Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket. Really.
A/N: This chapter took me longer than i thought it would to write even though it's not very long, but i think it turned out...not so bad? Don't forget to Read & Review! You could also tell me what you want to see more/less in the story. Anyway, Enjoy!
Cured
'It is part of the cure to wish to be cured'
Chapter 9: A Series Of Apologies
The sun shone brightly on the dojo's little garden to produce a gorgeous field of dazzling flowers. In fact, the scene looked like a picture that you'd find in a postcard. Why…?? Kyo thought, feeling the rage starting to build up inside after he'd finally managed to calm himself down. He spent all morning working on this bit of land, thinking it might keep him thinking straight, and it did, but now—now it just looked too…bright, he finally thought. It didn't match what Kyo was feeling inside. It's been almost a month right now, and I still have no freakin' idea where he is! I'm trying but it doesn't seem to work!
"It'll be over soon…" Kazuma had said before they took him away… he said all of this was somehow a good sign…but that DAMN Akito! Kyo was now stamping aggressively with his feet on the flowers. He hated this feeling so much. He felt so helpless! How could he have been so stupid and careless? Why didn't he support his master to stop the madness going inside of this family? He should've done something to his master before it all went wrong!
"Nooo!"
A crying voice pleaded. Kyo rolled his eyes exasperatedly, before turning around, preparing himself to scream his guts out on Kagura. But when he turned around he was met with an extremely heartfelt expression that definitely didn't belong to Kagura.
Damn! It's that crazy chick… I hope no ghosts are around…ghosts?! What the hell am I thinking?! Kyo shook away the memory of the weird tapping he felt on his shoulders the other day when he met this girl.
"Please, it'd be such a waste if something beautiful like this garden be destroyed," Tohru looked like she was willing to go down on her knees and beg Kyo if that's what it takes for him to stop.
Kyo stopped alright. Behavior like that only made him extremely unnerved—specially coming from her.
"W-what do you want?!" Kyo screamed back, almost flustered. "y-you—did you come here like just to say that?!"
"Ah—n-no, I mean…" Tohru was at a lost of words to say, his stare was so fierce, she could almost feel it boring through her skin. "Umm…I'm sorry!" Tohru finally blurted out and bowed to Kyo.
"What the hell are you apologizing for?!" Kyo said, not sure why the girl was bowing all of a sudden. Maybe it's not me… Maybe it's her invisible mother or something…he thought, turning around to look behind him hastily. "There's n-nobody else around here, is there?!"
"Huh?" Tohru stood straight, confused.
"Why are you here anyway?!" Kyo yelled. No way he was going to say something about ghosts. If anyone was crazy here, it wouldn't be him.
Why am I here?! Why AM I HERE?! Maybe I should've said something to them, or at least to my mom! I must have gotten my mom so worried…Tohru sulked in her thoughts, and unconsciously sat herself on the grass. She really hated when she made people who care about her worry.
Kyo sighed exasperatedly and leaned against the wall. She must've forgotten I'm even here, he thought, looking at her petite figure sitting on the ground from above, she seems very troubled… very weak. Kyo remembered how fast she fell to the ground when he pushed her. She's very tiny, why did I do such thing?! Kyo thought, also remembering how light she seemed in his arms when he carried her to the clinic—well, in front of the clinic, he wouldn't actually show up carrying a girl in front of anyone!…so very tiny…Damn it! Who cares! Kyo shut his eyes closed and shook his head furiously, cursing himself. She fainted, and he only helped her. Besides, he did a very horrible thing to her after that—shoving a sick person like her the way he did, he remembered, feeling the heat accumulating to his face from the embarrassment.
When Tohru looked up, determined to do what she came here to do and to return to her mother afterwards, she was overwhelmed by another wave of panic. Eh?! Why is he so angry?! Tohru concluded fretfully, looking up at Kyo's red face.
"WHAT?!" Kyo snapped, when Tohru looked at him so frantically.
"Um—ahh…well, I just wanted to thank you for the other day!" Tohru said quickly standing up. "And say that I'm very sorry I caused you such trouble!"
"THANK ME?!" Kyo burst out, staring at Tohru, incredulous. "I PUSHED YOU!—
"N-no, no, I'm sorry—I stood in you're way!" Tohru stared with wide eyes at Kyo, just like what she did to her mother when she said that.
"Well, you're suppose to stand wherever you want! You shouldn't apologize for it!"
"I'm s-sorry," Tohru said quietly, staring at the ground. Kyo was just about to scream back, when she continued, "I shouldn't have—I know—but I saw you…I mean I saw what happened inside through the window…"
Kyo didn't know what to say in reply, so he remained silent.
"Why…??" Tohru began, despite her initial determination to just thank him and leave. She wasn't sure why she wanted to know. Curiosity..? Maybe.. "Why was Akito so…mad?"
"Because he's an ASS, that's why!"
Tohru gasped at Kyo's words and looked at him anxiously, even though she was used to hearing such language from Arisa. Somehow, she expected a more composed answer. She looked at him and saw his expression looking more…resigned than actually angry.
"Akito wants the whole family to sit around beside him, and wait for his next order! It's all greed, you know? Sohma money remains Sohma money, and that was okay until he went too far and—" Kyo suddenly broke off. What the hell is he doing talking to the crazy chick?! He looked at her and saw her looking with concern and listening earnestly to what he was saying, but why does she even bother? Must be the craziness.
"Whatever. This family just stinks!" Kyo said hastily to drop the subject.
"So…you don't like it?" Tohru asked in conclusion.
"I obviously HATE it! I can't wait to get it out of here! And I would if Master didn't ask me to wait—saying Akito will "mend" soon, as if a person as obsessive as him can ever let go and—" Kyo broke off yet again. Once more, he found himself lost in her earnest gaze and talking unthinkingly about everything. If I continued at this rate, soon she'll know the history of every little thing that ever happened to me.
"What are you here for anyway?" maybe switching the conversation on her is better.
"Ah?! Me? Me…just nothing big really…" Tohru said chuckling, and waving her hand in disregard.
"So, Hatori is letting you in for nothing?"
"I mean I had fever for a while," Tohru said. What if my mom is so worried right now? This family is completely unrelated to me! Why did I even ask about such personal things?! And I was addressing him as though I knew him intimately too!
And so Tohru pulled on a straight face—well, tried putting on a straight face with all the seriousness she could muster, and looked at Kyo.
"I've interfered with your personal business when I shouldn't have," Tohru said, bowing to Kyo, "I'm sorry, sir."
"WHAT THE HELL IS THE MATTER WITH YOU?!" Kyo bellowed, making Tohru start. "YOU NEED TO STOP APOLOGIZING TOO MUCH, and my name is KYO!"
"I-I'm s-sorry—
"STOP SAYING SORRY!" Kyo ordered, stepping closer to her unconsciously until they were only about a foot apart, while Tohru looked even more intimidated. Forget making pores through my skin, his eyes are practically boring into my soul, Tohru thought.
"Sorry—I didn't mean to say sorry—Eh?!—I'm sor—" Tohru gasped, quickly held her hands in front of her mouth.
"YOU'RE JUST HOPELESS, AREN'T YOU?!"
"I-I'm s-sor—
"What do you think you're doing to miss Tohru?!"
A voice suddenly snapped making both of them turn around hastily. Tohru was surprised to see that it was Yuki followed by her mother and Momiji. Both Momiji and Kyoko ran up to Tohru, with obvious concern in their expressions. Yuki on the other hand, stared at Kyo with extreme fury in his eyes, while Kyo did the same to Yuki.
"Oh Tohru! We were afraid you've gotten lost or something!" Momiji said, almost hugging Tohru from the relief he was feeling.
"Yeah, really thank god that you're okay!" Kyoko said, a grin forming on her face erasing her previous concern. "Oh Tohru, you should have seen Yuki. He was so worried!"
Kyoko said this to cheer Tohru up, but Tohru only felt ever more guilty for causing such worry.
"Miss Tohru, are you alright? Did he hurt you?" Yuki said to Tohru turning his back on Kyo, who took a lot of steps back after they showed up.
"WHAT THE HELL?! I'M NOT A MONSTER, YOU KNOW?!"
Tohru couldn't cause a fight too. She immediately smiled in an attempt to calm them down. "I'm fine really. K-Kyo's been a perfect gentleman!"
Kyo stared at Tohru, incredulous.
"I doubt that," Yuki said coldly, turning to look at Kyo rather disgustedly, "a gentleman wouldn't yell and torment a girl like that."
"I DIDN'T TORMENT NOBODY!" Kyo bellowed, feeling the anger swelling yet more inside him. That stupid Mr. perfectly-composed-all-the-time! It's his fault too! Walking around as though Master didn't matter to him!
Yuki held Tohru's hand and began walking her out of the dojo. He made a stop before continuing and said icily without turning around.
"You talk about going to the 'outside' a whole lot, yet that's how you treat the first person you meet that's actually from the 'outside'."
"Not very high, that's a good sign," Hatori said, pulling the thermometer from Tohru's mouth. "But there's no guarantee that it won't return."
"YAY!" Momiji exclaimed excitedly. "See Tohru? I told you the candies would work!"
"Thank you, Momiji," Tohru said, smiling at Momiji. She have only known him for a very short time, but seeing his smiling face, she can't help but feel warm inside. And that was definitely something she wanted to feel after her strange encounter today.
"I would recommend you stay inside for a while and rest though," Hatori suggested before leaving the two of them in the room—well, the three of them counting Kyoko.
"We had a really good time today. Thanks for sticking around, Momiji," Tohru said, looking at Momiji when Hatori left. "Even after everyone left, you stayed."
"I was happy to stay!" Momiji said, flashing his brilliant teeth yet with another grin, and then added holding Tohru's hands, "you're a very interesting person."
"Thanks," Tohru said, turning slightly red. Compliments definitely made her a bit shy, but it was Momiji's touch now that surprised her. It doesn't feel like a child's touch at all…
"This little guy is actually quite charming," Kyoko observed, trying not to be too distracting. When Yuki and the others were all together after they found Tohru, she's been making her daughter confused and act rather strangely in front of others. Kyoko was now fighting the urge to make any comment that would distract Tohru when she's around anyone.
"So… Momiji, you told me you're a high school senior, right?"
"Yup! And I'll be starting school next week. Holidays pass really fast, don't they—
"Really?!" Tohru lost completely track of time. How long has she been here? Maybe a week or so…. A week or so I've been absent from my work?! I'm definitely getting fired! "What day is it today?"
"It's Saturday," Momiji answered, observing the changes happening in Tohru's expression with interest.
"Oh maybe that's why I didn't see Machi today," Tohru said, trying to figure out why Saturdays are different, "and there's also…my friends…—
"Huh?! What's going on?!" Kyoko suddenly exclaimed, making Tohru come to a halt, which Momiji too come to a halt.
"What is it?" Momiji asked, surprised, and then he got up and walked carefully to the door. "I think I hear it too. Two people yelling…"
"Oh really?" Tohru said, now hearing a familiar voice shouting words from far away. "…for the gazillionth time, I'm not a…more annoying than on the phone…"
"Oh I can hear Manabe's voice and another girl's. She seems wild!" Momiji commented laughingly.
Tohru's smile widened, it could almost split her face in half. There's no doubt about it now.
Speak of the devil…
