A/N - Thank you for your wonderful reviews! Now in this chapter, there are some Hiro musings. I know he's only around 4th grade, but I perceive him as an observant and independent little kid. So I'm truly sorry if he doesn't live up to your Hiro expectations. =D

Title – Falling

Author – Kawaii Kinomoto

Genre – Angst/Romance

Rating – PG-13 (it may be raised)

Warnings – Slash, Language, Abuse, Dark Themes

Main Pairings – Kyou/Yuki, Akito/Yuki

Additional Pairings - One-sided Haru/Yuki, one-sided Kagura/Kyou, one-sided Tohru/Kyou, Hiro/Kisa, Hatori/Ayame/Shigure (yesh, the lovely threesome!)

Disclaimer – I do not own Fruits Basket and it's characters/places/settings. So don't sue. =)

Summery - Kyou and Yuki find out that there's only a fine line between love and hate. When their love starts to blossom, Akito puts a stop to it, wanting Yuki for himself. How will this end?

Pain coursed through his veins. He could practically feel his arm being torn off when Akito had swung him across the room. He never knew Akito was so strong. He just looked so pale and lethargic all the time that one would think that he'd faint after standing for too long. But Akito was far from weak. Far from sickly. Life was draining from Akito. Everybody knew that. He was bearing the burden of their curse, after all. They knew he was leaving them soon, but they didn't know when. They didn't dare think of the matter of when Akito would die. It would seem dishonourable... unjust, somehow.

He shifted his position on the futon and nearly screamed in agony. 'Careful... careful...' he warned himself, for more noise would only attract unwanted attention. Hatori was next door, probably tending to Akito. Hiro scoffed. As if Akito needed taking care of. He jolted as he heard the door slide open and stiffened almost instinctively as he saw Hatori next to him. He knew that Hatori would never hurt him, but Hiro just didn't know who to trust anymore.

"I'm sorry. Akito went out of control..."

Sorry for not stopping him earlier or sorry that Akito flew into a rage? Hatori was always blaming himself for Akito's faults. It was as if he held himself responsible for whatever the leader did. Hiro didn't say a word, keeping his mouth clamped shut. Hatori sighed. Dealing with Hiro was never easy.

"You must rest. You can't be allowed to the party tonight."

NOW he got a reaction. Hiro jerked his head over to Hatori, giving him a glare that would make a basilisk proud. Who was Hatori to stop him? He wasn't going to disappoint Kisa by not turning up. She had been looking forward to it all week!

"Why? I'm fine. I can walk. I'll just have to be a bit more careful with my arm, that's all," came the defiant answer, loud and clear. Hiro was never one for shyness, Kisa was the one who took over in that department. Hatori's eye looked at him unnervingly before he spoke.

"No."

Anger shot through Hiro like a bullet. He felt like throwing something in Hatori's face. The doctor was calm, as usual, and it peeved Hiro off to no end that Hatori could be so cool about everything when he was denying what he wanted. Hiro said no more. There was no swaying Hatori once he was set on something, much less something medical.

The older man left the room quietly, leaving Hiro to his own thoughts. He cursed himself now. He shouldn't have come before Kisa's birthday, for there was a sure fire chance of something happening while he was confronting Akito. He banged his forehead against his palm, hitting it in time with his words.

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid...

... I'm sorry, Kisa... I'm sorry I can't be there for you, once again...

"Shigure! Look out!"

Yuki and Kyou could only look on in horror (and alas, amusement) as Shigure tripped over a floorboard and came crashing down on Tohru. There was a loud 'poof' before a black dog was sitting on top of Tohru's stomach, wagging it's tail heartily.

"Aah, since I'm now currently incapable of handling any cooking utensils, I best be off to the living room," came Shigure's voice. And the dog happily trotted out of the kitchen. Yuki and Kyou looked at each other, each knowing that they've just been tricked. Baka Shigure was always too clever and sneaky to ever know what he was really thinking. Shigure had once told them that acting like an idiot made people less cautious of you and what you were up to. And Shigure planned on playing that role to his full advantage.

They were supposed to be preparing the meals for Kisa's arrival in an hour's time. The cake had already been baked (twice, since Kyou accidentally smashed his hand in it when he was aiming for the sink) and most of the meals prepared. Though there were 3 people doing the cooking, in reality, it was much worse. Kyou, for one, wouldn't go near anything that had any vegetables, choosing to, however, flee to the other side of the room to, as he put it, 'sniff the cake to see if it's ripe'... whatever that meant. Yuki, though at least quite experienced in cooking, still had no idea why eggs tended to explode in the microwave. Which left poor Tohru to scramble around to fix everything up, much to her dismay. Shigure would have no two ways about it. He tried to get out of being in the kitchen whatever chance he got, making up excuses all the way.

"Hello, everyone! The great Ayame-san is here! Now don't push! There's enough of me to go around!"

And there was Ayame in all his glory, long silver hair being blown about in the gentle afternoon breeze, eyes sparkling as he looked around the room, hands clasped together...

THWAP!

Eyes crossed stupidly as his brother whacked him across the head.

"Ow, Yuki!" cried Ayame. A squeal of delight that could only come across as Shigure's could be heard in the living room. Ayame got up from his sprawled position on the floor and ran for the main hall. The three teenagers could hear embarrassing smooches and loud laughter ringing from the other room. Gods, those two just didn't know how to behave properly around each other.

Both Ayame and Shigure were sitting in the living room, having abandoned their 'toshi-shita' minutes ago. The silence between them was amiable, both equally comfortable with each other's presence. They never got the time to do this anymore. They really have drifted apart.

"Hiro's not coming..."

Shigure looked up at Ayame's solemn face. It was seldom that the silver-haired man was caught with a serious look on his face. There was only a few rare moments, most of which after Hatori had given him a good yelling at when they were younger. In fact, nowadays, save for the time when the threesome were discussing about Hatori's ex-lover, it was as if Ayame had a switch button, only allowing people to see the bumbling moron that he was. Nobody really knew Ayame, he was just more complex than he let out to be. Shigure felt a bit jealous that Hatori was the only one who could really cheer Ayame up in a flash. Ayame always followed what Hatori wanted. That was that. There was many a time when Shigure, in his younger years, had stormed off in a fit when the other two ganged up on him. They had made up everytime, of course, but Shigure was never very forgiving, choosing, however, to harp on the moments on when he had been left deserted by his best friends.

"Why not?"

There was a pause before Ayame spoke. Slowly, carefully, as if working around the words.

"His arm's been fractured. He made Akito mad..."

"How did you know?"

The silver-haired man smiled at Shigure, softly. Not the usual goofy grin that he sprouted around everybody.

"Hatori called."

There it was again. That wave of jealousy. Why hadn't Hatori called him instead?

"Kisa'll be crushed..."

There was another pause.

"I know..."

"AAAAAHHHH!!! KAAAGGGUUURAAAA!!!"

"COME BACK HERE, YOU MONGREL! YOU DIDN'T CONTACT ME IN AGES!"

Kyou mind blanked as he ran left, passing by Hatsuharu in the process. The younger boy pulled his shirt to keep him from escaping. Kyou scrambled around, ready to scratch the stupid cow if need be, before a raging Kagura caught him by the collar and swung him around.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!"

Shigure was very much amused by the whole thing. He and Ayame were busy teasing Kyou, the younger boy not knowing that he tended to hesitate while he was yelling at them in return, leaving Kagura to catch him easily. Kisa was giggling softly in the arms of Tohru who was strangely worried for the boy. All of them were outside, enjoying the soft breeze. Momiji was playing his little sing-a-long game with anybody who bothered to listen.

"Ne, ne, Yuki! Sing-a-long with me, please! Nobody else wants to!"

And so Yuki was left amusing the little cherub, both singing as loudly as they could to block out the screams and the yells that shouted bloody murder. Kyou panted as Kagura switched modes again, being ever-so-cute and lovable. He slinked away shiftily before the voices of the mouse and the rabbit came to his ears. Kyou had never heard Yuki sing before. He expected it to be off-tune and wavery, the way Yuki adamantly denied singing everytime someone prompted. Instead, it was soothing, playing a melody that only it knew where to go, leaving an audience breathless and wanting more. Hearing the two voices blend together, it reminded Kyou of a mother and her child, she trying to sing the baby to sleep, but the child refusing anyway.

"AHAH!!! THERE YOU ARE!!! DON'T YOU RUN AWAY THIS TIME!!!"

As if Kyou was just going to keep standing there!

"Ne, onee-chan..."

Tohru looked down at the little girl in her lap. She nuzzled the girl's soft hair as to encourage Kisa further.

"I-I don't see Hiro anywhere..."

Kisa's voice sounded lost and scared in all the commotion that was going on. Tohru didn't worry about Hiro, he was bound to turn up sooner or later.

"Don't worry, Kisa-chan. I'm sure he's on his way," she said, trying to calm the worried girl down. Kisa smiled softly at her before nodding.

"Yes. You're probably right..."

"You shouldn't have talked to Akito!"

The reprimanding voice of Hiro's mother rang accusingly in his ear. He knew that! He knew that already! Why was she repeating what he already knew!?

"I know."

Satsuki eyed her son. He was so distant sometimes. She didn't know how to handle him anymore, he was so unpredictable. She moved closer, as if to pull him into a hug. Hiro stepped back at once.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!"

The scream came out wild and insane, as if Hiro had lost all hold on sanity. He heaved in big breaths before turning to his mother once more, composure back in place.

"I'll be in my room."

He walked briskly up the stairs and Satsuki heard the door slam behind him. She sat down heavily on one of the chairs in the dining room. Why wasn't Hiro who he was anymore? Why did it feel like she was always talking to a stranger? Why did he keep on avoiding her? He was such a little boy, he shouldn't be keeping secrets from his mother. Yet, Satsuki didn't know what to do anymore, ever since her husband died. She just didn't understand.

Tears streamed down her face.

Hiro... why don't you love me anymore?

Kawaii Kinomoto