Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket, but I really do wish I did. Oh Santa! GIVE ME KYO!
Chapter 27 One Last Night
"Kyo?"
"Yeah?"
"Will you stay with me?"
"Sure"
I'll stay with you forever...
Their time together did feel like forever. Tohru mostly slept beside him, but he never did once let her leave his eyes. A million times over he wished he could touch her delicate lips, but she held his hand for dear life as she slumbered, and it was comprise enough for him.
The nurse came back into check on them, and Kyo only held a finger to his lips motioning she was asleep. The nurse nodded, and worded to him she'd let no others come and visit until she woke back up. Kyo rested against the bedframe, him tired for his general worrying, and his blunt rudeness to Akito.
His eyes fell back to her like they always did, and he stroked her hair gently. She was so innocent and beautiful. Tohru always was a strange one to place. She appeared to be a naive air head but there was a lot more to her than her smiles. Behind the smiles, the eyes, was truly a selfless person. Most would figure she was a kiss up, but she really wasn't, she'd do anything to help out someone. But still, she hid a lot of her pain, to help others be happy, she kept it all in, and let only the wisdom from the pain erupt.
Tohru's selflessness often times did put her in danger. Being attacked by Akito, Haru's incident, falling from the bridge, the heart thing, all these things could easily have been avoided if she had actually been selfish. It was a twisted irony that the good were punished and evil rewarded. No matter how many times Kyo told Tohru she didn't deserve it, it wasn't something she'd listen to. She never thought of herself as a good person or a bad, she only was living up to what her mother had taught her, and in a way, it was most admirable.
Kyo stroked her hand with his thumb gently. She really wouldn't wake up, there must've been a lot of stuff on her mind. He didn't want to wake her, and yet all at the same time he wished she would awake, just so he could see her eyes.
"Tohru," he whispered her name softly, but it had a ring like an angel's. Slowly Tohru shook her head, shifting it in a sense from her dreams, and slowly she opened them back up, blinking a few times to focus, "Tohru..." he said her name again gently looking down at her lovely eyes.
"Hey Kyo..." Tohru stretched with a yawn. "What day is it?"
"Tohru you've only been asleep for a few hours, a whole day hasn't even passed yet"
"Oh really? It felt like forever, this comforting endless dream"
"What did you dream about?" He asked her curiously.
"I was with my mom again."
"Oh..." Kyo didn't really know what to say, it rising up the feelings of morn since she had only lost her so recently.
"But you were there, all the Sohmas were there. It was everyone I cared about, and we were all there together. I don't think the line of death and living existed in that dream"
"I guess that's why they're called dreams"
"Exactly" Tohru said happily, resting her head against his arm. "Thank you for staying here with me Kyo"
"Its alright, I didn't mind it really" Kyo stuttered out quietly "Tohru...I..."
"Kyo I'm okay. I know you're worrying about me, you have that guilty look in your eyes. So my arm is busted, I'll be okay, I still got another one" Tohru smiled
"Tohru...." His voice was softer, softer than usual. Even Tohru noticed it, he wasn't as rough and cold like when he used to talk with Yuki.
Tohru sat up in bed and looked at him for a moment, Kyo's eyes turned away thinking about something at the moment. She leaned over beside him and delicately kissed his cheek. She pulled away quietly, a thin line of red on his face. He turned to face her, and opened his mouth, just in time to have Shigure open the door.
"Oh Tohru..." Shigure stood in the doorway with angst and pain in his eyes
"Hello Shigure!" Tohru's eyes instantly brightened again seeing him. In a sense, it took the attention away from Kyo and what he was going to say, but Tohru grabbed his hand beneath the covers and squeezed it tightly. That's when Kyo saw it, the tears that were in her eyes, whether they be of joy or they be of pain, they were there, this beautiful clear tears.
Shigure walked over to Tohru and kissed the top of her head "Flower I came as soon as they called, it seems our little Kyo beat me to you."
"Kyo kept me company while I slept, I just, didn't want to be alone" Tohru said quietly
"Well, it is indeed nice to see Kyo concerned about you, thank you Kyo" Shigure looked to Kyo smiling
"It was nothing" He whispered, not a hint of anger, embarrassment, or happiness in his voice.
"Oh Tohru, I brought guests" Shigure grinned.
Entering from the door came in little Kisa and Hiro hand in hand Kisa holding a card. Haru and Momiji came in after, Momiji of course with a huge grin on his face. Behind them entered Yuki with another bouquet of flowers, not lilies but iris's. To everyone's surprise, following in Yuki was Hatori.
Tohru smiled with joy and Kisa scampered up onto the bed.
"Sissy, you're going to get better right?" She asked Tohru uncertainly
"Of course I am!" Tohru smiled. Kisa handed her a card, an adorable get well card that Kisa and Hiro had made "Oh Kisa, Hiro I love it!" She smiled again and hugged Kisa with all her might. Hiro stood at her side by the bed and Tohru bent over and kissed his cheek too, he turning a crimson red
"Ah what you go and do that for?" Hiro asked trying to act like it was stupid. Tohru ran her hand through his hair, and he let out a small laugh "I"m just glad you're safe" Kisa remained in Kyo's lap beside Tohru as Haru and Momiji walked up to the bed next, both of them elbowing each other and pushing to get to the front, which made her laugh again.
"I love seeing you laugh Tohru" Momiji said smiling. "Here, this is from Haru and Me, well mostly Haru cause he had more money than I did"
They handed her a decent sized white box with a red ribbon on top. She slid off the bow, and gently lifted up its lid. Inside was a little glass angel. Everything was depicted in such detail, it had beautiful eyes, and long silky hair that rolled down all the way to her wings. Tohru smiled as the light refracted from it shooting little rainbows in scattered corners of the room.
"Oh its so beautiful!" Tohru exclaimed, she then put it on her mantel with Kyo's flowers and the card.
"Uh Miss Honda...I got you these" Yuki said bashfully giving her the bouquet of irises.
Tohru closed her eyes and took in a deep breath of its soft scent "They're gorgeous, they match so well with Kyo's lilies."
Shigure looked at all of them with his soft smile, and he sat down in a chair beside her bed and took the hand that wasn't holding Kyo's secretly under the covers.
"They say you can come home tomorrow dear, I hope that isn't too much time away from home"
"Oh I'll manage, I must admit though, I'm rather homesick" Tohru smiled lightly
"I do believe that we're all homesick for you, except for Hiro and Kisa who've shared this time with you."
Tohru smiled and leaned back against the bed's frame. "Can I go talk to Akito?"
"I wouldn't recommend it Tohru, you took a drastic beating, I'd at least wait until tomorrow, alright?" Shigure told her gently
Tohru nodded gently and closed her eyes again "Alright Shigure..."
Shigure sighed and rubbed his head with his hand "I do believe its time to let our young flower rest. We'll be back for you in the morning dear, first thing, I promise I'll let you see Akito"
Tohru hugged Kisa and squeezed hands with all the boys as they parted. Shigure shooed everyone out, but found Kyo still on the bed beside Tohru. He rested his hand on the doorway's wall and looked to Kyo.
"I want you to come home at least sometime tonight. Tohru should be expecting another visitor in a few hours alright lad?"
Kyo nodded "I'll just stay until she sleeps again"
Shigure nodded, and he too disappeared down the white corridor. Tohru looked back up to Kyo and she smiled "You still stayed?"
"Hey, you asked me to from the beginning" Kyo told her jokingly
"That's right I did, but, if you want to go home Kyo don't stay because of me."
"Tohru its okay, I'll stay here, its no trouble at all" Kyo told her again rubbing her hand with his thumb.
"You know, you've changed Kyo" Tohru said happily
"Really?" He asked her
"Yeah. In the smallest ways, you've opened up even the tiniest bit more, and people can start to understand you more. I'm glad, because now I can understand stand you better"
"Yeah well, I just don't trust people. My mother and father were never happy with me, the only one I really trust was my sensei, he was amazing, and...maybe I trust you too" Kyo said gently resting his chin against the top of her hair tiredly
"I'm glad. I want to be someone you can trust," She said quietly closing her eyes. "You know, maybe you should be the one to sleep"
But it wasn't even needed, Kyo was already asleep against her head, breathing calmly. Tohru smiled sincerely, and wrapped a blanket around him as he fell unknowingly, sliding down the bed under the protection of the covers. Tohru slipped out from the bed, and rather wobbly walked to the window.
The hours were so flipped flopped Tohru couldn't even remember what time it was. But now, the moon was out, how that came to be, she wasn't sure. The moon was nearly full, but shined down upon Tohru, picking up the glow in her eyes. The stars were larger than usual tonight, they seemed all to be watching her, and Tohru smiled. Mom was up there somewhere, looking down upon her with her loving grin and playful attitude. Tohru let out a small sigh.
"Miss Honda?"
Tohru turned to the door quickly with sharp eyes, but then took in a breath "My goodness Hatori you scared me."
"My apologies" Hatori bowed with an arm across his chest standing within the doorframe.
"Its alright. So..you must be the guest that Shigure said I should expect"
Hatori looked up surprised. "Indeed I guess I am"
"Come in Hatori gees it's a hospital room not sacred ground" Tohru sighed with a giggle. Hatori took a step in with his jacket and sat down at the chair beside her table. He looked at Kyo who was sleeping in her bed
"Should it not be you Miss Honda who is resting?" He asked unemotionally, like always
"I will later, he needs it, I slept practically all day, but he never once left my side"
"It seems you've already had quite the crowd visit you today" He said gently looking at the many gifts on her mantel.
"Indeed I have. In a way, I'm most grateful no one told Uo and Hana. They'd be worried sick about me, they're very protective of me since my mother died."
"It seems everyone you've ever met and held dear cares about you. Of all the friends, acquaintances, and such, all of them have held you dear, for reasons I've only now begun to understand"
"Oh? Its not like I'm special or anything, I'm just a friend. I've known Uo and Hana forever, and the Sohmas are my family"
Hatori shook his head "Miss Honda, I highly refuse to believe that is the only reason. You seem to miss the points that others so highly note in you; with everyone person you seem to meet, you change them, not by force or by fury, but you allow them to change for themselves, and encourage them to be themselves. You never once judge them for the mistakes, past, nor history they had, and you enjoyed their company for every flaw and skill they had. You don't realize how rare of a person you are."
"Its nothing too hard. If we all judge, it only causes pain. The world itself, is rough, and it cries. People die everyday, we kill everyday, we fight, struggling to survive, so why do we have to burden others with even more pain? Why not ease the load, just a little?" Tohru said quietly looking back to him.
"Tohru...I..."
"Hatori, how many times are you going to use me as your excuse?"
"I beg your pardon?"
"You don't want to forgive yourself, so you think you have to get the forgiveness from me. I forgive you a million times over. We as people, often are forced into things they don't really want to do. As long as you see your fault, and I forgive the fault, why won't you give up the guilt?"
"It does not seem just, that I walk away from this with no harm to me, and you came to the brink of existence." he said quietly
"The pain you feel in your heart does far surpasses the wounds on my flesh. You've lived under Akito's rain your whole life, doing things you wish you could take back, feelings you wish you could let out, and you grieve the loss of your own true love because fate was cruel. Hatori, you are not a bad man, life dealt you a difficult hand to play"
"I cannot understand why you forgive. You forgive the man who tried to take your life, you forgive the one's who assisted in trying to take your life?" Hatori shook his head
"If you think so negatively, your whole life will be you against a cruel and unjust world. If you don't forgive, you're forever alone, unable to trust anyone at all." her stern voice told. "Even the roughest of people trust someone" Tohru looked back at the slumbering Kyo on the bed and then back to Hatori "the reality of this world is simple; there is hurt, and there is pain, but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy your existence here."
"From all the rubble rises the flowers, and from the snow comes the spring, in the end, things work themselves out" Tohru told him finally
Hatori stood in the doorway wide-eyed, never had he heard someone talk with a passion, and yet seemed to grasp the mastery of the world in a way he could not see. Yet, the snow, and the spring, something his wife used to talk about. Maybe she was what Akito feared, a girl who could help to change every person she met.
"Tohru I....even as an adult, and a grown man, I cannot even begin to comprehend how you ever thought up all of this"
Tohru just shrugged as she sat down on the bed and readjusted one of her bandages
"Everyone dies, and everyone lives. We all appear with different situations, conditions, stories and histories, but, its what you do with your life that makes the difference right?"
"Maybe you're right Miss Honda, maybe you can truly live up to the legend you've been given"
"What do you mean?" Tohru turned around, but Hatori had already left.
"It seems Miss Honda will recover quite nicely Mr. Akito sir" Hatori said looking down at his resting master.
"Good...."
"You sir, I must express my concerns"
"Send her home. Its done for now....I need time to think"
"Indeed, I'll alert Shigure now. Goodbye" Hatori bowed quickly, and then exited Akito's room. He stood outside the building watching the rain and pulled out his cell phone "Shigure? She's leaving"