The Sohma Institute
By Lady of the InkDisclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket, but you knew that . . .I hope. I do own this story, and all the plot twists it contains.
After the Institute
Momiji/Kyou(Momiji)
The apartment was modest, with two bedrooms and a single bathroom. While the living room was of a fairly decent size, the eat-in kitchen barely held the essentials for daily living. It was a huge step down from the spacious building they had formerly occupied, but it had one item that the old one had been missing for quite some time.
Family.
A small smile found its way to Minna's lips, the same one she'd been wearing almost constantly since being reunited with Momiji. From where she stood in the kitchen doorway, she focused her eyes on a sight that she had long since given up hope of seeing again. Momiji sat on the living room couch, smiling and keeping time by tapping his foot as Momo played his violin. She had "inherited" the instrument after his departure and taken to it with the same fervor as Momiji had displayed.
While Minna was sure he was anxious to resume his own playing, Momiji seemed more than content to listen as Momo showed off all she had learned in his absence. In fact, the two had been spending a lot of time together after finding that the number of interests they had in common had grown while they were apart.
Tears threatened, but Minna resolutely forced them back. She was determined to focus on the positive aspects of the present and the future rather than the negative aspects of the past. Even with a number of significant hurdles yet to face, her small family was decidedly better off than they'd been in years.
Shoring up her smile, she moved to join her children in the living room. Momiji grinned as she sat beside him, reaching out to clasp her hand within his own. Minna relaxed a bit, happy with the improvement in Momiji's state of mind that that gesture showed.
When they had first settled into their new place, Momiji's behavior could only be described as clingy. He would follow whenever she or Momo exited a room, unwilling to be left by himself. Whenever they were sitting together, he'd curl up tightly against her side, unable to loosen up even the slightest bit until her arm was wrapped securely around his shoulders. He had even taken to sleeping on the floor of the room that she shared with Momo. She'd wake to find him asleep against the door, his eyes, closed in an uneasy slumber, turned towards their beds as though the last thing he'd done was check to make sure they were still there.
Now, a few short weeks after the return of his freedom, Momiji was finally showing signs of security. He could sleep through the night, alone in his own room, albeit with the door open. His open and excitable personality remained, but the glimmer of maturity his age and experiences called for had begun to show through. While he was still as big on hugs and touching as he had been, it was now an expression of affection rather than a desperate need for reassurance.
Momo finished the piece and took a flourishing bow, inciting a round of boisterous clapping from both members of her audience. Accepting the praise with blushing modesty, Momo handed the violin to Momiji and traded places with him. He paused for a moment to choose a song, and then placed the instrument beneath his chin. Raising the bow, he began to play. His eyes dropped to half-mast as though he were wrapping himself in the slow, sweet notes he expertly coaxed from the strings.
Minna took the moment of inattention to regard him closely. The rounded, almost chubby face she had held in her memory had changed, thinning into more angular lines. His eyes had undergone a similar subtle transformation. The cheerful twinkle they'd contained since birth had been joined by a shadow of suffering that she would have given anything to erase. Even the days of peace hadn't changed that, though, and so it remained, adding depth and an air of wisdom to her son's gamine features.
The thing that hit her hardest when she looked at him recently actually had little to do with Momiji himself. It was the hints of his father that had begun to surface that caught her unaware with all the force of a sledgehammer. More than once she had to take a moment to calm her heart after noticing yet another similarity between the two. They had the same pointed chin, the same sharp nose, and the same mannerisms.
The ordeal with her husband was by far the heaviest and blackest cloud still hanging overhead. Their confrontation had not been a pretty one, and many things had been said. Minna had lost her grip on her temper and let him know exactly what she thought of his part in the deception. While she admitted that her anger might have made her a bit harsher than she needed to be, she refused to regret a single word that she had hurled at him. He had known Momiji's suffering and her own, and still stood by, doing nothing. Even before that, he had been a party to Momiji's placement in the Institute in the first place.
Minna lowered her eyelids, shielding her darker thoughts from view. He had pleaded with her, trying to explain that telling her their son was dead had been the only option. Threats from Akito directed at her and Momo had forced action, and that was the kindest one he could think of at the time. He had been trying to protect her and their daughter, he swore.
Even so, the lengths he had gone to to keep Momiji there and her from asking questions, such as faking a funeral for her benefit, enraged her. He could swear it had been for her and Momo's protection from Akito all he liked, but it was still wrong.
Yet there was still a part of her that wanted to believe and forgive him. She was finally standing one step away from having her family back the way it should have been all along. All it would take was a capitulation on her part to make it happen. If she just ignored his part in it all, their family could be whole again.
Not so long ago, she would have done just that, more intent on reaching her desired result than on determining if that result was still for the best. But she'd gained a new sense of cynicism through the events of the past few years. No matter what his intentions had been, her husband had done a great wrong to all of them. Five years that could never be gotten back had passed, causing changes more bad than good to them all. If he were to be welcomed back into the family, and that was a big if, it would after a lot of consideration. It would also be a decision made by all of them, not just her.
Watching as Momiji continued to play, Minna sighed. It was startling to realize how many good and bad things it took to get to where you wanted to be in life. She had lost her son and gotten him back at the cost of her husband. Her perfect family was gone, but in its place was something much more important. She had regained a part of herself she had never realized she'd been missing. If another situation should arise, the new Minna would face it head on rather than hiding and letting someone else handle it. She would fight to protect what was hers, and stand up to whomever it took in order to do so.
She had the most important things in her life back at her side, and she was going to keep them there.
(Kyou)
Kyou lay sprawled on a couch in the middle of a cloyingly pink living room. Even though his eyes were closed, he could easily bring to mind a picture of every inch of the girly décor. After all the weeks he had spent trapped between the same four pastel walls, the image felt seared into his brain. It was no surprise to him that the shade had even begun showing up in his sleep, taking the form of a sticky bog that fought to suck him in and smother him.
He flopped into a new position but just couldn't get comfortable. It was becoming a common occurrence as the days stretched on. He longed to get out and go somewhere, anywhere, to break the monotony, but he couldn't. While he and his cousins had gained their freedom from the Institute, they were far from home free. Being seen in public was still a potentially dangerous situation that had to be avoided at all costs. They had come too far to risk it all over a case of cabin fever.
Of course, knowing and accepting that didn't mean he had to be happy about it. Kyou rolled to his feet and stretched before padding to the kitchen. As he walked, he began compiling a list of things that might help to alleviate his boredom with video games, movies, and magazines at the top of the list.
Opening the refrigerator, he pulled out a carton of milk. He leaned against the counter as he raised it to his lips, forgoing a glass. He got three creamy mouthfuls before the sensation of something cold dripping onto his chest caught his attention. Looking at the small river of milk running down the front of his shirt, he let out a muffled curse.
A giggle from behind him had his head turning to where Kagura stood, framed by the doorway. "I think that's why most people use cups, you know," she said as she brushed past him to reach the counter. Once there, she quickly relinquished the two grocery bags in her arms.
Kyou opened his mouth to shoot off a sarcastic remark, but he was cut off when an unopened roll of paper towels thudded into his arms. He settled for a glare as he tore it open and cleaned up his mess. Kagura set to putting away the food, humming as she opened and closed the various cabinets. Folding the empty bags, she tucked them into a drawer.
"If you take off that shirt, I'll toss it into the wash for you, " she told him, smiling slightly. He paused for just a second before doing as she asked. When she stepped close, he tensed, remembering an incident during a vacation when he'd been wearing swimming trunks. She'd tackled him six times that day. To his surprise, she merely took the shirt and headed for the laundry room, leaving him along and confused in the kitchen.
After putting the milk away, he retraced his steps into the living room. He sat in a chair, for once not scowling at the lace ruffles because he was so deep in thought.
He and Kagura had been living together since the night of the escape. The house belonged to a friend of Kagura's who traveled often, so it was the perfect cover for her to watch over it while she was away. It was logical for him to stay there since it was the last place that anyone who knew him would think to look. He had spent his entire life trying to get away from Kagura; sticking close to her now was the best option available.
While it did make sense, Kyou had been totally against it at first. Even in larger groups, Kagura's attention could be stifling . . .not to mention painful. The idea of being stuck in a place with her where they'd be in one-on-one contact for an unknown amount of the rime was daunting, to say the least. When he's finally accepted it as inevitable, he'd planned on finding a space to call his own and barricading himself inside it. He'd thought to come out only when she left and it was safe.
In the end, such extreme measures hadn't been necessary. While Kagura's attitude couldn't be called cold by any stretch of the imagination, it wasn't close to how it used to be, either. In truth, she was treating him in the same manner she used with Yuki, Haru, Momiji, and the rest. She talked, laughed, and smiled, but there was an air of restraint around her that she's never shown him before.
Kyou knew he should be happy about the change. After all, it was exactly what he'd said he'd wanted on numerous occasions. It was the first time since they'd learned to walk that he didn't have to run from Kagura and her overwhelming outbursts of affection. He would even admit -grudgingly - that it was almost nice to get to know her better in a relatively stress free environment.
And he had enjoyed it . . .for the first few days. After that, small things had begun to catch his eye. There was the way she apologized so profusely when she left because she knew that he couldn't. There was the amount of energy she put in to finding things to occupy his time and keep him from getting too bored. But most of all, it was the shadows that lingered in her eyes and smile whenever she looked at him.
At that moment, Kagura returned to the room. She tossed him a smile before taking an empty seat on the other side of the room. The timing seemed too opportune for him to pass up.
"Kagura," he began, waiting until he had her full attention to continue. "What's going on?"
"I'm sorry?" she asked, looking confused. "I don't understand . . ."
"What's going on with you lately? You're acting strange."
If he hadn't been watching her so closely, he would have missed the sudden flush on her cheeks or the way she avoided his eyes. Her hands tightened on the arms of her chair as she answered. "I think you're imagining things, Kyou. I've just been busy with stuff lately. Dealing with Akito isn't the easiest thing to do, you know." Kagura's face brightened suddenly and she leaned forward. "I meant to tell you! It's looking like this all might be over soon. Akito has our offer and he doesn't really have any choice but to agree to it. It's the only way he'll keep getting the blood and stuff that he needs and keep us all from making a big fuss. Promising to avoid direct contact with all of you is a small price to pay for that. I have no doubt that Hatori and Kureno will make him see that, sooner or later."
Kagura seemed to revert to her old self as she relayed that news. In fact, their complete freedom from Akito seemed to be the only topic capable of achieving that effect. The realization added to both his suspicion and his determination to find out exactly what was going on with her.
Since she had so obviously dodged his question the first time, Kyou decided hat the direct approach was the only way to go. He didn't bother to mask the irritation in his voice when he confronted her again. "I'm only going to ask you this one more time: Why are you acting so odd around me? It's starting to piss me off!"
Kagura jumped guiltily at the forcefulness of his tone. She swallowed, knotting her hands in her laps and staring at them intently. A long moment passed before she gave a heavy sigh. "I thought you would be happy that I'm not being such a bother to you anymore."
Kyou scoffed. "It bothers me more trying to figure out what's wrong with you than it ever did having to deal with you before."
Kagura shook her head. "You don't understand, Kyou. I did something really bad. I'm just trying to make it right."
"Trying to make it right? What is that supposed to mean?"
She sighed again. "I guess I'll have to tell you sooner or later. I just didn't want you to lose what little bit of respect you might have for me by admitting this to you." If she twisted her hands any more tightly, her fingers would break. "When I first found out about you guys being kept at the Institute, Akito offered me a deal: an apartment close by and regular visits if I kept quiet about what I knew. It was a blatant bribe," she took a deep breath, "and I seriously considered it."
She looked at him with pleading eyes. "It didn't take long before I realized how horribly selfish I was being and I felt awful. That was when I promised myself that I would do whatever it took to get all of you out of there. I started planning, looking for a weakness in Akito's prison. Then Tohru came, and you know the rest." She dropped her eyes to the floor. "I made a deal with myself that if you got out safely, I wouldn't ask for more than I already have. I've got a whole bunch of cousins that I'm lucky enough to call friends as well. That's more than a lot of people have. Wishing for more than that is just greedy. I'm trying my best to be happy with all the things I've already been blessed with and not go looking for more than people are willing to give. Apparently, I can't even do that right."
Another silence stretched as Kyou studied her down bent head. Her actions of the past weeks made more sense to him now. She had kept her distance as a sort of self-imposed punishment for her moment of weakness. It was a very Kagura sort of thing to do, since she never did anything halfway. The guilt she felt was probably weighing on her heavily and would continue to do so unless someone took action. Since he was the only one around, the task fell to him. It needed to be handled with care in order to help the situation without making it worse. Kyou mustered all his skills at tact and diplomacy.
"You're an idiot." That had her head snapping up. Pleased with her response, Kyou went on. "Everyone's been tempted to do something that they knew was wrong at one point or another. It's called being human. But I swear, only you would go this far to make up for it. I'm just surprised you didn't become a nun or something to pay your penance."
Kagura's eyes narrowed and flashed before her expression smoothed itself out. She was obviously settling in to accept whatever he said rather than fighting back as he'd wanted. It seemed he was going to have to use the big guns. Sighing, he spoke sincerely.
"Look, no one's going to think any less of you for considering Akito's offer. It was an honest reaction; they'd understand it. Hell, if he'd offered me a chance to leave so long as the others stayed, I probably would've thought about it, too. That's what makes Akito so powerful. He offers people the things that they want the most at a price too high for them to pay.
"There's no reason for you to go around punishing yourself when most people in your position would done the exact same thing. What you thought for whatever amount of time doesn't matter. What does matter is that not only didn't you take Akito's offer, but you also got us all out of there. I'd say that was probably more than enough to equal out your karma or whatever. So get back to being your normal self. All this cheery Martha-Stewart-roommate crap is starting to get on my nerves."
Kagura had tears in her eyes when he looked at her. Brushing them away, she offered him a wobbly smile and a nod of agreement. Feeling slightly embarrassed at her response, Kyou turned his eyes toward the window. He kept them locked on the curtains when she spoke.
"Kyou?"
"Hmm."
"You do realize that we're all alone in this house, right? And that you just admitted that you missed the way I usually treat you?"
He groaned just before a warm weight landed in his lap and arms encircled his neck. "Ah, damn it," he said, but the words lacked their usual heat. Giving in to the moment, he slung an arm around her waist. After all she had done for him, he figured that for just a little while, it would be okay to be caught.
(Momiji)
