Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Try To Remember ❯ Old Habits Die Hard ( Chapter 2 )

Disclaimer: I still don't own Fruits Basket, is it really necessary to say this in each chapter?

 

 

SPOILER WARNING: If you haven't read the whole manga there will probably be spoilers, but some big spoilers that I'm sure about are from chapters 98, 115-116, 121.

 

 

A/N: Just in case you don't know. In chapter 121, right before Tohru-kun fell off the cliff, she said some things to A-chan and now not only is A-chan trying to be nicer and not being so possessive of the juunishi but she and Tohru-kun are friends. So if A-chan seems slightly OOC, that's why.

 

 

Try To Remember

 

 

Chapter Two

 

 

“Hmm, Mit-chan is probably long gone by now. I guess I'll go home.” Said Shigure.

 

 

He had been roaming around the main house for sometime, trying to avoid his editor.

 

 

He didn't always live in the main house. He lived there as a child, but moved out later in life for complicated reasons. But because he was now married to the head of the family, the both of them stayed at the main house.

 

 

He was getting very bored, he tried to visit Hatori but he didn't have time to deal with Shigure right now, and Shigure didn't have the time to leave the main house and walk to Ayame's shop. So he decided he would return home, Mitsuru was most likely gone by now.

 

 

“Hey Shigure!” Shigure heard a familiar voice call out from behind him just as he began walking.

 

 

“Ah, Yuki-kun. How are you?” Shigure said as he turned around to greet his cousin.

 

 

“I'm doing fine, what are you doing out here?” Yuki asked.

 

 

“Akito and I got into a fight and she kicked me out! She's so cruel, Yuki-kun!” Shigure said as he began fake crying exaggeratedly

 

 

“Can't you ever be serious?” Yuki asked, although he already knew the answer was no. “So what are you really doing?”

 

 

“Avoiding Mit-chan, living in the main house really is convenient sometimes, it makes it much harder for her to find me. One time she was lost in here for a whole day!” Shigure said in an amused tone. “And when she found me she just collapsed and burst into tears!”

 

 

“How can you think that's funny?” Yuki asked.

 

 

“It is very funny, or it was funny when it happened. Because of that incident she has learned the way to my house and just stays there and waits for me. Mit-chan can be quite a nuisance sometimes.”

 

 

“Doesn't Akito mind having her around?” Yuki asked, remembering when he lived with Shigure and learned that Mitsuru was sometimes a very noisy person.

 

 

“No, quite the contrary, the two of them have actually become friends. I guess they've gotten to know each other from the times that Mit-chan was waiting for me.” Said Shigure.

 

 

“Akito sure has changed a lot since the incident with Honda-san.” Said Yuki. It was still strange for him to think that she could be so…friendly. She would still lose her temper, as all people do, but it wasn't as often and she no longer resorted to violence. “I wonder if it's because of something Honda-san said to her?”

 

 

“I believe it is. Tohru-kun has helped us all, one way or another.” Said Shigure. “It's not surprising that she would be the one to give Akito the help she needed.”

 

 

“Oh yes, speaking of Honda-san. I have some important news about her.” Said Yuki. “It seems, that she is starting to remember some things. Things she wasn't supposed to remember.”

 

 

“Really?” Shigure said raising an eyebrow. “Exactly what does she remember?”

 

 

“Not much, just some cruel things the stupid cat said to her.” Said Yuki, “She had a dream about him. She didn't recognize him, she described him as a young man with orange hair, but she did say he looked familiar.”

 

 

“So how's she doing?” Shigure inquired.

 

 

“She seems alright, but we all know how good Honda-san is at faking happiness.” Said Yuki.

 

 

“I see, so is that why you came here? To tell everyone about this?” Asked Shigure.

 

 

“Pretty much, but also because I haven't seen everyone here at the main house in while so I thought I'd drop by.” Said Yuki.

 

 

“Well, I've got to be going home now.” Said Shigure, “Would you like to come?”

 

 

Yuki shook his head, “I'm a little short on time so I think I'll go see Haru, Rin and Momiji and then go home. Tell Akito I said hi.”

 

 

“I will, see you later.” Said Shigure.

 

 

Everyone had changed quite a bit over the years. Not just Akito, but Yuki had changed too. In high school, he refused to even set foot in the main house, but now he visited when ever he got the chance. And he never would have mentioned Akito either, I suppose you could say, they were on bad terms for many years.

 

 

“It seems like Tohru-kun can do anything, except break the curse…” Shigure said to himself as he began to walk to home once again. “But maybe we still have some hope left.”

 

 

~@~

 

 

“Tadaima!” Shigure said as he entered his home.

 

“Welcome home, Shigure.” Said Akito.

 

 

“Are you feeling better today?” Shigure asked his wife.

 

 

“Alright I guess, but this baby must be upset about something because it's kicking like crazy today.” Said Akito putting her hands on her enlarged, pregnant stomach.

 

 

“I see, it must take after it's mother.” Said Shigure teasingly.

 

 

“Hopefully it won't, I don't want it to be like it's mother.” Akito said with a small smile, looking down at her unborn baby.

 

 

“Senseeeiiii…” said Mitsuru despairingly as she appeared in the doorway, tears streaming down her face and slowly trudging towards the dog.

 

 

“Oh, yes, Mitsuru has been waiting for you.” said Akito.

 

 

“Oh, Mit-chan,” said Shigure cheerfully, “I thought you would have left by now.”

 

 

“NO! I can't go home until you give me your manuscript! You know that, Sensei! Why can't you ever give me your manuscript when I ask!?” Mitsuru yelled, “Why do you get so much joy from causing me pain!?! WHY!?!”

 

 

“You make it sound like it's my fault,” said Shigure, “If you weren't so easily upset then it wouldn't be so fun to tease you.”

 

 

“Just give the poor girl the manuscript, Shigure,” said Akito, “She's been here all day.”

 

 

“I would…but I haven't written it yet.” Said Shigure.

 

 

“WHAT!?!?!” Mitsuru screamed, “WHYYYYYYY!? WHYYYYY!?! WHY DID YOU NOT WRITE IT!?! WHYYYYYY!!!”

 

 

“I didn't feel like it.” Shigure replied frankly.

 

 

“You…didn't…feel…like it…?” Mitsuru slowly repeated in disbelief. “That's not a good enough reason, Sensei! Now work on that manuscript! PLEEEEEEEASE! You NEED to write! Or I might lose my job!”

 

 

“Sorry, but I really don't care about your job.” Shigure said apathetically.

 

 

“SENSEEIIIII!” Mitsuru cried, throwing herself on the ground and grabbing Shigure's legs. “I won't let you go until you start writing!”

 

 

“Okay,” Shigure said, reaching into the sleeve of his yukata and pulling out a large envelope. “Here's the manuscript.”

 

 

“Y-Y-You said you hadn't written it yet.” Said Mitsuru in bewilderment.

 

 

“Yeah, I lied.” Said Shigure.

 

 

“Sensei is so cruel!!” cried Mitsuru, “ If you had it with you this whole time why didn't you just give it to me!?!”

 

 

“Well, that wouldn't have been any fun, Mit-chan. You should know that by now.” Said Shigure. “Now why don't you go home, you've imposed on my wife long enough. I'm sure she didn't appreciate having to put up with you all day.”

 

 

“Don't listen to this idiot, Mitsuru.” Akito cut in. “It was a pleasure having you over.”

 

 

Mitsuru said something in response, which was impossible to hear through her sobbing and sniffling, and then left with the manuscript in hand.

 

 

“What made you give up so easily?” Akito asked curiously. “Usually you make her beg a while longer before you give her the manuscript.”

 

 

“I have something important to tell you, and I didn't want her around.” Shigure replied, in a strangely serious tone. “Something about Tohru-kun.”

 

 

“Is something wrong?” Akito asked. This didn't sound good, she couldn't help but think that something absolutely horrible happened.

 

 

“She remembers.”

 

 

Akito's heart skipped a beat. “She remembers, the curse?”

 

 

“No,” Shigure replied, “But she remembers Kyo-kun, or at least is starting to.”

 

 

“But, her memories were suppressed. Hatori suppressed her memories of him. There's no way she could remember.” Akito insisted, although she sounded as if she didn't quite believe that herself.

 

 

Everyone knew that there was a slight chance of someone regaining their memories after they were erased, but for her memories to come back so suddenly after all this time seemed impossible.

 

 

“How do you know this?” asked Akito.

 

 

“Yuki-kun told me,” Shigure replied, “He visited Tohru-kun and she told him.”

 

 

“Does she still love him?” Akito asked. “Kyo, I mean.”

 

 

“I don't know.”

 

 

“It's clear though, that Kyo wants nothing to do with her.” Akito said. “It was his idea that he was erased from her memories, after all. When he decided to leave he wanted us to make sure she would never remember him.”

 

 

“But still, if she remembers this then she may remember the curse,” said Shigure. “Maybe then there still is hope that she can lift it.”

 

“We all decided that her memories of the curse would be suppressed.” Said Akito, “We all know how much pain the curse caused her, and no one should go through that twice in their life, especially Tohru. If she gets a second chance at happiness why would we take that away?

 

 

“The fact that you would even consider taking advantage of this just to satisfy your own selfish desires is unbelievable. That you would make her suffer just for your happiness…to do that to someone like Tohru is despicable.” said Akito bitterly.

 

 

“Who said it was just for me?” Shigure retorted, “Tohru-kun wanted to lift the curse, everyone else wants the curse lifted as well, don't try and tell me that you are still okay with it.”

 

 

“I never said I was okay with the curse.” Said Akito “I just don't want Tohru to get caught up in this mess is all.”

 

 

“Or maybe you still believe that you'll be abandoned if the curse is lifted.” Shigure accused. “Just because you've given all of the juunishi more freedom doesn't mean that you aren't just as insecure and distrusting as ever. You are the most selfish of all, clinging to this curse that causes others pain.”

 

 

“Shut up! That isn't true!” Akito yelled defensively, “You don't know what you're talking about! That `bond' doesn't matter to me anymore! I don't need it! I have friends now, and a family that doesn't hate me!”

 

 

Almost unconsciously Akito's skinny hands wrapped around Shigure's neck, “And I thought I had a husband who loved me! And I'm going to have a child and-“

 

 

“That's right,” Shigure interrupted, “You're having a child and only have two years left to live, are you okay with that? Are you okay with the fact that you won't be there for your child?”

 

 

Akito's eyes widened as her grip loosened. She didn't know what to say or do, she tried to speak but she couldn't. So she turned around and walked to her room with out another word to Shigure, locking the door behind her.

 

 

All she could do was embrace herself as she wept. She couldn't believe it, they hadn't fought like that in years. They had fought but not as spitefully and hostilely as this.

The coldness in his voice as he reminded her that she couldn't be there for her child. The bitterness in hers as she yelled. What happened?

 

 

She thought he had changed. She thought their relationship had changed. She thought she had changed, but she was no better than she was before. She still acted like a child when things didn't go her way. Just now, that's what she had done, she tried to hurt Shigure and didn't even realize it. Throwing a fit like a petty little child. Maybe it was a good thing that she wouldn't be around much longer.

 

 

~Two Days Later~

 

 

“Hanajima rented a movie and it sounds pretty interesting,” Arisa said over the phone to her friend Tohru, “We were going to watch it at her place tonight, did you want to come?”

 

 

“Gomen, I'm busy tonight.” Said Tohru, feeling guilty about not spending enough time with her friends.

 

 

“What's going on, are you going on a date with a boy tonight?” Arisa jokingly.

 

 

“Ah, h-hai.” Tohru said quietly, her face turning completely red.

 

 

“What!? Seriously!?” said Arisa in disbelief.

 

 

“H-hai,” Tohru repeated herself.

 

 

“Why didn't you tell us! We've gotta go with you on your first date to make sure he treats you right. So tell me, who is he? Do I know him?”

 

 

“It's…M-Momiji-kun.”

 

 

~@~

 

 

Author's note!

 

 

Gomen nasai! Gomen nasai! I'm so sorry for leaving you with such a horrible cliffhanger! (Haha, I sounded kinda like Ritchan-san for a minute there.) Wow, that chapter turned out…interestingly. That was nothing like how I planned it! How did that happen? I was planning on doing a cute little love scene between A-chan and Shii-chan, so how did it turn into a bitter feud? I guess that kind of thing is just more fun to write about? Oh well. I'm not sure if this chapter is better or worse than the last one, but it sure is longer! That's all for now! If you enjoyed it please review! If you hated it please tell me how I can improve! Thank you for reading! And thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! I'll try to update soon. ^_^