Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Oedipus ❯ Oedipus ( One-Shot )

“Sometimes I'd stand by the royal wall

The sky'd be so big that it broke my soul

And I stood on my toes to catch a glimpse

Of my mother's eyes and my mother's skin

And she retired to her chamber

And we remain quite strangers

And to see me made her awful sad

And to touch me made her awful sad…”

-Oedipus by Regina Spektor

 

 

For the first eight years of his life, all Kyo knew was his mother.

 

She was always there, and she shielded him from others, kept him indoors, away from everyone. Every day was spent with her, following her around, watching her, except, of course, when he tired of the daily schedules and would stare out the window, at the high wall the surrounded their house. She would be quick to find him, and would keep him away from the window.

 

But despite the countless hours they'd share, Kyo never knew anything about his mother. Not that he knew this when he was younger; being so young, he wouldn't have. She was everything to him during his first years, and she was beautiful. She was the most beautiful person in the world, he was sure of it. He loved it when she told him she loved him, when she assured him that he was normal when he wore his beads, that he could be just like everyone else.

 

The only times he was allowed out of the house, out of the high walls, was when there was a family gathering, but only when it was held on Sohma land besides the Sohma estate. At a young age, he knew he wasn't allowed inside unless it was New Year's or if Akito allowed it, but he didn't understand why. His mother wouldn't explain, but as he grew older, he came to realize that it was because he was the cat of the zodiac. He knew that to be the cat was a bad thing; his aunts and cousins would criticize him for it, call him names, tease him. But, he just didn't understand why it was a bad thing. When he'd ask his mother about it, she'd tell him it didn't matter, that she loved him. Kyo would swell with happiness then; she said it so often, but he still loved those words.

 

At one family gathering, Kyo had been off by himself as usual, sitting under a tree. Sometimes Kagura would come play with him, but she was playing with the others; Haru, Momiji and Ritsu. He watched them, wanting to join in, but their parents wouldn't hear of it. So, he'd sit and watch. At one point, Kagura tripped and fell, skinning her knee and wailing loudly. Her mother rushed over immediately, scooping her up, hugging her as she cried. Kyo watched curiously, not understanding. His mother never hugged him, never comforted him. It looked…nice.

 

For the rest of that day, he watched all the other cousins with their parents. They'd hug their children, play little games, all while smiling. He found himself wishing his mother would do that.

 

He tried to get her to do those things. He fell and hurt himself several times, hoping that she would come up and hug him. But all she'd do is fetch the medical kit and put a Band-Aid on the scrape, telling him to be more careful. He'd bring her picture books and ask her to read them to him, and would try to climb in her lap. She'd always force him out of her lap, saying it was more comfortable for the two of them if he sat next to her. Kyo became more insistent as time passed, needing her to hold him. He began to notice she would never look at him, would never smile at him as she told him she loved him. She'd try to spend less time with him, making excuses for him to go play in the garden or in his room, almost anything to get him to go away. He knew that was what she was doing, and tried so hard to stay with her.

 

On days that she'd lock him out of the house (though she'd keep a watchful eye from a window to make sure he'd never leave the yard), he'd sit in front of the gate, and stare. It was so big, cut him off from everything. He knew there was something great out there, something huge and beautiful and wonderful, but it wouldn't matter to him if he never saw it if he could just get his mother to hold him, to love him. She never meant those words, he could now see it in her eyes. She would flinch whenever he'd hug her legs, crying, begging her to hold him.

 

 

This wall was keeping him in with her, and he just wanted her to love him as long as he was forced to stay in here.

 

 

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Another little ficlet. <3 Regina Spektor.

 

 

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