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)

Confessions of a guilt-ridden authoress:

Well, what have I got to say for myself? Not much, except for: I'm sorry that I've kept everyone waiting (and I'll be extremely grateful if anyone actually does read this, even though I don't deserve it…) and that I'll try to update more often. I've been going through and awfully long bout of writer's-block and acute laziness. I guess that's all. Gomen nasai.

"Black Boudoir"

Chapter nineteen

"So where do we go from here?" Kyo murmured in the silence of his room. He had often repeated this question out loud to himself that day.

There was the temptation to leave, either with or without Shigure. He couldn't really tell what the point of leaving Shigure at this stage would be, but some animalistic instinct was telling him there and then to flee. It seemed to be the easiest thing, but of course it was also absurd, immature and selfish. No, Kyo would have to face things and he would have to make some sort of decision, not because others expected it from him, but because his own mind required it.

There was a knock on the door.

"What?" he asked.

"Can I come in?" came Shigure's voice through the door.

Kyo didn't answer, assuming the dog would take it as a 'yes', but he just stayed there, on the other side of the door. After a few minutes, Kyo got up and wrenched open the sliding barrier between him and his cousin. Shigure was standing there, a wistful, almost sad look in his eyes.

"Is something wrong?" Kyo asked.

"I just can't sleep, so I thought I'd come and spend the time with you."

"And what would you have done if I had been asleep?"

"I would have watched you." Shigure answered honestly.

Kyo smiled at the mischievous expression his cousin wore. Suddenly, it seemed to be the most beautiful thing he could think of. He thought for an instant that he could live, just to see that look, and how he wanted it to replace the sadness in the dog's eyes. He would change things, build, improve them, so that his goal would be fulfilled. At that moment it all seemed possible, even achievable. In that moment, he felt hope. He beckoned and Shigure complied almost a little to eagerly, tripping on his yukata and falling forwards. In his fall, he hit Kyo who was thrown backwards and hit his head rather painfully on the closet.

He got up grumbling and swearing and, when he looked up was happy to see the mirth in the thirty-year-olds expression.

Arisa sat in the "Lily's" bar. She had come on a whim, not really knowing what to do in her free time. Kagura had let her in and poured her a drink while she waited for Tohru. As she stared blankly into space, a man in a suit walked by, at first not noticing her, but double taking once he was halfway across the room and looking at her for a brief moment, trying to make out who she was, and where he had seen her before. Seeing the man's unease, Uotani got up and bowed curtly before introducing herself. She added:

"We've met briefly at the funeral."

Hatori nodded and looked at her a few seconds more before in his turn, telling her who he was.

"I hope you don't mind me asking, but are you a good friend of Shigure's?" She said, vaguely remembering his face from a photograph taken years ago, the one Kyo had shown her at the beginning of this mess.

"I'm his cousin, but one could also consider us as friends." The dragon stated.

Arisa was completely dumbstruck by the dragon's cold manners. She couldn't quite think of something to say, so she quickly blurted out the first thing that came to mind:

"What do you think about his and Kyo's relationship?"

This time it was Hatori's turn to be surprised. He was fairly used to Hatsuharu's bluntness, but this girl surpassed it. He didn't really know Kyo that well, but supposed that he also had a similar way of speaking when he actually spoke.

"Well" he started and found Uotani-san looking away in the direction of the crashing noise they had just heard. Moments later, Tohru came out of her office, red-faced, uttering a faint "Aaaaah, my head." and looking up upon hearing Uo's laughter.

"Ah, Uo, gomen, I didn't mean to make you wait, I just had to deal with some paperwork, but it's not important" she said at light speed.

"Ano" she continued "Would you mind helping me with the lamp that just came loose from the ceiling? I don't know how it happened, but…" She was cut off.

"Lead on." Uo said, marching Tohru in the direction of her office.

Hatori sighed. What a strange woman. Even by Sohma standards. He had of course, heard about her from Shigure. The latter had told him that she had been living with Kyo for a few years and was having trouble adjusting to his not being there anymore. He had also mentioned her feelings for the cat. 'They would have been a good match.' Hatori thought, and came back to reflect on the unhappy relationship between Shigure and Kyo. He just couldn't see anything good coming from this. Kyo would have been so much better off with this Uotani girl.

At the same time, he felt extremely sorry for her. How disappointing it must be, to be alone.

Kyo and Shigure sat together at the water's edge. They were sitting on the bank of the very same river in which Akito and Yuki's lives had ended, just a little further upstream. Shigure was wearing a kimono, as usual, simply out of habit and the ends of it trailed in the water. They both sat in silence, enjoying each other's presence. It was quiet here. They were happy, they supposed, but even in this happiness, it seemed that, no matter where they went, they would not find peace of mind.

Kyo dipped his hand into the water and retrieved it, watching the drops slide along his skin and snag on the fine hairs of his arm. There was a drop forming on the tip of his finger, growing and growing. As if in a dream, he brought it up the Shigure's face, and deposited it on his lip, and spread it with his thumb.

Shigure smiled. But there was pain in his smile. Even this afternoon of relaxation with Kyo seemed false to him. Nothing was pure. They were imperfect. So why was he clinging to this love that was hurting him? Because it would be selfish not to? So many questions went unanswered. But maybe he was just making everything more complicated by asking them.

End of chapter nineteen.