Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Unrequited Love ❯ One-Shot

Unrequited Love:

A One-Shot

By: Lily (aka. Lily no Anrui)

Synopsis: Kagura realizes Kyo does not return her affections in the least, and becomes severely depressed.

Warning: This story contains mature content; do not read if depression, manipulation, and sexual scenes disturb you.

Comments and constructive criticism are welcome; flames will be laughed upon.

"Why doesn't he love me?" Kagura mumbled to herself with her face buried in her hands.

The normally exuberant boar was now seated on the porch of the main Sohma house after she returned from Shigure's house. The writer had invited her over to dinner on behalf of Tohru, which Kagura readily accepted seeing it as a chance to be around Kyo, her love.

Upon arriving things had gone as they normally did. Kagura had shyly entered the home, and exchanged polite greetings with Shigure, Tohru, and Yuki. However, once her eyes landed on Kyo, the apprehensive girl disappeared and Kagura felt her emotions overwhelming her again. They chased each other, as they usually did, and had a friendly spar; the routine Kagura had once thought was playful affection manifesting itself the only way Kyo knew how.

Today though, something different occurred. Sick of her behavior, Kyo threw up his hands and began yelling at her, different from his normal tirades. "I hate you, Kagura! I don't understand why you can't realize this! I am not in love with you! I am not attracted to you in the least! I wish you would just leave me alone! I don't even like you as a person; you're loud, annoying, and out of control! Get a grip on reality; there is no us!"

The entire yard was silenced. Kyo was breathing heavily, his hands clenched into fists, and his red eyes blazing. Kagura looked down at the ground, then around at the mess she had made. Finally she dared to look up at him. Tears sparkled in her large grey eyes as the truth finally slammed her in the face. Kyo didn't love her; Kyo did not want her.

"I see...I understand now, Kyo. I'm sorry I've made such a mess of things. I- I think I'd better be going now." The boar slowly collected her things and left before the tears could begin falling. She had run all the way home, trying to out distance her problems, out run the truth. It was still there though, in the back of her mind.

Kyo did not love her. No one loved her. Not her parents, not her extended family, not Kyo. They all thought she was a nuisance, an uncontrollable girl who should have been kept in solitary confinement.

The sad whispers of truth piled in again on Kagura, as she dangled her feet over the edge of the porch, and tried to stall her tears. / No one loves me./ "No one cares. No one loves me at all," she whispered out loud in a voice that was choked and raspy from earlier sobs.

A hand touched her shoulder gently. "I love you," an unmistakable voice purred, "I care." Tensing, knowing who it was, but knowing that seeing is believing, Kagura dropped her hands from her eyes and turned, painstakingly slow. Her eyes widened upon seeing the frail figure of Akito Sohma, dressed lazily in his robe, as per the usual. Somehow, though he was so sloppily put together, he still seemed to exude the confidence and superiority belonging to the head of a family.

"Kagura," Akito began, kneeling down next to her, "Kyo does not love you. He never will. I love you, though. I care what happens to you." His words were a silky purr, and just what Kagura wanted to hear. With a pale, elegant hand, Akito reached out and swiped an errant tendril of brown hair behind her ear.

Looking sincere, Akito brushed a fingertip around the shell of her ear. "You're right, Kagura. No one in this family cares what happens to you, except for me. I love you. I always have. I always will."

"A- Akito..." the girl stammered, not knowing quite how to respond to this new tenderness exposed to her by the head of Sohma house.

"Sh," he whispered, and leaned closely, brushing pale, dry lips against hers. Startled, she pulled back. Her first kiss, she thought brokenly, taken by one she did not love. The hand which had somehow wound its way around her neck gently, but surely pulled her forward again. "I love you, Kagura. Don't you love me?" Akito asked, sounding a bit like a lost child.

Kagura knew how that felt, and wanted to lean forward and hold the head of the family in her arms. He'd been through so much already at such a young age. Who was there to hold his hand? Who was there to tell him no? Who was there to teach him? No one. Akito was well and truly alone in his destiny as the head of the family. It made Kagura sad to know that someone had pushed such a burden on a small child.

"Y- Yes, Akito. I love you," she said, whispering. Kagura stared up into Akito's dark eyes, so often filled with malice at anything that breathed, and willed the tremble in her limbs to stop. This Akito was different, he was not consumed with hate. In fact, it almost appeared that his eyes were empty. Soft, but empty. Kagura shivered at his emptiness.

"I love you always, Kagura. Do you really love me?" Akito's voice broke in her thoughts again. His tone was soft and hypnotic. Kagura felt like she could be lulled to sleep just listening to him talk. The boar had never had much contact with Akito in the past. The head of the Sohma's never seemed very interested in her as opposed to Yuki or Hatori or one of the other men. She was surprised at the gentleness he exhibited with every move he made.

Kagura opened her mouth, realizing the Akito was still patiently awaiting a response. "Yes, Akito. I do love you."

The boar looked at Akito, who was now frowning slightly with a private grief in his eyes. "Do you really? For some reason, I don't believe you. Prove it to me, Kagura. Prove that you love me."

Her breath caught in her throat, the passageways for air suddenly constricting. "H-How?" She asked, swallowing convulsively. Wordlessly, Akito stood and held out one slender hand to the girl still seated on the porch. Kagura looked up at him, her grey eyes wide and questioning. Then tentatively placed her left hand in Akito's while she pushed herself into a standing position using her right. She knew it was best not to depend on Akito to pull her up; he was frail due to the toll the curse had placed on him.

In silence Akito led her inside the house, where Kagura removed her shoes without being told. It appeared that when she had come running blind into the compound, stopping somewhere, anywhere to pour out her sorrows, she had ended up on Akito's doorstep. At least she assumed these were his quarters otherwise someone else would be present here. Wouldn't they?

A small tug on her hand urged Kagura forward, past the sparse main room and into a room closed off with shoji screens. There was an unmade futon on the tatami floor, and she had to assume that this was Akito's bedroom. The thought made her hesitate in the doorway.

Akito turned back to her, a questioning look in his eyes. "You said you loved me, Kagura," he began in a solemn voice, "You told me you'd prove it. Please love me, Kagura." The suppressed tears in his voice made wetness spring to the boar's own eyes, and she stepped further into the room.

"I do love you, Akito. I do. Let me prove it. I'll do anything." The words spilled out of her mouth heedlessly, only seeking to comfort the fragile man in front of her. Her feet moved forward at a steady pace to the bed, where Akito insistently led her to. As the head of the family knelt down on the futon with Kagura's hand still clasped tightly in his own, so did Kagura. Her knees sank into the futon mattress, and for a long time she simply stared at Akito.

Akito cocked his head to the side, dark hair sliding around his face, and finally just went for the kill. With one hand still twined with Kagura's, and the other sliding up to wrap around her back, Akito brought himself closer. "I love you," he whispered, knowing the words were the key to Kagura's undoing, and carefully sealed his lips over hers.

Kagura was paralyzed by his touch and helpless in his arms as Akito's kisses became frantic. As Akito's warm tongue probed the entrance to her mouth, Kagura opened, seeing no other choice. Her arm wrapped around Akito's shoulder as she held on for dear life.

Akito whispered promises in her ear that were more precious than anything as his hands roughly pawed and groped at her young nubile body. She felt none of that though, as the only oxygen she craved were the phrases spoken quietly to her. Kagura could not have cared less what Akito did with her body at that point. It did not matter, not in comparison to this.

She whimpered when a hand roughly tugged at her nipple through the thin cloth of her dress, but paid attention only to the soft, "I love you," that came with it. Before she knew it, she was naked and lying on the bed with a nude Akito above her. Smiling and whispering sweet nothings to her, he pulled something out from under the futon mattress.

With his other hand, Akito glided up her arms, first one then the other, repositioning them above her head. Holding her wrists together with one hand, the other tied them together with a long piece of red silk. Akito yanked on the silk, tightening it painfully around the fragile bones of Kagura's wrists until she cried out. The tension in the silk was eased, and a knot tied to hold her hands together.

"I love you, Kagura. I need you. If you love me, you'll do this for me." The words poured forth from Akito's mouth easily, becoming a silver-tongued mantra running through Kagura's head. She nodded, unhesitatingly agreeing to whatever it was Akito wanted. He loved her; that was enough.

Rough, uncaring hands wandered over her skin, taking liberties wherever they pleased. Kagura squirmed in discomfort at the sensations running through her, the elation that someone cared, and the uneasiness the underlined it all. Still the words Akito uttered as he satisfied himself, made Kagura prove herself, were what she wanted to hear. They were perfect, utterly right, and Kagura could not withstand being swept up in the power of them.

Another swatch of silk was tied around her eyes, obscuring her vision of anything that might have been seen. It wasn't tied as tight as the one around her hands was, which was a relief, but the knot was harsh and careless, having snagged bits of her hair in. There was nothing to focus on now except Akito's voice and body.

"I love you," he whispered, sounding needy, "I'll always care." An unbearable pain filled Kagura's lower regions as Akito thrust roughly inside without a thought as to how it would make the boar feel. She screamed in pain, her back arching up from the mattress, but was silenced as Akito slapped her hard across the jaw. "I'm the only one who cares," he said. Heedless of the girl's pain, Akito began a cruel and demanding pace, while Kagura lay there like a doll.

"I love you. You are mine. I will take care of you when no one else will."

A sharp pain lanced through Kagura's side as Akito sliced her open with something he'd found nearby. She couldn't exactly see to tell what it was, but her senses told her it was metal, probably a knife with a well-honed edge. Tears began to seep from her eyes subconsciously, as Akito continued his sweet torments to her psyche. "I care, Kagura. I will love you always."

Rough bites made her cry out in pain again, while Akito's hand dug into her injured side in retaliation. "I've always loved you, Kagura."

Her blindfold was now wet with tears as her hands struggled above her head to be free of their constricting bindings. Kagura realized she couldn't feel her hands anymore, and her vision was growing spotty. She heard Akito cry out loudly above her, and felt his release within her. The tears continued to come forth as the head of the Sohma's kissed her nose, and pulled out of her.

There was no release for the feeling which had built up inside of her, but Kagura could not find it within her to care. "Kagura...I love you. Remember that. I love you like no one else does."

The red expanse in front of her eyes finally reached up to swallow her as Akito gave her one last kiss. Then there was no feeling, no thought, no speaking.

When she woke it was in Hatori's office. She lay nude on one of the patient beds, surrounded by a scratchy blanket. It hurt her skin, and she tried to adjust herself to a position that didn't hurt. It was difficult though, since every part of her seemed to be hurting.

"So you're awake," came the unmistakable deadpan voice of Hatori Sohma, the family's doctor in addition to resident dragon...or rather, sea horse.

A blush crawled up Kagura's bruised face as she realized how she must appear to the doctor. A mess, she supposed; naked, battered, and tear-stained. "Yes," Kagura managed to croak out as she sank deeper into the blanket.

Hatori moved into her field of vision, his blank face revealing nothing of his thoughts. His eyes impassively roved her appearance although she was sure he'd already seen everything. Finally he spoke. "Why did you let him?"

Kagura's grey eyes widened. Why did she? Even as she asked, she knew the answer, as pathetic as it was. "Because...because he said he loved me." Her eyes filled with salty liquid not for the first time that day, and her lower lip trembled as she fought not to cry like a child.

Hatori merely blinked, then looked down sadly. "Kagura...we all love you."

At that simple statement, Kagura began sobbing aloud, tears of frustration, rage, denial, hate, pity, happiness, sorrow, and yes, love. It was then she realized that Hatori was right. They did love her, just in different ways. Why was it that she had not realized before how painful love could be?

-Fin-

I hope you liked it. Mana, my muse, definitely inspired me on this one.

Remember, reviews are killer, and I will love you forever if you send one in.