Disclaimer: If I owned Fruits Basket, it wouldn't be NEARLY as good. Luckily for you (and sadly for me) it belongs to someone else.
Warnings: This has Tohru thinking about everyone that she loves in any way, shape, or form, and not necessarily romantically. It can be taken any way you want, though. There are lots of different kinds of love... I tried very hard to stay in character...
PLEASE REVIEW!! Or read one of my other fics and review that if you can't reviews this. I love constructive criticism. I LOVE it. Don't hesitate to point out flaws, it improves my writing. Nothing is perfect, and I want to be better than I am. I will do my best to improve on whatever you say needs improvement. ...Please?
I love them all. There's no doubt in my mind that I do. I couldn't live with myself if I hurt any of them.
Take Yuki, for instance. He's polite and just barely opening up to me right now. He's finally making breakthroughs in public, running for student council president and smiling more. He's so kind and tries so hard. I love him so much.
Then there's Kyo. He's full of energy and never gives up. He's sworn enemies with Yuki, but while I've been with them he's calmed down a bit and he doesn't even really seem to mind living in the same house as him as much any more. He's making a lot of progress, and he's just as kind as Yuki. I love him so much.
They're so alike and so different, and they're both fun to be around.
After that, there's Momiji. He's always so energetic and seems so happy, in spite of his past. He tries just as hard as Yuki and Kyo, in different ways. He's so sweet to me and is so much fun to be around. I love him so much.
Then there's Hana. She's so kind to me, and so protective. She's come a long way from being so shy and not liking being around people. Sure, she doesn't like really anyone besides me and Uo still, but it's a lot of progress. She smiles especially for me, and it's so beautiful it makes me sad she doesn't smile more. I love her so much.
Uo's next. She's tough as nails and is always herself. She doesn't try to blend in, other opinions don't matter to her. I admire that. She protects me and, just like Hana, is so kind to me. I love her so much.
After that, there's Kisa. She's so sweet and tries just as hard as all of the others. She stood up to bullies for as long as she could. I understand the problems she had, and I wish she hadn't had to go through them too. I love her so much.
Then there's Hiro. He loves Kisa, I know that, and I know he's going through a tough part of life. He's having a hard time figuring out what he should do, wanting Kisa to be happy but not letting Akito hurt her. He can't leave her, but Akito can't stand them being together. He's trying so hard too. I love him so much.
Just a moment ago, I mentioned Akito. Unbelievable as it is, he'd important to me too. He was told that he was going to die before he even learned what death was. He has to live in pain until the end comes. I don't pity him, exactly, because he wouldn't want pity. His only real problem is that he gave up trying a long time ago. He hurts others because he is in pain and, like a child, wants others to be in pain with him. I know it sounds crazy, but I love him so much.
After that, there's Hatori. He's had to give up the woman he loved, just so she'd be happy. He's so selfless. He tries to hide all his emotions, but I know he still feels them. I knew that when he tried to get me to leave the Sohma's alone. He didn't want to see anyone else get hurt. I love him so much.
Then Shigure's there. He's always around to be silly and mess around with everyone. He can be so funny. He doesn't seem responsible, but I know that he always does his writing on time. He just doesn't want anyone to give him more responsibilities to deal with. I love him too, in a fatherly sort of way, or maybe as a crazy uncle.
Ayame's there too, right with Shigure. They love to play around together, making Kyo and Yuki react strangely. I don't understand some of their jokes, but that's alright. He's fearless, always doing whatever he wants. It's amazing, really. I know that he really loves Hatori, though I don't know if he loves him back, and I can't understand why Yuki and Kyo react so strangely to it. I love him so much.
Next is Haru. He had to deal with name calling for a very long time when he was young. It couldn't have been easy by any stretch. His 'white' personality is very polite and cares a great deal for Yuki. I'm honored to have met someone so upfront about his feelings for someone else to an almost stranger. His 'black' personality is very strong, but some things he says confuse me. It's alright though, I love him so much anyway.
Then comes Ritsu. He's trying so hard to be what others want him to be. He apologizes for so many things that aren't his fault. To lessen expectations for himself, he wears dresses, then apologizes for that, too. He even tried to convince himself to jump off our roof that one time, thinking he was a waste of oxygen and food. I don't believe that a bit. I love him so much.
Then, last but certainly not least, is Kagura. She has so much passion, and is so certain about her love for Kyo. She doesn't hesitate to tell him about it either. She's so brave. I wish I could be so sure about which person I love the most, but I love her just as much as all the others!
So, you see, I'm having a hard time right now. I love them all so very, very much, but I'm afraid that they're going to make me choose soon. And if they make me choose...
...Well, I'm just not sure what's going to happen. Because I can't choose. I hope no one will ever force me to give them all up because, no matter how much I'm being used and how much it may hurt, I want to stay with them.
They all try so hard at so many different things... If one of them actually came forward and told me that they loved me (though I doubt any could return that feeling for me), I'd feel so guilty no matter what I had to use as my answer. I'd want to say yes to them, because I really do love them all, and no so that I wouldn't hurt anyone else.
So, Mom, could you please help me? I don't want to hurt anyone...
The star twinkled oddly for a moment, and the moon seemed to be a smile in the sky, suddenly revealed behind the dark cloud that had hidden it for so long.
That night, several people, laying awake to think late at night, decided they could wait just one more day before telling her. One more day couldn't hurt, could it?