Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket.
Chapter Nine : Lies
Ring… Ring… Ring… Tohru gave her stew one last stir and picked up the phone. "Hello, Honda residence." She heard a sharp intake of breath on the other line.
"Tohru?" The voice was vaguely familiar. It was smooth, kind, and with a very slight American accent. Her eyes snapped open in sudden recognition.
"Yuki! Is that you?"
"Tohru… Tohru…" Tohru smiled broadly, tears of joy streamed down her cheeks.
"Yuki! How are you? Please tell me that you're coming home, back to Japan!" Yuki sighed.
"Tohru, do you love me?"
"Yes, Yuki. I love you more than I ever have. I'll never stop loving you."
"That's…" Tohru's brow wrinkled as Yuki's voice trailed off in something that sounded like dismay.
"What? What's wrong."
"Tohru, I'm not coming back to Japan. I'm engaged. I'm going to be married in three weeks. I'm sorry, Honda-san. I'm sorry, but I'm happy. She knows about the curse, and she doesn't care. Since Akito isn't here, we can be married. I hope that you can be happy without me, Honda-san. We couldn't be together, so I moved on. I hope you move on too. Goodbye, Honda-san." Yuki hung up. The receiver slipped from Tohru's grasp.
'Not coming back… Engaged… Goodbye… Honda-san…" Tohru crumpled to the ground.
-
Yuki hung up and slid his back down the wall until he was sitting, knees to chin and head in hands. His head pounded, tears trickled from his eyes. He looked up at his end table. On it were two pictures, one of him and Tohru and another of him and a woman. She was American, with light brown hair and green eyes. Her lips were curved playfully into a broad smile, eyes sparkling with happiness. Yuki let his head drop back onto his knees.
'I can't believe I lied to her like that. Ana is only a friend, a co-worker. She gave me that picture as congratulations on my promotion. She means nothing to me. It's Tohru that I love, but we can't be together. Not until Akito dies. Ayame said that he'd call me when he was gone. All I can wish for now is that Tohru is happy. If she is still single after Akito dies, I'll go to her again. But for now, it's not safe.'
-
Akito was at his normal spot, lying on his porch. He was noticeably skinnier, paler, and more susceptible to illness. Hatori had gone back to the Sohma estate carefully, and had only received a beating from Akito. The dragon was now back to his normal position, and his entire job now revolved around the god of the Jyunnishi.
The head of the family was nearing the end of his life. Everyone knew it, especially Hatori. From time to time he would cough up blood and ran an almost constantly high temperature. Akito knew his life was coming to an end, and he had decided that it was time for him to find Yuki.
"Hatori. I'm going to die soon. Before I die, I want to find Yuki and bring him back here. I want to make him pay. I know that Ayame knows where he is." Hatori started, but kept his face from showing his shock. "I see that you are surprised. Don't be. Ayame told me the moment Yuki called him. Ayame hasn't changed at all, over all these years. He's still loyal to me. He would still sell his own brother to me for happiness." Hatori's heart fell. The dragon had thought that Aya had changed, that he had learned from the past. He hadn't, apparently.
"Hatori, call Ayame when you're done. I want to see him tonight." Hatori began packing away his instruments.
"Yes sir."
-
Uo and Hana found Tohru, twenty minutes after she received the call from Yuki, lying on the floor sobbing. She was a complete wreck, screaming and pounding her fists on the floor and crying. They couldn't get a word out of her; she seemed oblivious to her friend's presence. Finally, Uo and Hana gave up on trying to talk to her. They half-dragged-half-carried Tohru into her bedroom and plopped her into the bed.
After five more minutes of uncontrollable sobbing, Tohru passed out. She slept like rock, her friends were sure that nothing they could do would wake her up. They would have to wait to see what was wrong.
Tohru slept for almost ten hours. At first Uo and Hana both sat with her, but they decided that they would have to take shifts. One would watch while the other napped, ate, or left to work.
It was Hana's shift when Tohru woke up. She just stared at the ceiling, crying silently. Hana held Tohru's hand comfortingly and brushed the hair from her face.
"Tohru. It's me, Hana." Tohru turned her head slightly to face Hana.
"H-Hana-chan?"
"Tohru, can you tell me what made you cry? What's wrong?" Tohru looked back up at the ceiling.
"Yuki called me. He told me that he was… he was… engaged… and wasn't coming back to Japan." Hana's eyes opened in surprise, and then wrinkled in anger.
"That stupid child! Running away from his problems, when if he could overcome them, he would be ten times happier. Tohru, if you love him, you need to convince him that he would be happier with you if he would just triumph over your obstacles. Then he will come back." Tohru's expression suddenly became determined and her tears stopped.
"I will! I can do this! I love Yuki more than anything, and I won't let Akito-san stop us from being together!"
-
Ayame sat before Akito, a piece of paper in his hand. It was edging on nighttime, the spring breeze slightly chilly. Akito had on a heavier kimono than normal, by Hatori's orders.
"So, Ayame. You have Yuki's location and phone number?"
"Yes."
"You haven't changed, you know. You'll still sell your brother if it means your happiness. Won't you?" Ayame didn't answer, but didn't look away either. "Well, what are you waiting for? Give me the paper! I'm not going to live much longer." Ayame instantly got up and handed Akito the paper.
He read over the paper carefully, an evil smile spreading over his pale lips.
"I've got you."