Wistful

A/N: This small piece was done in response to r/fanfiction's monthly pint-sized prompts challenge from February 2017. The prompt theme being, "Wistful - What could have been? Oh, if only they were here now!"

This story correlates with my fic, Fruits Basket: After Story. The story takes place three years after the manga timeline and involves Akito starting a new relationship with an OC of mine with this small piece taking place a little over a year after that story starts.

This is also my first time attempting to write Shigure in this manner and get into his head, as such, I'm still attempting to really delve into him as a character. Feedback would be greatly appreciated, especially regarding this, as I'd really like to get a better handle on his character and thoughts so that I can apply them to After Story when needed.

Timeline: Early February, before Valentine's Day

"Great. Just when I thought I was going to have a good day," Mayuko sighed, narrowed her eyes at Shigure as he sauntered into her parents' book store one evening.

"Come now. I only came to pick up the book I ordered," Shigure replied.

"I got an email from the distributor this morning. It's been delayed another few days."

Shigure frowned, then smirked as he leaned against the counter, figuring he might as well have some fun while he was here.

"Why are you here anyway, Mayu? Isn't a school night?" He asked.

"My parents are out with some friends and asked me to close this evening."

"So you're leaving Hatori all alone to fend for himself?"

"He's a grown man. He can figure something out."

"That's not exactly the attitude of a devoted wife," Shigure teased and Mayuko glared at him, quickly dropping her eyes and putting on a smile as the shop's door opened.

"Welcome!" She called cheerily as Shigure turned around, eyes widening when they met with the customer's.

"Akito?" He said, taking a moment to look her over and catching a fleeting glance of the bottom of her dress.

"Shigure," She nodded.

"What are you doing here?" He blurted out.

"She's a regular," Mayuko explained, grateful for the distraction. She then stood, made her way around the counter. "Did you like the book I recommended?" She asked Akito.

"Not really," The smaller woman admitted. "It was a good premise but was executed poorly."

"Hmm…" Mayuko muttered. "I'm sorry to hear that. If you bring it back, we might be able to exchange it for another one."

"I have it with me, actually." Akito said while she reached into her handbag and then presented the taller woman with the book in question.

Mayuko took it without another word and set it on the counter before moving to straighten up around the shop as Akito set her handbag down and shrugged out of her jacket, revealing the remainder of her burgundy dress, which was the only splash of colour on her, unless one counted the sliver butterfly buckle on her belt. Her blazer, tights, belt and boots were all black, as it usually was in the winter.

"You…Look good," Shigure thought aloud, mentally slapping himself when he realised what he's said.

"Thank you," Akito shrugged, set her peacoat on the counter. "I had a meeting this afternoon."

He frowned at her declaration, glanced down at the knee-high, black wedge boots she was wearing, knowing they weren't exactly professional. "In those?" He asked.

"Hm?" Akito looked up at him and easily followed his eyes downward. "Yes. May I remind you that it rained this morning? And that it's freezing out?! My feet would have been soaked with flats on! I'd rather these then the damn snow boots Tedachi tried to get me to wear. Besides, I think those men have better things to worry about than my footwear," She explained, scoffing at the last sentence before heading over to scan the shelves, leaving Shigure alone at the counter until he moved as well, figuring that he might as well pick up another book to amuse himself with while waiting on his order, a strange silence falling over both parties as they quietly moved around the shop.

A few times, he thought to say something, but surprisingly found himself at a loss for words. For once, he didn't feel like teasing her. He sighed, turned to watch as she looked over a shelf and then stepped over to the next, her boots making soft clunking sounds as she moved, bracelet charms jingling when she attempted to reach for a book on a the top shelf.

'Since when does she wear jewellery? And why didn't I notice it before?' Shigure pondered, biting back a laugh at the way she struggled to reach upwards despite standing on the tips of her boots.

"Here, let me," He offered, reached over and plucked the book off the shelf.

"Thanks," Akito muttered with a frown. While part of her was grateful for the help, the other part was slightly annoyed. She would have figured it out…Eventually.

"That bracelet…" Shigure said, catching sight of it again when she reached for the book.

Akito raised an eyebrow, then quickly glanced down. "It was a gift," She explained quickly, her frown deepening when the book remained in his hand.

He frowned as well, and then asked before he could stop himself, "Did he buy it for you?"

"Shigure, don't start," She snapped as she finally yanked the book out of his hand, turning away without another word and leaning against one of the displays to flip through it, unaware of his eyes still hovering over her and the smile that played at his lips as he watched her eyes scanning the pages and held back a laugh at the way they widened as she became invested in the words.

He'd been reading to her since she was a child and during that time, had learned to read and appreciate her various expressions as she made her way through a story.

"You're being creepy," Mayuko said, coming up behind Shigure with a stack of books. "And you're in the way."

He stepped aside and she set the books down, glancing from him to Akito and then saying so only he could hear, "Three years later and you're still hung up on her?"

"Quiet," He snapped back. "You spent nearly the same amount of time pining after Hatori."

"That was different," She retorted.

He opened his mouth to speak again, but was cut off when the shop's door opened again.

"Wel—Oh, Hi Tedachi," Mayuko greeted as she slipped a book back into place, easily catching the sidelong glare that Shigure was giving the other man as he approached his girlfriend, who hadn't once looked up from her own book.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" Tedachi asked, his voice finally breaking through Akito's line of thought.

"Hm? Oh, I think so. This book already seems more promising then the last one. What about you?" She said, looking towards the bag of groceries hanging off his arm.

"I got most of what I needed. We're still going to have to stop by that bakery on the way back to my place and we better hurry, they close in an hour and a half."

Akito nodded in acknowledgement and turned to Mayuko.

The taller woman smiled, nodded towards Akito and then headed over to the counter with her at her heels.

"There's a slight difference here," Mayuko declared after ringing the item up and comparing it to the one Akito had brought back.

Akito nodded and pulled her handbag off the counter, taking a few moments to dig for her wallet before easily counting out a few coins and handing them over as Tedachi came up behind her and set both the grocery bag and the travel cup he'd been carrying on the counter, exchanging it for her jacket just as Mayuko handed over a receipt.

"All set?" Tedachi asked and she nodded as she placed the book into her handbag before turning to slip into the jacket he held out for her, both unaware of the glare Shigure was giving them as he pretended to browse.

"Here," He said, holding out the cup once she finished buttoning up.

"What's this?" Akito asked as she grabbed her handbag, carefully taking the cup.

"Berry infused green tea. It's something new the teashop is trying."

She raised an eyebrow, looking from the cup to him and then back again before bringing it to her lips and taking a careful sip, eyes widening slightly once she caught the taste.

"Good?" Tedachi asked, reaching for the cup when she took another, longer sip. "Hey, leave some for me."

She glared at him and he gave a small laugh, set a hand on her back.

"Be nice," He teased. "I am making you dinner tonight, after all."

Akito didn't respond, only huffed as he gently urged her forward.

"Let me know how you like that one," Mayuko called, watching the couple exit the shop just as Shigure pulled another book from the shelf and opened it in an attempt to hide the scowl playing at his features when he caught Akito reaching for Tedachi's hand after he whispered something about "butterfly cookies."

"I don't get it," Mayuko declared as she came up behind Shigure, her voice breaking his train of though. "Haven't you been around them enough? Why is it a problem now?"

Shigure cut his eyes at her, slid the book back on the shelf and promptly turned to leave without bothering to answer.

'Haven't you been around them enough?'

Mayuko's words echoed in Shigure's head as he stared out at his garden that night, his scowl deepening at the remembrance of her words as he flicked his cigarette. Of course he'd "been around them enough." He was actually starting to think he was seeing too much of the couple. Not only did he always seem to run into Tedachi when he visited the main house, but he was starting to feel like every time he saw Akito she had something to say about him.

"It's cold so Tedachi wanted me to wear boots. Tedachi bought me this bracelet. I picked this outfit out…for Tedachi. Do you think Tedachi will like this shade of lipstick? Ugh," He muttered to himself, looking up when the sound of soft footsteps graced his ears.

"I went ahead and put your dinner in the fridge," Shima said as she stepped up behind her brother, arms crossed in an attempt to ward off the cold.

Shigure merely glanced up at her.

"Are you sure there's nothing you want to talk about? You've been off since you returned from that meeting."

"I'm sure, Shima," He insisted with a hard sigh.

Shima raised an eyebrow, but didn't push. She knew doing so wouldn't get her anywhere when he was in a mood like this. "Alright. I'm going to bed. Good night."

He didn't respond, only flicked his cigarette again as she stepped away. While a small part of him did want to say something, it was easily brushed aside. The last person he would ever want to talk to about this Shima, who was not only his sister, but Akito's best friend and fully supportive of her relationship with Tedachi. He had pondered once or twice about how his sister had felt when he and Akito were a couple, but never bothered to ask. He knew she had been confused about it, having known nothing about his feelings for the former goddess, but other than that, he couldn't care less about what she thought.

Shima had been supportive enough after the breakup and had done a rather impressive job of being able to support both parties in her own way. However, though she had explained to him time and time again Akito's reasoning for the breakup, a small part of him was still sore about the whole thing, even three years later.

In the past three years he'd watched her grow from a frightened kid facing an uncertain future into a powerful, successful business woman. Before that, he'd spent over twenty years chasing after her, waiting for her to come back to him, to be able to embrace her femininity and live as the woman she was with him by her side. And then, just when they'd finally started to get things together, she'd broken it off.

She claimed she needed time to figure herself out, which wasn't a lie. Immediately following that conversation, she started her first semester at university and spent the next two years working as hard as she could to earn her business certificate while taking on more responsibility in the family business. He'd ended up watching most of it from afar while Kureno assisted her with her schoolwork and taught her the business until he ended up moving away permanently after Arisa finished high school. As much as he hated Kureno, he had to admit that the man knew more about the business side of the family than he did and was more helpful to Akito than he could be in that sense, so he'd let it go and continued to watch her as she grew into her position. A position that was tough for her at times. The maids, her business partners and their families all talked behind her back about how she couldn't be trusted and how, as a rich woman, her only job was to marry one of their sons and have his children.

Shigure frowned at the thought as he put out the cigarette. Akito had already gone through so much in her life. The last thing she needed was all their criticism and pressure. But, she took it all in stride. Sure, she had cried and screamed about it at times, but after she was finished crying, she'd get back up and go to work.

He wasn't sure it was possible to fall even more in love with her than he already was, but he knew he felt so much more after watching her grow, not only professionally, but personally. She wore dresses now, beautiful dresses all handmade by Ayame, who had a knack for picking out the perfect styles and colours for her. Her summer dresses were his favourite. They were often cute and floaty with a hint of maturity and showed her off rather well. He'd never admit it out loud, but part of the reason he had been looking forward to the summer house trip last year was so he could spend time with Akito. He wanted to see her be relaxed and carefree for once and had actually entertained the thought that maybe…Just maybe they would have been able to connect again and rekindle their romance. Of course that plan was ruined when he showed up.

As much as Shigure hated Kureno, he hated Tedachi more. He knew how to deal with Kureno, having grown up alongside the man. But Tedachi was different. He was a complete stranger to Shigure. One who didn't seem intimidated by him or worried about his feelings. In fact, Shigure was convinced that Tedachi didn't even know that he and Akito had been involved. Up until they arrived at the summer house, he had held onto the hope that she would come back to him. Even though she admitted that she didn't know what the future held for them, he was convinced she'd find her way back into his arms, a dream that was abruptly shattered when she showed up to the summer house with Tedachi in tow. At first, he thought the other man was simply hired help after he introduced himself as someone who worked in the main house, and he hadn't been completely wrong in that sense, Tedachi did in fact work for Akito. But then she revealed him to be her boyfriend. And that, they'd known each other for months before he even knew the man existed.

Shigure scowled at the memory, lit another cigarette. Just the idea of another man's hands on Akito…his Akito, disgusted him. The entire time they were on holiday, he was forced to mask his feelings as he watched the couple, who were all over each other. If they weren't holding hands, they were kissing and if they weren't kissing, they were laughing or touching or, he shuddered at the idea, having sex. He, of all people, knew that Akito had a rather high sex drive and wasn't shy about her desires in the bedroom, but the last thinghe wanted to think about was her in bed with another man. He couldn't even pretend it wasn't happening, having heard them several times throughout their trip since Akito couldn't keep quiet. Each incident made his stomach turn, especially since he was forced to admit that Tedachi had to be doing something right. Akito was loud in bed, but she also didn't scream like that without reason.

He quickly shook the thought off before he made himself sick, sighed again and leaned back against the door frame, stopping his next train of thought and putting out the second cigarette as he started to contemplate what Akito was doing at that moment. Tedachi mentioned dinner, so he knew she probably ate with him. Maybe stayed over at his place. Maybe they watched a movie after…Or maybe she had beckoned Tedachi into the bedroom the way she used to do for him.

He lost himself in his thoughts for a moment, remembering the way Akito would look at him when she wanted him, her eyes tinted with lust. And when he didn't respond to that, she would lean in, make her demands known with seductive whispers and light touches. When that didn't work, she'd get more forceful. Her voice would grow impatient and haughty. She'd climb on top of him and straddle him, effectively trapping him before tugging at his shirt and forcefully pressing her lips to his, giving him little choice but to surrender.

A small smile played at Shigure's lips as the memory faded away. Though he'd been on several dates and even slept with one or two women since the breakup, he knew that none of them really compared to Akito. He knew it was pathetically out of character for him to be hung up on her, but he found that he just couldn't help nor explain his feelings. He supposed it was because he spent so long waiting for her to come back to him, only to have her decide that it wasn't the right choice, something he thought he had grown content with until she moved on, which he never expected. Granted, in the back of his mind, he knew it was possible, given the fact that she spent a lot of time around rich men attempting to court her favour. But, Tedachi wasn't one of those men. He was the help, for God's sake.

'Whatever,' He thought, forcing himself to stand and stretch before turning to go inside, thinking as he headed upstairs that deep down, he just wanted Akito to be happy, but at the same time, part of him just didn't understand why she had to be happy with Tedachi.

At the same moment, unknown to Shigure, only half his prediction was true. While Tedachi and Akito had gone to his place and had dinner, there was no movie watching, nor had she led him into the bedroom. Instead, they curled up together on the sofa and read together until Tedachi noticed that she was falling asleep and decided to call it a night for both of them.

'Hmm…So that's why Yoshida was acting suspicious earlier…' Tedachi thought as he flipped a page in the book he'd grabbed off his nightstand while waiting for Akito to come to bed, looking up from it when she padded into the room and then setting it down and switching off the lamp with a small smile as she stepped over to the bed.

"Come here," He encouraged, carefully motioning her over and then waiting while she climbed in and snuggled up next to him, shaking his head with a small laugh when she motioned towards the blankets, which he promptly pulled up and around them.

"Spoiled," He teased, running a gentle hand over her hair when she nestled into her spot, a small smile gracing his lips at the discounted noise she gave as he settled down with her.