Disclaimer- I do not own Fruits Basket. That belongs to the Goddess Takaya. Also I will use random quotes from the manga.

Author's Note- I am so, so sorry. I haven't died. I haven't given up. Junior year sucks. Seriously. I hate it. I have AP exams, normal exams, and registration for next year, etc. I love all of you for not giving up. huggles

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Ashes-Chapter Twenty Eight-Begin

聞こえない叫び聞こえない叫び聞こえない叫び

Tohru, Haru, probably Shigure…which means he told Hatori and that other annoying bastard…!

I tick the people off on my fingers that I think know about me and Yuki. I'm assuming Shigure figured it out already. He's not stupid. But if he knows then so do Ayame and Hatori…. Too many people know. Haru and Tohru wont say anything, but the other three…I can't trust them.

I set the carton of orange juice on the table and sigh. My body feels heavy. I have only a month and a half before graduation. A part of me believes, or wants to believe that something like getting locked up could never happen. This isn't the Middle Ages, this is the 20th century. They can't do that to people…to normal people. I have to remind myself that I am the farthest thing from normal.

"Good morning, Kyo-kun!" My ears prick up as Tohru steps into the kitchen, "Where is Yuki-kun?"

'How should I know?' was halfway to my lips before I clapped my teeth shut. It felt weird being so casual about it, especially in front of her. I felt embarrassed, but a sort of defiance was stronger within me. I scowled and shrugged my shoulders.

Just then Yuki walked through the door, rubbing his eyes and muttering something that could have been 'good morning' in our general direction. Shigure was trailing after him. Tohru smiled and replied, and began serving breakfast as we all sat down around the familiar square table. Shigure began to question our plans for the day, when Yuki's eyes suddenly snapped to the carton of OJ I was still drinking.

"How many times do I have to ask you nicely to get a cup?" His voice was whip like.

"As many times as you like," I replied, taking a long slow drink from the carton, "you should just figure out that I'm not gonna listen to you."

"No one wants to gets sick from you," he said, sniffing.

"I'm not sick, you damn rat! You're just making up excuses to try and be all condescending!"

"No, it's just that no one else wants to drink your cat-backwash!"

"And no one else wants to listen to you bitch about it!"

Suddenly aware of the lack of Tohru's protests and a rather ominous silence opposite us, we both look over simultaneously at the other side of the table to see both Tohru and Shigure watching us attentively. Shigure raises his head off his hand and lifts his brow.

"Is something wrong?"

"What-what the hell are you watching us for?!"

"But it's so entertaining listening to you two go on and on like an old married couple," Shigure protests as Tohru hurriedly begins to clear the table even though no one had touched their food.

My face ignites as Yuki visibly blanches.

"Why you-!!!" I roar, "I'm leaving!" I upset the table as I rise to leave.

"Don't bother," Shigure smiles and turns to leave, "I'm going out for the day." He rests his hand on the doorframe for a second before winking and leaving.

All three of us stare after him, as I slow my furious breathing, "What the hell was that?!"

"Yuki-kun," Tohru says, "I was wondering if some of your vegetables are ready for harvest?"

"Tonight's dinner?" He questions, and Tohru answers with a smile and a nod.

"I'm already overdue on some of them, so I'll cut everything that's ready and bring it to you." He smils. It was that kind of smile. I twinge.

"Thank you so much!" Tohru says, and busies herself rummaging through the kitchen cupboards. I stand there growing more insanely jealous by the minute when a pair of leather gloves smacks me in the face.

"Make yourself useful," Yuki says, "instead of standing there with that idiotic look on your face."

"For cryin' out loud…" I huff. But I can't hide the half-smile from my face as I follow Yuki out the door.


"…wow." Yuki and I survey the garden. I can't find anything suspicious, and look at him with my eyebrows raised.

"What?"

"It's been a while since I've been here." He kneels down next to what looks like beanstalks.

"What's wrong with it?"

"Look," he points at the soft soil next to the bean-things. Tiny fuzzed sprouts are growing out of the ground.

"Weeds?" I ask.

"Tomatoes," he replies, pointing to the full-grown bush a few feet away.

"Whaaa- but-" I say as he starts to pluck them from the ground, "What are you doing that for? They're not bad!"

"If they grow they'll choke out the edamame. You have to sacrifice some plants to allow the ones you want to grow to live."

I feel sick suddenly, and angry.

"Well, are you going to plant them somewhere else?" I sort of burst out. Yuki looks up quickly. Heat rushes to my face. "I-I mean, they're not completely useless, you could just put them somewhere else, they could do their job just as well as the other ones!"

Yuki opens his mouth but doesn't say anything.

"You-you don't have to sacrifice…anything." I say, turning my flushed face away.

"Kyo…" the sound of his voice soothes me, but makes me angry with him for being soft, "look at me."

I ignore him and concentrate on my clenched fists, feeling pathetic for blowing everything out of proportion again. "Hey, Kyo…?"

Suddenly he sweeps me with his feet and my back slams into the ground.

"…Shit!" I yell, raising myself on my elbows, "What the hell-"

I stop talking when I realize his face is half an inch from mine. He swings a knee over my stomach and places his hands on either side of me. I shrink back from those huge silver eyes.

"Kyo," he says slowly but fiercely, and I don't breathe, waiting for him to move, "you're not a tomato."

I blink for several seconds. It was all I needed.

"…Right…sorry."


"Don't you think Shigure is a bit late?" Yuki muses, his chin on his hand as he stares at the streaked windows. I look up drowsily, trying to ignore the pounding rain.

Tohru looks up from the steaming pot of stew. "Oh! You're right, I didn't notice until now…he did say he'd be out all day but…" She glanced out the window into the pitch dark.

"Should-should we call the main house?" She suggests timidly.

"Hn," I say, knowing that would never happen. Yuki too looks out the window. "He should have least called…it's not like he'll eat dinner over there or anything." He murmurs, to himself mostly.

Everyone perks up and Tohru nearly jumps out of her skin at the sound at the sound of approaching footsteps.

"It must be…" Tohru trots off to get the door for him. Yuki looks at me and I shrug. We didn't hear a car. Maybe he walked home. No, he wouldn't be that stupid in this rain.

Both our necks snap around at the door as we hear Tohru open the door and give a loud, horrified gasp. We both practically sprint into the living room. I hear a strange noise from Yuki.

"Yo," Shigure smiles, raising two of his fingers to his dripping brow, "what's for dinner?"

"Shi-Shi-Shi-" Tohru raises her quaking fingers in front of her.

"What the hell happened to you?" I cut Tohru off.

"Oh, this?" Shigure waves his hand in the general direction of his face, "Well, you see, I was walking home,"

By the 'you see' both Yuki and I knew it was a load of crap.

"And dark clouds suddenly swarmed over head, and before I realized it, it was pouring buckets and pitch dark!"

Tohru blinked in horrid worry.

"And in that pitch blackness, -it was terrible, Tohru-kun, that blackness- I tripped over a tree root and fell right over!"

He tries to wink, but his massively swollen eye prevents it and he winces.

"Well, is dinner ready?" Tohru nods quickly, still casting worried eyes over him, not moving a muscle.

"I'm going to go change, so don't put it away," He pats her on the head and leaves, water soaking into the carpet and making little squishing sounds as he walks. Tohru swiftly turns to us, looking for reassurance that Shigure was telling the truth. We both give fake smiles in return. Now we all understood and could lie freely. She travels back to the kitchen.

I cross my arms and look over at Yuki to see him in the same position. We don't have to say anything.


"Ahhh, it's great to be clean!" Shigure slams the shoji open very loudly to where we are all sitting under the kotatsu watching the 10 o'clock news. He rubs his hair with a towel, and smiles at us, awkwardly because of his swollen lips.

"Shigure-san…" Tohru looks reluctantly at his face, "Is there something that I can-"

"Nothing, my little flower, nothing." He reaches down and gently taps her nose. "'Tis only a scratch!" He laughs, a little too loudly. It annoys me.

"Where are you going?" Yuki looks up at me.

"The roof." I scowl.

"It's raining," he points out. I scowl bigger. I forgot about that. I go up to my room instead.

Quiet.


The sound of running water and clinking dishes relaxes me.

"Yuki-kun," Shigure calls me from the opposite side of the table, "I need to talk to you for a little." He glances at the closed kitchen door where Tohru is cleaning up.

I get off my elbow where I have been waiting patiently for his speech to explain himself. He threads his fingers together and studies them for a few seconds.

"I know…that it might be really hard to do, but…" He looks almost as if he is admitting something. I raise my eyebrows higher as his silence prolongs.

"You mustn't talk to Akito about Kyo." I don't move at all, not letting anything show.

"Is your face the end result?"

"Well, that," He chuckles nervously, "but…you might get him in even more trouble." He looks guilty for a split second. Inside I recoil.

"What does that mean?" I spit acidly, "Did you do something idiotic?"

"I was honestly trying to do my part as a good citizen," he looks slightly affronted, "you sound so suspicious!" He tries to smile again.

"What did you say to him?" Shigure leans back and scratches his head, sighing.

"I only asked him to be a bit more merciful."

My heart pounds. "You- you know that doesn't work! You knew he'd get angry! Because of your lunacy K- he's going to be punished more?"

"I thought I could help, Yuki." He says, severely enough to make me stop talking, "Which is why I'm telling you not to do anything rash."

I laugh, cruelly.

"Rash, Shigure? Are you saying what you did was rash?"

Shigure narrows his eyes slightly, as I stand to take my leave. "Are you sure you weren't trying to gain something for yourself?"

His expression doesn't change, he doesn't move. Just like me when I was trying to hide something.


As I journey to my room, I walk past the closed bathroom door and I hear the shower going. I let my hand brush against it, rather loudly. I unbutton my shirt with the other.

I get to my own room and crawl across my bed, letting my back sag against the wall and sighing deeply. I open my eyes to stare blankly at the moonlight casting white shadows on the opposite wall.

After all this time, it still seems absurd. I frown and close my eyes, shutting the light out of my mind. This light that seems to illuminate the things I want to stay hidden. I stay there like that avoiding everything for a long time.

"Yuki…are you awake?"

My eyes snap open to see total darkness spread throughout my room. I turn my head and see Kyo standing in the doorway. I can smell soap and his clean clothes.

"Yes." He is a bit silent and I catch him eyeing my unbuttoned shit, hanging off my shoulders.

He raises his eyebrows, "Were you waiting for me?"

I blink and make a half-smirk.

"I guess I was."

He moves toward me and I freeze up, not even breathing, watching him carefully. Like someone being stalked.

He sits down in front of me on the bed. He doesn't move either.

The cold room already seems warmer.

He seems embarrassed, and ashamed. Of this. Of himself.

I snake my fingers to touch the back of his hand. He flinches very slightly, and I grasp it hard.

I realize, quite suddenly and fiercely that I don't want him to flinch away from me any more.

I pull his hand, roughly, towards me until his body is turned towards me. He watches me through uncertain eyes, shying away slightly, hiding behind his bangs.

I draw his hand to my face, and turning in over in front of my eyes. I slowly run my lips across the edge of his index finger. He flinches again.

"Yuki…!" He says, apparently startled.

"Shh."

"But-"

"Be quiet, you stupid cat," I admonish, and frown as I hold those shivering digits steadfast, determined. I feel him shiver beneath my mouth. I don't look at him, keeping my eyes at a lazy half-closed position, gazing at nothing at all.

He gasps when I move to the other wavering fingers, gently kissing and pressing my mouth to them, trailing over them.

"Yuki…" He says again.

It's hardly ever like this. It's hardly ever gentle.

My eyes slowly close, shutting out everything but Kyo's beautiful hands. The hands that could so easily smash a brick or a board in two, hands that were now trembling and helpless in mine.

I will work to make him not afraid. I will make him stop cringing away from me, even if it takes forever.

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Ashes-Chapter Twenty Eight-End

聞こえない叫び聞こえない叫び聞こえない叫び