stuffy room. But the doors would only reveal a cloud-filled sky. The day wore on and it was almost mid-afternoon, the weather had once again taken a turn for the worse. The saturated gray clouds fit the atmosphere of the clustered room perfectly.



The group of men had been sitting for, what felt like, hours in the office. They only seemed to move as they left the room to relieve themselves at regular intervals before returning to the office once more to sit in silence.



It was an award-winning accomplishment for the two loudest members of the Jyunnishi; the dog and the snake.



However, the silence was deafening for the rat and it had begun to grate on his nerves. He rose suddenly to his feet and began to pace the wood floor incessantly, his hands behind his back as his thoughts raced through his mind.



“What could be taking so long?” Yuki almost snarled as he finally stopped his pacing.



Shigure cast his oldest friend and cousin an apprehensive glance. Ayame shrugged imperceptibly before switching his gaze to the paneled doorway. Sure enough, the shoji panels slid open to reveal Hatori's haggard form as he made his way into the room.



“I have told her everything.”



Shigure frowned, “Everything? You mean, you told her everything?”



“Yes,” he sighed, running his hand down the side of his face.



There was a moment of stillness in the room that weighed down upon the four occupants.



“Will she be able to cope?” Ayame voiced with concern.



Hatori shrugged and shook his head, “I'm not certain. I did the best I could to console her... I don't think it was enough.”



“Obviously,” Yuki muttered beneath his breath, standing tall as he crossed his arms in front of his broad chest. He absently flicked his hair away from his eyes, almost sneering at Hatori. For the past nine years, Yuki had placed the blame upon Hatori's shoulders; and he would continue to do so.



The Sohma doctor turned to him, “I think it would be best if she sees you first, Yuki. When she sees how you've grown, it will confirm the truth and she can begin to heal herself mentally. You will need to help her through this; I know you can.”



“Are you sure that's a good idea?” Yuki suddenly looked doubtful as he chewed his bottom lip.



“I'm positive. She needs a constant in her life and that constant of her past was you. Kyo is out of the question, but she will find comfort in your presence... Go to her–now.” Hatori gestured at the doorway with a stern expression upon his face.



Without seeing a cause for arguing, Yuki hesitantly made his way out of the room–every step leading him closer and closer to his first love... A woman that had held his heart in the palm of her hand for the past nine years.




Yuki stood in front of the paneled entrance, his hand poised and ready to slide back the make-shift door that led to the only room of Hatori's villa that was used as a private treatment facility. He took a deep breath as he tried to muster his courage, feeling his heart pound against his rib-cage like an over-excited animal.



Swallowing roughly, he pulled the panel aside and quietly stepped into the silent room.



There she was–sitting on the bed as she blankly stared at the wall opposite.



He cleared his throat, trying to gain her attention to no avail. The Jyuunishi rat was beginning to grow worried at her lack of response. Perhaps Hatori had been wrong in informing her? He knew that the doctor did not wish to keep her from the truth but sometimes–sometimes, the truth was not always the right way to go. What if she had been permanently scarred? He had thought that she would have broken from learning about Kyo's dark secret in such a forceful manner. But on that night, she had shown more strength than Yuki ever thought was possible. He had been ashamed about his own fear and so he looked to her as a shining example that there were people in the world that were good. People that cared.



She cared.



But in the end, her love for the Sohma family had been her undoing.



Yuki could not help but wonder how she would have developed as a person, had she not known about their family curse. She certainly would have been free from all the pain and the drama that came with caring for the cursed members of the Jyuunishi. But he also knew that nothing would have stopped her from caring about them and loving them–nothing. Except having her memory erased.



He had been livid to discover exactly what Akito had done to her. To have her memories taken away and then restored? It took all of Shigure's, Ayame's and Hatori's will power to keep him from acting out against the demi-god. He wondered how Akito could have hidden that particular power. He thought that only Hatori possessed hypnotic powers but it seemed, and it was highly plausible, that Akito would have the power to restore a person's memory. It was a balance to Hatori's own 'gift' but there was still one question that remained unanswered.



Why had he done it?



Why had Akito done such an awful thing to restore Tohru's memory and have her forget the future she built with her husband? It was a mystery to them all; one that they would finally solve, and the fact that he was their god did not matter.



But what of Tohru? What would become of her? And her husband?



Yuki could finally admit that he was jealous. He had been jealous of Hitoshi, Tohru's husband, but he would never have wished such pain upon them... And now, she did not even remember her own husband... But she remembered him and curse he bore!



The irony was not lost upon him as he slowly made his way towards the prone figure sitting on the bed. Slowly, he sat upon the chair beside the bed and decided to call out to her.



“Taka–” He froze. He was about to call her Takagawa-kun. He opted to revert back to her maiden name, “Honda-kun..?”



There was no response.



She sat perfectly still, like a stone statue as she stared away blankly, with only her eyelids moving as she blinked.



“Honda-kun?” He tried again. “It's me... Yuki.”



As the minuted ticked by, she finally turned her head to gaze upon him. Her eyes flashed with recognition, causing Yuki to exhale with relief. Instead of smiling, her brow furrowed as she traced the contours of his face, imprinting every line into her memory.



“You look older,” she said quietly, after what seemed like an eternity of looking at him.



Yuki forced himself to smile. “I hope I look better than I did in high-school?” He tried to lighten the oppressive mood by joking. He never joked. It was not in his nature to do so. But at that moment, as she looked at him with forlorn desperation, he had to say something to pull her away from her dark thoughts.



His words seemed seemed to have the opposite affect as she frowned. The expression looked so foreign upon her usually smiling face.



Yuki held his breath as she rose from the bed and stood in front of him, bending to look at his face closely. He did not move a muscle, afraid that he would cause her to become unnecessarily skittish.



Finally she smiled, oh so softly. But he could see the pain beneath her eyes. Pain that he never wished to see upon her face.



“Yuki-kun,” Tohru whispered. “Is it really you?”



He nodded breathlessly as he stood from his chair. They stared at one another for an endless amount of time. Yuki reveled at her intense gaze as she greedily drank in his handsome features.



“Strawberries,” he blurted out suddenly.



She was startled and confused as she looked up at him, still clothed in a hospital gown.



“Strawberries?”



Yuk i smiled sheepishly, “It's... It's just one part of my many business ventures. I–After you left, I entered university for a business degree. I remembered that Honda-kun loved strawberries, so I thought that I would start a business dealing with growing strawberries, since I already enjoy gardening,” he paused and offered a rare but bitter-sweet laugh. “I have many plantations and I export them to foreign countries. They're one of the most sought after food product in Japan; all of the major international restaurants and hotels buy them from my company.”



He wondered why he was telling her all of this. Perhaps it was because he wished to see her smile without the sadness in her azure eyes. But he had an inkling that it was something to do with gaining her approval; something to show that he had never stopped thinking about her in the nine years they had been apart.



It seemed to do trick.



She chuckled at his explanation, “That's wonderful, Yuki-kun...”



But her joy was short-lived. The dark cloud descended upon her once more and before he could think of anything to say that would alleviate her fears and doubts, she cried out her despair and quickly leapt forward to embrace him.



For a split second, everything was right in the world.



For that one moment of bliss, he returned her embrace and clung to her as though she was his life-line. Even though he knew that he was meant to offer her comfort, he found himself being comforted in her arms. Kami-sama, he had missed her! He had missed everything about her! Just the knowledge that an outsider knew of their curse and accepted them so readily, was a blessing. Only now, her knowledge of them was at the cost of losing her husband and son.



All too soon, Yuki felt a familiar tingle at the base of his spine. But he did not care one single bit. He closed his eyes as he heard the boom and slowly felt his bones transforming and metamorphosing in the creature that he had been cursed with from birth. His clothes fell away, yet he remained within Tohru's grasp. She held him lightly within her hands and deftly placed her cheek against the side of his head, sinking to kneel upon the cold wood floor.



However many hours, minutes or seconds that passed by, the pair did not notice nor did they care.



The odd couple simply allowed themselves to be comforted; the onigiri and the rat.