Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket. But I do own many books containing it!

Tohru entered the dining room from the kitchen, and watched as Kyo ran into the darkness of the woods. Her brow furrowed into a worried frown, and she clasped her hands in front of her torso.

"Don't worry, Honda-san."

Tohru looked over to see Yuki glancing up at her from the floor. "That baka neko will return. He always does. Until then, would you like to watch some television with me?"

Tohru took another glance outside; she didn't want to leave Kyo running in the darkness on his own. Fighting the need to run after him, she nodded to Yuki and sat next to him.

Kyo sat down on a boulder close to the lake. The moon was bright but waning, and it reflected onto the lake. Shielding his eyes from the bright, white light, Kyo put his head in his hands.

Why do I always run away?

He felt like a coward. Always running into the woods instead of facing what he needed to do and say; always hiding what he really wanted…

He threw his head out of his hands, tears gleaming in his eyes. His breathing picked up. The white light from the moon seemed even brighter thanks to the tears, and squeezing them shut he began to cry.

So many things had happened to him in his short life. He had been cursed. His family shunned him and blamed him for his mother's suicide. He had hurt someone that he had come to care for so dearly… and had fallen in love.

But love is just an emotion, Kyo told himself. If I can suppress my anger at being locked up, I can suppress this stupid emotion. I don't love Tohru. I don't love Tohru.

"I don't love Tohru," Kyo said to himself. His breathing began to calm and his eyes began to tear less. Perhaps if he said it enough times to himself he'd begin to believe it…

"I don't believe you for a second."

Kyo spun around and was shocked to see Shigure standing next to him. He had been so deep into his own thoughts that he didn't hear the damn dog sneak up on him. What good was his training if he still couldn't hear people coming up behind him!

"Don't 'Seed of Doubt' yourself, Kyo, because it never works. As soon as you see her again you're going to fall right back in love regardless of how worked-up you've made yourself over this nonsense," Shigure commented, picking up a smooth stone and tossing it casually onto the smooth surface of the lake. The stone skipped twice.

Kyo glowered. He stared at the ripples now adorning the top of the lake. "What the hell do you know? You've probably never fallen in love."

Shigure fingered a stone thoughtfully before tossing it onto the lake. Two skips. "Au contraire. I believe that I do know what it is like to be in love. I just don't wear my heart out on my sleeve as you and Tohru do."

Glancing up at Shigure, Kyo smoothly picked up a stone and turned it over in his hand. "What do you mean? I don't wear my heart on my sleeve."

Shigure tossed another stone. One kerplunk. "Kyo, Kyo. I can see how much you love Tohru. I've known for quite a long time now of the feelings between the two of you. What I mean by you wearing your heart on your sleeve is that you don't hide it as well as you might think. Tohru may not have realized it yet, but the rest of us have. It's just a matter of time before Tohru comes to figure it out."

"I don't want her to figure it out!" Kyo stated angrily, tossing the stone. It skipped six times before dropping into the moonlit water. "If I wanted her to know, I would have told her by now!" Kyo stood up, his body teeming with anxiety and anger. But something overcame him and he schlumped down onto the boulder. Kyo felt the tears welling again and put his face in his hands before Shigure could see.

"I just… I just… don't want to hurt her any more than I have to."

I can't think of her that way. NO.

Shigure stopped mid-motion of tossing the stone in his hand. There was so much emotion in that one sentence. His body relaxed and he crouched next to where Kyo was on the boulder. "You know, Kyo… it might hurt her worse that you might not like her back. Tohru is a pretty emotional person. When her heart is set on something, or perhaps someone, she puts her all into that one thing, even if it will hurt her in the end. So this nonsense of hurting her and not loving her is just going to make you both miserable. Why not give it a try? Tell Tohru how you feel tonight?"

Kyo kept his face in his hands. He knew that Shigure was right. Tohru was the most selfless type of person; even if she knew that whatever she was doing was going to physically harm herself, she would go ahead and do it anyway to help whoever it was.

But he would hurt her in the end. Just like he had hurt countless others.

"No. I'm being taken away in less than a week now. What would be the point?"

I can't give her my love and then take it away. That would hurt her more than my not saying a thing.

Shigure shrugged and stood up. Looking down in his hand he found the stone that he was going to throw. Taking a closer look at it, he decided not to throw it.

"Come on, Kyon-Kyon. Tohru is probably worried sick that neither of us is there. Let's go home."

It won't be home for much longer…

Kyo bristled, but kept his anger in check. "Don't call me that you stupid dog."

Getting off the boulder, he was surprised when he turned to leave and Shigure had his hand stretched out. In it was a smooth stone in the misshapen form of an onigiri. It was the color of white quartz, and on the back of it was a spot in the center where some clay had been wedged.

"I can see it. Kyo-kun has a plum on his back."

"Perhaps this will remind you of our conversation tonight," Shigure said, walking into the forest.

Kyo followed a little behind. His mind was so occupied that he didn't realize when they had arrived to the house until he saw the lights filtering softly through the paper doors. As he entered and took of his shoes, he could hear the soft thud of someone running towards him echoing through the floor. Looking up, he watched as Tohru pattered up to him, slightly breathless.

"Kyo-kun! I was so worried about you. Are you all right? Everything okay?"

Kyo felt the familiar flush on his face and butterflies in his stomach. That damned dog was right. No matter how much he convinced himself that he didn't love Tohru, he couldn't help himself.

I just want to keep things the way they are… just for a little bit longer.