Stand in the Rain

by yorkie-s

All his life he was dejected, refuted, hated by those who were supposed to hold him most dear. The cat of the Chinese Zodiac.

Stand in the rain:
Song: Stand in the rain-super chick
Anime: Fruits Basket
Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket or the song.
Taken from: Episode 26 of Fruits Basket, all lines are accurate, all i added was the descriptions and song.
Enjoy!!
Yorkie-s

XXXXXXX

He never slows down, He doesn't know why but he knows that when he's all alone it feels like it's all coming down.

Hideous, disgusting, horrible creature. That's what Akito had called him. All his life he was dejected, refuted, hated by those who were supposed to hold him most dear. The cat of the Chinese Zodiac, the biggest fool of all fools. Even his mother didn't love him, his mother….. She would constantly make sure he wore his rosary beads; she said it was out of love. She had said a lot of things, things he no longer could believe.

Nowshe had seen him in his true form; how she must hate him, just like all the others. Tohru, how he wished he could take that moment back. Since the day he met her, she was so kind to him; always trying to make him happy. But now…now she'll probably never look at him again; never want to talk to him again.

This thought purged his mind and ripped his heart out. His mind was a flurry of unwanted memories; memories of his mother. Her alleged suicide had left him all alone, scared, and hated. Whispers ran through the main house about how his 'poor' mother couldn't have handled it, how it was all his fault. How he was somehow at fault for just living.

His mind, haunted with an image of his mother and her fake condolences; making him believe she could make everything better with just her word; as if that was enough. That if she put enough 'feeling' into her words, they may take form into something genuine.

He sat alone, the rain pelting his back. His gruesome form leaving him feeling as alone as ever, Alone with nothing but memories of a time that was, in fact, to good to be true.

"Kyo, has something happened? What's the matter?" He heard his mother ask. A beast like growl rumbled from the back of his throat, passing swiftly through his clenched beast like fangs. "Did Akito say something to you again? It's all right."

He won't turn around. The shadows are long and he fears if he cries that first tear, the tears will not stop raining down.

He drew his hands to his head, and let out a loud growl. It sounded strange to him, like that of a tigers, only more horrifying as it passed his lips.

"It's alright because, because I-I still love you, at least." as if that was supposed to comfort him. He, along with his mother, wished those words to be true. For her to 'at least' love him. He wanted her too see him for what he really way, and love him.

His lips curled angrily and he let out another animal like growl, this time, he wasn't as shocked by it.

"I still love you more then anything."

At those words, he raised his head and screamed; only it was yet again a foreign sound to him. It was even more shocking then his first growl. His mal contempt rammed through him, crushing his heart with murderous blows. He drew back a fist and struck out at the rock beside him, wrapping his talons around it and nearly breaking it.

"You're still human, just like everybody else."

So stand in the rain, stand your ground; stand up when it's all crashing down. You stand through the pain, you won't down. And one day what's lost can be found. You stand in the rain.

When he looked up, no one was there, he was alone. The solitude shouldn't have surprised him so much; his was used to being alone. If so, then why did it hurt more then all the other times?

His mind blossoming with fresh memories; memories better left forgotten.

"It's okay; I'm not the slightest bit afraid of you." The stammer in her voice gave away her true feelings. Her lie cut deeper then her actual fear of him.

"No," he spoke sadly. "You really were afraid of me. Weren't you? That's why you checked me dozens of times a day; to make sure that my beads hadn't come off or anything."

"You're my son, I-I'm so proud of you."

"In that case, why didn't you ever let me go out?" He was fighting with his conscious, with his memories.

"You're so adorable; I wanted to keep you all to myself." legitimate reasons, seasoned with lies.

"You were ashamed of me!"

"No! I-I love you. I would die for you. I-I love you so much!" she said desperately. Trying her hardest to convince herself more then she wanted to convince Kyo.

"Why is that all you ever say? You never really accepted me; not the real me. You were just saying all the things you thought a mom was supposed to say."

He won't make a sound. Alone in this fight with himself and the fears whispering, if he stands he'll fall down. He wants to be found. The only way out is through everything he's running from. Wants to give up and lie down.

His father's voice now spoke, hurting him even more. "Your mother loved you more then anyone."

"STOP!" He screamed the voice of the five year old and the man he now was converging into one voice.

Everything fell silent; all their voices, gone. He was alone again.

There was a new sound now, amongst the platter of rain and the pounding of his heart, he could hear foot steps. HE looked up and growled menacingly; scared to let anyone see him in his present state. But, before him, stood the one person he was scared to see the most; Tohru.

She was battered, bruised and caked in mud. She was missing her shoes and she looked about ready to fall over. He growled once more. He tightened his grip on the rock; his sharp claws digging into the rock and leaving deep groves.

"You too," He thought bitterly.

She leaned to look behind him, stumbling as she did. He spun around, staring face to face with the damn rat. Yuki didn't say anything, he just stared him down.

Tohru finally gave out under her own wait and sank to her knees; falling forward onto her hands. Yuki was about to run to her when Kyo made a break for it, desperate to get away; but was stopped by Yuki, who had tackled him. He held onto his leg tightly, refusing to let go.

So stand in the rain, stand your ground; stand up when it's all crashing down. You stand through the pain, you won't drown. And one day what's lost can be found. You stand in the rain.

In an act of desperation, Kyo grabbed Yuki by the shoulder, digging his claws into his flesh and tore through it; leaving three large gouges in his skin.

"Is that all we do. Is run away?" Yuki asked him through the pain. "Is that all we do?!" he demanded and Kyo protested with a loud roar. "Well I for one am tired of running!"

Kyo tried to break free of Yuki's hold, struggling to stand but couldn't.

"I don't want to do it anymore!" Yuki yelled as Kyo struggled. "Miss. Honda," Yuki addressed Tohru. "Tell him, tell him the truth! Tell him what you think right now!"

"Just tell him the truth!" he said in an almost sob.

Tohru's mind filled with thoughts, memories of her times with the two boys. Of how they had laughed, and talked, and ate together. Of the times they had consoled her and made her feel special. 'Just be yourself" They had said. The same words he mother had spoken to her before she had died. She slowly got to her feet. She reached out for Kyo's arm, and arm that was not human; but she didn't care.

She lowered her head, "Let's go home." She begged softly. "Back to our house."

Kyo let out an awful scream, anger blazing in his eyes. He raised his arm and swung it wildly; but Tohru refused to let go. She skidded across the ground, Kyo's arm firmly in her grasp.

He looked at her as she held on tighter and righted herself on the ground. "I'm sorry," she said in a quiet sob. "I'm such a fool. I don't know what to do, I'm afraid. Right now Kyo, I'm afraid of you. But," She lifted her face to him. "Still, I want us to stay together, together. I do, always. I want us to eat our meals together, and study together, and worry together. I want to tell you all the things that are on my mind. Kyo, I want to listen to you. And so, I want us to stay together!" She was crying now, the tears mixing on her cheeks with the rain.

So stand in the rain, stand your ground; stand up when it's all crashing down. Stand through the pain, you won't drown. And one day what's lost can be found. You stand in the rain.

The silence engulfed them now, disturbed only by the sound of the rain. Kyo lifted his face to the sky, watching as the clouds slowly began to part and the rain die away.

Tohru had closed her eyes, letting the silence was over her. When Kyo spoke next, it startled her.

"It's okay. You don't have to-you don't have to love everything."

When Tohru opened her eyes, no longer was the arm she held onto the arm of a beast. It was the arm of a man. Kyo had changed back.

"If you're afraid, if you're afraid it just proves you've really seen the true me. Not like my mom. She went through all the motions of loving me, but she never even tried to see me. I wanted us to talk together, and worry together too. I was fine with her being afraid; even if she didn't love me in that ugly form." He raised his hand to his face, he was crying. "I, I wanted us to stay together."

He looked at Tohru, who was staring wide eyed at him.

"I've been a fool. I didn't think that anyone, anyone, would ever say that to me. Not to me."

As he thought this, he slowly began to reach out to Tohru. He pulled her into a hug and held her tightly for those few seconds before he transformed.

So stand in the rain, stand your ground; stand up when it's all crashing down. Stand through the pain, you won't drown. And one day what's lost can be found. You stand in the rain.

"How is it that you could give me the words I needed to hear the most right now? How is it that, somebody like you could be here by my side, crying for me, how?"

By this time he had transformed, but no longer into the beast. He was, now, just the cat. Yuki stood by silently, watching as this all unfolded before him. Kyo was lying on Tohru's lap, tears still present in his eyes. Tohru smiled and picked Kyo up in her arms, and the three of them walked back to the house.

When they got there, the sun was fully out, and Master was standing in the court yard; Kyo's beads still grasped in his hands. When he saw them he smiled and sank to his knees; overcome with joy. Shigure came out of the house, leaning against the post on the porch for support. When he saw Tohru carrying Kyo, he raised a hand to his face and began laughing; first softly then louder till it filled the court yard.

Kyo felt completely natural, nestled under Tohru's chin. He felt so at peace. Nothing that happened with his mother or Akito mattered anymore.

He was home.