Introduction: So…This is it. Finally. I've been trying to get the courage to post this for MONTHS. Why? Because frankly, this fandom scares me. And since I DID break up a beloved canon ship, I figured that this would be far from appreciated. But, I'm not going to apologise to that. Because nothing will make me ever want to ship Akito/Shigure. I do not believe their relationship is healthy. At all. To me, it seems like Shigure is obsessed with Akito. He sees her as more of a possession than a true girlfriend or partner. It's also possible, in accordance with Ren's theory in chapter 115 that he's obsessed with who Akito could be with his influence and lack of the curse. That being said, I just don't find this healthy for Akito in any way. This, and the fact their relationship is laced with manipulation and abuse on both ends. I was also hard-pressed to find out exactly WHY there were supposed to be in love. Also, I don't think her being with ANYONE in the Zodiac circle is healthy. Period. I believe what she really needs, especially in her romantic pursuits, is someone outside of everything, so that she can grow beyond that circle of hers, beyond that bond. She needs someone truly on the "outside" to accept her and see her for who she is and what she personally wants to be following the events of the canon story. And, on top of all of this, I believe that Akito really should have taken some time for herself at the end instead of jumping into a relationship. I think about it this way, Akito was only twenty when the manga ended. And after all the crap she went through…I seriously doubt she knows who she is and think she should have taken time to figure that out.
That being said, here's a bit of background: Akito and Shigure broke up the September after Kyo, Tohru and Yuki entered their third year of high school. On the advice of her therapist and after much thinking, Akito decided it would be best to break of the relationship and take some time for herself. In that time, she's reinvented herself, taken more responsibility as head of the family (including attending university and taking business courses). She's also managed to make some friends, one of whom is Shima Sohma, my canon-universe OC who is Shigure's younger sister and plays a decent role in his story in my headcanon.
Also, this story is linked to my second-generation Fruits Basket tale with the return of the curse. At the time this story starts, there are only three new members. Seiya (dog), Himeko (Dragon, Hatori's daughter) and Nori (snake). I'll elaborate on them as necessary, but since they're only two at the start of this particular story there's not a lot to say right now. Just know that they're there and are important.
Finally, reviews are more than welcome and I do take criticism, but I would like to ask that you keep it objective.
Anyway, without futher ado, I present Fruits Basket: After Story.
The Trouble with Dresses
"You'll be working directly under the head of the household," One of the older maids explained as she led Tedachi through the winding paths of Sohma house. "You basically do whatever Akito tells you to do around the house."
Tedachi simply nodded in response as he took in his surroundings. The place was far bigger than he had imagined. However, the upside was that big places like this usually had a few decent hiding spots and places he could observe people casually. The main objective of this job was to dig up the secrets he had been curious about since he was a kid. Being born to a lower part of the family off the estate made it difficult to be in the know, and it bothered him so, when he'd heard about an opportunity to worm his way into the main estate via work, he jumped at the chance.
'I'm starting to think I was meant to figure this out…' He thought. 'Because luck did place me in direct contact with the controller of the secrets…' He smiled to himself, soon dropping the smile and his train of thought when he slammed into the woman in front of him who simply sighed.
"Do watch where you're going. And pay attention when people stop," She scolded before motioning him to follow her up the steps of the biggest house on the estate, stopping in the main foyer. "Wait here." She ordered, quickly scurrying off.
'Who needs this much space? It seems too quiet here…Shouldn't there be some more maids or something? And where is this mysterious man I keep hearing about?' He pondered as he looked around and soon turned his attention back to the hallway when the maid returned with a dark-haired…man? Woman? He honestly wasn't sure, despite the dress. 'Hmm…' He thought as he discreetly looked Akito over, from the dark eyes fixated on him, to the black dress covered with a white jacket and matched with black stockings.
"So, you're the new addition to my staff," Akito commented as she looked him over, raising an eyebrow when he didn't make any sort of move to properly greet her.
"Oh…" Tedachi said upon catching her look. "I'm sorry. I'm Tedachi Sohma."
"If you're a Sohma how did you end up here?"
"I was born in the lower end of the family and I needed a job. I was always playing the handyman at home for free, so I figured I might as well make money doing it."
"Very well then. There's a list of things for you to do on the kitchen counter. If you need help with anything there's some other staff floating around who can help," Akito told him sharply before turning back towards the hall.
"Don't mind her, she's still a little stressed about cleaning up after New Year's," The older maid commented.
"Oh…I'm not…Wait…Her?!" Tedachi said, to which Akito promptly turned around. "So, you are a girl?"
"I don't remember stating otherwise."
"Sorry…That was rude…It's just…I wasn't…It's the hair and…"
'Whatever,' Akito thought, rolling her eyes before continuing on. She wasn't quite sure what to make of this guy, but knew she'd have an opinion by the end of the day when she checked his progress. Though, she had to admit that he wasn't off to a good start.
Throughout the morning, Tedachi followed the cues of the rest of the staff as he diligently attended to his list, making mental notes as he did. By mid afternoon, he had managed to figure that two of the younger maids were both cheating on their spouses…with each other, that the older ones were harder to read, but kept many secrets and that Akito was kind of a mystery to all of them. He noted that he didn't see her all day, and as he swept up the main hall, he got nosy about a cracked door and carefully crept up to it, watching as she paced her study with a mobile phone in hand.
"I finally found a dress! It's this really lovely pink with this rose on the sash and…it's just amazing!" Shima exclaimed over the line. "What about you? You find anything yet?"
"I told you, I'll just go through the closet," Akito replied shortly.
"No, you're not! This is really important to Ritsu! Do you know how long it took him to work up the courage to even ask Mitsuru? How would they feel if you showed up in something you just pulled from the closet?"
"I really don't care how they feel about my outfit. And besides, I have plenty of things to choose from."
"Not in the semi-formal category. Most of your dresses are floaty summer dresses or plain, professional style ones. Besides, if you don't suck it up and go get one, I will come over there myself and drag you all around town until you do."
"But you're supposed to be pitching novels!"
"True…I know, I can send Kagura in my place!"
"You will do NO such thing! I'll go by myself!" Akito snapped before flipping her phone closed, resisting the urge to chuck it at the wall, especially after she realised that Shima had successfully manipulated her into going shopping. 'Damn her! She's just like her damn brother! Pushing people's buttons until she gets what she wants...' She scowled at the thought as she turned to leave.
'Shit!' Tedachi thought as he scrambled back to his spot, settling there just as the door slammed open and Akito stomped down the hall, not even sparing him a glance as she passed. 'I'm safe…good!' He thought, smiling to himself as she suddenly stopped.
"You…" She started, looking over her shoulder at him.
"Tedachi," He corrected her.
"Right. Tedachi…What are you doing after you finish the sweeping?"
"Picking up the stray sticks and leaves in the garden."
"No you're not. Once you're finished here, come find me."
"Um…Okay?" He replied, getting a glare in response. "I mean…Yes, Miss Sohma."
"Akito."
"What?"
"Just call me Akito. All the maids do because there's so many members of this family. It gets a little confusing if we don't use our first names," She informed him as she turned and finally walked away.
'I don't get her…At all. Everything I've heard about her makes it seem like she's this dark mystery, yet…she seems like a normal woman…girl? How old is she anyway? I guess that doesn't matter…She's very straightforward and doesn't beat around the bush. At all. She knows what needs to be done and makes sure it gets done. It's almost…boring,' He thought to himself as he moved into the next hallway to resume his sweeping, letting out a breath when he was finally done and then doing as he was ordered and seeking out Akito, whom he found in her bedroom, flipping through a book on the bed. 'This room is ridiculous…'
"What are you doing?" Akito asked, sitting up to face him.
"Just looking."
"It's not that impressive," She shrugged.
"You are kidding, right?! This room is twice the size of mine at home! You could probably fit three people in your bed!"
Akito simply ignored him, moving to rifle through the closet and emerging with a jacket and handbag. "We're going out," She declared.
"But…We just met."
"Not like that! I know from the file they left me that you can drive, so you're taking me shopping. I have an event to attend tomorrow and no outfit."
"I'm sure there's someone else you can drag into this. There are plenty of female servants and…"
"I can't take them!" Akito practically shouted, before glancing at the ground. "Last time I…They…Well…It didn't end well, okay?"
"Okay."
"Just…Come on. I'll get a set of keys."
'Never thought I'd end up in one of these places again after Miyuki moved out…' Tedachi thought as he glanced around a shop awhile later. Once they'd arrived, Akito had told him to go entertain himself as she flipped through racks frustratingly. He did as he was told and moved to another section where he could watch her without her knowing. After a few minutes he noted that there was more than frustration in her eyes. She seemed to be a combination of annoyed, disappointed and…there was a hint of internal struggle as she sieved through racks and glared at a good handful of the designs.
'Maybe there's more to her than I thought…' He observed, soon taking to pacing around the store when he got bored, soon realising that after a half hour, he hadn't seen heads or tails of Akito. She hadn't even bothered to go over any choices with him, not that she had to. He then contemplated his own choices for a minute. He could continue walking around bored, or he could find her and at least make sure she was okay…
With a long sigh, he chose the latter and reluctantly made his way over to and stopped in front of the changing area. "Akito?" He asked. "Are you alright? I mean…" He started, giving a thoroughly startled gasp when, without a word, her hand shot out, grabbed him and dragged him in. "What was that about?!" He said, stopping when he turned and found her on the floor, surrounded by various colours of silk, lace, taffeta, tulle and several other fabrics he couldn't place.
"I…I don't know what I'm supposed to do," She said, nervously playing with the fabric of her jacket, which sat in her lap.
"What do you mean?" He asked, noting the distressed look in her eyes.
"I can't decide on any of these!"
"But there's like…twenty dresses here! It can't really be that hard can it? You just pick a colour you like and a style and…"
"God, you're a moron. I takes a little more than that! And that's not even the problem!"
"Then what is?"
"None of them fit me!"
"Oh, well…" Tedachi stuttered, as he tried to think of a reply, stopping to look her over for a moment. 'I can't see how none of these fit, they're all scary small. Then again she is rather thin…And probably only about 162.5 centimetres…Maybe she could…' He pondered, carrying the thought over into his sentence as he said, "Did you try teen sizes?"
"I'd rather die!" Akito nearly cried, the faintest of tears brimming in her eyes. "Don't you dare say those awful things my mother says! Especially when you barely know me!"
'Her…mother? Well…this is interesting…There's obviously something to that,' He thought, his attention soon turning to the fabric his hand had instinctively wrapped around. After a quick glance he picked up a lovely, dark violet spaghetti strap dress with a layered skirt and a rose that sat at the left where the slit for the skirt started. He then took a minute to look it over before glancing back at her, and giving her another once over before deciding that the colour worked well, especially with her dark hair. Then there was the added bonus that it would definitely show off her shoulders well, with the straps and her hairstyle.
"This one's small…Really small. Did you try this one? The colour looks like it would suit you and this layered skirt is really nice. Plus, the lavender parts add a decent contrast. We could even get you a cute little headband or something and put a matching lavender rose on it," He suggested, immediately realising that he probably sounded like some sort of freak. Though it wasn't his fault. He'd been dragged into helping his older sister with her cosplay schemes since they were kids.
"I did try that one…" Akito admitted. "And it sort of fit…More or less…But it was kind of…It just…" She said, struggling to find the right words.
"Well, if it fits, then it should work...right?"
"Sure. Just…Just grab it and we'll go," She sighed, figuring she might as well take it, even if it was just to prevent having to try on another twenty or thirty dresses that she knew wouldn't fit.
He offered a nod in response as he stood, holding out his hand to help her up before they headed back to the house, where they quickly went their separate ways as Tedachi went back to work and Akito went off to do…whatever it was she did with herself. He didn't expect to see her again and, as a result, was thoroughly surprised when he found her flipping through magazines in the main living area outside the kitchen.
"The cook had to leave early, so I thought I'd try and make dinner," He said as he entered, frowning when he received no response as she turned another page. "I'll make whatever you want. You are in charge after all."
"I don't care what you make. As long as it's heavy on soybeans and vegetables…Maybe throw some fish in there too," She finally said as she read over a page.
"Um…alright?" He said, raising an eyebrow as he watched her and then quietly making his way around to where she was lying on the floor. "What are you reading so intently anyway?"
At that, her head shot up and she quickly scrambled to close and grab the three magazines lying around her. "None of your business!" She snapped as she stood.
"Oh come on," He teased. "Let me see."
"Go to hell."
"I don't think that's how someone in your position is supposed to treat the ones serving you."
Akito scoffed and moved to leave, but didn't think to watch her footing and ended up sliding back to the floor when her stocking-covered foot slipped.
"Here, let me help," Tedachi offered as she sat up on her knees, raising an eyebrow after picking up the three magazines. 'Wait a minute…these are all teen magazines! And what's with these articles? Utilising pushup bras…Finding clothes to suit your body type…best foods for…wait a minute!' He thought, quickly putting the pieces together.
"Give me those!," Akito snapped, glaring up at him from her place on the floor.
He ignored her as he turned over the pieces one more time and started pondering again. 'Dress size…And body image articles…it can't be! I mean, I probably should have thought…I wasn't even sure if she was a girl!' He thought before saying. "Akito…? Don't tell me you've got no…"
"Don't you dare finish that sentence!"
"But, you…You're…"
"Shut up!"
"You're flat-chested, aren't you?"
At that, she simply screamed in frustration. It was hard enough to have had to face the fact when she was finally able to wear women's clothes and found that hardly any of them fit her right. It got to the point where she gave up completely and had all of her clothes custom made at a discount by Ayame. Then there were the awful things her mother had said about her change, saying she'd never be a real woman, that she'd never be attractive with her lack of a chest. And now…this guy she didn't even know…who was supposed to be working for her knew and was probably going to mock her, just like everyone else did. However, she was pleasantly surprised when he kneeled down and set a hand on her back.
"Feel better?" He asked.
"A little bit," She admitted.
"Now, tell me…is it really that bad?"
At that she stood. "I'll do you one better. I'll show you."
'Huh?' Tedachi thought with a questioning look as she headed out after ordering him to stay.
'So…Let me get this straight…' He thought to himself as he waited. 'Akito is basically described as some sort of dark mystery. And she's supposed to be dangerous…I mean, I guess she does have a temper. I've been snapped at quite a few times today….But that doesn't scream danger to me. In fact, I don't see anything but a relatively normal woman…Well, on the outside anyway. There's obviously some mommy issues here…And then there's this whole body image thing…That was unexpected to say the least. You wouldn't think someone like that would have those problems…But I guess everyone does. Though I don't get it. So her boobs are small, so what?'
"Thanks for waiting," Akito finally said, her voice cutting through his thoughts as the door slid open.
"You told me to," He replied as he finally glanced up and looked her over. At first glance, the dress seemed to fit perfectly, the flower sat directly above her left hip and gave way to the slit that showed off the layers of the skirt, which fell just so around her legs, plus the colour worked really well. However, upon looking up, he realised what the problem was as she slipped her thumb under one of the straps, which, even with her adjustments, was rather loose…Just like the rest of the top.
"Well…What do you think? Super flat, right? Just like a board."
"Well…Um…Don't those dresses usually have pads or something?"
"It does, but they're not staying in place. This is why I hate shopping for clothes. They never fit right."
"But…I don't understand. You've been wearing a dress all day."
"That was custom made. Every single one of my dresses is. I got sick of not being able to find ones that fit. I'm pathetic, really."
"Oh, well…maybe they'll grow in time…How old are you?"
"Twenty-three."
'Or maybe not…' He thought before saying, "This is an easy fix, you know."
"What…are you doing?" She asked, watching his every step as he stood and moved behind her and started pulling at fabric.
"It just needs to be taken in a little…If only I had some pins and fabric…"
"Wait…Why would you want to fix this? And why are you even concerned with this?"
"Because you dragged me into this mess. I know I just started, but I promise you can trust me. I've been helping my sister sew cosplay for years…When do you need to wear this?"
"Tomorrow night."
"Oh, well…shit. This wouldn't be a problem if we had fabric but all the shops are closing and…"
"I know where we can go," Akito said with a smile as she turned and left again, eventually returning in her regular clothes with her jacket on and the dress. She quickly grabbed his wrist and pulled him with her to the car.
Awhile later, Tedachi raised an eyebrow as they stopped in front of a closed boutique.
"Um…Akito…This place is…"
"Shut up," She ordered as she flipped open her phone and hit a few buttons before stepping out of the car and motioning for him to follow, which he did, reluctantly. Stepping out just as the shop lights flicked on and Ayame stepped out.
"Well, well…Isn't this a surprise?" He said as he led them inside. "Who's your friend?"
"He's not a friend, he works for me," Akito replied. "And apparently he knows how to fix this." She held out the dress and Ayame raised an eyebrow.
"I'm hurt! My lovely Aki-Chan chose to venture elsewhere to fulfill her fantasies."
"Cut the nonsense! And STOP calling me that, dammit! It's nothing against you…it's just…I put off getting a dress for the party tomorrow and it was just too late to ask you to make anything."
"Well, what's wrong with it?"
"It doesn't fit in the top…Because…well…"
"She's flat," Tedachi cut in, cringing when she abruptly elbowed him in the stomach.
"Oh, I know that," Ayame said with a casual wave of his hand. "I'm the one who makes all her dresses, so I know her measurements by heart. It also means I can work really well with what she does have. Now, give me that and I'll see if I have some fabric that matches."
Akito did as she was told and he sauntered off.
"What's his deal?" Tedachi asked.
"No one knows," Akito shrugged. "He annoys the shit out of me…But he does good work. And he's also a member of the family."
'Huh…' He thought as he watched Ayame compare fabrics for awhile before finally finding one that matched perfectly and leading them upstairs.
"Mine's with her parents for the week, so don't worry about making noise," Ayame informed them as he flipped on a few lights and led them to the main living room. "Wait…I've been rude. I haven't introduced myself. I'm Ayame Sohma."
"It's nice to meet you, I'm Tedachi Sohma," Tedachi said with a smile, knowing he was talking to him.
"So, you know how to sew?"
"A little bit. My sister's been an avid cosplayer since she was a kid…and I've always been her assistant."
"And tonight you can be mine! Together we'll turn this mess into a masterpiece!" Ayame declared, throwing the dress at Akito, who had taken a place on the sofa. "Go put it on so I can see what needs to be done."
She scowled, but did as she was told and soon stood with Ayame hovering over her taking measurements and notes as he looked her over several times.
"This one shouldn't be too hard of a fix. Why do you always do this anyway? You know it's hard for you to find clothes. There's not a lot of women out there who are your height and flat…Did you try teen sizes?" Ayame said, getting a glare in response as she whipped around shoved him to the ground.
"Don't you DARE treat me like that! It's bad enough that I get it from my mother and the maids! I don't need it from you too!"
'Well then…' Ayame thought as he stood back up and resumed the task at hand, soon taking the dress back to work while she settled back on the sofa and Tedachi stood off to the side, waiting for someone to give him orders.
"You can sit, you know," Ayame told him. "I'll let you know if I need something."
"Oh…Alright…" Tedachi muttered, settling on the sofa next to Akito after some thought. "Do the other maids really pick on you?" He asked casually, surprised when she gave a soft nod in response.
"Last spring, one of the younger girls offered to accompany me and my friend when we went out. I was only meant to go to help Shima, but I somehow got goaded into trying on clothes and…She had something to say about everything…especially when she figured out the reason nothing fit. She then told me I should probably look in the Juniors' section because I have the body of an underdeveloped fifteen-year-old."
"That's harsh…Especially from someone you're paying."
"She got transferred to another part of the estate after that. And the others…They don't; say it to my face, but I hear them talking sometimes. It's horrible…I'm so flat they feel sorry for me. Though the worst comments come from my mother…"
"You and your mom don't get along?"
Akito shook her head. "She hates me. Utterly and completely. And she says awful things. She told me that no one wants a girl with no boobs and that I have no chance of getting married to anyone decent."
"Oh."
At that, they both went silent for awhile, until Ayame called Tedachi over and quickly busied him with tasks while Akito took to flipping through a few of the books Ayame had lying around, waiting and watching as they worked well into the early hours of the morning.
"You know, you can sleep if you need to," Tedachi commented around three AM.
"No…" Akito said, flipping a page as she spoke. "I've got nothing better to do. I'm going to stay up until you're finished." She then gave small yawn and gently rubbed her eyes, getting two unnoticed smiles in response as the men cut more fabric and started on the second part of their project. Not long afterwards, they turned back at the sound of the book hitting the floor as she dropped to the sofa, sound asleep.
Without saying a word, Ayame stood and headed off to retrieve a blanket, which he promptly threw over her before returning to work, not stopping until the final stitch was secured right after the sunrise.
'Finally…' Tedachi thought as he looked over the finished product once more before moving to the sofa and gently nudging Akito until she looked up at him.
"What?" She groaned as the sunlight hit her and she forced herself to sit up. "Where am I?"
"You're in my home, of course," Ayame replied. "And we have something for you!" He exclaimed, quickly pulling her up and then shoving the garment into her hands.
"Well, what do you think?" Tedachi asked minutes later as he and Ayame watched Akito stare at herself in a full-length mirror.
"I…It's…" She stuttered, searching everywhere in her brain for the right word. They had ended up redoing the top almost completely, and now, it fit perfectly. The straps no longer hung off her shoulders and it wrapped around exactly where it was meant to. And, on top of that, they'd taken the time to make her a cropped jacket made out of the same exact fabric that not only matched, but actually accentuated her bust.
"I don't need words, the look on your face is more than enough!" Ayame declared.
"I'm okay with his sentiment," Tedachi shrugged.
"…Perfect," Akito finally said. "It's perfect. But…You two are still idiots."
'I can't believe she called us idiots…' Tedachi thought later in the evening as he tended to the house plants.
"I'm leaving now. I'm not sure when this thing is supposed to end, but you and Minori are the last two left in the house," Akito said as she approached. "She'll show you how to clean and lock up."
"Alright. You go enjoy yourself."
"I'll try, but I can't make any promises," Akito shrugged, thinking as she left, 'Maybe he's not so bad. He does good work and he really went out of his way to help me. I think I'll keep him around for awhile.'