Author: Mochi Dragon

Title: Only Time Will Tell

Pairing: There isn't really one. A lot of possibilities.

Rating: PG or K+

Genre: General/Romance

Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket. If I did, the latest chapters of Fruits Basket would have gone differently.

Summary: Love is confusing, and it never seems to make sense at all. Yuki and Tohru learn that despite having feelings and believing what's right or wrong when getting together, only time will tell who you will end up with in the end. (One-Shot) (No clear pairing)

There is no actual pairing in this one-shot, so it's fine for anyone who supports or likes Yuki x Tohru, Tohru x Kyo and Yuki x Machi. Remember, this fic has no actual pairing, so if there's a pairing you dislike, you don't have to worry because you won't really see it.

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It wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair.

He was sick after a pretty bad case of another one of his bronchitis attacks. Therefore, he had to be absent; he didn't have a choice.

And it wasn't his fault that his sickness was so bad he was bedridden for nearly over a week. Surely, it would've have been even worse if he went to school while he was in that condition.

Since that was the case, then why did he have to do volunteer work at an little advice giving booth located near the school? He was busy enough as it was, being class president and all. The booth was abandoned most of the time, and people hardly ever approached it.

But he had to do this to make up for being absent for so long, even if it wasn't his fault by doing two weeks of volunteer work as community service.

It still wasn't fair though.

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One day, while sweeping the floor, Yuki saw Tohru coming towards the booth. Puzzled about why she would be here, especially here of all places, he slipped under the booth table and put a finger to his lips to signal to the old woman running the booth not to say anything about his hiding spot.

The old woman gave him an odd look but shrugged her shoulders and went along with whatever it was he was doing. Whatever he did was his business, and she had a customer to give advice to anyway.

She looked to the approaching girl and said, "Hello dear, how may I help you?"

Tohru looked a bit startled but recovered from her surprise quickly.

"Well...uh...you see...I-I have a friend that I live with, and we used to do all kinds of fun things together, and he always used to be there for me. I was really happy back then.

"I recently started liking this other friend who I also live with, but since then the friend that I told you about started to become very distant to me."

At this point, her eyes went downcast.

"It's as if he was trying to ignore me.

"Also, I saw him quite a number of times around this other girl who I think is in the student council with him. I know I'm supposed to feel happy for him now that he has someone much like I have someone, but I...every time I see him with her I feel this weird pain in my chest as if my heart is being squeezed. I don't know what it is, but I know I shouldn't be feeling that way..."

"It's jealousy, dear."

"Eh!" Tohru looked very shocked.

Jealousy? Why would she feel jealous, unless...

"B-b-but I like my other friend, how could I like him too?"

The old woman chuckled slightly.

"Dear, there isn't a reason for falling in love. It just happens, and it doesn't always make sense either. In fact, it never really does."

Tohru was in hysterics.

"But it's still wrong! I shouldn't like two people at the same time!"

"Don't worry about that dear."

"But-"

The old woman put her hand on Tohru's shoulder.

"Dear, love is love. Love isn't something you or anyone else can control. No matter how odd or wrong it seems, it's still love. There is no right or wrong in love.

"Obviously child, you have more than one person who is right and will be good for you. Some people aren't that lucky, you know. You need not worry, only time will tell who you will like most in the end. For now, just go with the flow. It'll be fine."

She then smiled and pat the young girl's head.

"That is my advice to you. Just be yourself."

Feeling a lot better after talking with the old lady, Tohru smiled. "Yes, thank you very much."

Leaving some money on the table, she walked away.

Still hiding under the booth table, Yuki had heard everything. His head was so full of thoughts, he couldn't think clearly.

Stepping out while mumbling incoherently, the only words that could be heard from him almost clearly was, "Honda-san, why?"

The old woman watched this and raised an eyebrow. "You know that girl?"

Yuki only opened and closed his mouth as if trying to speak clearly.

"Don't tell me you're that friend she was talking about."

Yuki nodded hesitantly, and the old woman's eyes widened and she began to laugh.

"You, the avoidant ice prince is actually interested in girls?"

Yuki blushed uncontrollably.

"Well my advice to you is the same, boy. Just be yourself and go with the flow. Give it time, and eventually you will get the answers you seek. It'll work out, but seriously, how did you get yourself into a complicated mess like this?"

Yuki sighed and drooped down onto the floor.

"Believe me, I wish I knew."

It was definitely a very complicated mess, and whoever ended up with who, they wouldn't know until the end.

But in the meantime, Yuki would try to be there for Tohru more like he used to do before, whether she had Kyo or not, because she didn't deserve to be disregarded no matter what the circumstance.

Yuki might end up with Machi, Tohru might end up with Kyo, or maybe both or neither will happen. Maybe even Yuki and Tohru might get together. Who knows?

Only time will tell, because no matter how they end up, they'll always be themselves.

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While I read the most resent Fruits Basket chapters and visited some discussion boards, I started to feel a bit depressed about the fact that the couple that I adored for so long probably wasn't going to happen. So I got a little put off and couldn't seem to get myself to write anything happy.

But then I thought about it. Any coupling is fine as long as it does good for the character, so I wrote this. I tried really hard not to lean towards Yukiru.

Any comments or constructive criticism would be appreciated. Please review if you can.

-Mochi Dragon