Genres: Drama/romance/?
Warning: contains shonen/seinen-ai. If you find this offensive, then don't read this (yes, it's as simple as that)! Plus the story contains elements concerning prostitution.
Disclaimer: Fruits Basket is copyrighted to Takaya Natsuki.
Rating: PG-13, might go up to R (but I doubt it, well, who knows)
Chat with Isa and Mouton -
Mouton: Well, here we are again.
Isa: We got reviews!
Mouton: thank you! * bows *
Isa: seems that the story isn't going down the drain after all.
Mouton: I guess. Since I've had a few comments concerning Akito and Yuki's relationship, I guess I'll feature them a little more than I had planned on. But don't get your hopes up too high; they won't have a happy ending.
Isa: Oh yeah, I forgot that you were a depressive, sad ****.
Mouton: That wasn't very nice of you. Besides, aren't you the personification of my morbid/cynical side?
Isa: hmm, what nice weather. Can we have the rest of the fic then?
- Black Boudoir -
Chapter Seven
Shigure was surprised at Kyo's request. It was amazing that he hadn't been scared away. He was pretty sure that Kyo knew that he had been working tonight, but here he was. Shigure was truly grateful for it.
"Alright. Who would you like to know about?" Shigure asked with a tired smile.
"Well, that, uh what was his name, Ayamu?"
"Ayame" Shigure corrected " Well, first off, he's the snake. He's also on that picture you have. The other boy my age is called Hatori. He's the dragon in our family."
"And are they. . ." Kyo asked tentatively.
"Ah, yes, Ayame is my uh, collegue, if that's what you mean. Hatori is the clan doctor. He spends most of his time taking care of the clan head."
" Alright. Last night, when I left, I saw a man my age with grey hair walking by, he looked sick. Am I also related to him?"
"Yes. That was probably Yuki. He's the Jyunishii mouse or rat if you prefer. He's Ayame's younger brother." Shigure paused. "He's also Akito's lover."
Kyo was starting to squirm. Were all of his relatives involved in this? He looked at Shigure and again found it hard to believe what this man had been doing before he cam here. He looked so clean, and there was nothing cheap or perverted about him.(A/N: this version of Shigure is too disgusted with himself to be perveted.) He found himself looking at the clean white yukata the man was wearing and thought that of all people, he looked "pure" or at least had some kind of integrity.
Shigure made a coughing noise. Kyo noticed that he must have been staring, and straightened up.
"I'm sorry, I just need to get used to all of this." He took his face into his hands.
Shigure looked at Kyo. For someone so young, he was taking this rather well. He was still waiting for him to act disgusted, or run away. He looked at the bed and started putting the pillows back to their normal place. He asked Kyo to stand up so that he could fold the covers. (Kyo and Shigure had been sitting on the bed.) While he piled the sheets in a corner so that Kisa could come and collect them in the morning, Kyo stared blankly out of the window. All the while, he had been torn: he wanted very badly to leave this place, but he couldn't bring himself to move. He turned to Shigure.
"Why don't you leave?" he asked.
"Leave where? Here?"
"Yes, you can go, anywhere, somewhere. Why are you enduring this, you can't possibly like it? Can you?"
"No, I can't leave. It's true, I hate working here. But not being here. Anyway, I can't leave."
Kyo just fell silent.
"Kyo, why didn't you leave?" Shigure asked.
"I don't know."
"Aren't you disgusted?"
"Yes, of course. But. . ." he stopped.
He had wanted to leave, but he hadn't something was holding him back. Something, someone. He felt puzzled; it was like looking for something in the dark. He knew it was there, but where exactly? He was so tired. He had run here on a whim and now he didn't know why. He had wanted to see Shigure again, asked for explanations, answers he needed.
"Can I meet Akito?" Kyo said. It had come out of him, without him even forming the sentence in his mind.
"You can. I wouldn't if I were you. He'll only try to rope you into the buisness." Shigure said wryly.
"I want to meet him." Kyo said.
Kyo looked very determined. Shigure noticed a glint in Kyo's eyes. He knew what it was. Kyo wasn't speaking, it was the cat. Shigure glanced at Kyo's wrist. He saw the bracelet. He had always heard about it, but this was the first time he had encountered it. If he had it, that meant that Akito knew about him. Kyo hadn't been born when his parents had left, they must have asked Akito's predecessor to send it.
"Alright." Shigure said. "Follow me. He shouldn't be busy."
They exited the room and walked to the end of the hall. Here Shigure opened a door that lead to a staircase. They climbed up and Kyo gaped. The level below had been quite plain, here the walls were panelled with dark wood and there were red banners bearing the Sohma crest hanging from the walls. The carpet was a luxurious crimson and the vases standing on the side were decorated in gold leaf and held beautiful rare flowers. Shigure went to one of the doors knocked and slid it open.
"Akito-sama. I've brought a guest."
"Ah Shigure, well, what are you waiting for? Bring him in."
Shigure ushered Kyo in. Kyo flinched. The room was just as beautiful as the hallway preceding it, and the floor was completely covered with tatami. (A/N: jap. Floor mats) In the middle there was a huge red silken futon on which the clan head lay. He was not alone. Kyo recognised Yuki and was appalled to see that he was naked in the clan head's arms.
"Ah, you must be the cat." Akito whispered.
"Yes, Sohma-sama." Kyo said with a bow. "My name is Sohma Kyo."
Akito looked at Kyo and said to Shigure.
"He's beautiful. Would you mind leaving us?" Shigure nodded and glanced at Kyo warningly.
"You may go Yuki." Akito said.
Yuki nodded, picked up his robe and slipped it on before exiting the room and sliding the door shut. Kyo looked around the room and noticed that it didn't have any windows. He glanced over at the incense burning in the corner. This was not like what Shigure had burned, this was overpowering, heavy, musky. Akito motioned for Kyo to sit down. Kyo found himself obeying at once. The incense was making him tired.
"So, the long lost cat is found." Akito said, his voice soft and soothing. " You really are something. I could use you here."
Kyo shook his head. His mind clouded by the fumes. Akito seized his chin, forcing Kyo to look at him.
"Do you know what the 'White lily' is?" he asked.
"Yes." Kyo answered. He couldn't bring himself to say more.
"Wouldn't you like to move here? Be with the family, work here with them?" Akito asked.
Kyo's mind was swimming. He found it extremely hard to concentrate. He wanted to be with his family, with Shigure, he liked the beautiful room he was in, he wouldn't mind living in this building, even working here suddenly didn't seem so bad. . . The section of his brain that wasn't completely overpowered by the drugged air in this room yelled "stop". Work here? Never!
Kyo then realised that he had said the last word out loud. Akito's expression changed. He let go of Kyo.
"I didn't think you would, but it was worth a try. Kyo, we have just met, and obviously you don't know me. I offered a home a job and family to you politely. And you refused? Well, it wasn't actually an offer. You will do as I say. I'll give you some time to think it over. It would be much wiser for you to come of your own free will." Akito whispered.
He then called for Shigure.
"Take him away. Bring him back tomorrow." Akito said quietly.
Shigure and Kyo left the room and Kyo noticed Yuki entering Akito's room again. They both walked back along the luxurious hallway, only this time, Kyo's vision was distorted from the incense. The hangings and the carpet were rivers of blood, the flowers were strange insects. Kyo had to grab Shigure's kimono and close his eyes so as to be able to walk properly. He couldn't focus and even though he knew what all these objects really were, they seemed frightening. Shigure's kimono was comforting, it was familiar and the incense itself reminded him of his cousin. He held onto it and only let go when Shigure told him that they were in his room.
"Kyo, go splash some water on your face, you'll feel better." He said with a friendly smile.
Kyo came back, still slightly dazed, his hair still dripping. He drank the tee Shigure handed him and sat down on his bed.
"Are you feeling better?" Shigure inquired.
"What was that? Why did I feel like I was drunk or brainwashed?" Kyo said, shaking his head as if to clear away what was left of the incenses' influence.
"It must be the stuff he burns. We're all used to it, the Sohmas I mean, we've grown up with the smell of it, but it always has a strange effect on newcomers."
"Tell me about it."
"So, now you've met Akito, what did he say?" Shigure asked, all though he already knew.
" He knew who I was. I can't remember very well, he asked me if I wanted to work and live here. I was about to say 'yes' when I realised what he meant."
"I knew it." Shigure said wagging his finger.
"Well, I'll just never come back." Kyo said
"You can't. You'll have to obey him now. You'll have to come back tomorrow. He'll try to force you to stay." Shigure said.
"Can't I do something about it?"
"I'm sorry." Shigure said, looking down. Then, smiling again " Go home, rest and we'll talk about it tomorrow."
Kyo got and fell back down again. He was starting to feel nauseous from the fumes. Shigure put one of Kyo's arms around his shoulder and half carried him to the door. They got to the lobby where they met Tohru.
"Ah, Kyo-san! Good evening" she said blushing.
"Tohru-chan, could you please call Kyo a taxi. He doesn't feel well."
"Yes, of course. Ano. . . Shigure-san, is Kyo-san your client?" Tohru said, contemplating her feet.
"No, Tohru-chan, don't worry. He came here to ask me more about the relatives." Shigure said smiling.
Tohru sighed, glanced at Kyo who looked back at her dazedly. She ran off to do as Shigure had requested. Shigure dragged Kyo over to a chair and half dropped him into it. He looked at Kyo, whose eyes were now closed. 'What has the stupid boy gotten himself into?' he asked himself. 'He should have run away. Yet I didn't want him to leave'. Kyo had fallen asleep, his head lolling to one side. Tohru came back and announced that the taxi would be there in twenty minutes.
"Shigure-san, why is Kyo-san in this state? Did you get him drunk?" she asked tentatively.
"No, he wanted to see Akito-sama, so I led him there. It's that stuff he burns. I didn't think that Akito would recruit him at the first meeting, but it seems so. He has to come back tomorrow." Shigure said, his expression impassive, but his voice containing the slightest hint of bitterness.
" Then it's true." Tohru's face fell.
"What is?"
"Akito-sama must really hate the cat, to want to make him suffer right away. Why does he do it?" she asked.
* * *
Kyo woke up in his bed the next morning, not knowing how he had gotten home. He got up and dressed, went into the kitchen only to find a note on the table.
Carrot-head,
Thanks a lot! Your date called me in the middle of the night to tell me that you were drunk and that he didn't know what your address was for the taxi driver. I had to get up, and carry you from the taxi to the bed. You should think about starting a diet! You owe me one for this.
P.S. there's food in the fridge in case you can eat again by the time I get home. -
End of chapter seven.
Yay! I can finally start developping Shigure and Kyo's relationship!!!! This chapter was extremely hard to write, and I have a slightly negative feeling about it, bear with me please! Reviews and criticsm, heck even flames are welcome! ( please excuse my poor writing, I had a loooooooong day.)
Isa
P.S. just a little extra info: Mouton uses a British accent and Isa speaks american english. Now that I've told you this, I'll stop bothering you with useless info.
Warning: contains shonen/seinen-ai. If you find this offensive, then don't read this (yes, it's as simple as that)! Plus the story contains elements concerning prostitution.
Disclaimer: Fruits Basket is copyrighted to Takaya Natsuki.
Rating: PG-13, might go up to R (but I doubt it, well, who knows)
Chat with Isa and Mouton -
Mouton: Well, here we are again.
Isa: We got reviews!
Mouton: thank you! * bows *
Isa: seems that the story isn't going down the drain after all.
Mouton: I guess. Since I've had a few comments concerning Akito and Yuki's relationship, I guess I'll feature them a little more than I had planned on. But don't get your hopes up too high; they won't have a happy ending.
Isa: Oh yeah, I forgot that you were a depressive, sad ****.
Mouton: That wasn't very nice of you. Besides, aren't you the personification of my morbid/cynical side?
Isa: hmm, what nice weather. Can we have the rest of the fic then?
- Black Boudoir -
Chapter Seven
Shigure was surprised at Kyo's request. It was amazing that he hadn't been scared away. He was pretty sure that Kyo knew that he had been working tonight, but here he was. Shigure was truly grateful for it.
"Alright. Who would you like to know about?" Shigure asked with a tired smile.
"Well, that, uh what was his name, Ayamu?"
"Ayame" Shigure corrected " Well, first off, he's the snake. He's also on that picture you have. The other boy my age is called Hatori. He's the dragon in our family."
"And are they. . ." Kyo asked tentatively.
"Ah, yes, Ayame is my uh, collegue, if that's what you mean. Hatori is the clan doctor. He spends most of his time taking care of the clan head."
" Alright. Last night, when I left, I saw a man my age with grey hair walking by, he looked sick. Am I also related to him?"
"Yes. That was probably Yuki. He's the Jyunishii mouse or rat if you prefer. He's Ayame's younger brother." Shigure paused. "He's also Akito's lover."
Kyo was starting to squirm. Were all of his relatives involved in this? He looked at Shigure and again found it hard to believe what this man had been doing before he cam here. He looked so clean, and there was nothing cheap or perverted about him.(A/N: this version of Shigure is too disgusted with himself to be perveted.) He found himself looking at the clean white yukata the man was wearing and thought that of all people, he looked "pure" or at least had some kind of integrity.
Shigure made a coughing noise. Kyo noticed that he must have been staring, and straightened up.
"I'm sorry, I just need to get used to all of this." He took his face into his hands.
Shigure looked at Kyo. For someone so young, he was taking this rather well. He was still waiting for him to act disgusted, or run away. He looked at the bed and started putting the pillows back to their normal place. He asked Kyo to stand up so that he could fold the covers. (Kyo and Shigure had been sitting on the bed.) While he piled the sheets in a corner so that Kisa could come and collect them in the morning, Kyo stared blankly out of the window. All the while, he had been torn: he wanted very badly to leave this place, but he couldn't bring himself to move. He turned to Shigure.
"Why don't you leave?" he asked.
"Leave where? Here?"
"Yes, you can go, anywhere, somewhere. Why are you enduring this, you can't possibly like it? Can you?"
"No, I can't leave. It's true, I hate working here. But not being here. Anyway, I can't leave."
Kyo just fell silent.
"Kyo, why didn't you leave?" Shigure asked.
"I don't know."
"Aren't you disgusted?"
"Yes, of course. But. . ." he stopped.
He had wanted to leave, but he hadn't something was holding him back. Something, someone. He felt puzzled; it was like looking for something in the dark. He knew it was there, but where exactly? He was so tired. He had run here on a whim and now he didn't know why. He had wanted to see Shigure again, asked for explanations, answers he needed.
"Can I meet Akito?" Kyo said. It had come out of him, without him even forming the sentence in his mind.
"You can. I wouldn't if I were you. He'll only try to rope you into the buisness." Shigure said wryly.
"I want to meet him." Kyo said.
Kyo looked very determined. Shigure noticed a glint in Kyo's eyes. He knew what it was. Kyo wasn't speaking, it was the cat. Shigure glanced at Kyo's wrist. He saw the bracelet. He had always heard about it, but this was the first time he had encountered it. If he had it, that meant that Akito knew about him. Kyo hadn't been born when his parents had left, they must have asked Akito's predecessor to send it.
"Alright." Shigure said. "Follow me. He shouldn't be busy."
They exited the room and walked to the end of the hall. Here Shigure opened a door that lead to a staircase. They climbed up and Kyo gaped. The level below had been quite plain, here the walls were panelled with dark wood and there were red banners bearing the Sohma crest hanging from the walls. The carpet was a luxurious crimson and the vases standing on the side were decorated in gold leaf and held beautiful rare flowers. Shigure went to one of the doors knocked and slid it open.
"Akito-sama. I've brought a guest."
"Ah Shigure, well, what are you waiting for? Bring him in."
Shigure ushered Kyo in. Kyo flinched. The room was just as beautiful as the hallway preceding it, and the floor was completely covered with tatami. (A/N: jap. Floor mats) In the middle there was a huge red silken futon on which the clan head lay. He was not alone. Kyo recognised Yuki and was appalled to see that he was naked in the clan head's arms.
"Ah, you must be the cat." Akito whispered.
"Yes, Sohma-sama." Kyo said with a bow. "My name is Sohma Kyo."
Akito looked at Kyo and said to Shigure.
"He's beautiful. Would you mind leaving us?" Shigure nodded and glanced at Kyo warningly.
"You may go Yuki." Akito said.
Yuki nodded, picked up his robe and slipped it on before exiting the room and sliding the door shut. Kyo looked around the room and noticed that it didn't have any windows. He glanced over at the incense burning in the corner. This was not like what Shigure had burned, this was overpowering, heavy, musky. Akito motioned for Kyo to sit down. Kyo found himself obeying at once. The incense was making him tired.
"So, the long lost cat is found." Akito said, his voice soft and soothing. " You really are something. I could use you here."
Kyo shook his head. His mind clouded by the fumes. Akito seized his chin, forcing Kyo to look at him.
"Do you know what the 'White lily' is?" he asked.
"Yes." Kyo answered. He couldn't bring himself to say more.
"Wouldn't you like to move here? Be with the family, work here with them?" Akito asked.
Kyo's mind was swimming. He found it extremely hard to concentrate. He wanted to be with his family, with Shigure, he liked the beautiful room he was in, he wouldn't mind living in this building, even working here suddenly didn't seem so bad. . . The section of his brain that wasn't completely overpowered by the drugged air in this room yelled "stop". Work here? Never!
Kyo then realised that he had said the last word out loud. Akito's expression changed. He let go of Kyo.
"I didn't think you would, but it was worth a try. Kyo, we have just met, and obviously you don't know me. I offered a home a job and family to you politely. And you refused? Well, it wasn't actually an offer. You will do as I say. I'll give you some time to think it over. It would be much wiser for you to come of your own free will." Akito whispered.
He then called for Shigure.
"Take him away. Bring him back tomorrow." Akito said quietly.
Shigure and Kyo left the room and Kyo noticed Yuki entering Akito's room again. They both walked back along the luxurious hallway, only this time, Kyo's vision was distorted from the incense. The hangings and the carpet were rivers of blood, the flowers were strange insects. Kyo had to grab Shigure's kimono and close his eyes so as to be able to walk properly. He couldn't focus and even though he knew what all these objects really were, they seemed frightening. Shigure's kimono was comforting, it was familiar and the incense itself reminded him of his cousin. He held onto it and only let go when Shigure told him that they were in his room.
"Kyo, go splash some water on your face, you'll feel better." He said with a friendly smile.
Kyo came back, still slightly dazed, his hair still dripping. He drank the tee Shigure handed him and sat down on his bed.
"Are you feeling better?" Shigure inquired.
"What was that? Why did I feel like I was drunk or brainwashed?" Kyo said, shaking his head as if to clear away what was left of the incenses' influence.
"It must be the stuff he burns. We're all used to it, the Sohmas I mean, we've grown up with the smell of it, but it always has a strange effect on newcomers."
"Tell me about it."
"So, now you've met Akito, what did he say?" Shigure asked, all though he already knew.
" He knew who I was. I can't remember very well, he asked me if I wanted to work and live here. I was about to say 'yes' when I realised what he meant."
"I knew it." Shigure said wagging his finger.
"Well, I'll just never come back." Kyo said
"You can't. You'll have to obey him now. You'll have to come back tomorrow. He'll try to force you to stay." Shigure said.
"Can't I do something about it?"
"I'm sorry." Shigure said, looking down. Then, smiling again " Go home, rest and we'll talk about it tomorrow."
Kyo got and fell back down again. He was starting to feel nauseous from the fumes. Shigure put one of Kyo's arms around his shoulder and half carried him to the door. They got to the lobby where they met Tohru.
"Ah, Kyo-san! Good evening" she said blushing.
"Tohru-chan, could you please call Kyo a taxi. He doesn't feel well."
"Yes, of course. Ano. . . Shigure-san, is Kyo-san your client?" Tohru said, contemplating her feet.
"No, Tohru-chan, don't worry. He came here to ask me more about the relatives." Shigure said smiling.
Tohru sighed, glanced at Kyo who looked back at her dazedly. She ran off to do as Shigure had requested. Shigure dragged Kyo over to a chair and half dropped him into it. He looked at Kyo, whose eyes were now closed. 'What has the stupid boy gotten himself into?' he asked himself. 'He should have run away. Yet I didn't want him to leave'. Kyo had fallen asleep, his head lolling to one side. Tohru came back and announced that the taxi would be there in twenty minutes.
"Shigure-san, why is Kyo-san in this state? Did you get him drunk?" she asked tentatively.
"No, he wanted to see Akito-sama, so I led him there. It's that stuff he burns. I didn't think that Akito would recruit him at the first meeting, but it seems so. He has to come back tomorrow." Shigure said, his expression impassive, but his voice containing the slightest hint of bitterness.
" Then it's true." Tohru's face fell.
"What is?"
"Akito-sama must really hate the cat, to want to make him suffer right away. Why does he do it?" she asked.
* * *
Kyo woke up in his bed the next morning, not knowing how he had gotten home. He got up and dressed, went into the kitchen only to find a note on the table.
Carrot-head,
Thanks a lot! Your date called me in the middle of the night to tell me that you were drunk and that he didn't know what your address was for the taxi driver. I had to get up, and carry you from the taxi to the bed. You should think about starting a diet! You owe me one for this.
P.S. there's food in the fridge in case you can eat again by the time I get home. -
End of chapter seven.
Yay! I can finally start developping Shigure and Kyo's relationship!!!! This chapter was extremely hard to write, and I have a slightly negative feeling about it, bear with me please! Reviews and criticsm, heck even flames are welcome! ( please excuse my poor writing, I had a loooooooong day.)
Isa
P.S. just a little extra info: Mouton uses a British accent and Isa speaks american english. Now that I've told you this, I'll stop bothering you with useless info.