Happy Thanksgiving! I am very excited because I've had a spark of inspiration and have actually figured out where this story is going. I've been worrying that I wouldn't be able to figure out where the plot is going to be in a couple chapters, but I actually mapped out a large majority of it and it's very exciting. I am also very happy that four awesome people reviewed the last chapter alone. That's a record! Dare I dream for five reviews this chapter? ;)
Disclaimer (have I been forgetting these?): Fruits Basket isn't mine.
"We should file a missing persons report with the police," Yuki said. He, Kyo, and Shigure were sitting at the small table in the sitting room devising a plan for how to find Tohru. The three had gone out together one more time to try to find her in the forest, but after a couple short hours, the sun began to set behind the cover of clouds. They returned just as darkness was falling upon the woods.
"And tell them what?" Kyo countered, turning towards Yuki. "That our seahorse cousin erased her memory and now she's out running around in the woods hiding from a family that turns into animals? Right, that'd go over real well." He sat back so that he was leaning on his arms and sprawled his legs out under the table.
Shigure nodded. "Besides, even if they are able to find her, she still will be too afraid to come back here," he said.
Yuki did his best to control his anger. They both had a point, but they didn't have to be so damn relaxed and sarcastic about it. "Well what do you two suggest?" he said through gritted teeth. "That we sit here, lie around, and do nothing?"
Shigure gasped dramatically. "But our princess can't remain alone! She needs her courageous princes to save her!"
Normally Yuki would roll his eyes at Shigure's theatrics, but the remark of Tohru being alone in the woods silenced him. Tohru is so sweet and kind and fragile. She can't handle being alone in the wilderness like that. Yuki thought about all the things that could happen to her in the woods. She could get attacked by a bear or fall terribly ill. Clumsy as she is, she could probably fall into a river and drown and they would never even know. Yuki didn't even realize he was hyperventilating until Shigure softly placed a hand on his shoulder.
"She'll be fine," he said reassuringly, "Don't forget, she's lived in the woods before."
Yuki shook his head, refusing to allow himself to be comforted.
"Not like this," he argued, pulling away from Shigure's hand, "She doesn't have a tent or food this time. She doesn't know to go to school in the morning where she'll be surrounded by her friends." His heart ached when he thought about having to sit through the dreary monotony of school without Tohru there to brighten his day.
"She's lonely and confused and we're not there to help her," he finished as he stood up and grabbed his hair in frustration. 'And it's all my fault' he added in his head.
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Tohru woke up the next morning feeling as if she hadn't slept at all. Her body felt drained of energy, and though she knew that she was lying down for a long time, she felt like she could sleep for another four hours at least. She was up most of the night coughing, and by now her throat felt dry and hoarse.
"Good morning," a smooth voice greeted her.
She turned toward the sound, though she couldn't quite process what it said. It sounded like someone was talking to her from far away while she was underwater.
"Oh, hello Akito-san," she said as she noticed the young man sitting near her bedside. As she expected, her voice sounded rough and raspy.
"Are you feeling alright?" he asked her worriedly.
"Yes, of coar-" Tohru was interrupted by a violent fit of coughs that lasted a whole minute. She had to sit up in the bed to get the last of them out. When she was done, she flopped back down on the bed feeling exhausted. Akito placed his hand on her forehead.
"You're burning up," he said, his voice dripping with concern.
Tohru tried to say "Oh, I'm fine, really," but her voice came out almost as a whisper.
"I'll be right back," he said as he got up and started walking out of the room, "I'll get you some water."
While he was gone, Tohru had a chance to look around the room for the first time. The bed she was lying on was much larger than most, and the brown comforter she was under was very thick, though she still felt chilled to the bone. The rest of the room's furnishings were elegant in a simple way without being extravagant. On the side of the bed that wasn't facing the wall, there was a nightstand with a clock that read 10:23 and a lamp with a stone base and purple shade. There was a large mirror with a brown marble frame on the wall adjacent to the bed. Tohru was glad she couldn't see herself in it. She didn't even want to know how awful she looked after her adventure in the woods. She couldn't even remember the last time she took a bath or a shower.
A mahogany dresser lay on the opposite side of the room, clad with picture frames. Tohru had to squint to notice that all the frames were empty. Why they would be empty? She thought that if she remembered who her family and friends were, she would want to put pictures of them all around her room. Then she'd never forget them. As it was, the picture frames were the only personal things in the room. It didn't seem right to leave them empty.
Akito walked in as Tohru was staring at the empty frames. He was holding a small porcelain basin filled with water and a soft white washcloth.
"Oh," he said sheepishly as he noticed what she was looking at, "I meant to take those down."
"Why wouldn't you fill them?" Tohru asked, "They're lovely frames."
Akito smiled sadly. "They used to have pictures in them. They were my sister's. After she disappeared, I couldn't bear to see her smiling face in these frames every day, taunting me with what I was missing."
Tohru wasn't expecting such a personal answer and felt ashamed for asking about the frames in the first place. No doubt it brought him pain to talk about his long lost sister.
His eyes seemed distant as he continued, "This was her room, actually."
Tohru was horrified for intruding on this man like this. She had no right to occupy his sister's room. He probably hoped that she would come back one day and sleep in this same room again. Who was she to crush that dream?
"Oh, I'm so sorry, I shouldn't be in here," Tohru said quickly as she ripped the sheets off of herself. She tried to jump out of the bed too fast. The blood rushed out of her head and she stumbled to the side as she struggled to stay upright. She could feel herself falling down quickly, but Akito caught her before she hit the ground. The porcelain basin of water he was holding fell out of his hands and smashed on the ground and shattered. The water splashed out in all directions onto the wooden floor.
Tohru stayed there in his arms for a moment completely stunned before starting an endless string of apologies.
"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to-"
"Shhh," Akito said soothingly, "It's perfectly fine." He picked her up bridal style and set her back down on the bed, tucking her snuggly inside the covers.
"It's no trouble at all for you to stay here," he said comfortingly as he brushed her hair out of her face and behind her ear, "Besides, I enjoy your company. I've been rather lonely since my sister's been gone. Now I can take care of you."
Tohru's eyes filled with tears. This man was so kind, so gentle. She was a complete stranger to him and yet he was willing to take her in and treat her as if she was his own sister. Her heart ached for his loss. Though she was lost, confused, and couldn't remember anything about her past, one thing was certain in her mind. Whoever took away this man's happiness is a monster. Yuki Sohma is a monster.
Darn, I thought this would be longer. It is the longest word count yet though! Victory! Maybe some Akito POV soon? Leave a review please! A few seconds of your time would make me really happy and motivate me to start the next chapter as soon as possible :)
