Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ perchance ❯ animosity ( Prologue )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

perchance
prologue:animosity
by Kayla Chavi
rating: R
email: kayla@wishing-blue.net
website: http://kayla.wishing-blue.net

* * *

"Honda-san? This just came for you."

An envelope was placed in my hand by my everfaithful assistant. She quietly left the room, leaving me to my thoughts as I stared out the large glass window. Outside it was drizzling; the streets still wet and slick from the heavy rain that had fallen earlier that afternoon.

I looked down at the envelope that Haruko-san had given me. Honda Tohru was written in beautiful script. I flipped it over and on the back was a seal I had not seen in over a year--Souma Shigure. I couldn't help but smile. Instead of the appropriate red wax, Shigure had used a bright blue, making it seem horribly out of place on such a stately piece of paper.

I carefully broke the seal and pulled out a short letter. Your presence is required at the Souma household immediately. It doesn't matter what time as long as it is soon. He wishes to speak to you. --Shigure

I closed my eyes and pressed my forehead against the cold glass of my window. I had nothing more to say to him. He rejected everything about me five years ago. There was nothing I could do for him now.

"Honda-san?" Haruko gently tapped on the door. "There is a gentleman here to see you. He says that he's family." She paused when I didn't answer right away. "Should I send him away?"

"No," I called back. "Let him in." Quickly, I smoothed the wrinkles out of my suit and turned as the door opened again. "I thought you would be overseeing him, Hatori-san."

I was rewarded when a weak smile and a shrug. "He sent me to bring you. There is a car downstairs."

"Why?"

"He's dying, Tohru-san."

"And now he wishes to apologize or make amends? Or is it to finish what he started five years ago?" I tried very hard to keep the anger out of my voice, the hurt. "I tried to help him, Hatori-san and he refused it. He spat on me."

Hatori sighed and walked over to where I stood. He looked out over the streets with me, continuing the silence. "Shigure and I are not asking you to come for him. We need you there. At the house is all we ask."

Then it was silent again. I could feel his desperation in the air between us, feel his desire to beg. However, Hatori never begged. It was beneath him. He was defeated, scared, and the emotions were pressing on me hard enough to choke the air in my throat.

"Please."

I wanted to cry.

"I'll go."

* * *

Kisa and Momiji nearly toppled me over the moment I entered the main Souma house. I hugged Kisa tightly, letting her cry into my shoulder. The once small girl kept getting taller every time I saw her. Momiji still didn't look his age, but was growing too. I raised an eyebrow.

"You look like a boy."

He shrugged and gave me a weak smile. I stroked Kisa's hair before looking around for Hiro. "Where's your boyfriend?" I finally asked the tigress, hoping to break through her tears.

"Osaka," was the muffled reply. "He won't be here until tomorrow." Watery amber eyes looked up at me. They carried the same fear and desperation I had felt from Hatori. She was on the verge of changing herself into her alter form. I kissed her cheek and gently made her let go.

"You should sleep, Kisa-chan. Hiro will worry more when he sees you like this." I looked at Momiji and offered an apologetic smile. I wanted to comfort him as well, but I wouldn't dare purposely turn him into a rabbit at a time like this. So I ruffled his hair and continued to walk deeper in the house.

I walked with my fingertips grazing along the walls. I didn't flinch at the years of pain and anger that seemed to flow through them. This entire house was filled with misery. Every member of this family held it inside them. They were all miserable.

A pair of glowing violet orbs caught my attention. The corridor was badly lit but I could make out the figure of the man standing in front of me.

"I was so sure you wouldn't come." He caught my hands and held them tightly in his own. He felt tired; he looked tired. I leaned back against the wall and allowed him to press my arms up next to my head. "I should have known you wouldn't be so petty."

"You know me better than that, Yuki-kun." He laughed quietly and bent down to laid his head on my shoulder. I wanted nothing more than to take him in my arms and release his pain. Instead, I allowed him to keep my arms locked against the wall. "I thought you were still in New York."

"I wanted to surprise you." His mouth was cold against the skin of my neck, but his breath was nearly scalding. "Shigure met me at the airport and had me come here. Damn inu."

"I wonder if he'll tease us," I murmured and ducked my head enough to rub my cheek against his. "Improper right in front of--" He cut me off with a kiss and I was never more grateful for the distraction. It had taken us ages to find the specific lines in the curse. Even still, there were times we made mistakes and I ended up laughing at our desperation for touch.

I was panting when he pulled away. He released my hands and I let them fall limply to my sides. He was the one to smooth out of my hair and the creases on my dress.

"What are you going to tell him?" he asked. I paused with my hand on the sliding door. "What are you going to say?"

"The truth."

* * *

It was still raining when I arrived at my apartment even though dawn was just hours away. My door was unlocked, which could on mean one thing. For the first time since the storm had started, I truly smiled. I hurried to take off my shoes and threw my purse and coat into a corner.

My home was small so it wasn't hard to go through it quickly to find my guest. I found him laying in my bed, his hair still damp from being outside and an irritated expression on his face. He was sleeping, curled up on top of the blankets, but still looked very irritated.

I pounced on him. "Kyo!"

Poof.

"Oi! Tohru!" I now held an orange cat in my arms. With a laugh I laid back on the bed, setting him on my stomach. He continued to growl for several minutes before settling between my breasts. I began to scratch behind his ears. "Where have you been?"

"The main house."

"I should have guessed, you smell like that damn mouse. He better not have put his paws all over you."

"There were no paws involved," I promised. "Only lips."

"Tohru!"

I giggled at his indignation. Just being around him seemed to dispel the agony I had taken in today. "It's okay. He doesn't have a key, remember?"

"He better not." He jumped off of me and curled up next to my side. I turned so I could look down at him. "Why were you there anyway? I thought we decided that you weren't allowed to go into that place anymore."

"Shigure and Hatori asked me to go. He's dying and asked for me."

"Stupid girl." He glared at me with intense red eyes. Even as a cat, Kyo is intimidating. "He doesn't deserve anything from you. He had his chance and he threw it back in your face. Then he--"

Poof.

I now had a naked man lying next to me. I let myself take a quick peek before sitting up and handing Kyo his pants. He raised an eyebrow and laid on his back, staring at the ceiling. Baka neko. He'd become something of an exhibitionist these last few years.

"I know. That's what Yuki said too."

"You're too noble."

"I'm sorry."

His hand closed around my wrist, yanking my attention to his face. "I thought we had cured you of that habit. You shouldn't be sorry about that." It made me sigh softly and another tug had me laying down again. I closed my eyes as I felt my headache start to recede. "What did you tell him?"

"What else?" I felt his shadow fall over me. His warm hand cupped my cheek, the pad of his thumb caressing my mouth. "The truth."