Genres: Drama/Romance/Depression
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. Also I don't recommend reading this if you don't like depressing stories (although, if you've read this far, I'm guessing you do.)
Disclaimer: Fruits Basket is copyrighted to Takaya Natsuki.
Rating: PG 13, might go up to R (but I doubt it, well, who knows)
A/N: Hey. Argh, my spring break is almost over. Crap! From now on it'll be a long hard slog 'till exams... Whatever. Here's another chapter. Enjoy -
Black Boudoir Chapter Seventeen
Tohru and Hatori were driving back to the White lily. Yuki's body lay on the back seat under Hatori's coat.
"Ano, Hatori-san, why did this happen. Aren't we cursed enough already?" Tohru said, with a face, unusually grim, where one would have expected sorrow from a fifteen year-old.
Hatori merely acknowledged the rhetorical question by nodding. He hadn't cried either. Two deaths in two days, where the first one was almost desired, the second was beyond grief.
* * *
They got to the Lily and the body was laid out on the main table and covered with the shroud that had been used for Akito the day before; Tohru had removed it from the former clan-head's corpse before it went into the kiln. Everyone came to pay Yuki his or her last respects. Only very few could boast having known him in his recent past, so it was chosen to recall his somewhat happier childhood instead. Kyo, not having known him at all, just sat quietly.
Shigure came up to him. His eyes were dry, and there was no sign of tears, recent. He laid a hand on the cat's shoulder. Kyo savoured the warmth and comfort it gave and berated himself for not being able to feel more sad about Yuki's death.
Someone came in the door.
Uo, wearing black.
Kyo looked up and noticed her flinch as she in turn noticed Shigure's hand on Kyo's shoulder. 'How ironic' he thought 'at first she blamed me for something she thought was true, and I called her a traitor. Now, I . . ."
"Carrot top." She said, sitting down next to him and bowing her head slightly in greeting to Shigure. He smiled and bowed back. "Sorry about your, uh . . . relatives." She said.
"How did you know?"
"Your clan-head called. Am I dreaming or does she sound just like Tohru?" Uo was looking in Kagura's direction.
"Tohru is the new clan-head." Shigure said.
"Is that legal? She's only a kid."
Shigure shrugged. Uo looked back at Kagura. She was sobbing quietly. Kyo was surprised to see Hatsuharu come up to her and hug her tenderly. Was there something going on between the two of them?
"Stop staring." Uo said, rapping Kyo across the back of the head. Kyo blushed. He turned back to Uo.
Her hair had grown a little since their last meeting. And she had clearly made an effort to look elegant for the funeral; she was wearing A black shirt, with a black silk necktie and a grey waistcoat under a short, black linen blazer with slit open cuffs and long, tailored trousers with high heeled, pointy suede boots.
The outfit looked very expensive. He knew Uo didn't have this kind of money. Or had she changed jobs? Married?
He searched for a ring and found one on her middle finger. 'You don't wear engagement rings on your middle finger, right? Uo wouldn't, would she?' He stopped. 'Am I jealous?' the answer came straight away 'Yes.'
He glanced at Shigure. Shigure meant something to him. But what exactly? Had it been a mistake to kiss him? 'I'm such an idiot. Why do I always find the best way to get my life fucked up?' Kyo raged inwardly.
"So, uh, how are you?" he tried.
"Fine." She smiled, not daring to grin, "I got a new job!"
"Good. I'm glad. Where?"
"In a clothes shop." She answered.
Kyo felt like running against the wall. That was the explanation. And as much as he hated to admit it, his misunderstanding had just made things even more complicated.
"That's where you got your clothes from." He ventured.
"Nah, actually, your clan head, uh, Tohru sent some money from the family's account to compensate for the furniture I destroyed." She shrugged.
"What?"
"Well, uh, since you moved here, Tohru has come to visit me a few times. She could tell that I was angry because of you and came to talk to me."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Was there any reason to?"
"Fair enough."
Uo went on:
"Anyhow, she showed up at the grocery store a few times and at some point I invited her for dinner. When she saw how little furniture I had, she asked what had happened and I told her that I had taken my anger out on it..."
Uo smiled sheepishly.
"She told me that it was from the new clan head, since the old one had died, so I decided to come and thank her in person and pay my last respects to the old one, even though he was a real *****."
This earned her a few angry stares.
"The furniture can wait." She waved the matter away.
Spotting Tohru she went over to her and bowed very low. The young girl blushed and started stammering, then, as if remembering her new position in the Sohma clan hierarchy straightened up and gave the ex-yankee a gracious smile.
"I saw how you looked at her." Shigure said, an oh-so-faux grin plastered across his face.
"R . . . Really?" was all Kyo could think of to say.
He was saved further inquiries from the dog as Uo came back. She was smiling again.
"I trust Tohru." She said, "She told me that this place would be re- converted into a hotel. This means that you won't have to live here anymore. Come home with me."
"But I'm, well, you know what I've been doing these past . . ." Kyo stammered.
"Do you think I care about THAT anymore?" Uo said. "I miss you, even though I did have more space without you." She looked at Kyo "Besides, you've still been paying your share of the rent, it's your privilege to live there. Come home."
Kyo looked for support from Shigure. He just smiled kindly, in a way that clearly told Kyo that he was not happy about the proposal, but that he didn't consider it his business. The cat was shocked. How could Shigure possibly give up without a fight? On the other hand, he was known for always putting on a happy-go-lucky act to reassure people. Kyo put his hand on Shigure's forearm. Uo sighed.
"Well, it's not like I didn't expect it." She mumbled.
"Uotani-san, why don't you move in here?" Shigure suggested.
"And watch you two being all close? Heck no." she said. Then, more gently "Look, I may be wrong, but it seems that there is a little more than just family feelings going on between you. It's quite disgusting if you ask me, but I guess that you two are messed up enough anyway, so I'm not going to try and get in between you. But I really don't encourage incest." She finished.
Kyo flinched. 'Incest.' Suddenly, he had serious doubts about wanting to stay. He had never looked at the situation from this angle. The label "Incest" seemed to hang over him, like some kind of humiliating sign.
Wouldn't it be better if he left?
Neither Shigure nor Kyo had denied what Uo had said. She had hoped that she was wrong, but now, that last, tiny speck of hope had been crushed. She was disappointed. 'As long as he's happy. . . He needs someone who can understand what he's gone through, I guess. So what if it's his male' she shuddered ' cousin?'
"Okay, I take it that this is my cue." She said, smiling.
"Come and see me sometime. Bring Tohru, and you're welcome too, I guess, lover boy." She said.
Shigure winked at her. He turned to Kyo, who was deep in thought, frowning. This really wasn't a good time for Uo to have made her proposal, but it had been made, and Kyo had chosen him. Hadn't he?
Inside Kyo's head, it felt like having the toilet flushed, while your head's in it. He was torn in two: on one side, there was self-disgust, at the fact that, of all people, he had fallen in love 'I think' with Shigure, and how socially abnormal this made him. On the other side, there was the comfort he felt when he was with the dog, and the depth of his care for him.
On the whole, he only regretted one thing: kissing Shigure. It had rushed him into a relationship he felt he might not be quite ready for. Now he was forced to acknowledge his feelings and forced to face his issues. Yet, Shigure would understand.
Shigure won, two points to one against Kyo's self-consciousness.
End of chapter seventeen. Hope you liked it. R&R, as always. Requests, constructive criticsm, even lames are welcome. (Although the flames won't be taken seriously.) - Isa
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. Also I don't recommend reading this if you don't like depressing stories (although, if you've read this far, I'm guessing you do.)
Disclaimer: Fruits Basket is copyrighted to Takaya Natsuki.
Rating: PG 13, might go up to R (but I doubt it, well, who knows)
A/N: Hey. Argh, my spring break is almost over. Crap! From now on it'll be a long hard slog 'till exams... Whatever. Here's another chapter. Enjoy -
Black Boudoir Chapter Seventeen
Tohru and Hatori were driving back to the White lily. Yuki's body lay on the back seat under Hatori's coat.
"Ano, Hatori-san, why did this happen. Aren't we cursed enough already?" Tohru said, with a face, unusually grim, where one would have expected sorrow from a fifteen year-old.
Hatori merely acknowledged the rhetorical question by nodding. He hadn't cried either. Two deaths in two days, where the first one was almost desired, the second was beyond grief.
* * *
They got to the Lily and the body was laid out on the main table and covered with the shroud that had been used for Akito the day before; Tohru had removed it from the former clan-head's corpse before it went into the kiln. Everyone came to pay Yuki his or her last respects. Only very few could boast having known him in his recent past, so it was chosen to recall his somewhat happier childhood instead. Kyo, not having known him at all, just sat quietly.
Shigure came up to him. His eyes were dry, and there was no sign of tears, recent. He laid a hand on the cat's shoulder. Kyo savoured the warmth and comfort it gave and berated himself for not being able to feel more sad about Yuki's death.
Someone came in the door.
Uo, wearing black.
Kyo looked up and noticed her flinch as she in turn noticed Shigure's hand on Kyo's shoulder. 'How ironic' he thought 'at first she blamed me for something she thought was true, and I called her a traitor. Now, I . . ."
"Carrot top." She said, sitting down next to him and bowing her head slightly in greeting to Shigure. He smiled and bowed back. "Sorry about your, uh . . . relatives." She said.
"How did you know?"
"Your clan-head called. Am I dreaming or does she sound just like Tohru?" Uo was looking in Kagura's direction.
"Tohru is the new clan-head." Shigure said.
"Is that legal? She's only a kid."
Shigure shrugged. Uo looked back at Kagura. She was sobbing quietly. Kyo was surprised to see Hatsuharu come up to her and hug her tenderly. Was there something going on between the two of them?
"Stop staring." Uo said, rapping Kyo across the back of the head. Kyo blushed. He turned back to Uo.
Her hair had grown a little since their last meeting. And she had clearly made an effort to look elegant for the funeral; she was wearing A black shirt, with a black silk necktie and a grey waistcoat under a short, black linen blazer with slit open cuffs and long, tailored trousers with high heeled, pointy suede boots.
The outfit looked very expensive. He knew Uo didn't have this kind of money. Or had she changed jobs? Married?
He searched for a ring and found one on her middle finger. 'You don't wear engagement rings on your middle finger, right? Uo wouldn't, would she?' He stopped. 'Am I jealous?' the answer came straight away 'Yes.'
He glanced at Shigure. Shigure meant something to him. But what exactly? Had it been a mistake to kiss him? 'I'm such an idiot. Why do I always find the best way to get my life fucked up?' Kyo raged inwardly.
"So, uh, how are you?" he tried.
"Fine." She smiled, not daring to grin, "I got a new job!"
"Good. I'm glad. Where?"
"In a clothes shop." She answered.
Kyo felt like running against the wall. That was the explanation. And as much as he hated to admit it, his misunderstanding had just made things even more complicated.
"That's where you got your clothes from." He ventured.
"Nah, actually, your clan head, uh, Tohru sent some money from the family's account to compensate for the furniture I destroyed." She shrugged.
"What?"
"Well, uh, since you moved here, Tohru has come to visit me a few times. She could tell that I was angry because of you and came to talk to me."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Was there any reason to?"
"Fair enough."
Uo went on:
"Anyhow, she showed up at the grocery store a few times and at some point I invited her for dinner. When she saw how little furniture I had, she asked what had happened and I told her that I had taken my anger out on it..."
Uo smiled sheepishly.
"She told me that it was from the new clan head, since the old one had died, so I decided to come and thank her in person and pay my last respects to the old one, even though he was a real *****."
This earned her a few angry stares.
"The furniture can wait." She waved the matter away.
Spotting Tohru she went over to her and bowed very low. The young girl blushed and started stammering, then, as if remembering her new position in the Sohma clan hierarchy straightened up and gave the ex-yankee a gracious smile.
"I saw how you looked at her." Shigure said, an oh-so-faux grin plastered across his face.
"R . . . Really?" was all Kyo could think of to say.
He was saved further inquiries from the dog as Uo came back. She was smiling again.
"I trust Tohru." She said, "She told me that this place would be re- converted into a hotel. This means that you won't have to live here anymore. Come home with me."
"But I'm, well, you know what I've been doing these past . . ." Kyo stammered.
"Do you think I care about THAT anymore?" Uo said. "I miss you, even though I did have more space without you." She looked at Kyo "Besides, you've still been paying your share of the rent, it's your privilege to live there. Come home."
Kyo looked for support from Shigure. He just smiled kindly, in a way that clearly told Kyo that he was not happy about the proposal, but that he didn't consider it his business. The cat was shocked. How could Shigure possibly give up without a fight? On the other hand, he was known for always putting on a happy-go-lucky act to reassure people. Kyo put his hand on Shigure's forearm. Uo sighed.
"Well, it's not like I didn't expect it." She mumbled.
"Uotani-san, why don't you move in here?" Shigure suggested.
"And watch you two being all close? Heck no." she said. Then, more gently "Look, I may be wrong, but it seems that there is a little more than just family feelings going on between you. It's quite disgusting if you ask me, but I guess that you two are messed up enough anyway, so I'm not going to try and get in between you. But I really don't encourage incest." She finished.
Kyo flinched. 'Incest.' Suddenly, he had serious doubts about wanting to stay. He had never looked at the situation from this angle. The label "Incest" seemed to hang over him, like some kind of humiliating sign.
Wouldn't it be better if he left?
Neither Shigure nor Kyo had denied what Uo had said. She had hoped that she was wrong, but now, that last, tiny speck of hope had been crushed. She was disappointed. 'As long as he's happy. . . He needs someone who can understand what he's gone through, I guess. So what if it's his male' she shuddered ' cousin?'
"Okay, I take it that this is my cue." She said, smiling.
"Come and see me sometime. Bring Tohru, and you're welcome too, I guess, lover boy." She said.
Shigure winked at her. He turned to Kyo, who was deep in thought, frowning. This really wasn't a good time for Uo to have made her proposal, but it had been made, and Kyo had chosen him. Hadn't he?
Inside Kyo's head, it felt like having the toilet flushed, while your head's in it. He was torn in two: on one side, there was self-disgust, at the fact that, of all people, he had fallen in love 'I think' with Shigure, and how socially abnormal this made him. On the other side, there was the comfort he felt when he was with the dog, and the depth of his care for him.
On the whole, he only regretted one thing: kissing Shigure. It had rushed him into a relationship he felt he might not be quite ready for. Now he was forced to acknowledge his feelings and forced to face his issues. Yet, Shigure would understand.
Shigure won, two points to one against Kyo's self-consciousness.
End of chapter seventeen. Hope you liked it. R&R, as always. Requests, constructive criticsm, even lames are welcome. (Although the flames won't be taken seriously.) - Isa