-- Rapture --
Chapter 2 - Answers
Wednesday November 05, 2003
Scribbler's ramblings: Wow, I¡¯m starting another chapter the day I finished the last! I'm so proud, hehe, I never do this. Especially when I should probably be doing science and English homework¡¦ bleh.
Just a note, I'm going to push the boundaries of the curse¡¦ so if you feel that there's part that doesn't quite follow the rules of the curse, that's me just bending them.
Here's the next chapter. Enjoy.
Disclaimers: I'll own Furuba soon enough. Or at least Furuba manga! The first volume is due in Canada February 2004! CHA!
-=+=-
"I need to tell you something, Tohru," Kyou murmured.
Her large brown eyes stared back at him, shining with happiness and a touch of confusion.
"I- I think I love you."
She continued staring.
"No, I mean, I love you, because I know I love you, and yea¡¦ At least I'm pretty sure that I love you, but I don't mean it that way, I mean¡¦" Kyou sputtered.
Her expression never change, still somewhat confused.
"So¡¦ I was wondering¡¦ do you - do you possibly like me? Or even maybe love me? Or sorta-kinda like me? You don't really have to say anything¡¦ but I was hoping that¡¦" Kyou tripped over words spilling from his mouth.
She remained silent.
"Kuso! I'll never get this right," Kyou said, slamming his Tohru's portrait down onto his desk.
For over half an hour he had been practicing with a framed picture of his beloved Tohru, trying and trying again to get the words right. To confess to her that he loved her, that he couldn't stand being without her and wanted to take her in his arms and¡¦
But without the right words, he couldn't bring himself to tell her. He was too afraid of upsetting her with hollow phrases and faulty expressions. He had to practice, and he had to get it right.
I love her too much for my own good, he thought, sighing.
-=+=-
In the room beside him, Tohru was worrying over basically the same thing. She was afraid that events earlier in the evening had ruined her relationship with him. "Ahhh, how could you be so stupid Tohru? Being so dense, dumb, daft ¡¦ dupid!" she hissed to herself.
Dupid? Was that even a word?
"See! You're doing it again, letting yourself daydream and be so ignorant! Of course dupid isn't a word¡¦" Tohru whispered.
Dupid wasn't a word, but stupid and cupid certainly were. Stupid cupid.
She could never bring herself to concentrate at the task at hand. She had always been a dreamy sort of person, and when she met him, her inability to focus grew. She was always lost in her head, dreaming about him.
He had fascinated her from the beginning. The fact that he morphed into a cat was certainly interesting, but other aspects of him intrigued her. So adorable yet strong. He had the forced characteristic of tactlessness; he pretended to be completely clueless about the opposite sex. His traits reminded her more of a lost puppy rather than a cat.
He was never out of her mind. Constantly there, constantly smiling that half-smile of mystery. Happy in his own special way.
Tohru realized she had not mentioned his name once while thinking about him. Not once. As if his name was too holy to speak, to think.
Kyou.
Kyou in the next room, pondering about something.
Maybe he's thinking about me.
-=+=-
Through the bustling streets of Tokyo, Yuki stumbled towards a filthy, badly lit alley. According to the map Akito had given him, the cure, curiously named Sohma Kyuseishu, would be found in that dirty, cramped space.
Of course, you realize that this could just be a trap to kill you. Torture and maim you¡¦ it seems like a thing Akito-sama would do, Yuki imagined, cursing himself for his blind obedience.
Another thing bothered him. He couldn't stop calling Akito, Akito-sama. Akito was no greater than him. In fact, he was a great deal weaker than him; staying holed up in his room the entire day. Akito was scum, dirt, filth¡¦ as much of a rat as Yuki was.
Deep in thought, Yuki walked absent-mindedly into a little girl. "May I help you?" she asked, barely reaching Yuki's stomach.
Yuki checked the map twice. Before him was a medicine store, tightly squashed between two other shops. Each bore brazen neon signs in need of repair, but the small, cramped shop only had a ragged cloth sign, flapping in the wind.
"May I help you?" the girl repeated, no edge of impatience or annoyance in her voice.
This should be the place, Yuki thought. He wondered why he didn't feel more excited that this was the place - the place that would sell him the cure for his curse. Perhaps it was because he had expected something more. A palace of sorts, or even a well maintained store. But this, this was just not it.
Yuki strode past the little girl, barely noticing her anyway, and up to an old lady maintaining the shack. "Excuse me, Toshiyori-san, do you have any Sohma Kyuseishu?" he asked politely, feeling slightly foolish when she stared back at him with disbelief.
"Otoko-san, she is right there, you bumped into her just moments ago," she answered, pointing behind him, confused with his strange question.
Bumped into? Yuki spun around to stare at the little, unclean girl. Her blue-black hair was pulled into two rough braids, and she only wore rags. Bumped into? I bumped into the girl without transforming? Surely she couldn't be¡¦
"Sohma Kyuseishu?" he asked.
"Yes, Oniisan?" she replied, her dirty hands tucked neatly behind her back.
"Don't lie to me! Where can I find a Sohma Kyuseishu? It's very important," Yuki questioned, not believing the grandmother's and child's foolish game. Sohma Kyuseishu is a medicine, not a person, not some little girl who I have never bumped in to, Yuki lied to himself.
"Sumimasen, Oniisan, I tell you the truth," she said, bearing her hands to him.
Upon them, in perfect kanji, flourished the words Sohma Kyuseishu.
-=+=-
Akito's cough steadily progressed, getting worse with every strained breath. "Akito-san, I'm sorry to say, but you have a week, a week and no more, probably less," Hatori gravely reported, after examining Akito.
"A week and you shall rejoice," Akito hacked. "A week and you shall be free from my tyranny! Hahaha¡¦" His spiteful laughter turned into another fit of rough coughs.
He knew that they hated him. He could see it in their eyes; etched on their faces every time they turned to see him. Every time they knelt before him, he could sense their dislike for him. A monster, tyrant, beast. Names that had been muttered so frequently, they had lost all meaning.
They wouldn't care when he died. No one would. They wouldn't waste a second of their lives mourning. Their dictator was gone, and their lives would go on.
But his ended in a week.
A week and no more, probably less.
Was he worried? Of course not. He would have welcomed death ten years ago. Even he understood that his life had no purpose, no reason to continue living.
His hacking laughter died away, and he remained unnaturally silent for a few moments. Suddenly thoughts of anger exploded from his mind. "Out!" he screamed. "Get out NOW! Leave me in my peace! GET OUT!"
Hatori respectfully left the presence of the Sohma clan leader.
Akito collapsed into a crumpled pile of coughs and, if Hatori had bothered to listen, sobs as well.
-=+=-
Meet me on the roof.
That was all the note had said. Five simple words.
Tohru wished there had only been three¡¦
Ahhh, baka baka baka baka¡¦ he probably just wants to teach me something¡¦ like stances or how to not be stupid¡¦ stupid cupid¡¦ cupid¡¦ Kyou¡¦ AH! Baka baka baka baka¡¦
-=+=-
Kyou hadn't prepared a thing. Not one word, one syllable. All he knew was that he loved her, and that he had to tell her.
But now, his once brave heart shrank back. How could I be so stupid?! he asked himself. This is going to turn out all wrong and she'll hate me forever, and baka baka baka¡¦
Baka had become a regular part of both their vocabularies.
Tohru climbed up the ladder on the side of the house. Kyou probably leapt up here, she thought. She found herself staring at his lean arms. Tohru imagined herself lying, so incredibly comfortable, in them. Her head pressed against his neck, and both of them watching the sunset. Like in those movies she had watched over and over, wishing that he had also been with her, watching; even if it was only so that he would pull the cheesy yawn-and-arm-over-shoulder move, or squeeze her hand at the romantic parts.
She stepped up the last rung, and crawled to where Kyou was sitting. The uneven shingles scraped her knees, but she couldn't have cared less. Finally beside him, she sat cross-legged.
The view was breath-taking. The rest of the city spread before them, speckled with windows of light and breezy tree tops. Yet all the beautiful scenery in the world would not have taken away the attention Kyou had for Tohru.
She shivered.
Baka! You should've planned for a warmer time of the night!
Eh¡¦ now you're going to look like a cold idiot! You should've brought a sweater!
Baka baka baka baka¡¦
¡¦ baka baka baka!
Before thinking any further, Kyou took off his sweatshirt and offered it to Tohru. He still had his black T-shirt and had grown used to the cold.
Tohru gratefully accepted, and pulled the sweater over her head; Kyou's warmth comforting her. Kyou's lean arms were now exposed, and she couldn't help but wish that he could embrace her.
She was lost in her thoughts again, wishing, wanting, hoping that Kyou would do something.
"Tohru, I love you."
Well that certainly qualified as something.
-=+=-
A week and no more, probably less. That was what Hatori had promised. Now, lying on his deathbed Akito could not have loathed Hatori more.
¡®Probably less¡¯ had meant three, four, five, six days. ¡®Probably less¡¯ did not mean one hour.
When I get my hands on him¡¦ Akito thought with contempt.
When you get your hands on him, what are you gonna do? Cough all over him? Oh, I'm shaking in my boots, his conscience replied.
Shut up.
You shouldn't die like this, Akito. Be forgiving; be nice for once in your life, you should¡¦
Akito mentally shot his conscience. I told you to shut up.
Akito was alone. He was born alone and he would die alone. He had learnt that his mother had handed him carelessly to a wet nurse immediately after giving birth. Now even Fate would abandon him at his death.
Everything, he thought. Everything I am, I owe to myself. Absolutely everything. But nonetheless, thank you, thank you life for
nothing.
Nothing. Akito's shallow breaths paused forever. Nothing.
-=+=-
¡°Eh?!¡± Tohru cried, gasping at the same time.
What have I just done?! Kyou thought, eyes widening to match Tohru¡¯s surprised expression.
He didn¡¯t mean to say it – she had just looked so angelic, so wonderful and amazing and ¡¦ he could¡¯ve gone on forever. Even if her hair was wind-whipped, even with the fading yellow stain upon her shirt, even with her legs scraped from the shingles of the roof; he still loved her.
You said it way too early¡¦ start with some small talk you said, be easy on her you said, but noooo being normal was never good enough for you, Kyou mocked himself for being so incredibly stupid.
She stared at him with those large brown eyes. It was like talking to her portrait, except this was very much the real thing. Think think think, say something! Kyou flustered. ¡°Umm, yea, what I mean to say is, I – I – I love you. I honestly really truly do. You were the first to accept me; my first true friend and the first one who made me feel this way.
¡°And somehow being friends with you just isn¡¯t enough. I love you too much for my own good, and it was just something I needed to tell you. How much I love you. My Tohru.¡±
With each word he said, his voice grew softer and he leaned in to kiss her.
Her shocked expression softened, and she too leaned in, feeling his warm breath against her face.
A breeze picked up and played with their hair; tousling his orange locks, and lacing her brown ones through the air. Kyou couldn't believe how natural she looked - hair dancing in the wind, and a backdrop of gently bending trees behind her. Tohru's eyes gazed upon Kyou - his eyes dotted with fiery drops and the glow from the city behind him. All too perfect.
Perfection in one kiss. One sweet, gentle promise of better things to come. Of a knowledge that someone would always be there with you. Always, when the nights seemed forbidding and the days too blistering. To shield you from any pain or hurt. A kiss to seal that promise.
Breaking the kiss, they took a few moments to stare. Ask themselves why their hearts ached, but having a brain too muddled to answer the question. They settled down side by side, holding hands that seemingly would never let go.
They stared up at the great moon. One beautiful pale orb. One sky of blissful darkness. Two which matched each other so perfectly, they melded into one and only one night.
They knew this was reality. A very dreamy, floaty reality. A reality where you could touch the crystalline drops of comfort that showered down; feel the warmth of the forgiving night. A reality where everything was so perfect, it could be mistaken for a wish.
Blissful reality.
Good enough to be true.
The unspoken wonder of love.
-=+=-
Scribbler's ramblings: =_=+ I thoroughly dislike writing fluff. I mean, all the cute fuzzly-wuzzly-are-they-thinking-about-me stuff I can handle. But, when it gets to actually making them kiss and stuff, I can't do it. It seems too lemony.
Oh well. Here ends the second chapter! Please review constructively and I hope you enjoy the story so far! CHA! (read the ads from the last chapter)
Here are Japanese words that I threw in because the English words seemed out-of-character! All of these came from my dictionary though, so I'm not sure if I used them in the proper context. Toshiyori = an elderly person or old man/woman. Otoko = man or male. Oniisan = elder brother.
Thursday November 06, 2003