Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Loving a Hatefilled Heart ❯ Chapter 2

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

His eyes followed her movements, his head tilted a bit as he blinked at her shaking head. "What..?"

"I thought you were leading the way." She looked down to the cat curiously tilting her head down to him she was slightly taller then him.

"I know I'm supposed to be leading the way... but do you not need to rest," he asked, looking at her still, seeing that she was still tired, though she'd be stubborn and deny it.

"I don't need to rest now get going before it gets dark out."

Kyo rolled his eyes a bit and grabbed hold of her hand, "C'mon, it's this way..." She followed behind him pulling her hand free of his.Glancing back at her when she pulled her hand free of his, he merely shrugged and continued through the trees, trying to get as far away as he could, headed up the mountains.She follwed behind him trying to keep up with his pace one of her hands placed gently on her side. As they got close to the steeper part of the mountain path, his eyes looked back to her once more, head tilted to one side just a bit.

She used the boulders to help her up the mountain pathway now. His head slowly tilted, watching her trying to pull ahead of him, but seeing her struggle with it. "You're trying too hard... You really should rest."

"If we stop now they could find us." She looked to the cat before slowly falling to her knees.

"No... they're not even following us, they never came into the woods and you know that... now rest!"

She sat leaning back against the boulder she was using to keep her balance. "Finally... stubborn girl," he mumbled as he slowly climbed up near to her and sat down, leaning back against a rock as well. She closed her eyes her breathing was slow and shallow as she rested.

His head tilted back against a rock as he sat there, a soft sigh escaping him as he relaxed his body. "How long do you intend to stay in the woods hidden from them..." She spoke softly.

"We're going to the place where I often train... the woods here are merely temporary, there is a hut in the mountains, long since abandoned... we'll hide there."

She nodded lightly opening her eyes halfway. "How far are we from them now?"

"Considering they never followed us into the woods, and continued their search along the roads... I'd say that they're a good hours walk away by now..."

"So do you want to stop here for tonight and continue in the morning?"

"Do you need to rest for the night..? We're only about a half an hour of walking away from the hut now... If you rest for a few more minutes, do you think you could make the last of the walk?"

She looked to the cat nodding. "Yeah I can just a few more minutes and I'll get up."

Nodding softly, he glances towards the hill-like path they have to climb, slightly steep, but not dangerously so. She got to her feet after a few mintues looking to the cat to lead the way.

Slowly Kyo pushed himself to his feet as well, looking over at her before he turned and started to walk up the semi-steep path. She followed behind him now careful of her footing.

"You gonna be ok..." he asked back to her as they walked along together, his eyes staying ahead.

She nodded lightly. "Yes I think so just keep leading the way."

Nodding softly, he slowly continued to lead her, the path starting to grow less steep as they neared the top, a hut coming into view just over the peak.

She tried her best to quicken her pace wanting more then ever to get to the hut to rest. Kyo glanced over at her as he saw her pass her, his head tilting a bit. "We're almost there... no need to exhaust yourself now..."

"I just want to lay down Kyou so lets get moving." She moved on still. Nodding softly, he followed behind her, walking towards the hut.

Her pace started to slow now that she seen the hut. She slide the door open after a few tries she looked back to the cat now. Slowly he walked into the hut, pulling the door closed behind them. She moved to a corner of the room laying down her hands on herside.

"You alright..." he asked once more as he moved across the room and sat down beside her.

She opened her eyes slowly nodded. "... Yeah I'll be just fine..."

"Alright," he whispered as he slowly moved over towards the other wall, to a chair that was there. She rolled over on herside starting to rest quietly. Quietly he sits in the chair, watching her as she rests on the floor.

--Next Day--

She woke mid day she still felt groggy and warn down from walking up the pathway. Kyo's eyes were still closed, leaning back in the chair that he'd fallen asleep in while watching her during the night. He had spent much of the night wondering why she helped him, and that confused him. She got up from where she lay making her way to the jiggling it open she took a few steps into the warm breeze.Slowly Kyo's eyes opened, looking around a bit. She sat down in the doorway having trouble standing.

Kyo's form slowly shifted in the chair, standing up and looking out the door towards her, "Good morning..."

"... Its about noon now." She spoke softly not even bothering to look back to him.

"Really," he asked as he looked down at her, walking to the doorway.

She nodded lightly resting her head on the door fram. "... Its pretty out here compared to the city."

"I know..." he said softly as he looked down at her still, leaning against the door frame.

"I wouldn't mind dieing up here..." She smiled faintly.

"Well... that's not going to happen anytime too soon."

"What do you mean Kyou?" She looked out over the forest.

"You're not going to die up here... not anytime soon..." he said softly as he kneeled down beside her.

"I don't want to go back to the hospital I'm tired of it... Just like you are of that cage..."

"There is a difference..." he said as he looked at her, "You need that place to live... the cage is merely a place for me to die..."

"... The hospital is a place for me to die as well.... Don't you see I'm not going to get better I just want to spend my life at peace before I die..."

"Going there lets you live longer though..."

"Why though when I don't want to..."

"You don't want to..?"

She shook her head. "No I don't want to... So will you let me live out my life up here..."

"I'd... rather you not talk like that..." he said softly as he looked out the door, "but... you're welcome to stay here as long as you want..."

She nodded lightly looking uo ti hm. "Thank you Kyou."

Nodding very slightly, he glanced out the door still and closed his eyes, leaning back against the door frame, sliding down into a full sitting position.

"What are we going to do about food?" She looked to him curiously.

"There is a stream nearby... and a garden in back... It's the master's garden... or... was. I tend it... when I'm here, to produce food..."

She nodded lightly looking to the sky. "What do you want to do now that your free Kyou."

"I... don't know yet. Guess I'll live here... and try to make a decent life out of it... Train more... the usual."

"I can watch you until I die I can even make meals from the vegetable patch."

You really should stop saying things like that... it's depressing," he said as he slowly stood and walked outside, starting to go around the house towards the garden.

She stood slowly following after him. "I'll stop saying it for you then."

Nodding softly, he slowly glanced back at her, "You really should stop saying it for yourself... That kind of attitude isn't gonna help you live any longer if you're just waiting to die..."

"Whats wrong with wanting to die Kyou?" She spoke softly tilting her head to the side her black hair blowing to the side.

"Why would anyone want to die..? I'm more of a fighter... I'd rather fight to the bitter end... Why do you think I haven't ended my own life... instead of going into the cage."

She looked down sadly. ".... I've tried fighting Kyou, but I heard what the doctors said and I know Akito-sama will never let me near Haru."

Kyo blinked softly, glancing back at her. "What's Haru got to do with anything?"

"Nothing just forget it." She spoke coldly turning away from the cat heading back to the hut.

Blinking softly, Kyo turned and walked to the garden, checking on some of the vegetables that were still growing nicely in the small field.

She sat in the doorway watching a few birds fight over a peice of worm.

Kyo's form kneeled down by the garden, hands working in it to check the vegetables, finding that despite lack of attention, they had grown nicely, the weather having aided them well. "Well... looks like we won't have to do without... good."

She closed her eyes starting to hum softly waiting for his return. She was trying her best to keep from depressing him.

After a few minutes, Kyo returned with a handful of vegetables. "There's plenty more... but this should be enough for now, right?"

She opened her eyes nodding lightly. "Yeah do you want me to take them to the stream to wash them off?"

"You can come with me... I'll get some fish while we're there..."

She stood up nodding walking over to him takeing the vegetables from him. "Lead the way Kyou." Nodding once more, he gave her a faint smile and turned towards the stream that flowed through the trees near the hut. She knelt beside the stream placing the vegetables off to the side picking one at a time up cleaning them in the cool stream.