I slink into the forest and quickly scale a tree, searching the ground for him. From my perch, I see a lean figure with white and black hair come over the hill. I smile and climb down the tree to wait for him.
"Hey, Haru."
"Hey, babe." He gently cups my chin and kisses me affectionately. I kiss him back, but I'm careful not to hug him. I remember the first time I accidently hugged him.
*Flash Back*
"Tag, Your it, Haru!" I call as I playfully swat him on the arm and take off. He laughs and chases after me. Most people who are sixteen would roll their eyes and call us immature, but my motto was always 'growing old isn't an option, but growing up is.' After a few minutes he catches up and tags me. "Your it!" he yells cheerfully before sprinting in the other direction. I chase after him, but he still stays ahead of me. I jump up and give him a flying tackle. "Gotcha!" I giggle before there is a pop! and a cloud of smoke. I fall to the ground coughing. When the smoke clears I see a massive black and white ox. "Haru?" I ask curiously as I stare at the animal.
"Yeah, it's me." He says fearfully. We had just started dating but he never told me anything about this.
"What happened?" I demand. He explains about the curse and the zodiac and says to me, "Go ahead, and dump me." He lowers his head and his voice is brimming of sadness. "I know you don't want me anymore." He closes his eyes and I can tell he expects me to walk away, but instead I step forward, wrap my arms around his head, and plant a kiss on his forehead. I say, "Why on earth would I dump you?"
"Thalia, you're smart, did you just ask that question?"
"Yes, I did, because I don't understand why you would want me to leave you because of some curse."
"I turn into a cow for Gods sake, why wouldn't you?"
"Because I love you and it's not like its permanent, right?"
He smiles with his voice "No, it's not permanent."
"All right then, I'll just be more careful."
*End Flash Back*
It's been a year and ever since then we had been meeting in that meadow every day after school. He didn't tell his family about me and we never talked directly at school, but sometimes he would put sweet love notes in my locker (all anonymous, of course). We took all necessary precautions to hide our relationship because he didn't want my memory to be wiped. But in the meadow, we could kiss and talk all we wanted. We always joked about how I was his "dirty little secret". He promised me one day that we could have our relationship out in the open, but only when the time was right. He pokes me in the side and says, "Tag, you're it!" I grin and chase after him. After a few seconds I dive under his legs so he trips, but doesn't transform. I'm good at finding loop holes. "You're turn!" I laugh and start running in the other direction. It was barely five seconds before I feel him tackle me. We both fall down, and he lands on top of me. I look into his deep grey eyes before I realize that he didn't transform.
"Hey, you didn't change!"
He smiles, wraps an arm around my waist and whispers gently into my ear, "The curse is broken."
I smile and open my mouth to say something but he cuts me off by grabbing me and pulling me into a fierce but kind hug.
"You don't know how much I have always wanted to do that." He says. "I love you, Thalia."
"I love you more, Haru."
"I love you most."
"I love you mostest."
He laughs "Mostest isn't a word."
"It is now."
He kisses me gently on my forehead. "You will always be my Dirty Little Secret."
"And you will always be my sweet little ox."
He smiles and kisses me. Happily ever after, I muse in my mind, maybe it does exist.
A/N- I know, sappy ending, but I couldn't help myself. I know black Haru didn't show up, but I couldn't find a way to work him into the story. Oh, well. Toodles!
DISCLAIMER: i do not own Fruits Basket. i own absoulutely nothing but this storys plot line.