I'm back with another story! This time, it's a love fiction! This one is going to be much longer than my other story…I hope everyone enjoys it! Now, the chapters are going to be much longer than this too. Since this is the prologue, I didn't want to spoil the story! Please enjoy this short little introduction! The next chapter will be out in less than two weeks! Please read and review…Thank you so much!

I would like to dedicate this story to my "Someone Special Just For Me".

Disclaimer: Fruits Basket and all characters used in this story are property of Natsuki Takaya. The song 'Painters' was sung and written by Jewel.


Chapter One: Prologue

They were both in love with each other, as the story goes. A love that was undefeatable. A love that went to the end of the sky and beyond the Heavens, where every moment spent together was like time stopping itself. When apart, one would dream of holding the other until their splendid illusion was shattered by reality. The girl was radiant, with a head filled with dreams. Everyday she would be dressed with a smile on her face and flowers in her hands. The boy was terribly handsome, with a personality so rough, only to be smoothened by her graceful presence. Yes, it was a love blossomed by friendship. And it was still there, for the girl now felt it everyday.

Eighty years, an old lady now, sitting on the front porch
Watching the clouds roll by
They remind her of her lover,
How he left her, and of times long ago,
When she used color carelessly, painted his portrait
A thousand times, or maybe just his smile,
Her and her canvas would follow him wherever they would go

'Cause they were painters, and they were painting themselves
A lovely world

Oil-streaked daisies covered the living room walls
He put water-colored roses in her hair
He said, "Love, I love you, I want to give you the mountains,
The sunshine, the sunset too
I just want to give you a world as beautiful as you are to me

'Cause I'm a painter, and I want to paint you
A lovely world."

So, they sat down and made a drawing of their love,
They made it an art to live by
They painted every passion, every home,
Created every beautiful child
In winter they were weavers of warmth,
In summer they were carpenters of love
They thought blueprints were too sad
So they made them yellow

'Cause they were painters, and they were painting themselves
A lovely world

Until one day the rain fell as thick as black oil,
And in her heart she knew something was wrong
She went running through the orchard, screaming,
"No God, don't take him from me,"
But by the time she got there,
She feared he already had gone
She got to where he lay,
Water-colored roses in his hands for her
She threw them down, screaming,
"Damn you, man, don't leave me with nothing left behind
But these cold paintings, these cold portraits to remind me!"

He said, "Love I only leave a little, try to understand
I put my soul in this life we've created with these four hands.
Love, I leave, but only a little,
This world holds me still
My body may die now, but these paintings are real."

So, many seasons came and many seasons went,
And many times she saw he love's face watering the flowers,
Talking to the trees and singing to his children
When the wind blew, she knew he was listening
And, oh, how he seemed to laugh along, and
How he seemed to hold her when she was crying

'Cause they were painters, and they had painted themselves
A lovely world

Eighty years, an old lady now, sitting on the front porch
Watching the clouds roll by
They remind her of her lover,
How he left her, and of times long ago,
When she used color carelessly, painted his portrait
A thousand times, or maybe just his smile,
Her and her canvas would follow him wherever they would go
Yes, her and her canvas still follow

Because they are painters and they are painting themselves
A lovely...

'Cause the are painters and they are painting themselves
A lovely world

It was a spring afternoon, and an elder Tohru Honda slowly walked out onto her front porch and sat in her oak wood rocker. She wore a plain traditional dress made of gingham and lace, her silver hair drawn back into a tight bun. She watched the wind blow the grass in the orchard that was down the dirt road from her small Japanese cottage. It brought back memories of running through the orchard with him, her lover. It would bring chills and warmth in her body when Tohru thought of him. She could feel the shelter of his arms when she slept, and the whispers of his coaxing voice when she cried. He was with her in spirit, a kindred spirit he was.

They started out as friends, her and her lover. A strong line of friendship brought their souls together, only to be united by the gift of love. Their friendship was strong, the only one of its kind. Then they both fell in love…The most passionate love one will ever find.

Light kisses, soft caresses, gentle moans that were music to the ear. Their love was filled with so many things. The most important portions that made up their love were the trust, commitment, and feelings that they had for each other. Everyday he would wait for her to come home from school, and then they would spend the long evenings together. Evenings that were filled with magic and twinkling stars. He would hold her in his arms, stroking her silky nut brown hair while gingerly cradling her. They vowed to stay together forever, but forever didn't seem long enough.

Then he became ill. He came down with a case that baffled the doctors so, but they never spoke of their confusion. He went in the hospital, and Tohru visited him everyday. Everyday, straight after school, she would sit in the hospital room by his bedside, stroking his hair and caressing his warm tan face. They lightly held hands…Just lightly, so no one could see. Tohru felt deep anguish seeing her poor love lying in a hospital bed, possibly having his life eaten away, but she cherished every last moment that they shared together. She would bring brightly colored flowers that sat on the windowsill to put the room in high spirits. From red Camellia's to purple Hydrangea's, every flower throughout the meadows found a snug little place in Tohru's flower pot.

One day, when the trees outside were bare and there was no trace of autumn left, Tohru went about her after school routine in visiting her lover. He looked the same as always: his fiery locks of hair stuck to his sweated forehead, his face pale, and his eyes barely open. But he was still beautiful to her. He always was, and always will be. But she listened closely as the heart rate monitor slowly beeped…One beep per thirty seconds, each second feeling like a lifetime for her. Outside the skies were grey, and the cheerfulness and happiness one would feel was all but gone. The hospital room now felt has if a cold, dark shadow was lurking within it, and Tohru could feelhis tender hand grow colder by each long minute. She held his hand to her heart, then up to her milky white face so he could have one last soft stroke. Then she watched, tears blurring her vision, of him slowly closing his eyes, and the line on the heart rate monitor…The loud beep. The only sounds Tohru could hear were of her own choked sobs. She buried her face in the blankets and sheets that surrounded him, and she wrapped his lifeless body into a warm embrace, daring to never let go for the rest of her days. She eventually fell asleep, unaware that this was reality and not a nightmare. She was awoken by the doctors, as they gently tried to tear her away from him. His blankets were drenched with her tears of mourn for him. This was still a nightmare, but even in her nightmares, she would never dare to let go. They had promised each other to stay together for all eternity.

She never married, for the thought had never crossed her mind. The only person she wanted to spend the rest of her life with was him. The only person she wanted children with was him. As young adults, they both considered taking their passionate relationship a step further into the world of uniting their bodies as one. But he didn't want to give her the burden of taking care of a young child…Not her. He never wanted to disrespect her. Not her…Anyone but her.

Tohru attended Hitotsubashi University for three years. Though she had not gotten over him yet, she still found enough strength to complete her studies. After her college years, she settled down and worked during the day at a school helping children with disabilities. While she worked, she dreamt of him every moment. It seemed that her day wouldn't be complete without seeing his face in her thoughts.

Many of times has she received requests of courting from other men, wedding proposals, fancy gifts tied with ribbons and bows. She was flattered ever so by all of this, but had to politely decline, for there was no one in this world who could replace him. In her heart, she still belonged to him, and him to her.

Now Tohru lived alone in the same little cottage she had lived in when she was younger. When the wind blew, she could hear the laughter of her young adulthood. She could see illusions of him and her in the distance beyond the trees, holding each other, each leaning in for a loving kiss on the lips.

She got up from her rocker and inhaled the fresh summer air. She had spent several enjoyable hours thinking of him, and now it was dusk, with the moonlight cascading her face and lighting up the sky. She slowly walked inside, preparing herself for bed. A few minutes passed before slumber had taken over her. But when she eventually woke up, Tohru was a young woman again.


I hope you all liked it! I know I'm going to have fun writing this, and I have a lot of great ideas! I am welcoming all reviews! Flames, everything! Until the next chapter, have a good time!

-September Whisper