Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ The Journey Home ❯ A New Tactic ( Chapter 10 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket or the characters. I have a dream... but they still belong to Natsuki Takaya.

A/N: OMG I can't believe this is chapter 10! @_@ And it's exactly 2100 words, how good am I? hahaha! That's all the note I have for now, I'm tired. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, you always brighten my day and all the wonderful comments have kept me going. ^_^ Also thanks to my dear friends Elf and YTR for always making me feel so loved! YTR also deserves much thanks for her help and suggestions.

Warning: There may be OOC moments (I'm told I'm doing good with the characters, yay!) so if that bothers you, this might not be the story for you. (Hey, this is fiction, it's my world and I can do what I want with it!) Also, if premarital sex and/or unwed pregnancy bother you, this probably isn't the story for you.

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"The Journey Home"

Chapter 10: A New Tactic

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Kyo sat against the wall in the large training room at the dojo, staring blankly out the open doorway. It was lunchtime and he was hungry, but he couldn't find the will to move. This was how it was, he'd gotten used to it. He would be fine, able to push away the unwanted thoughts and memories, until something reminded him or the air became too quiet. Then everything would rush to the surface and he would sit, immobile, until he fell asleep or something brought him out of it.

Kazuma appeared in the doorway and frowned. He took a few steps forward and made a silly face. No reaction. His son was a zombie again, and though it had been happening less frequently lately, it was still worrisome. What had happened? He'd tried to get Kyo to open up to him countless times, but to no avail. There was only one thing that could drive a man this crazy: a woman.

It didn't add up, though. There was only one woman Kyo cared for enough to garner this reaction, and that was Tohru. She chose someone else? Tohru loved Kyo, why would she choose someone else? No matter how many times Kazuma thought it over he always came to the same conclusion. She wouldn't choose someone else, for it wasn't in Tohru's nature to ever be with one person when she loved another. Therefore, whatever it was, it had to be a misunderstanding.

Kazuma looked down at Kyo. If he was in such a state, certainly Tohru was upset also. A misunderstanding or fight was one thing, this was getting ridiculous.

Kazuma'd been patient for over two months, watching his son suffer, but he couldn't stand to watch any longer. He was a martial artist, a man of action, it was unnatural for him to sit back and do nothing. How he had ever let his wife talk him into the 'let him be and he'll figure it out' approach was beyond comprehension. Women!

It was time to change tactics. Obviously Kyo wasn't going to come to his senses on his own, and he wasn't talking to either his father or Tohru. Kazuma's battle aura began to glow. That boy would talk to one of them, whether he liked it or not, for his own good, and for Tohru's.

Mind made up, Kazuma headed off to get Kyo's lunch.

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Kyo shivered involuntarily as he remembered that day. He had been sitting in a tree but it had felt like he was on top of the world. Tohru was his and he would make short work of that damn rat... but he had assumed too much. Tohru wasn't his, had never been his, and he had been a fool to ever think otherwise.

When she had... Kyo had thought that meant she cared for him, wanted him, and maybe even loved him. This was Tohru, she wouldn't... if she didn't... but she had. When he'd woken up that morning, with his head on her stomach and her fingers wrapped in his hair, he'd never felt so good, so alive, so much at peace. Then he'd remembered his reason for being there.

The night before he'd found out that his win over Yuki had been a fake and it was all Tohru's doing, she had talked the rat into losing on purpose. Kyo hadn't been sure how he was expected to feel, should he be grateful? He was glad he wasn't locked up, but grateful was far from what he felt. He felt... betrayed. Didn't she trust him? Didn't she have any faith in him? Did she think so little of him, that there was no way he could beat Yuki? ... 'Was that really fair?' Kyo wondered. Shouldn't he just be glad for his freedom and leave it at that?

No, he couldn't leave it, he needed answers. It felt like he'd been living a lie for four years. The confidence and self-respect he had gained, the acknowledgement from the Sohma's... it was all a lie. He'd been able to hold his head up when he saw Tohru, even be bold enough to take her hand or touch her shoulder, but that too was a lie.

He'd come to Tohru's in the middle of the night, upset and unthinking, but in the morning light things were different. He idly ran his hand along her thigh and smiled. It didn't matter why she'd done it, he was free, he was here with her, and she'd given herself to him. Well... his smile widened, more like she'd taken him. Not that he minded. She could have him anytime, anywhere she wanted, hopefully on a daily basis.

His smile faded. What was he thinking? He wasn't even sure how she felt about him and here he was, already living with her in his mind. The truth was he didn't want to leave, to move, he could lay there with her forever. But he didn't deserve to. He was cursed. Even worse, he was the cat, the outcast. "Beating" Yuki hadn't changed that, it had just kept Kyo from being locked up and gotten him a little acknowledgement, he was allowed attend the New Year's banquet. Even attending he was an outsider, forced to remain at the edge of the room and watch silently. It was worse than not attending at all.

Sure, she'd wanted him last night, but how would she react when she woke up and realized he was cuddled (as much as possible) to her naked body? When she realized what they'd done, exactly where his hand was now resting? Did she want to be the cat's lover, the cat's girlfriend... the cat's wife? Would she want to be with someone who couldn't even win a fight on his own?

He couldn't ask her. He knew what he had to do, he would train hard and beat Yuki for real, and then he would be someone she could respect, someone she could be proud to call 'husband'. First living together and now married? His mind was definitely moving fast. He sat up, careful not to wake her.

He looked at her sleeping face, she was so beautiful. His eyes traveled over the rest of her. Every inch of her was beautiful, perfect even. His mind may be moving fast, but was that really so bad? He'd known for a long time that he wanted to be with her forever.

As he watched her sleep the desire grew to feel her against him, in his arms, if just for a moment. He lay down and wrapped his arms around her, trying to memorize the exquisite feeling that would only last half a second. *poof* 'That was worth being a cat for a little while,' he thought as he waited to change back.

*poof* He looked at Tohru who had slept through both transformations. Good, he couldn't face her, not yet, but neither did he want to leave. After watching her a few minutes more he got up and dressed. He then left a note and kissed her gently before leaving.

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When Kyo had returned from training a week earlier than expected he'd gone straight to Tokyo. That's where he was, sitting in a tree by Yuki's apartment building waiting to ambush the rat, when the world fell apart.

It was very early morning, before dawn, and Kyo noticed a light was on in Yuki's apartment. A shadow moved at the window, what was the rat doing up at this hour? He hated mornings. As Kyo continued to watch he could make out two shapes, one of them female. Oh, so that's it, the rat wasn't alone. Kyo snorted. It figured, with Yuki's fan club and not having roommates to deal with, he probably had them lined up around the block to spend the night with him. It didn't make Kyo jealous, though. Yuki may have every female (and some males) between fourteen and thirty-five falling at his feet, but he didn't have Tohru.

Kyo watched as the two shadows merged into one. He could see hands moving to caress before the female shadow dropped to her knees. Kyo turned away. He did not need those images.

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Kyo stretched as he woke up. He looked around, trying to get his bearings. It was light out and he was in a tree... he looked to Yuki's windows. Had he left already? Kyo sighed, would he have to wait here all day for the damn rat to come back?

A few minutes later Kyo smiled when the thin curtain was pushed aside and Yuki appeared in the window. 'Good, I didn't miss him,' Kyo thought. When Yuki retreated into the room Kyo turned his attention to the entrance of the apartment building. Yuki had class today, so he should be leaving soon.

Ten minutes later Kyo was startled when he saw Tohru leaving the apartment building. No, it couldn't be. He closed his eyes and looked again. There was no mistake, it was Tohru. Kyo's heart stopped, she was... she was... glowing. NO!

His heart screamed out to her. He wanted to go to her, stop her, make her tell him it was his imagination, she hadn't.... How could she? That wasn't the Tohru he knew... but how could he deny it? He'd seen it with his own eyes.

Had she been sleeping with Yuki... or even Shigure too... and for how long? No, this was Tohru! Did she have a split personality or something? That was a crazy thought. Was she in love with Yuki? Most girls were... 'Did she think I was Yuki that night? But she used my name....'

'Why would she make love to me and then...' Kyo asked himself and a little voice gave him the only answer that made any sense. 'She didn't make love to you, she fucked you. There's a difference. She's probably been sleeping with Yuki all along but he wasn't there that night, you were. She feels sorry for you, the poor cat that was so easily tricked, so easily trusting... same as you are now. Most likely she thought she was doing you a favor, some twisted way to make the little virgin cat feel better.'

As much as Kyo didn't want to believe it... that would explain her behavior. He couldn't be here, he had to leave. He jumped down from the tree and ran off towards the train station.

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"Kyo?" Kazuma questioned, holding out a plate of food.

Kyo slowly focused on his father's face then looked down at the food. He sighed. Why did it have to be onigiri? When he took the plate and grunted Kazuma smacked him on the head. "Sorry, thanks," Kyo amended.

"What happened with Tohru?" Kazuma asked as he sat down.

Kyo was surprised, this was the first time his master had mentioned Tohru in the nine weeks they'd been back from the mountain. What was there to say? 'I'm an idiot because I slept with her and thought it meant something? I was in heaven and she was just using me? I saw her...' he couldn't even say in his thoughts what he'd seen her do.

He wished Kazuma would just give up. All the questions were beyond annoying, and what gave him the right to ask about Tohru like he knew everything? Kyo was doing ok, why couldn't he just be left alone already? "Damn it! How many times do I have to tell you? I'm fine!" Kyo yelled.

"I didn't ask if you were fine," Kazuma replied calmly.

Kyo opened his mouth but didn't say anything. That wasn't the usual reaction to one of his outbursts. Unsure of what to think about it, he leaned back against the wall and took another rice ball.

"You can talk to me," Kazuma said.

"I know."

"Then why don't you?"

Kyo thought for a moment. "There's nothing to say that will change anything."

"You're right, there's nothing you can say to me that will change anything... but I bet there's things you could say to her."

Kyo looked sad as he said "None of that would change anything either."

"I've never seen you run away from a fight before," Kazuma remarked, expecting Kyo to jump up while yelling something to the effect of 'The hell I ran away!'

Kyo surprised him by saying softly "Yeah, well, maybe I've finally grown up and realized when to quit."

Kazuma laid a hand on his son's shoulder. So that didn't work, time for phase two.

I'm not sure what Kazuma's normal reaction to Kyo's outbursts is, I wanted to get this posted so didn't take the time to find out first. Maybe I'll change it if I find out staying calm is his normal reaction, or I'll just leave it because, you know, Akito doesn't have the power in this story... I do. ::evil grin:: (Well and Shigure, too, when he takes over, but he didn't do that this chapter. No girls, guess he found it boring.)

I like the way one author put it, I hope s/he doesn't mind if I quote "if you've come this far you've obviously read, so please review". I will add, though, please be kind since this is my first fan fiction and I'm very sensitive. Bad reviews... "I don't know if I could take that kind of rejection!" (Toy Story... never mind, I'm crazy.) I proofread it myself, which is hard to do, so there's probably still some errors (though I hope not so many that it's hard to read). Please let me know of any glaring errors and I'll fix 'em.