-1AN: Sorry for the delay in getting the new chapters up. I'll get back on schedule this week. Had a really really bad week. But anyway, I still don't own fruits baskets or its characters, just this story line :P There are some spoilers for the end of the anime and volume 6 of the magna vaguely mentioned in the chapter. So you have been warned.
Hope you all enjoy this chapter. So far its been on the favorite ones I've wrote, even though I feel sorry for Yuki.
Chapter 10: Her knight.
Kyo was in a rush getting to get home, he wanted to see Tohru, needed to see her to make sure she was okay. I shouldn't have went to the dojo, but I had to do something to burn off this anger. He knew that the way he was going through his exercises had caused Kazuma to wonder. But right now he couldn't talk about what happened to her. Yuki was in the kitchen when he arrived home. He was trying to prepare some type of stew.
"What are you doing rat? Kyo hissed coming into the kitchen.
"What's it look like stupid cat?" Yuki replied. "I'm making Tohru some dinner, you can fix yourself something.." I should tell him that she had been asking for him all day. But I can't it hurts to bad. Why is she asking for him, she knows that I love her. I wish she would just talk to me. Finishing the stew, "Now get out of my way I can take it to her."
"I'll make her something to eat, everyone knows you can't cook." As Yuki pushed passed him. I should trip him. He thought vaguely . "How has she been today?" Yuki ignored him and started up the stairs.
"I'm talking to you,. Damnit rat answer me!" He was starting to get mad and under normal circumstances he would have started a fight with Yuki. But right now all he wanted to know was how Tohru was.
"Yuki?" They both heard her call from her room. They both froze her voice sounded terrified.
"I don't have time for this, I've got to get to her." He hurried up the stairs. I hope she isn't having another flashback..
"Well I'm coming too!" he heard Kyo say from the bottom of the stairs. Like you need my permission.
"Tohru-san. Its okay, you're not alone", Yuki said entering the room. "Hatori said that you needed to eat something. I um I made this for you."
She was sitting up in the bed. And looked down at the tray that Yuki had made. The stew smelt good. She took one bite and groaned. "I'm not hungry". I know I should eat, I'm hungry and Yuki went through all this trouble but every time I try to eat I just feel sick.. She noticed Kyo standing near the door. "Kyo -kun" the despair lifted from her face for a moment. "You're home, I was starting to worry."
Yuki's face feel. He knew that he needed to deal with this, but it was so hard to watch the girl he loved, fall for someone else. That through took him by surprise. Tohru falling in love with Kyo. He moved the tray from her and sat it on the desk. "I'll leave it here in case you change your mind." Instead of leaving he stayed near the desk looking out the window.
"Hey, course I'm home, I only went to school and the dojo" Kyo said his face blushing slightly. She had always welcomed him home happily but there was something about the way her face lit up tonight, especially after all that had happened. "How are you feeling?"
She looked down. "I don't know." She mumbled and took her hair brush off the night table. She began trying to brush it.
"You don't know? How can you not…"His sentence dropped off as he took a closer look at her. The cuts on her face were covered in small band-aids, the swelling as well as most the redness had went away. But left, deep blue-black bruises.
"I can't even brush my own hair, my body hurts so bad." She said angrily and threw the brush across the room. It slammed against the wall. "Everything hurts." Both boys were stunned by the out burst. They had never seen Tohru angry before and didn't realize that she was capable for such a fit.
"Thoru-san." Yuki said quietly picking up the brush and putting it on the night table.
"What?" She snapped. He looked away, he wasn't sure how to handle this Tohru. "What YUKI can't you even look at me NOW?"She wailed.
Yuki looked at her for a second her eyes shine with a pain and hurt he had no idea how to even begin to heal. "Its not that. I just I um I" He stammered out. Looking back down. "I'm going to you some more medicine." Even he knew it was an awful thing to say. I might as well just tell her to erase her memories next.
"I don't want any more medicine." Hitting the fluffy comforter with a small fist. "I want to…I want to be…I want you to." The tears began to fall and she felt helpless again. "Just go."
"Tohru-kun." He said approaching the bed. He reached out for her hand. He stopped short, though looking at it. The nails were broken, but clean and there were fingerprint-shaped bruises around her wrist.
"I said just go." She said in such a low tone, it almost sounded like a growl. He looked at her, her eyes glared at him in a way he never imagined possible for her. His face went white as he stood up. He pushed past Kyo who was standing in a shocked silence.
Kyo walked over to the bed and sit on the corner of it silently for several minutes. I know how she feels. She wants someone to see her, for her, now. To look at her and see the pain. "Tohru?" He said taking her hand, her body was shaking. "Tohru?" He said again, brushing her hair back from her face, his hand shaking as he looked closely at her bruised face.
"How can you look at me?" She asked harshly. "Yuki cant and he said he told me that.."
"Forget Yuki." Kyo said angrily "He is just a stupid rat." He leaned over and got the hair brush off the night table and began to brush her hair. What has gotten into me? "I can look at you because I…I can look at you because you have always been there for me." You were by my side when I changed. You held me then, now I'll hold you.. He continued brushing her long brown hair gently.
She closed her eyes and almost sighed as Kyo began to brush her hair. That had been something her mom would do for her, when she would be really upset. And someone brushing her hair had always calmed her down. When he reached her lower back, she fought the urge to cringe though. Its just Kyo. Kyo who found her. Kyo who had saved her. Kyo who had held her. Kyo who wiped her tears away this morning. Yuki, I don't hate you. I don't even think I blame you, I just want to know why you were so late. I want you to look at me and see me. I don't want you to turn and run when I lash at. Am I that ugly now. Do you hate me. I don't even know what I'm feeling anymore. I just know that you said you loved Yuki, now you can't even look at me. "Kyo? When you look at me now what do you see?" She opened her eyes and meet his orange eyes, in the mirror, ignoring her own reflection.
"I see you. You are very confused and hurt by all this. I see you though and this thing that happened to you. Doesn't change that fact that you are you." He answered
"Doesn't it though." Turning to face him. Her brown eyes desperately searching his face.
"No it doesn't.. To me, Thoru you are still the same sweet kind hearted girl." Looking into her eyes. "that followed me out into the rain, even though she was terrified. The same girl who forced herself to see my true form and really see it. The same one who held on to me even after I hit her. The same one who begged me to come home that night so we could just be together. Tohru, in my eyes this hasn't changed you." Putting his arm around her. "You are still beautiful to me"
"But Kyo, I'm dirty now." She began to cry.
He pulled her into an embrace holding her tight. "Not to me, not ever." He whispered in her ear. "I love you." He said as she cried. They stayed that way for several minutes. Before the thought dawned on them. Kyo hadn't transformed, something had happened and the curse, on him was broken. He released her as she gasp and kissed her forehead.
"Kyo? Will you finish brushing my hair." She asked quietly and turned around. HE began brushing it again. oh Kyo I wish I could say I love you back, because I do. But I just can't not right now, I don't know if I ever can. If I can trust someone again. "Kyo-kun you saved me again, tonight you know that? You're like a knight in shining armor."
Kyo snorted in reply and finished brushing her hair. Its okay for you not to tell me right now Tohru, I understand.