Disclaimer: Fruits Basket and all related belong solely to Natsuki Takaya, TokyoPop, and Funimation.

Authors' Notes: Just so everyone knows, this could be thrown in anywhere between Vol. 6 and Vol. 14. Anyway, the three of us (myself, Nettie, and Salem) wrote this little oneshot in honor of our very lovely sister, Lalaith Weasley, for it is her birthday today. So, Happy Birthday Laith! You're 19 now, can you believe that?

"In the end who's to say? A curse or a blessing, the fact remains. You were born, and I'm thankfull for nothing more."

The sun had begun to set. The pristine blue that was the sky began to turn darker, settling into orange and then red near the horizon. The chirping birds settled down while the hooting of the owls only begun. Slowly but surely, the creatures of the night began to emerge while others were tucking into their hiding holes, putting themselves down after such a long day. It was evident everywhere that the day was ending. And for one Kyo Sohma, it couldn't have taken any longer.

It wasn't that this day had been a bad day. There were no confrontations, most likely due to the fact that he avoided any kind of contact with any living being as well as hiding himself anywhere and everywhere he could. In reality, he spent more than half of the day outside of Shigure's home. Though what he had done while out was nothing too interesting, it wasn't exactly horrible either. Still, from the very moment he woke up and the realization of what this particular day was kept him in a bad mood from the very start.

Because today, this day, happened to have been our very own Kyo-kun's birthday.

While many would be overjoyed with celebrating the day of their birth, Kyo was more than just reluctant. Mainly because in his honest opinion there was nothing to celebrate. And really how could he not feel that way with being raised by an overprotective mother who was hiding the fact that she was ashamed of him and a father who did more than lay a simple guilt trip on him for the early part of his life.

But anyway, that's just how Kyo was. He felt that with how everything happened to get to this point in his life that maybe it would have been better had he not been born at all. And really when he thought about it like that, the more he believed it. Not in a depressing way or anything, but it made sense when he thought about it logically.

In any case, it was his birthday, it was coming to an end, and he because of that he couldn't be any happier.

When the sun finally did set, he let out a breath of relief and finally began to relax and just enjoy his favorite spot up on the roof. Although he should have known that just because the sun is down, doesn't mean the day is over.

Tohru gingerly made her way to the rooftop and in his relaxed state Kyo hardly noticed when she approached his still laying figure closer and closer. It wasn't until she had sat beside him that he realized he was no longer alone, and the only kind of acknowledgement he gave her was one eye opening to look at her briefly before closing again.

Tohru, for all confidence that she usually managed to gather before veering headfirst into something in her very space cadet way, found herself unable to say the few words she had come up and sit next to him for. Probably because she felt that if she were to say something, then Kyo would become upset as only Kyo could. Still, she did want to wish him a happy birthday.

In the end, because of Kyo's lack of wanting a conversation to begin with and Tohru's inability to say anything at the moment led to a heavy silience settling on that rooftop. Which surprisingly enough started to get on Kyo's last nerve, and led him to break the quiet between him.

"So what's your reason for coming up here?" he asked.

Tohru jumped at the sudden inclination of his voice and tried to regain her composure before replying.

"Um, n-no reason. None at all. It's just nice up here and I hadn't seen you all day and I thought that maybe I would come up and visit you or something like that is all," she explained hurriedly.

Kyo's eyebrow slightly rose but said nothing in return. For a few minutes there, the silence had returned until Tohru took it upon herself to break it again, only being slightly braver this time.

"Kyo-kun... " she began and he tilted his head in her direction. "Earlier, during the day I mean, Hatsuharu-kun came over with Momiji-kun and when I asked what for, he had told me that he wanted to challege you for a birthday battle. So when I told him "Happy Birthday", he said that it wasn't his birthday and that made me start thinking who's birthday it actually was, which actually didn't take me that long. But when I asked Shigure-san about it, he said that it would be better to not mention it to you at all, but I wouldn't feel right without wishing you a "Happy Birthday" for the entire day. So Kyo-kun, would you get mad if I said "Happy Birthday"?"

Kyo blinked at her and then sat up with a sigh.

"I wouldn't like it," he told her. "But since your, well, you, I'd take it."

Tohru exhaled her held breath, then looked at him oddly.

"I'm sorry for asking, and I probably shouldn't," she said. "But why don't you like your birthday?"

"It's not that I don't like it," he replied. "I just don't see the point in celebrating what would have been better off never happening."

"That's not true!" she suddenly cried out, making Kyo jump a little himself. "If Kyo-kun had never been born, then I never would have been able to meet him."

"What's the big deal?" he questioned while rising to leave. "If you wouldn't have met me, then there wouldn't have been anything to miss."

Tohru clasped at his hand, making him stay in his standing position and not letting him leave.

"But knowing you now," she said while looking up through her bangs. "I don't think I would have liked not ever meeting you, Kyo-kun. I'm very thankfull that you were born, because I was able to meet you, and I was able to know you, if only a little bit. So please don't say something like that, or at least if you have to not in front of me, because it makes me feel sad that you would think something like that."

Kyo looked a tad taken aback. Sure he had heard almost the same thing from Shishou some years ago, but it sounded different coming from Tohru. Possibly because the entire first part was something that he hadn't heard from anyone else before, but he wasn't quick enough to figure that much out yet.

"Yeah, well..." he stuttered out all the while looking away. "Whatever, I won't say it in front of you. Can I go back inside now?"

Tohru realized quickly that she was still holding onto him and brought her hand back to herself faster than ever while muttering a small apology. She rose from her seat and started to follow him back into the house as well.

"Kyo-kun," she called out soflty from behind him.

He turned his head to look back at her slightly.

"Happy birthday," she said with a small smile.

Kyo rolled his eyes and grunted an almost inaudible "Thanks" before heading back in with a still smiling Tohru. Yet even though he had made it sound like it was suck a big hassle to say in order to keep the girl from feeling bad, he did feel a little more light hearted.

GIVING HAPPY BDAYS AND LOVE!! XD

Billie
Salem
Lillinet (and this was all my idea)