Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket.
A/N: Well, I didn't lie last time. We really do get to New Year's in this chapter. I guess that means I'll probably have an end to this story by the end of the year. I'm already forming the idea for my next Fruits Basket fic, so hopefully, when this one does end, it won't be too long before I get the next one up. . But, I'm not going to start writing it, until this one if finished, or I'll never get either of them updated. Also, I apologize if this chapter seems to get repetitive; the first part is really kind of filler material. And as always, thanks for the reviews, I love to hear from you and thanks for liking my story.
Roses of Glass Chapter 23By New Year's Eve, Kyo was off his crutches, though he was still slightly favoring his left leg. He sat up in his room, waiting for Shigure and Yuki to finish the New Year's cleaning. Because of their injuries, he and Tohru were exempt from today's chores. This meant that the chores might take a little longer than usual, but Kyo was almost relieved about that. He still wasn't entirely sure that it was a good idea for Tohru to be going to the Sohma main house. He would rather stay here with her, like the past year, but she was so insistent upon going. At least they would still be together, and, he thought, remembering her present from her friends, there was maybe something for him to look forward to.
There was a knock on his door. When he got up to answer it, Kyo found Tohru, clutching the bag in which her kimono and next few days' clothes were packed. She smiled at him and said, "Yuki and Shigure have finished up the cleaning. They're ready to go now, so Shigure asked me to come get you."
"Oh, okay," Kyo replied as he joined her in the hallway. They joined Yuki and Shigure downstairs. Once they had all shrugged into their coats, they headed out.
The walk to the main house was, perhaps, a bit more pleasant than the part of it that Kyo and Yuki had been on the previous year. Tohru cheerfully lead the conversation this time, rather than Shigure's guilt-inspiring speech from the last New Year's trip. However, beneath the added cheer, there was an underlying tension. Every member of the group was worried about how this holiday visit would turn out. Even without knowing the truth about what had happened a few days prior, Kyo was, maybe, the most tense. From his point of view, everything was going a little to well to be real. He felt it in his gut that something was being planned to take place during this holiday. He could not realize however, that one of the hidden agendas of the trip could end up being highly beneficial to him and his entire family.
The other three knew that, for better or worse, this holiday would change their lives forever. Even if guaranteed good results, change rarely comes easily or without some apprehension. It was even worse without that guarantee. And, they had the added stress of trying to keep their plan a secret until it was time to implement it. At least Hatori knew and would be helpful. And Kagura and Haru, while in the dark about the plan, would at least be helpful in watching out for Tohru while Akito was around, after what they had seen earlier that week.
By the time they reached the Sohma main house, each of the visitors had half a mind to turn around and head home without so much as a glance back over their shoulders. At the same time, each knew that it was not an option to turn back, especially not now that they were already here. Collectively taking a large breath to build up their courage, the members of Shigure's household walked through the gate and toward the building that held their accommodations for the duration of their stay.
They had not yet reached their destination, however, when they came across Kagura, who rushed up to Tohru, "Oh! You're here. You get to come with me. We're gonna get ready together. Kisa's waiting for you, too. She wants you to help her get ready."
Before Tohru could answer, Kagura grabbed her arm and pulled her off, casting a look to Yuki that told him she would do her best to make sure Tohru stayed safe. Yuki gave a slight nod, but Kyo was a bit more upset. The whole idea of having Tohru around the main house made him worry enough when she was with him, let alone off without him. Besides, he had wanted to spend some time with her. Other than the walk over, he really hadn't seen that much of her that day. Reluctantly and rather morosely, he followed Yuki and Shigure into their temporary home.
Once he had settled in, Kyo walked out of his room, hoping to discover Tohru was back from Kagura's house. Not only had Tohru not returned yet, but also Yuki and Shigure were nowhere to be found. Bitterly, Kyo thought they must have gone off to get ready for the banquet. Despite the fact that not being invited meant he would have Tohru to himself that evening, he couldn't fully shake his resentment of being made an outcast in his own family. Although he was reluctant to let Tohru return to an empty house, Kyo decided he needed to go out and get some air. He would stay close to the house. Besides, Kagura would either walk Tohru back herself or send someone close to her.
As Kyo walked around, he found that despite the many times he had been there before, it still amazed him sometimes how large the complex was. All decorated for New Year's, it seemed to grow even larger than its already impressive size. Looking around, he realized that he was actually glad he lived in a smaller and, arguably, quieter house. It almost made him laugh to think about how his opinion of living at Shigure's place had changed so much in the time he had been there.
Kyo was not so lost in thought, though, that he did not hear the footsteps that came up behind him a few minutes later. Once it became obvious that whoever was behind him was actually following him, Kyo whirled around, shouting, "What do you want? Do you think this is funny?"
His voice trailed into a whisper, as he was able to see that his stalker was Akito. The head of the family had a smile on his face that made Kyo squirm. As Akito took a step closer to Kyo, the smile transformed into a fully sardonic expression and he remarked, "Kyo, I'm rather surprised to see you here. I'm almost impressed that you showed up. I would have thought you would have stayed at Shigure's with that girl again. Especially after the other day. I don't know whether to think you're overconfident or just plain stupid. I think I'll go with stupid."
Kyo gritted his teeth against the insult and asked, "Why would what happened the other day factor into my coming or not. Tohru fell off a ladder. It's not like it was anyone's fault. Why shouldn't we still be here?'
Akito gave a small, disbelieving laugh, "She actually came as well?"
"Why not?" repeated a somewhat bewildered Kyo.
"I guess none of them told you the truth," Akito replied, mockingly, "That girl didn't fall off any ladder. We had a nice little conversation. By the way, what do you think of the haircut I gave her? I'm assuming you haven't seen her back yet."
Kyo balled his hands into fists, "You cut her hair?! Why? And what about her back? What did you do?"
You'll have to see that for yourself," Akito told him, turning to walk away.
Dumbfounded and outraged, Kyo stared after Akito for a moment, then ran off towards Kagura's house, desperate to find Tohru.
Tohru, at that moment, was being flanked by Shigure and Hatori, who had picked her up from Kagura's. The other two girls were following close behind. When they reached their destination, Tohru paused, nervously. Both men smiled reassuringly at her, then Hatori opened the door in front of them. Tohru's eyes grew wide and she let out a small gasp, "It's amazing! It's so beautiful!"