Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ The Butterfly Effect ❯ Delighting in Your Company ( Chapter 9 )

Author's Note: I'm back! Sorry it took so long :( I'm doing a lot better now. I still have to go see one more specialist, but it shouldn't interfere with my updates.

Chapter Summary: Poor Tohru. How does she choose between two gorgeous, loving men? Just remember how good she is at making decisions....

Disclaimer: Fruits Basket belongs to Natsuki Takaya/HAKUSENSHA - TV TOKYO - NAS - Fruba Project.

Warning: Rated R for language, implied rape, torture, and adult situations.

/Chapter 9: Delighting in Your Company/

/Alas my love, you do me wrong

/To treat me so discourteously

/When I have loved you for so long

/Delighting in your company.

-Traditional, "Greensleeves"

Tohru knows that she has to make a decision about Yuki and Kyou. Butterfly's constant comments aren't really necessary- the boys have stopped avoiding her in a pretty serious way. Even someone as previously oblivious as her can hardly fail to recognize the dramatically increased touching or the increased red in their auras.

*Or maybe the fact that neither of them have been able to raise their eyes above your chest for the last two weeks?*

Since she made the daisy chains, Tohru has occasionally gone back to the same tree for some quiet time. Right now, Tohru needs to spend some serious boy-free thinking time. Unfortunately, luck is not on her side. When Tohru reaches the small circle of trees she is stopped dead in her tracks.

Kyou is standing in front of her tree, moving his body through a complicated series of kicks and punches. Tohru is not amused. 'How dare he come to my tree first thing in the morning? How dare he interrupt my only boy-free thinking time? How dare he look so very, very good doing it?' Tohru's mind officially raises a white flag of surrender.

Kyou suddenly stops his training to look directly at Tohru. Somehow, Tohru is unable to pull her eyes away from him. They stand there frozen; staring at one another, until Kyou finally speaks. He is so quiet that Tohru can hardly hear him over the pounding of her heart.

"When you look at me like that, what does it mean? Does it mean that you want to be with me?"

*This is your chance onigiri. Don't blow it or I'll send you graphic images of your naked grandfather every night for the rest of your life.*

"Yes... I want to be with you." 'When did my voice get so hoarse?'

There is something very much like triumph in Kyou's eyes as he stalks towards her and wraps her in his arms. Tohru doesn't think that she'll survive if her heart beats any faster.

"So you aren't in love with that kuso nezumi."

Tohru very badly wants to agree, wants to do anything to keep him running his hands over her back and sides, but she can't lie. "I care about both of you."

Kyou suddenly pulls out of the embrace, moving a few steps out of her reach. Tohru's heart wrenches at the loss of contact.

"Tohru, it's not fair to tease me."

*Naked grandfather! Naked grandfather!*

Tohru walks slowly, carefully towards Kyou, as if he might run if she moves too quickly. He stands there, fists clenched at his sides, as she approaches him and gently cups his cheek with her hand. "I'm not trying to tease you."

She reaches for him with her other hand, but he is much, much faster. She is spun around, back against the tree as his mouth attacks her face. He is sloppy, demanding and their noses and teeth keep knocking together. It seems like he is going to eat her and not in a good sense. She pulls back slightly.

"Kyou, let's slow down. I've never really kissed anyone before and I want to try this slower."

*That was very diplomatic. Poor kid. Seems like he's been waiting for this for a long time.*

Oh this is much better. He's almost hesitant now, lightly brushing her forehead, her eyelids, 'When did I close my eyes?' the tips of her ears, the pulse point on her neck. Every hair on her neck is standing on end as his lips move back up her throat to the corner of her mouth. She is panting slightly as he moves his mouth over hers. He takes advantage of her open lips to gently caress each of them before moving his tongue forward. Tohru shyly copies him. Somehow, the butterfly brushes the cat as she brushes against Kyou. Oh gods, this is what it is supposed to feel like. She can feel all of Kyou, his rapidly beating heart, the joy of his cat spirit and the lo-

Kyou isn't there anymore. He has moved back and is staring at Tohru with wide, panicked eyes. "What happened?"

She notices that his breathing is heavy and his entire body is vibrating slightly.

"I think... I think that our animals touched. Did you not like it?"

Kyou closes his eyes. "It was incredible."

"Then why stop?"

*Wow, I didn't even have to prompt you/ You ARE a little vixen.*

This time, there is no hesitation at all.

*You do know that you are going to spend the rest of the day picking bark out of your clothes?*

Tohru mentally makes a very rude gesture before her brain stops functioning altogether.

###

Tohru is fairly sure that she looks like she has survived a hurricane or at least a small tropical storm. Her clothing refuses to lay flat anymore and her hair is full of bark and tree sap. *Told you so.* She can feel the stubble burn on her cheeks and her lips seem to have been stung by a very angry hornet. At least she can take comfort in the fact that Kyou is in even worse shape. Pulling out of their kiss, he managed to trip on a tree root and cover himself in leaves and dirt. He had still been a little shaky when he told Tohru that he was just going to rest under the tree for a while.

Tohru floats to the bathroom, floats through a second shower and floats through a hurried breakfast. Kyou still hasn't returned by the time she moves to the porch to stare blindly down the driveway.

She is so very tired and dizzy and confused. When Yuki walks behind her and scoops her up, she makes no protest. He lowers her onto the step and she lets him position her between his legs, his arms wrapped loosely around her waist. They sit for a while in content silence, feet dangling from the porch. Yuki is the one who finally speaks.

"I'm scared that I am selfish, Tohru. Even knowing what you must have gone through, I keep thinking how happy I am that I can hug you. Please forgive me."

Tohru half turns in his arms and gently places a finger on his lips. "I'm happy that I can hug you too. You shouldn't say sorry unless you have really hurt someone, otherwise it means nothing."

Yuki looks at her, and somehow his violet eyes seem almost black. "I am glad that you don't think that you need to apologize anymore."

Tohru's smile is more than a little guilty. "Well, I still do think that I need to apologize, but I keep my mouth from actually saying it. It is very hard most of the time."

"Why don't I help keep you from talking?" And suddenly his mouth is on hers.

*Okay, that is the cheesiest pick-up line since 'Are you tired baby 'cause you've been running through my mind?' Though you have to give him points for having the balls to use it.*

The kissing is soft but it seems directionless and kind of... boring.

*Obviously rat-boy has seen a few too many American romances with that stupid closemouthed pecking. This calls for drastic measures.*

Tohru decides to take control of the situation.

*Well you couldn't exactly play the "I've never been kissed" card this time.*

The next time Yuki's mouth passes her own, she threads her fingers through his hair and forces his mouth open by biting his lower lip. When Yuki freezes she pushes her tongue in and once again the butterfly brushes a Jyuunishi spirit.

Tohru feels fire, both hers and Yuki's, burning through her. The connection isn't the same as Kyou's, but it is equally powerful. She is swept away on the sensation of feeling Yuki in her mind, his heart beating with her own. Yuki seems to have enthusiastically given himself over to the new kissing and isn't slowing down in the slightest. The piece of Tohru's brain that hasn't melted notes that now she is really in trouble. Then that piece too is gone and Tohru loses all ability to think whatsoever.

"What are you doing kissing the kuso nezumi?"

*Well sweetie looks like it's showtime.*

###

Before Yuki can make some smug response, before Kyou can start talking again, Tohru moves out of Yuki's arms and holds up her hand. "Please, I need to talk to both of you and I need you two to not talk until I am finished. Can we go into the living room?"

The boys trail after her like two well-trained pets, obviously a little stunned by her forcefulness. When they reach the living room, Tohru takes a deep breath and turns to face them.

"I kissed both of you today."

Surprisingly, her raised hand actually stalls both of their responses.

"I love both of you. I can't choose one over the other. I know that it is unfair, but I will either be with both of you or neither of you."

Tohru decides to leave while she is still able to walk. By the time she reaches the porch, she can no longer stand because she is shaking so badly.

*Well that was very gutsy sweetie, but what are you going to do if they don't agree?*

Tohru really, really doesn't want to think about that. Of course, it is now that her brain starts working again.

"What have I done?"

###

So here's the decision. Please don't hate me. I honestly didn't think this was going to be as much of a surprise as it seems to be. And remember that the boys still have to respond to her....

Anaphalis' Guide to the Colors that Tohru Sees: I thought that I should put up my own interpretation of the colors that Tohru's seeing. Everyone's welcome to their own point of view though:) The colors are kind of important since they are one of the major things that are helping Tohru be less emotionally dense in this story. Of course since a color can still have multiple meanings, she still gets to be a wee bit confused :) As a side note, the "base" color for a person wouldn't necessarily have the same meaning as the color on the list. Confused yet? It gets better... So here goes:

Red- passion (either anger or lust), consuming need or desire (not necessarily lust)

Black- hatred, blind rage, suspicion, extreme fear, extreme jealousy, extreme shame/self-loathing/guilt, extreme sorrow, extreme lust (basically any dark emotional extreme)

White- calmness, reflection, emotional null

Gold- love, hope, some types of happiness

Green- jealousy, cynicism

Purple- shame, guilt, self-doubt, embarrassment, discomfort

Blue- sorrow, regret

Grey- exhaustion, hopelessness

Canary Yellow- joy, innocent happiness

Pink- nervousness

I'll add more as I think of them. If I've forgotten any please let me know!

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/Reviewer Responses/

Hinoki_Mizuno: Sorry it took so long to update- I was quite sick but I'm doing better now and there shouldn't be any more long delays :) I'm glad that you like the story so much and I hope that you continue to enjoy the new chapters. And shhh.... we're not supposed to tell anyone about our secret love :)