Gravitation Fan Fiction / Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ A Kiss Cures a Curse ❯ Chapter 2

A/N: wow…it's been way too long since my last update. I'll try to be a little more frequent, but this is kind of a filler chapter until I get to the good stuff lol.

 

Kyo was amazed. She made him feel like Tohru did, like he was worth something. Ariana was the first person who actually told him NOT to blame himself for something. As they sat on the porch, she closed her eyes and merely listened to the sounds around her. As Kyo watched her, he thought about his master, Kazuma Sohma. He was the only other person who's never blamed him for anything.

 

She noticed Kyo watching her, and smiled.

“What?”

He blushed and turned away, but answered,

“You treat me different from everyone else.”

“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

This time he looked her right in the eye.

“Definitely a good thing.”

She smiled,

“Good. Then I'll always treat you this way.”

Kyo was quiet for several minutes before Ariana heard him whisper,

“No one's ever said that to me before.”

She glanced at him to see him staring out at the forest.

“Said what?”

“Not to take the blame for something. Whether I did it or not.”

It made Ariana sad at how hard his life must be, and she felt tears slide down her face. She reached over and stroked his hair, tucking a piece behind his ear. Suddenly, he turned to her,

“I wish I could've heard you sing. Ya know, at your concert.”

He blushed, and turned away. After thinking for a moment, she stood. That was something that she could fix with one man's help.

“Can I use your phone?”

“Yeah”

Kyo left her to make her call, and she called the number of a man who promised to always help if she needed it. He answered on the second ring.

“This is Seguchi.”

She took a deep breath

“ Seguchi-san, it's Ariana.”

“Ms. Devlin,”

Ariana flinched. Tohma only called her that when he was irritated, or mad.

“Ryuichi has been very worried about you…and so have I. He said that you were supposed to meet him after the concert. Where are you?”

“I'm fine. I'm sorry to make you worry. I'll call Ryu to let him know I'm ok.”

He paused, seemingly satisfied,

“Did you need something Ms. Devlin?”

“Oh…um, well, I wanted to ask you, if, well, if I could have a few tickets to my next concert for a few friends,” she finished in a rush.

There was a pause on the other end of the line before Tohma spoke.

“How many Ariana?”

Ariana let out the breath she'd been holding before giving Tohma a shaky answer,

“Oh I don't know, not that many. Umm…”

“Would ten be enough Ariana?”

“Oh yes! Th…thank you Tohma.”

Tohma's heart saddened at how little she expected out of life. He'd do whatever he could for her.

“It's my pleasure Ariana.”

 

Ariana ran back outside to Kyo and smiled.

“What?”

“Do you still want to hear me sing?”

“Yeah,” He looked at her, curious.

“Well, if you're not busy…I got you a ticket to my concert this weekend.”

“Really?”

She blushed and looked away.

“Well yeah, if you want to go.”

He jumped up.

“That would be awesome.”

“Umm…do you think that anyone else would want to go? Seguchi-san said that I could have ten tickets.”

“What about your other friends?”

“Well, I don't really have any other friends besides Ryuichi and the others at NG. They'll all be there anyway.”

Suddenly she smiled, and walked back into the house. Everyone was still in the living room.

“Umm…I'd like to ask all of you to come to my next concert. I mean, I have tickets if you'd all like to go.”

Everyone agreed and said that they'd love to go. Everyone except Hatori.

“Would you like to come Hatori-san?”

He slowly shook his head.

“I'm not sure if I will be able to. I take care of the head of our family.”

“Well, he could come too, if he'd like.”

Ariana couldn't help but notice the oppressive silence that descended on the room.

“What?”

“Akito-san gets sick very easily. I do not know if he will be able to attend.”

“Oh. Ok. Sumimasen, I didn't think of that.”

Hatori felt bad and told her that he'd wait and see if Akito was up to it, though he doubted Akito would want to go even if he wasn't sick that day. Strangely, it left Hatori disappointed that he wouldn't hear Ariana sing.

 

Ariana was invited to the Sohma house several times that week, mainly by Kyo, to everyone's surprise. During these visits she and Kyo would talk about everything. When Kyo told her about his adoptive father, she saw how happy he was.

“Kyo?”

“Yeah?”

“Would you like to invite Kazuma to my concert?”

Startled, he glanced at her.

“Why?”

“I want to meet this man that makes you so happy.”

He smiled.

“Ok”

 

The day of the concert, Hatori was sitting with Akito. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop his mind from wandering to Ariana and the concert that even the reclusive Kazuma was attending. His distraction did not go unnoticed by Akito.

“What's the matter with you Hatori?” he demanded

“Nothing Akito.”

“Don't lie to me Hatori.”

He hesitated before speaking.

“I was just thinking of a concert that I was invited to along with Shigure and the others.

“When is it?”

“Today.”

Akito narrowed his eyes.

“Why didn't you go?”

“My duty is to see to your health.”

Akito scowled,

“Go. I'll manage well enough without you sitting there, staring into space.”

Hatori blinked, and spoke without thinking,

“She extended an invitation to you as well.”

Hatori couldn't tell if it was surprise, anger, or contempt that passed over Akito's face.

“She?” he asked, eyes narrowed.

“Ariana Devlin. She recently moved here from America.”

“And she invited someone she'd never met?” Akito asked with that deceptively calm voice of his.

“Hai.”

“I think I'll go. I want to see this girl that manages to keep even your attention.” He stated as he went to his room to change.

Suddenly Hatori was very nervous. What would Akito say about her? Would he allow them all to continue to see her? Hatori didn't know the answers to any of these questions, and he was actually afraid to find out.

 

As Ariana went on the stage, she instinctively looked for the stark white hair belonging to Hatsuharu. She smiled with relief as she spotted him next to Kyo and Yuki, along with an attractive man that she sensed was Kazuma Sohma. She didn't have time to see if everyone came, when the band was announced.

They opened with a new version of Hyde's “Masquerade.” She knew that the audience would be skeptical about her singing one of Hyde's songs, but when the song ended there were nothing but screams and applause.

“Hello Tokyo!” She yelled to the crowd.

She laughed as they went crazy.

“We're grateful for you all coming, and for staying after Bad Luck's awesome opening.” She joked.

“Well, a few of our songs you'll recognize as Hyde's, but for the most part they're all new songs that belong to us: Jihaku!”

 

`Confessions huh?' Yuki thought to himself, amused.