Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ The Butterfly Effect ❯ Opening the Wound ( Chapter 16 )

Quick Author's Note: For those of you who aren't familiar with the manga, Rin is the horse zodiac and Haru's star-crossed sort-of girlfriend (i.e. Akito keeps messing with their relationship).

 

-Quick Vocabulary:

 

Wasabi: Japanese horseradish, quite hot, generally added in very small amounts for flavor

 

Miso: fermented bean paste

This chapter is referring to the soup made using miso, which is found all over Japan- different regions have different recipes.

 

Tatami: Japanese straw floor mat

 

Chapter Summary: Remember those other Sohmas?…Yeah, those Sohmas.

 

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

 

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

 

-Chapter 16: Opening the Wound-

 

-Memories consume

-Like opening the wound

-I'm picking me apart again

-Linkin Park, "Breaking the Habit"

 

Ultimately, the review was responsible for all of the problems.

 

Tohru's restaurant had started to make a name for itself through word of mouth and Akane's savvy publicity. By some odd luck, one of the summer tourists had known a restaurant reviewer for a large national paper.

 

*The guy was a complete asshole.*

'That's a little mean, although he certainly didn't try to be very nice to people.'

 

*That's an understatement.*

 

`I don't think I've ever heard Maki-chan that mad.'

 

*Well, he had been grabbing her ass and patronizing her cooking just before she called you. It was probably the cooking that did it.*

 

`He was a little strange when I showed up with Yuki.'

 

*A little strange? The guy was throwing a temper tantrum when we walked in!*

 

`But he did stop when we got there.'

 

*Because he had a fetish for pregnant women.*

 

`Poor Yuki.'

 

*He did try to be good. Up until the third time the asshole tried to grope you.*

 

`Yuki still shouldn't have growled at him.'

 

*Oh come on. I even saw Akane smirking at that one.*

 

`I guess he was just trying to protect me. Too bad he couldn't think of a better reason for the photographer not to take a photo of me than that I was pregnant.'

 

*Oh, you mean the part where the reviewer asked, “Well whose fault is that?”*

 

'Actually the problem was that he did take a picture that we didn't know about.'

 

*Of your face, therefore technically avoiding the whole pregnancy issue.*

'We didn't even know about it until nearly a month after it came out and only then because Maki-chan brought the paper to show me. Was it really too much to hope that nobody would notice it?'

 

*YES!*

 

'Okay, but I don't think that there was any way to predict our current situation.'

 

*Hey, you did want a home birth, sweetheart.*

 

-###-

 

That evening started out beautifully. Tohru was spread out on the porch swing with her head in Yuki's lap and her legs draped over Kyou.

 

"Please don't stop- that feels great."

 

Her ankles and feet had become so sore in the last month that it hurt to move around. Kyou's gentle foot massage was exactly what they seemed to need. She was just starting to doze off when she heard someone clearing their throat over by the porch steps. She knew, the instant that the boys froze underneath her, what sort of visitor they had. Sure enough, when she painfully lifted her head to look, Hatori was leaning against the post above the steps, a lit cigarette in his hand and a bag by his feet.

 

*'Oh shit.'*

 

'That sums it up pretty nicely.'

 

"Please, don't let me interrupt."

 

Kyou was almost immediately up and off the swing. "You asshole. If you even think about erasing Tohru's memories-"

 

"I'm not here for Tohru."

 

Kyou stopped in mid-stride, still standing protectively in front of the swing.

 

Yuki spoke next, his voice cold and clear. "I swear if you're lying, Hatori, if you do anything to hurt her, I will make Akito seem like a pleasant dream."

 

Hatori hadn't moved from the post. He took a long draw on the cigarette while watching the three of them. "So you really are all together. I thought that Honda-kun might have picked one of you, but I never expected that all three of you would be involved."

 

Tohru decided that it was time for her to speak up in this increasingly bizarre nightmare. "Hatori-san, please call me Tohru. Honda-kun hasn't applied to me for years. As for our relationship- we aren't all involved. I'm involved, separately, with both of them."

Kyou's blush reached the neckline of his shirt. "Um...Tohru, I really don't think that that's helping the situation."

 

Hatori sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. As his bangs lifted, Tohru could see the stress lines and circles under his eyes. Obviously the last five years had not treated Hatori well. Strangely though, Tohru didn't think that he looked any older than when she had last seen him- just more tired.

 

"Would you please stop worrying? Even if I had been ordered to erase Tohru's memories, I would hardly leave a highly pregnant woman alone and memory-less. I am not a complete monster. In fact, why don't we leave how and why I'm here until a little bit later? I would like to see more of what you have been doing for the last five years than Tohru's restaurant."

 

*'You mean other than Tohru?'*

 

`Butterfly!'

 

Kyou and Yuki spoke at the same time. "That damn review!"

 

Yuki groaned. "I knew I should have punched that reviewer when I had the chance."

 

Suddenly his expression turned serious. "Just one question Hatori- does Akito know?"

 

"Not where you are, no. But please, let's leave this until later. I'm exhausted and I was hoping that I could stay the night."

 

Tohru struggled to right herself, feeling more than a little like an overturned blimp (beached whale?). "If Hatori-san will wait a little bit, I will prepare one of the guest rooms for him."

 

Kyou was almost immediately by her side, supporting her arm. "Easy does it. You don't need to do any work- Yuki and I will look after the guest room."

 

Tohru shifted on his arm so she could stick out her tongue at him. "I'm pregnant- not an invalid."

 

Kyou laughed and pressed a light kiss to her forehead. "I know, love, but I don't want you to get hurt." He placed his hand on her stomach. "You're both too important to damage over something silly."

 

Tohru smiled and snuggled into his embrace. When she looked over Kyou's shoulder she was surprised to see that Hatori's aura was a whirling mass of colors- blue, black and…green? Why would Hatori be jealous?

 

*'Maybe he's a potential for a threesome!'*

 

'Is that all you think about?'

 

*'Nope. But I am hoping to wear you down eventually!'*

 

"Tohru?" Hatori was standing in front of her, a slightly confused expression on his face.

 

Tohru blushed. "Pardon me- I occasionally space out."

 

Kyou coughed behind her. "Occasionally?"

 

"Oh stop it, you mean, mean man."

 

That time there was no mistaking the expression of naked envy that swept over Hatori's face.

 

"If you could just show me the guest room, I would be happy to make it up myself. I think that I am even more tired than I originally thought."

 

Tohru reached out and placed a hand on Hatori's arm. It was like she had suddenly frozen every muscle of his body in place. "Hatori... I am very happy to see you again, no matter the reason. I hope that you will at least take some tea or a light dinner with us after we have put your things in your room."

 

Hatori's aura swirled violently, before settling on a deep navy blue with hints of gold. "Thank you- that would be... very nice."

 

It didn't take long to get Hatori set up in his new room, even though Yuki and Kyou refused to let Tohru do any work. When she finally asked in exasperation if she could make supper, the boys came with her and insisted on doing all the work under her supervision.

 

'Actually, this is a lot more stressful than just letting me make the food-'

 

"NO YUKI! Don't put that handful of wasabi into the miso! In fact, why are you even adding wasabi to the miso?"

 

Yuki shrugged sheepishly. "I like wasabi?"

 

Tohru groaned. It was going to be a long evening.

 

By the time supper was finally prepared, Hatori had come back down and was watching the circus with a trace of amusement on his face. The amusement had faded by the time supper was served. When he was actually kneeling on the tatami mats he got right to the point.

 

"How far along are you?"

 

Tohru blinked as she set her teacup down. "Kyou figures that I am about eight and a half months along."

 

"Eight and a half months pregnant? Have you had any kind of pre-natal checkup?"

 

"Well Kyou has picked up some training-"

 

"So that would be 'No.'"

 

Surprisingly, Yuki spoke up. "That's not fair, Hatori. Neko is fully qualified to look after a pregnant woman and he has been more than capable in looking after our minor injuries. And what were we supposed to do? We could hardly take Tohru in for a checkup and specify that all the technicians needed to be women."

 

Hatori drained his miso before he spoke again. "I will give Tohru a thorough checkup while I am here. You are very, very lucky that there don't seem to have been any complications."

 

Kyou bristled beside Tohru, and she laid a restraining hand on his arm. It seemed a good time to change the subject. "How did you get here, Hatori? Did you really walk the ten miles from town?"

 

Hatori shrugged. "I rented a car in town- it's currently parked at the end of your lane. It's pretty hard to drive through a locked gate."

 

There was a long silence while everyone picked away at their food. Tohru shuddered slightly. It looked like it would be up to her to ask the question that no one wanted to raise. "How is everyone doing?"

 

Hatori's face became carefully blank.

 

"Hiro is graduating this year and is trying to go to a local college so that he won't be far from Kisa. Rin and Haru are both working for one of the Sohma corporations. Ritsu has finished his medical training and is helping me in the clinic. Ayame's store is doing well and Kagura just got back from a trip to Europe with her family."

 

Tohru got a sick feeling in her stomach. The names that she most wanted to know about weren't being mentioned.

 

Yuki had a hard glint in his eyes when he turned to Hatori. "That all sounds lovely, Hatori... and very much like you aren't telling us anything. So how is our Head of family?"

 

"Akito? She's dying. She wants you and Kyou to come back to the compound so that she can see you before she goes."

 

The teacup spilled over the table as it fell from Tohru's nerveless grasp.

 

'NONONONONO!'

 

*'NONONONONO!'*

 

Tohru was breathing hard, black spots forming in front of her eyes. Yuki was trying to hold her up, but she was swaying drunkenly and she could feel the dizziness taking over.

 

Then her water broke.

 

-###-

 

Now, Tohru is preparing for a premature birth in Kyou's old bedroom, Hatori bent over her, calmly issuing instructions.

 

The entire process is slightly surreal and Tohru can't really remember much of what is happening other than the excruciating pain. She vaguely recalls some graphic threats about preventing Yuki and Kyou from ever getting her pregnant again, but decides that that she was hallucinating.

 

*No hallucination. Let's castrate the bastards.*

 

She can dimly hear Hatori telling her to 'Push!' and there is a searing pain and pressure that is suddenly relieved. She would really like to figure out what is going on, but she is so very, very tired....

 

When Tohru blinks her eyes again, she is in the master bedroom, dressed in a nightgown and wrapped in blankets. Yuki and Kyou are sitting beside her on the bed, each holding a hand.

 

"Hey." Yuki gently brushes her matted hair back from her face. "You know, you've got a grip like a vice, darling."

 

Tohru's voice is more than slightly raspy. "Baby?"

 

Hatori appears in her line of sight, a small bundle in his arms. "A healthy boy, probably about six pounds." The bundle moves and as Hatori angles him towards her, Tohru sees the red fuzz on his scalp and the sleepy violet eyes as he blinks at her.

 

*Well you sure know how to confuse a paternity suit, sweetheart.*

 

`He's beautiful.'

 

*If you're into tomatoes.*

 

Tohru smiles at the boys, remembering the name they had agreed on. "Shinta."

 

"Pure heart?"

 

Tohru nods weakly.

 

"I suppose that's fitting." Hatori glances down at the baby in his arms, who yawns back up at him. Tohru reaches her arms out towards him.

 

Hatori looks uncomfortable, "Tohru... You're cursed and your son can't possibly be one of the Jyuunishi. Not only that, but you're still weak from the birth. If you transform when you hold him, you could be seriously hurt."

 

Tohru gives Hatori the blackest look she's ever given another human being. "I don't think that my curse works like yours. He might have been able to inherit part of it. Now give me my son."

 

Obviously Hatori is not strong enough to fight a new mother. He carefully passes Shinta into Tohru's arms and… nothing happens.

 

Tohru lets out the breath she didn't even know she was holding.

 

Yuki's eyes are suspiciously shiny. "I don't know whether to thank or curse the gods."

 

Tohru holds Shinta up to her breast as he greedily starts suckling. Without whatever Shinta inherited she might not have been able to touch him. "Thank them."

 

As she looks up, she sees Hatori watching her and the baby. Tohru mentally revises her statement. 'Thank them for as long as we are able to enjoy this.'

 

-###-

 

Quick Author's Note: It was brought to my attention by my wonderful betas that just because I dream about all those colors that Tohru sees, not everyone else has the damn chart memorized. Er…sorry. Here's the chart as a peace offering :) Remember though- the base `color' of a person doesn't follow the chart and most of the chart colors have more than one meaning….;)

 

-Anaphalis' Guide to the Colors that Tohru Sees-

 

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!

 

-Reviewer Responses-

 

onigiri_kitty: You know, I think that that's the most creative threat I've gotten to write more scenes since I'm addicted to “pretty pictures” :) If you do decide to draw things, could you please let me know? I admit that I'm very curious about what scenes other people see in their minds- I know that I have a few that I see quite clearly and I'm wondering if other people see the same ones :) I'm very glad that you're enjoying the story and I hope that you enjoy the new chapter!

 

Runic: You weren't the only one who was concerned about Yuki after the marriage proposal :) I still think that they have a few things to sort out, but I doubt that any of them would willingly jeopardize the relationship now, although I guess we'll see;) I enjoyed having both Yuki and Tohru kick ass at the party- I think that even if they're both normally quiet, they would be willing to stand up for the ones they love. And yes, MediaMiner has been behaving strangely and I wouldn't worry about your poor lost review. Always great to hear from you- I hope that you enjoy the new chapter!

 

Draza: I'm very glad that you liked the story- I've had so much fun writing it, it makes me happy when other people enjoy it as well. Thank you for reviewing and I hope that you continue to enjoy the story!

 

 

-Updated 01-22-05-