A/n: The end guys. It's been an emotional roller coaster of a story.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket.

"Pure as we begin
Pure as we come in
Pure as we begin
Pure by will alone"
-"Intension" Tool

Kyo was exhausted with tears. His entire body seemed to ache and scream out angrily with the slightest movement. His fight with Yuki took a minimal toll on his body compared to the immense emotional strain he had endured. His stomach twisted with sickness as he used fresh water to wash away the reoccurring taste of bile in the back of his throat.

He had no clue what type of condition Yuki was in. Shigure commented that it looked serious but the cat fled before he could get a good look at his rival. It was cowardly but even now Kyo couldn't muster the strength or will to rise from bed. He would just lie there in self pity until the darkness decided to carry him away.

Life without Yuki just didn't seem to amount to much.

The young martial artist earned his victory at last, but it didn't taste as sweet as he had dreamed. Defeating Yuki was suppose to grant him freedom but Kyo only found himself further enslaved. He was unable to make Yuki love him and in the end that was the ultimate failure.

His face coated with a fresh batch of tears, Kyo buried his head into the center of his pillow. He wished he could burrow his way down and never come up. As his body convulsed with each wave of painful sobs, the bedroom door silently swung open into the darkness.

"Kyo..." a voice meekly carried over the cries.

Lifting his head, Kyo's blood shot eyes struggled to make figures of the dark. His vision cleared and focused on a heavily bandaged young man. Kyo felt his heart elevate to his throat.

"What do you want," he tested his rough vocals on something other than weeping.

Yuki remained unresponsive, lingering idly in the center of the room. Moonlight poured in through the untreated window and cascaded down the side of his lilac tinted hair. His smooth skin was pale and beautiful, glowing with an unrivaled alabaster light. He looked like an angel hesitating by Kyo's bedside. His lips pursed as if struggling for words he just couldn't grasp.

"Out with it," Kyo ground tiredly.

"I just wanted to talk to you," Yuki took the liberty to settle himself at the end of the bed.

"I've been thinking a lot about what you said," Yuki's eyes shifted nervously with each word, "and maybe you were right."

"It's too late for apologies. Not that I even expected one out of you," Kyo rose to a sit, his eyes leveling on his visitor.

Yuki winced at Kyo's merciless tone. So it's back to this.

"That's not what I'm saying...," Yuki's hands wrestled in his lap.

"Then what are you saying?" Kyo pressed.

"I love you," Yuki's dust colored eyes returned Kyo's gaze.

"Get out!" Kyo growled, his eyes averting to the door.

"Wait!" Yuki cried, trying to secure his unsteady position on the bed. "It doesn't have to be like this."

"It's too late. There's nothing left for us. We can't escape our fate," a few tears escaped down Kyo's colorless cheeks.

"That's not what you taught me," Yuki's hands clasped delicately around Kyo's face. "You taught me not to be a victim to my fate. That there's a chance as long as we fight for it."

Kyo felt as if his heart was under a grindstone. He wanted to believe Yuki but he had been scorned too many times by the prince. He didn't know if he could with stand another blow like this. If Yuki didn't mean it...if it all fell apart again, it just might kill him.

"Are you willing to fight for it?" Yuki released Kyo's face.

"You really mean this?" Kyo's world lingered helplessly on Yuki's single syllable reply.

"Yes," Yuki gently smiled as his lips enveloped warmly over Kyo's.

Forgetting the injuries, Kyo ran his hands carelessly across Yuki's chest. The rat's nerves fluttered beneath the boy's touch. It was a mild pain, laced with subtle traces of pleasure. Pulling Kyo closer, he deepened the kiss.

"But what about Akito and the others? They will never allow this. We'll be persecuted. I'll be locked away even sooner," Kyo broke the interaction.

"Why does it matter what they say," Yuki breathed. "Why don't we just run away from it all? Let's get out of here. Let's save ourselves."

"Can we do that?" Kyo frantically searched Yuki's face for any detection that he was joking.

"We can sure as hell try," his hand firmed around Kyo's. "Let's do it."

The sky was cool and cloudless as the boys ventured off into the night. A sea of mist rose from the ground and hovered around their feet.

"What's going to happen to us?" Kyo sighed as he inhaled the crisp night air.

"I don't know," Yuki's hand intwined with his lover's. "But at least we are together."

The two Sohma boys disappeared into the fog without a destination. All they knew was what they were leaving behind: a world full of abuse and unforgivable sins. The pair chose exile together rather than a home that would tear them apart. The night was promising and hand in hand they made the journey that would shape the rest of their lives.