Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Unleashing the Monster ❯ Breaking Down ( Chapter 2 )

 

 

Unleashing the Monster

 

Chapter 2: Breaking Down

 

“How's she doing, Shigure?”

Tohru paused in the kitchen as Hatori's question met her ears. Shigure sighed.

“Well, she's Tohru. Wallowing in grief isn't really her thing. But, try as she may to hide it, I can tell she's upset. I catch her, when she thinks no one is looking… she looks so sad.”

Ayame's voice filtered into the kitchen. “It seems Yuki is a bit depressed as well. Though, I'm sure he would never admit it. But when I tried to wake him this morning, he was rather violent. Well, more violent than normal…”

There was a pause in the conversation. Tohru straightened up and pulled the best smile onto her face `They're worried about me? Oh, no, they can't worry about me…' She lifted the tea kettle for the three men and went to enter the dining room.

“Have you seen Kyo, Hari?”

Tohru pulled back behind the doorway so fast that a large amount of tea sloshed out of the kettle. She ignored it as she bent in to hear Hatori's answer.

“No, Akito won't let anyone go near him. He says Kyo has to get used to living alone. Kureno takes him his meals, but that's it.” Hatori's voice dropped, and Tohru had to lean closer to hear him. “I did get a chance to talk to Kureno, though, and he said Kyo isn't doing to good. He's not eating anything and he looks like he hasn't been sleeping either. He won't even talk to Kureno. He just sits in a corner, dazed. I think the realization of what's happened to him has finally got to him…”

Tohru leaned even closer as Hatori trailed off. Kyo's not eating? That's not good. Kyo has to eat something…

CRASH!

Shigure, Ayame, and Hatori turned to see Tohru lying in the doorway next to her broken tea kettle. “Tohru!” Shigure exclaimed worriedly. “Are you alright?”

Tohru sat up, a smile plastered across her face despite the hot pricking in her eyes. “I'm so sorry I broke you're kettle, Shigure. I must have tripped over something. L-let me clean this up, then I'll get you some more tea.” She started to pick up the fragment of ceramic, but a warm hand fell over hers. She looked up into the pity-filled eyes of Shigure. “Don't worry about it, Tohru. We're grown men, we can take care of ourselves.”

“Oh, but I-”

“Please, Tohru!” Ayame interrupted, standing up and throwing out his arms. “A most beautiful flower like yourself should not be belittling herself but making us tea. In fact,” He whipped a can of tea out of an inside pocket in his coat. “I would be honored to make Hari and Gure a cup of my tea! It is the greatest honor to drink this tea!”

Tohru looked at each of the men's faces. All three of them were smiling, But she could see the masked worry behind their gaze. She mustered as much happiness as she could into her own smile. “Thank you very much, Ayame. I guess…I guess I'll get ready for work.” She stood up and bowed out of the living room.

When she got to the top of the stairs, she looked pointedly at her bedroom door, meaning to go there with out stopping. Yet, as she walked, her feet steered her towards Kyo's abandoned bedroom. She stopped outside the door and ran a finger down the frame and let it fall on the handle. Maybe… Maybe, if she just slid back the door, he would be there, sitting on his bed, scowling at the interruption.

Biting her lip, Tohru grasped the handle of the door and slid it open.

The room was almost the same. Kyo's sleeping mat was still lying on the floor, unmade like always. The door that led out to the small deck was closed tight. The room had a different feel to it, too. Before, it was full of Kyo's boundless energy, giving it a comforting feel. Now it was cold, neglected…dead.

Tohru bent over and started to straighten the covers on the sleeping mat when something made her stop. It seemed wrong, somehow, to fix it. Kyo was the last one to touch this bed. Then she noticed something. Reaching into the folds of the blankets, Tohru pulled out Kyo's dirty old green hoodie. “Kyo…” she whispered, letting tears well up in her eyes. He must have forgotten it when he…

`He's not eating anything…'

“Miss Honda?”

Tohru spun around at the sound of Yuki's soft voice. He was leaning in the doorway, surveying her with a concerned look. “Y-Yuki!” She stuttered, standing up. “I…I didn't know you were home.” She dashed a hand across her eyes, scolding herself for the wetness she felt on her fingers. “I thought you were at Machi's.”

Yuki sighed and walked into the room. “I just got back. I was on my way to my room when I noticed the door was open and-” He reached out and touched Kyo's hoodie. “This…this is Kyo's isn't it? Did he forget it?”

Tohru shrugged, feeling her throat burn again. She looked up at Yuki and her eyes widened. He was looking around the room, a pained expression creasing his face. There was an odd emotion in his eyes. Regret?

“You miss him, don't you?”

Yuki refocused on her, surprise filling his gaze. He looked back around the dark room. “It's hard not to miss something so annoying.” He muttered unconvincingly.

Tohru let out a little laugh at the irony. The Rat had finally accepted the Cat, but the cat was gone. Tohru's laughter quickly dissolved to tears. Why? Why does it have to be this way? It's so unfair, so wrong. She sunk to her knees, sobbing into Kyo's hoddie, clinging to it like a lifeline.

Yuki knelt down next to her. She could hear him trying to comfort her. After a moment, she felt his hand rub her back awkwardly.

`What am I doing?' Tohru thought as her sobs diminished into ragged hiccups. `I can't get down like this. I can't be weak.' Steeling herself, she stood up quickly, startling Yuki.

“Are you going to be alright, Miss Honda?” He asked, standing up as well. She nodded and pushed away the last of her tears with the back of her hand.

“Thank you, Yuki, I…I'm sorry I broke down like that.”

He just shook his head and reached up, wiping a stray tear with his thumb. “It's alright, Miss Honda, You…you have a lot on your mind.”

Tohru gave one last sniff, flashed him what must have been a very puffy eyed smile, and left the room to get ready for work. She turned back as she got to the door. Yuki was sliding open the door out to the deck. By the light now pouring into the room through the opening, Tohru saw him wipe a hand across his eyes.