A/n: I adore Fruits Basket with all my heart and soul. And it being the first manga I ever read, it holds an even dearer place in my heart. Top that with a happy ending, humour, and romance, and I've found a manga that only one other has ever been able to reach in expectations, which is Fuyumi Soryo's Mars. (Nothing like Fruits Basket; a twisted, dark romance- so much hell happens to the two main characters, you're relieved when you reach their happy ending! Mature theme- not for younger readers! But a beautiful, very realistic manga, with it's funny moments.) Anyways, I'm not Japanese, so I apologize profusely if I mess up the honorifics. I just wanted to give the story an authentic feel. Feel free to criticize that choice. Okay, I've rambled long enough, I'm starting to sound like Ayame! Please review! ~Becky
As Cherry Blossoms Fly
When Arisa imagined herself falling in love, she had always seen a tall, imposing man, whose dry wit and cold exterior only she could melt. Sort of like Kyoko-san's Katsuya, she thought. He'd be clever and handsome, someone she could argue with, yet never want to let go. Someone who was like her in a way, somebody who could understand.
Now, when she looks at Kureno-san, she wonders what she was thinking. He stands with his back to her, tall, just as in her dreams, but leaning heavily on a cane as he stares out over a trickling stream. His light brown hair shimmers in the soft light of the afternoon, and his pale skin glows pink from the reflection of the cherry blossoms overhead. The wind ripples his clothes across his back, and strands of hair dance erratically.
He runs a large, clumsy hand across his head, trying to smooth down its rebelliousness. She bites back a smile as her heart swells. Usually, she would say something, but today she feels so content to watch him like this.
Turning around, he smiles gently at her, so much like Tohru-kun that tears spring to her eyes. Yet there's something different in him too; a quiet, lingering pain longing for release. He still feels burdened- by his choices, by his freedom, by the anxiety of what's to come next. "Arisa?" he asks with that quiet, childlike maturity that melts her like chocolate. "Are you alright?"
She walks towards him, placing one foot firmly in front of the other; the master of her destiny. Though she doesn't understand why, she feels that this moment is important to him, the confirmation of his liberation, one she would enjoy with him. As she reaches him, she takes his hand and squeezes it tightly. Compared to hers, his grip is loose, uncertain, as though he's only holding her to let go.
Sighing, she buries her head in his shoulder. He tenses, asking anxiously, "Arisa? Are you hurt?" She shakes her head, inhaling his earthy scent. "Then what's the matter?"
"Are you ever gonna hold me, Kureno-san?" Arisa asks bluntly, not one for beating around the bush. "Are you ever gonna get over whatever you're trying to get over, or are you gonna keep holding my hand like you're just rearing to let go of it again?" She pants, winded from her ramble. Usually she yells at people, but for some reason she can't shout at him. He's too much like Tohru-kun; she doesn't think she could handle it if he cried. Constraining her temper takes more of her energy than allowing it to tumble out of her mouth, feeling a release in her heart, a relief.
Now, the hurt boils under the surface of her skin, and she can't heal it alone. She needs his assurance, and she hates it. Glancing at his face, she notes his shocked flush, then troubled frown. She shakes her head, dropping his hand. "Forget it," she says, beginning to stalk away. Tears sting her eyes. She thought this time would be different, that they could actually be together, happy.
Happy. Who is she kidding? Happiness isn't guaranteed; it comes and goes, begins and ends. For a time, Kyoko-san, Hana-chan, and Tohru-kun had been her joys. Now, they were gone, Kyoko to heaven with Katsuya, Hana-chan to her dojo, and Tohru-kun to her future with Kyonkichi. And she had left to forge her own joy, with Kureno-san. But, seriously, how can she make him happy? How can she make his heart hammer wildly, fulfill his own dreams?
She smears her sleeve across her cheeks, trying to hide her tears.
"Wait!" The word freezes her in her tracks, a still-life of surprise, underlined with hopes and fears and longing. Longing. The soft, crumbling earth underneath her bare feet rumbles as he lurches forward, grabbing her arm. His cane hits the ground with a thump, his knees buckling from his weight. He nearly crumples, gasping from both pain and shock. Instinctively, she wraps her arms around his waist, holding him upright, digging her heels into the earth to keep from toppling herself. His hands grasp her shoulders as he steadies himself, face pale under the shadow of his hair. Gradually his breathing settles.
"Are you alright?" she asks, feeling slightly awkward. She's used to being tall, but hugging him makes her realize just how striking he is, like a knight against the backdrop of a sunset… And just how un-knightly he is, how bumbling and gawky. A giggle erupts from her throat, and tears stream down her cheeks.
"I love you, you idiot!" she whispers, throwing her arms around his neck, hugging him to her. He sinks to the ground, kneeling as he tucks his head against her neck. Her skin tingles pleasantly. His hands settle themselves uncertainly on her hips, then crawl around to her back as he slowly envelops her in a hug.
Suddenly, as though he's just realized how much he enjoys hugging her, his grip tightens like a bear, crushing her against him. "Urk…" Warmth radiates from him, and he sighs in contentment.
"I love you too, Arisa. And… I don't want to… let you go."
She smiles, running her fingers through his hair, her entire body humming with the ecstasy of being embraced. Suddenly, she understands what it means to feel. She feels his love coursing across her skin, heating it with a soft flush and making her stomach slush and gurgle excitedly. She shivers giddily. She can feel his contentment, his joy. He wants to be here with her, together under the waving cherry blossoms, forever.
A gentle breeze stirs her hair across her face, tickling her nose. She smiles.
Eventually, she realizes his knees must be killing him, but he makes no move to leave. She tries to entangle herself, but he moans, pulling her even closer. His cheek brushes against hers as he kisses her nose, then her forehead, lips lingering.
"Urk!" she squeaks, blushing crimson like Tohru-kun when Kyonkichi teases her.
Kureno-san smiles serenely, getting to his feet with a slight wince and taking her hand. She picks up his cane, handing it to him with an embarrassed shrug. His fingers intertwine with hers, grasping them gently but firmly, a promise.
"Come, Arisa," he says in that low, comforting voice. His cane sinks into the ground as he takes his first step, like a man walking out of his cage. She walks beside him as they stroll along the bank of the river, each step surer than the one before. He beams down at her, a ray of sunshine emerging from behind the clouds. "Let's go home. Together."
She swallows an exultant squeak. "Okay," she manages, smiling blissfully (almost elegantly?) instead.
It's almost as though he said, "I love you", all over again. And that makes Arisa very, very happy.
The End of the Beginning