Disclaimer: Fruits Basket doesn't belong to me.

Clear Blue

Note: New fanfic! It's a slightly darker tone at the beginning and that's saying something since I don't really write like that! This is also a Shounen-Ai fic but there's no explicit content. Enjoy!

Chapter One

Too Late

"Ummm…Yuki-kun? Kyo-kun?" came the sweet voice of a certain brown haired girl. Tohru Honda

"Nnn? Yes Honda-san?" Yuki replied. He gave her a small smile. "What do you need?"

Tohru returned the smile and set down some bowls on the table they were all sitting at. "Well, Uo-chan and Hana-chan asked if we could all go swimming. Are you two both free tomorrow afternoon?"

Kyo picked up some rice with his chopsticks. "Dojo tomorrow. Ask that damn rat."

She turned to Yuki. "Honda-san…gomen nasai but…tomorrow I have an important student council meeting."

Tohru merely smiled. "It's alright."

Right at that moment, the group heard a door sliding open. "I'm hooome!" came the cheery voice of the perverted novelist. "Dear, dear. I'm disappointed in you two. Yuki-kun, Kyo-kun…don't leave poor Tohru-kun all alone!"

"Eh? Oh! Uo-chan and Hana-chan are going to be with me Shigure-san! Please…don't worry about me. Besides, there is a beach not too far from town. I'll be fine," Tohru said quickly. She pushed a lock of brown hair behind her ear.

"So, like I said before, please don't worry about me…"

Yuki set his chopsticks down. "Honda-san…I'll be finished by six tomorrow. Let me pick you up from the beach as an apology."

Tohru's eyes widened. "Oh! I don't want you to go out of your way!"

"It's alright Honda-san…"

"Oy! Tomorrow when you guys get back, I'll cook dinner. As an apology too," Kyo said gruffly.

Tohru blushed. "Both of you are so very kind! Okay…"

"I must call Aya!" Shigure suddenly said. "He just HAS to know the love blooming in this hou-" his words were cut off when Kyo flung a piece of fish at his eye.

"Shut up! Don't you dare call that bastard! Ya hear me?"

"So cruel Kyo-kun!" Shigure whined. Yuki turned in Tohru's direction. He smiled slightly and gave her a look that said quite plainly, we can't do too much about these idiots.

"Yes…" Tohru said softly with a small laugh. "You're right…"

--

"Hey! Tohru! Ready?" Uo asked. It was the next day and it was a sunny Saturday afternoon. The final bell for Kaibara High had just rung and the three friends were getting ready to head to a train station.

Tohru, who had just gotten her bag, smiled. "Yes! I'm perfectly ready. Let's go!"

Hana put a hand on Tohru's shoulder. "You have all your things. Correct?"

"Yes!"

"Great. Too bad the prince and Kyon couldn't come. You said Yuki would pick you up though. Right?" Uo asked. The three headed towards the exit of the building.

"Yes! At six or so!" Tohru replied happily.

"Yuki Sohma…Is very kind. What about Kyo Sohma Tohru-kun?" Hana asked. She pushed open the door and they all went outside.

"Kyo-kun? He said he would make dinner…"

Uo chuckled. "A real gentleman huh?" she said sarcastically.

Tohru beamed. "Yes, they both are!" The onigiri looked up at the sky. Clear blue…same like that fateful day…

--

"Yunyun! Are you done?" whined Kakeru. He leaned against the wall of the student council room. "This is so boring!"

"Deal with it!" yelled Nao. "You're the only one who doesn't do any serious work around here!"

Yuki sighed. Another argument to add to his stress. "Both of you…shut up. We have a lot of work to do."

Kimi put her hands on her hips. "Listen to Yunyun!"

Machi watched the scene with very little interest as her half brother and Nao kept fighting.

Yuki moaned. Not a good day for student council.

--

"Tohru!" Uo called. The girls had ridden a train into town and had been at the beach of about two hours. "We should get out of the water! High tide!"

"Okay! Let me find my hair tie really fast though." Tohru had been swimming but the rubber band keeping her hair tied had slipped off.

She spotted it in the glittering water and grabbed it. "Coming!"

Uo and Hana were out of the water and watched Tohru swim to the shore.

"You go Tohru-kun!" Hana said. She pulled a dark dress over her…black swimsuit. "Tohru-ku-"

Right before Hana could finish her sentence, a wave overtook Tohru! The onigiri desperately tried to get control. No luck.

Both of her friends could only watch as their best friend flailed her arms and kicked without moving anywhere.

Tohru panted and felt herself go limp. The last thing she saw before she was engulfed in water was the blue sky…the same blue sky she saw the day her mother died.

--

"Bye Yunyun!" Kimi said happily with a wave. "Kimi will see you on Monday!"

Machi looked at the ground. "See you on Monday president."

Yuki managed to giver the girls a small smile. "Yeah…Machi, Kimi…see you two on Monday…"

The girls nodded and walked off together. Nao shrugged and went in the opposite direction.

"Well Yun, I gotta head home too. Don't do anything dirty without me and my camera!" Kakeru yelled. He also started on his way home.

Yuki waved looked at his watch. It read 5:50pm. "Honda-san won't mind if I'm a bit early…"

The nezumi set off towards the train station, pausing quickly at a store to pick something up.

Once he reached the station and got a ticket, he looked at his watch again. Finding he had some spare time before his train departed, Yuki sat on a bench to decide how to tell the love of his life…he loved her.

"Honda-san…aishiteru…" He looked in the small bag with Tohru's gift. "Please accept it…"

Yuki got up, gathered his things, and headed towards the train doors.

He boarded and took a silent five minute ride. Once he reached the downtown area, he left the station to look for the beach. It turned out to be very close.

Yuki looked up at the sky. It was light orange with pink and purple streaks…the sunset. He walked further.

A blonde headed girl who was sobbing and a panicking goth was enough to catch his attention and run over.

Once his feet hit the soft sand, Yuki slowed down. "Uotani-san? Hanajima-san? Where is Honda-san?"

Uo managed to catch her breath. "It's…too…late…" She sank down. "Tohru got caught in the tides…she drowned…"

Yuki froze. "Honda-san…drowned? H-how?" he asked trying to stay calm.

Hana, who was facing the ocean, said, "Arisa said she got caught in the tides. Didn't she?"

"Yes…b-but…"

Tears were stinging Hana's eyes now. "An ambulance is coming…"

The rat felt numb. Everything was happening so fast. He looked at the waves. The simple waves. The water had calmed and was foaming gently at the shore. Slowly…something washed up on the beach.

Tohru's body.

Yuki's heart raced. "Honda-san!" he cried.

Uo and Hana rushed over to the boy and peered at the figure. Silent…unmoving…dead…

"Tohru-kun…"

"Tohru…"

Suddenly, a siren was heard, the sound gradually increasing. The Uo ran left the group so she could flag it down while Hana and Yuki were left alone with Tohru.

"Tohru-kun…" Hana repeated softly. The tears couldn't be held back any longer. Saki Hanajima…cried. "Tohru-kun…"

The goth left to accompany Arisa. Yuki knelt down. Odd…how the beach had been empty. How most of the area had been strangely silent. Strange…

Yuki pulled his gift from a small paper he had been carrying. A thin gold necklace. The boy unclasped it and put it around the onigiri's neck. "Honda-san…please…come back…we all need you…"

A few paramedics came over with a stretcher. They lifted Tohru onto it and set off towards the ambulance again.

"P-prince!" Uo called out, trying her hardest to stop crying. "Hana and I are hitching a ride with the ambulance. We're going to the hospital. Get your ass b-back to that damn novelist's house. Call Tohru's grandfather…"

Yuki nodded and watched the ambulance, along with Uo and Hana, leave.

He set off, back to Shigure's home, on foot. Yuki sprinted, the only thing on his mind, Tohru. 'Honda-san…please…please don't be dead…please.'

However, Yuki knew, deep in his heart, that the girl he cared for most would not come back.

The sky had darkened quite a bit and the only light came from the full moon. Panting, Yuki reached the back door of Shigure's house and slid it open.

"Ah! Yuki-kun! You're late! Hmmm…? Where is Tohru-kun?" came the voice of Shigure. He was sitting at the table, lighting a cigarette. Kyo, who had been in the kitchen, came out.

"Where the hell is she?"

Yuki's eyes started tearing up. He collapsed to the ground. The nezumi shut his eyes, letting the hot tears pour freely down his face. "Honda-san…is dead…"

TBC

Author's Note

Yes, I have written yet another story! This is my last new story I will post for a while until I can complete some others. Anyway, I tried to make it as sad as possible. If things seemed rushed, I'm very sorry and I'll try to fix it. The yaoi pairing will eventually form. Maybe by chapter three? Hope you guys enjoyed anyway! By the way, shameless as it seems, read my other fic called Rat in the Hat! 'Till next chapter!