The Sohma Institute
By Lady of the Ink
Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket, but you knew that. I hope. I do own this story, and all the plot twists it contains.

Chapter Three
Yuki


The first thing that really stood out in Tohru's mind about the room she had just entered was its starkness. There were no clues as to the personality of the person it belonged to. No pictures graced the walls; no mementos lined the stands. There was only a sense of sterility and emptiness that hit her full force the moment she crossed the threshold.

Pulling the door shut behind her in accordance to the rules, Tohru hesitantly took a step forward, her gaze searching for the room's occupant. It didn't take long to find him. On the left side, there was a single bed, neatly made with its gray blanket folded at the foot. A small stand sat at its head, holding nothing but an empty, plastic water glass. Against the opposite wall was a small writing surface, again, completely devoid of anything.

Exactly between the two was a small window, maybe a foot squared. There were no curtains or blinds of any kind, and so she had a clear view of the still cloudy sky. It was this that helped "hide" the person she was seeking. He seemed to blend right into the scenery, his gray hair an almost perfect match to the heavy clouds riding the horizon. The dull colored outfit he wore mixed in equally well.

Since she had come into the room, he hadn't moved a muscle or given any other indication that he knew she was there. He just continued looking out the window, his face hidden from her view. The only sign of movement he showed was the slight rise and fall of his shoulders as he breathed.

He hadn't turned when she had entered the room, which was nothing new if she went by the notes on his chart. Tohru paused, once again assailed by doubts. Would she actually be able to make a difference with someone who might not even know she was there? Would she really be able to find a way to get through to him? To find some little thing that they might have in common that could be used as a starting point?

Catching her lower lip between her teeth, she sighed. This whole undertaking was starting to seem more and more difficult, but nothing would ever get accomplished if she didn't try. She hesitated for only a moment longer before taking action. Crossing the room with three brisk strides, she was soon at his side. Though he had still shown no sign of acknowledging her presence, she didn't feel comfortable just standing there. She felt like she was intruding on his privacy. Figuring that she could at least attempt to talk to him, she leaned slightly forward. When she caught her first real look at him, she froze.

Large amethyst eyes dominated the rest of his features, the pale skin backing them a complimentary setting that added to their brilliance. With the high cheekbones that rested just beneath them, his face had a delicate, almost ethereal air to it. He seemed insubstantial, more mist than true human being. Whatever she had subconsciously been expecting, this wraithlike boy wasn't it.

From her quick look at his chart, she knew him to be around the same age as her, though she never would have guessed it from looking at him. He was one of those people who seemed to stand outside the grasp of time, remaining unchanged when those around grew older. There was something otherworldly about him. The unfocused look in his eyes added to that effect, making her feel as though he was looking at something that was only his to see.

It was several long moments later when she realized that she had been staring at him intently from mere inches away. She gasped in dismay at her unintentional rudeness, one hand flying to her mouth just a second too late to muffle the sound. At the sudden noise, a frown inched its way across his face. Taking some quick steps backward, Tohru stopped only when the backs of her knees hit the bed behind her. After that, she could only wait as he turned to face her.

Slowly lifting his head, Yuki's eyes gradually focused on her. Her breath caught in her throat to be on the receiving end of those eyes. Dull and blank, they had been beautiful. Shining and more aware, they were something that couldn't be described in something so simple as words. But as remarkable as the purple depths were, it was what she saw within them that called to Tohru.

Loneliness.

Pain.

Longing.

She could feel tears misting her eyes at the emotion that came across so clearly from Yuki's gaze. In that instant, she knew only two things for certain. One, she faced a soul truly in pain. And two, she was going to do everything that she could think of to relieve that sorrow.


The girl was crying. The thought penetrated Yuki's hazy mind like a bell ringing in a silent room. The tears that had begun welling in her eyes now traced wet, salty paths down her cheeks. As he watched, she sniffed, ducking her head. A hot, tight feeling rose inside of him, settling heavily in his chest. She was unhappy, and it made him feel . . .bad. Without thought, his hand drifted from his lap, a pale shape in the storm darkened room. His fingertips brushed lightly against her face, and she jumped, her eyes shooting up to meet his. His thumb grazed across the curve of his cheek, imprinting the feel of damp tears and warm skin somewhere in his mind.

"Don't cry," he whispered, so softly he didn't know if the words came out or were clear only in his mind.

"I'm . . .I'm sorry!" Pulling away slightly, the girl began digging through the pockets of her skirt, her long brown hair shifting to hide her face from his view. He felt a vague sense of loss at his inability to see her expression. Had he made her angry? Upset? Would she leave now?

Unaware of the fear that had taken hold of him, she finally produced a square of something white. Unfolding the tissue, she swiped awkwardly at her cheeks, wiping away the tear tracks. "I'm sorry," she repeated, tucking the tissue inside her fist and meeting his gaze. "I'm not usually like this."

He didn't answer, still striving to read her mood. Though she was smiling again, there was something forced in the brightness, some thought that was weighing her down from the inside.

She squared her shoulders, blinking a few more times as if to clear her vision. That overly cheerful smile was still firmly in place when she spoke again. "I'm Tohru Honda, and I'm going to be working here from now on. I just wanted to say hello, and maybe get to know you a little." Her eyes seemed to widen as she thought of something. Holding one hand out in front of her, she began speaking quickly, the words tumbling over each other in her hurry to get them out. "Not that you have to talk to me. You don't have to do anything if you don't want to. You could just as easily ask me to leave, and I would go."

She interrupted herself once more as a horrified expression crossed her face. "Not that I want to leave. That's not what I meant. I do want to be here, I just don't want to be a bother. If you want to be alone, I'd completely respect that decision and go somewhere else and I'm just making this worse, aren't I?" She sighed, and another smile appeared, this one embarrassed and slightly self-deprecating, but real.

Tilting her head to the side, she seemed to be waiting for him to do something. After a moment, she prompted, "This is the part where you tell me to stop talking."

'What if I don't want you to?' came the unexpected thought to Yuki's mind. He frowned slightly, unsure where that had come from.

There had been more than a few nurses and aides brought to this floor over the past months. They had all come and gone without catching his interest. Their attempts to gain his attention had brushed right over him, hardly penetrating the bubble that seemed to surround his mind. He couldn't even remember their faces or names, when it came right down to it. So what was so different about this girl? What had him listening as she spoke, and wanting to keep her talking to him?

The girl, still watching him closely, seemed to think that his frown was directed at her. Abruptly getting to her feet, she took a few steps toward the door. Yuki found his head turning to follow her movements almost against his will. Before she got there, however, she pivoted sharply on her heel, and then retraced her steps. He watched in silence as she paced for a few moments, obviously deep in thought.

His brow furrowed as he took in her strange behavior. He knew that she had said her name earlier, something short . . .Tory? No, that was close, but not quite it. Tohru! That's what it was. Tohru Honda.

As he watched her agitated movements, it suddenly came to him that what he was feeling was curiosity. He wanted to know what made this girl the way she was. Why did she succeed where so many others had failed? And most importantly, why was someone who seemed as gentle as kind as her working in a place like this?