Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Selfish ❯ History ( Chapter 8 )

History

 

Chapter Eight

 

“Mingling with people, hurting them, getting hurt by them…that's how you learn about others and about yourself. If you don't, you'll never be able to care about anyone but yourself. You may be a black belt fighter, but you're a white belt in dealing with people. For the sake of the girl who will one day tell you she loves you…don't run away. Keep training.”

 

 

“Are you okay not swimming? If you're worried about me—“

“That's not it! It's just more fun being together!”

 

 

“You leave me no other choice. I will take away your means of escape. Will you lose her, or will you not? I will help you find the answer. Kyou…discover for yourself…weather or not your birthright really makes you `worthless'.”

 

 

 

Heart slamming in his chest, Kyou awoke with a start, sitting up with shock as he instinctively grabbed his wrist, trying to catch his breath in the process. 'It was...just a dream...' he thought to himself, staring at the beads that rested peacefully on his wrist. Still, the fear, the anxiety of what he'd seen had him wide awake and tense. "Shishou wouldn't ever do that to me..." he whispered to himself, wrapping his fingers around the ivory and auburn colored bracelet in an effort to calm himself.

 

 

Though he tried, Kyou couldn't dispel the panicked rush of adrenaline that flowed through him. "What's with the weird dreams?" he sighed, sliding his feet to the floor as he dropped his head into his hands. Unlike the last dream, Kyou had been able to make out the figures quite well in this one. A conversation with his cousin Shigure, one he hadn't ever had but at the same time felt entirely too real. Not that he wasn't used to listening to his cousin dish out unwanted advice, Kyou had been forced to listen to him from time to time when Shishou was away from the dojo on journeys.

 

 

For years, Kyou had been forced to stay with his cousin while Shishou was gone and Shigure had always delighted in tormenting him when he stayed with him. Although strange, the conversation wasn't something he could remember but seemed like one he would hear from the inu. Not that he'd ever listened to what he'd told him to remember if it was something he'd heard before.

 

 

The rest of the dream is what had him completely on edge. Forcing a calming breath into his lungs, Kyou felt his heart finally soothe to a regular pattern. He'd finally recognized the voice from the previous dream, and had been given an extremely detailed image of the owner. "She's haunting my dreams, damn it...this isn't good."  Although she'd appeared several years younger than he knew her as today, her face was easily recognizable--as was the smile.

 

 

Shaking his head, Kyou could only concentrate on the last image he'd seen before waking. 'She was terrified. When Shishou took my bracelet, she was terrified.' Still anxious, Kyou's thoughts were single-minded. Kazuma removing his beads by force as he transformed in front of her--she'd been horrified. It didn't matter that the other part of his dream was something where they'd been happy, playing on the beach of all things--his entire focus remained on her reaction to that form.

 

 

'She's just like everyone else...is that what my head's trying to tell me? No one will ever accept me the way Shishou does...he's all I have.' Slowly his gaze landed on her sleeping form, so peaceful and quiet, a startling contrast to his current tumultuous emotional state.  'He's all I'll ever have...I've known that for a long time.'

 

 

Giving the sight of her a painful smile, Kyou tried to convince himself that he was okay with that.

 

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

 

 

Ensuring the door was locked behind her, Tohru quickly moved to her desk and sat down in the chair. Nervous energy filling her, she knew that she'd be safe until Hana came to walk her down to the gymnasium for Kyou's meet--there would be no interruptions until then. Biting her lip, Tohru pulled the photograph of her parents off the top shelf and gave the picture a small smile. She missed them--both of them--something terrible and regretted never asking her mother about her father while she'd been alive. Tohru had been too selfish, thinking her mother would realize she'd rather be with him than with Tohru and leave. It had taken her several years to heal, but recently, Tohru had felt ready to move forward in her life. Nothing would bring her parents back, they were together now and Tohru needed to find her own place, her own reason for living in this world.

 

 

"Mom, Dad...I'm sorry it's been so long since I spoke to you. I never imagined starting college would be so much work!" Tohru gave an apprehensive smile, feeling her cheeks flush with happiness as she spoke. "I'd never dreamed of going to college. I hope that my being here is making you proud. I know that Mom just wanted me to finish high school but...you also said that parents want what's best for their children. You wanted me to have a better life than you had. I-I...I almost told Shiraki-sensei `no' when she gave me the paperwork. She...just told me to think about it."

 

 

"I did...I thought about it a long time." Clenching her hands in her lap, Tohru sighed, hoping her reasons made sense to her parents. "It was thinking about Dad...I knew he'd gone to school and if he was anything like you, Mom...he'd want me to have a better life than him too. So...here I am."

 

 

Biting her lip, Tohru took a calming breath as she looked down at her hands. Suddenly feeling extremely anxious, as if saying it aloud would carve it in stone and she couldn't go back. Sitting up straight, she readied herself as butterflies erupted in her stomach. "I've...b-been looking for my reason. Well...not really looking...as I figured it would find me." Turning to look at the door, trying to reassure herself that the lock was in fact turned. If she was unexpectedly interrupted during this conversation--that would be the worst! "I think...I think...it did. I'm trying not to think about it too much because, what if I'm wrong? I haven't even known him very long, but...something in me knows that he's the one."

 

 

A wash of tranquility suddenly enveloped her; even just thinking about him could put her at ease. "He's a little rough around the edges, but underneath...his heart is really caring. I-I think...or at least I hope that you two would really like him. I don't know, maybe it's just that I'm around him so much and not used to having a guy around like that...that maybe I'm just not used to it."

 

 

Staring down at her hands again, Tohru licked her lips before taking a calming breath. "I'm scared. This is all happening so fast and it really scares me." Shaking her head quickly, Tohru tried to expel the disheartening thoughts and turn her mood around. "I just like to be around him right now...that's all. I shouldn't get ahead of myself, especially when he seems to barely tolerate me at times."

 

 

Giving a nervous giggle, Tohru's eyes widened in shock as a knock sounded at the door. 'Uwa! Is Hana-chan here already? What time is it?' Scanning the room, she spotted Kyou's alarm clock and panicked when she realized it was almost time to leave. "Ah! Hana-chan!" she cried, racing for the door to let her friend into the room. In the process, Tohru managed to trip over her own feet and found herself plummeting into the door. Grabbing the handle as she fell, she stopped herself before she could cause herself any injury and quickly got back on her feet. 

 

 

Yanking the door open with a flourish, Tohru greeted her friend with an award-winning smile. "Hana-chan!" she said, excitement flowing through her voice as she let her friend into her room with an embarrassed laugh. “Is it time to go already? I didn't even notice.”

 

 

“Your hair is all messed up,” Saki replied, pulling out the disheveled ribbon from Tohru's hair. “You need to be more careful or you might hurt yourself.”

 

 

“Thanks, Hana-chan! You don't need to worry about me all the time, I'll be fine!” Tohru said, watching out of the corner of her eye as her friend quickly fixed her hair for her.

 

 

“We should be going,” Saki said, grabbing Tohru's hand and leading her from the room. “He is here now.”

 

 

“Who's here?” Tohru asked.

 

 

Saki just smiled, leading her toward the gymnasium. The walk was a short one, as the building wasn't very far from the dorm and Tohru was in company that she always enjoyed. Grinning at her raven-haired friend, Tohru followed her into the gym, her eyes growing wide as she took in the scene. The crowd wasn't especially large but there were several mats where some of the martial artists were sparring as a warm up.

 

 

Immediately she searched for her orange haired roommate, finding him easily as both his hair and height tended to make him stand out above the crowd. Sitting off on his own at the end of a number of lined up chairs, he looked deep in thought. Dressed in black koji, he didn't seem to be too nervous. `I think I am nervous enough for the two of us. I've never seen a martial arts match before. I don't think I even know what to expect. He's probably done this a million times.'

 

 

Saki seemed to know where she was going and led her up into the bleachers, making her way across them until she settled down with a small group of people surrounding a middle-aged man. It was a strange feeling, suddenly feeling like the center of everyone's attention as they all stared at her. “Tohru-kun, this is Sohma Kazuma. Kazuma-san, this is Honda Tohru.”

 

 

The man stood up, inclining his head to her in respect. “Ah yes…the roommate. I'm very pleased to meet you.”

 

 

Eyes widening in surprise, Tohru leaned over several times to bow quickly to Kyou's foster father. “No! No! The pleasure is mine; I am sure. Kyou-kun talks about Shishou-san all the time. I'm just happy to get to meet you!”

 

 

Giving her a warm smile, Kazuma turned to his companions and moved to introduce them as well. “I'm sure you haven't heard of any of them, but these are a couple of Kyou's cousins. Sohma Isuzu, Sohma Hatsuharu and Sohma Kagura—all distantly related to him of course. Haru and Kagura are both students of mine. Isuzu has been staying with me for a little over a year now.”

 

 

A trio around the same age as her sat near Kyou's Shishou, eyeing Tohru curiously, which made her slightly uncomfortable. `No...the pretty black haired girl…Isuzu…she's looking almost angry at me. I don't understand.'

 

 

“Ah…it is true. Kyou's shacking with a girl….niiice.” Getting to his feet, Hatsuharu gave her a quick bow as he tried to avoid the irritated slap of Isuzu.

 

 

“I-It's nice to m-meet you all.” Tohru replied, giving them several quick bows before settling in next to Saki, she longed to ask the question on the tip of her tongue—were they cursed as well? She wondered if she'd ever feel comfortable asking them.

 

 

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

 

 

Curiosity had gotten the best of the dempa, her waves had been haywire lately and she waited patiently for the best moment to discuss the issues with Kazuma. A surprise surge of jealously by Tohru had given the perfect opportunity for her. Sohma Kagura had left the stands to go and speak to Kyou, during the girl's absence Tohru hadn't been able to rest—her waves emitting a strong jealous vibe. `She doesn't even notice she has nothing to worry about. The entire conversation is about her, I think. He keeps blushing and glancing up in her direction, he's barely paying attention to Kagura.'

 

 

“You can go down there and speak to him if you like, his match isn't for a little while yet and I'm sure he wouldn't mind.”

 

 

Turning to Kazuma, Tohru's face lit up in a brilliant smile. “Oh no! I wouldn't wish to interrupt them!”

 

 

“He'd probably thank you,” Isuzu replied. “You wouldn't be interrupting anything.”

 

 

“I d-don't know. I-I…can I do that?”

 

 

Saki nodded, giving her an indulgent smile. “I don't think he would mind at all.”

 

 

A fevered blush quickly covered the girl's cheeks as she gathered the strength to do just that, heading down the stairs to interrupt the pair. The moment she was out of earshot, Saki gave the answer Kazuma most likely was interested in. “As far as I can tell, the answer is no. I can usually pick up a second wave by the time the mother is about eight weeks along, so we still have a few weeks to go before we will know for certain, since it only happened a little over a month ago. She has not had a cycle yet though.”

 

 

“Wait!” Isuzu yelled in surprise, glaring at her. “Are you telling me—she might be…be…be…”

 

 

“Pregnant?” Haru finished for her.

 

 

“Yes, sometimes that happens when you seduce someone who isn't expecting to have sex right then.”

 

 

Kazuma just chuckled, as Isuzu rolled her eyes in annoyance. “I have to admit that a part of me will be disappointed if it doesn't happen, but I think it would be for the best if it doesn't.”

 

 

"Now is not the right time," Saki continued, looking down at the pair that were quietly conversing as Kagura made her way back into the stands. "There are some curious...how shall I put it? Things are progressing in a way I hadn't quite imagined. I am noticing things that I hadn't paid attention to the first time that appear to be different now."

 

 

The elder man looked on with interest, spurring Saki forward. She'd spoken a little about her dempa waves to the man the evening when he'd informed Arisa and her that they would have to figure out a way to discover if Tohru had conceived that night, letting him know that it wouldn't be anything difficult for them to discover. His openness and non-judgmental attitude had been something extremely refreshing, making her interest in him rise substantially.

 

 

"I would like to speak with Sohma Hatori; if at all possible, I'm not sure exactly how it all was supposed to happen." Saki gave a sad smile, watching the way Tohru continued to blush around her roommate. "During their time together, Tohru had a large wall that was slowly broken down by Kyou...it still is and her heart almost picked up right where it left off and it seems to be frightening her. Sohma Kyou's heart is the one that scares me though. There was always this wall up--which was gone the night you brought them home with their memories erased. It remained down until the day with the mix up in rooms. To be precise...it was erected the moment he learned who she was.”

 

 

The sad smile that covered Kazuma's face was all the evidence Saki needed. Her guess was right. "If you wish to discuss this, it is something very personal and I don't think we should have an audience."

 

 

Looking at the handful of Sohma's that were in the vicinity looking on with curiosity, Saki moved to her feet. "I wish to discuss this further to evaluate the true risk to Tohru-kun."

 

 

"Understandable," Kazuma agreed; looking down at the pair on the gym floor as Kyou gave Tohru a hesitant grin. Getting to his feet, he turned back to Saki. "You are protective of her, I can understand that. I just ask one thing in return, this doesn't go any further than the two of us. Even Uotani-san can not know about this."

 

 

"Fair," Saki replied, turning to head down the stairs. Kazuma followed, making a short detour toward the pair, placing a hand on the top of his son's head as he spoke to him briefly. Kyou turned to give her an angry glare, most certainly imagining her trying to seduce his father. Saki just gave him a knowing smile, which seemed to panic him further as Kazuma returned to her side. 

 

 

"Tohru-san will find me if we have not returned by the time Kyou's match is about to start." he said, leading her out of the building and onto the grass. Deciding they were far enough away, Kazuma took a seat and seemed to be contemplating where exactly to begin. "It's slightly complicated and I don't think you have the right to know every little detail, but I will try to do the best I can to give you the general understanding of what is going on."

 

 

Saki nodded, feeling the painful waves coming from the elder Sohma. The main draw she'd had for this man had been from his waves, understanding, kindness, acceptance of others. She trusted him, but...Tohru came first right now. If Tohru were in some sort of danger, Saki wouldn't put up with it without a true reason. Someone needed their eyes open in this for Tohru and it would be her.

 

"Deciding where to start...is difficult," Kazuma said quietly, the sadness radiating from his voice. "I'm going to start with what is the obvious to those that know him. His feelings for her have been almost obvious from the start, haven't they?"

 

 

"Yes, it took him a little time to figure out what they were, but they have been there for most of the time I have known him," Saki replied in agreement. "That barrier has been there as well, it's wavered and weakened from time to time, but it always remained."

 

 

"Yes, he tends to be quite stubborn about that," Kazuma said, frowning. "That is Tohru's barrier; it isn't something anyone he fell for would get--only Tohru." Taking a brief pause, Kyou's Shishou looked down in thought, trying to find the words he needed. "I...almost lost Kyou because of this event and it terrified me, so forgive me if I come across as a little selfish. He is my son--no matter how biologically different we are, it doesn't change anything."

 

 

"He lost the will to live, and I took him away for four months to try to get it back again. Though he wasn't completely healed, he was ready to return home at the end of that time and I let him go. That was at the time that she moved in with his cousins, and he was forced to move in there as punishment as well--and attend school with all of you." Saki looked up in surprise, remembering when Sohma Kyou had started classes with them; he'd had some of the darkest and most chaotic waves of anyone she'd ever met. "His real punishment was being forced to live with her, at least in his eyes. Kyou, in essence, fell for the one person he wouldn't allow himself to have, because he blamed himself for the events that had happened four months before."

 

 

"Something happened to him in--" Saki did the calculations in her head quickly. "...May of our first ye..." Saki trailed off as her eyes widened in confusion, looking up at Kazuma.

 

 

“Hanajima? You…that is…do you see ghosts and stuff?”

 

 

Back then, the darkness surrounding Sohma Kyou had been so thick that Saki hadn't been able to sense anything except his waves. Standing before Kyoko's grave, the emotions rolled off him and drowned out the waves of everyone surrounding them.

 

 

“Even now it's the same…even now…your waves are echoing. Why are you standing before a grave with such feelings of regret?”

 

 

"Kyoko..." she whispered as all the pieces started to fit together.

 

 

Kazuma nodded, giving her a sad smile. "I'll explain in detail when I get to that point, but let me go back and start at the beginning of the story now."

 

 

 

 

I do not own Fruits Basket or the characters affiliated with the Manga and Anime. They are the property of Natsuki Takaya…I am just `borrowing' them for my own nefarious deeds. I own nothing, suing me won't help anyone.

Sari-15