Hello again! FF has thankfully been brought back to order long enough for me to post! I was worried for a while there. This is the end of flashback chapters and now we get into some interesting developments. By the way, I hope you saw how they gradually change what they call each other over time. I put thought into it, and tried to keep it in canon to thier characters. Right. So thank you to fmababe1124, Yugicanbesexy, and TwilightPricess1126 for reviewing! I hope you enjoy this chapter, I suggest you get a box of tissues though...
Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket or its characters. All rights go to Natsuki Takaya and I make no profit from this work.
Yuki groggily stared at his bedside clock. It was almost eleven in the morning, he really should get out of bed, even if it was a Saturday and he didn't have classes. He groaned and shut his eyes… just a few more minutes.
"Yu-chan?" Tohru called softly. "I'm going to work. My shift starts soon."
Her voice was enough to make him want to get up and that was saying something. Halfway conscious, Yuki sat up and yawned. "Do you mind if I stop by during your break?"
Tohru shook her head. "Of course not. I always want to see you. I left a prepared lunch for you in the refrigerator and your brother called."
Yuki didn't want to talk to his brother all that much, but he supposed that he would have to call him back. "Tohru, before you go," Yuki said, getting out of bed and going over to her.
"Hai?"
Yuki trailed his fingers through her hair and she couldn't help but blush under his soft touch. "Aishiteru, Tohru."
"Aishiteru, Yuki."
Gently taking her face between his hands, Yuki drew her in for a kiss, careful to keep the at least two inches between their torsos. He sighed in content as Tohru slipped her hands under his shirt, her warm fingers tracing the lines of his stomach and chest.
She broke away from the kiss first, leaning her forehead against his. "As much as I'd like to stay, I have to go."
Yuki breathed in her beautiful scent, kissed her on her forehead, and wished her luck as she skipped out the door with a pink hue on her cheeks. He watched her go, his skin still tingling where she'd touched him and the sweet smell of strawberries still making his head spin.
With a smile, he sat down to begin the first of three papers that would be due within the week. "When will Saturday feel more like a weekend?" he mumbled aloud. His laptop started up and a picture of his and Tohru's wedding greeted him on his desktop. Was it only three months ago that they'd gotten married? Yuki looked at the group photo and smiled. He and Tohru at the center and the few guests around them. Tohru was holding onto his arm and smiling brightly at the camera.
His wife. His beautiful wife.
As he worked on his essay he kept the word processing window small enough so that he could still see her face. His Tohru.
OoOoO
Yuki took Tohru's hand in his. "Is that all?" They were shopping, and although Tohru had insisted that she could do it alone, Yuki had wanted to go with her. Time was uncertain for them, and every moment mattered.
Tohru fumbled for her list, looking it over. "Hai. That's all, unless you needed something."
"No, not that I can think of."
They paid for the items and headed back to their apartment, Yuki carrying all of the bags. He stopped in front of the door, positive that he had heard some one inside. Brushing it off as a mind trick he managed to get the door unlocked and open only to find that it hadn't been a trick at all.
Hatori, Ayame … and Shigure were inside. His brother waved the key that Tohru had given him with a grin, but Yuki was more concentrated on Shigure who was staring at Tohru and the ring on her finger.
"Gomen, Yuki," Hatori said. "He found out that Aaya and I were coming and hid in the trunk."
Yes, it sounded like something Shigure might do, but it didn't matter how he'd come. There was no doubt in Yuki's mind that Shigure would tell the Zodiac god, and consequently end his life with Tohru.
Everything would end.
"Shigure, don't you dare tell Akito," Yuki hissed, sounding more venomous than he though he could. In fact, the only thing preventing him from strangling Shigure was Tohru's hand on his arm. "Don't even think of telling him."
Shigure lacked his usual joking manner. Yuki had lived with him, and knew that he had to be scheming something. "Shigure…" Yuki said in a low tone.
Tohru suddenly stepped out, taking the groceries from Yuki, giving him a worried glance before doing her duties as hostess. "I'll make tea! Please make yourselves at home!"
As soon as she was in the kitchen, Shigure finally spoke thoughtfully almost to himself, "So you married her anyway."
"And there's absolutely no need for you to say anything about it," Hatori told him.
"It would be a crime to ruin the beautiful love that Yuki has found," Ayame proclaimed putting an arm around Yuki's shoulders.
Yuki didn't bother shaking him off; fear was settling in around his heart. It was ending. The warmth that he had found would soon disappear.
Everything was ending.
OoOoO
Yuki and Tohru spent the next week in a perpetual state of waiting for their lives to come crashing down around their heads. Every time Yuki answered the phone he would stare at it for a few seconds before picking up. Tohru would pause before opening the door, even to get the newspaper. There wasn't a time that they were together that they weren't somehow touching. Her head on his shoulder, their hands interlaced.
When the phone call from the main house finally came ordering them to come the next day, Yuki sank to the ground and buried his head in his hands. "Gomen, Tohru. Gomen nasai."
Shocked, Tohru stood motionless, her eyes watering. She didn't even have to ask what the phone call had been about. "…Yu-chan? Please, I know tonight is our last night together, and I… I…" Tohru burst into sobs and sank down to the floor.
Yuki went over to her crumpled form, comforting her in every way the curse would allow him. It was his fault that she was crying and his fault that she was broken on the floor.
"Please…" she whispered through tears. "Can we… just one last time?"
With a nod, Yuki helped her to her feet, leading her towards their bedroom. With trembling fingers, Tohru undid the ties on his Chinese style shirt while Yuki closed the door behind them.
OoOoO
The estate was deathly quiet, as if waiting for the tragedy about to occur. Yuki and Tohru stopped in front of Hatori's office, not wanting to go inside. Tohru burst into tears. "I don't want to forget! I don't!"
Yuki kissed the top her head, squeezing her hand. Tears begged to be let go, but Yuki held them back. He would be strong for her. "I know, Tohru, I know." His voice cracked on the last word. She was almost gone. These were among his last minutes with Tohru and then she wouldn't know anything of the last two years.
Tohru handed him a folded piece of paper, saying, "Read it afterwards, okay?" She wiped the tears out of her eyes and tried to smile but she only started crying again. Yuki bent down and kissed her knowing it was the last time. Every second was precious and rare.
"Before we go in, Tohru, I want you to know that you're the best thing that's ever happened to me. You accepted me and I think I've become a better person since. Aishiteru, Tohru and I'll never stop loving you." Yuki traced the petite features of her face with his thumb, giving up on holding back his tears.
He'd found light and now the light was setting like the sun. Night would return and he would once more drown in darkness.
"I won't—I won't stop loving you either, Yu-chan. Even when I lose my memories I know that I'll still love you." Her hand drifted to her stomach but Yuki didn't quite understand why.
When they entered Hatori looked so sad, and Yuki noticed that his picture of Kana had been freshly polished. Was what he was feeling now how Hatori had felt then? This ache? This ache that begged to consume him and never let go?
"Gomen nasai," Hatori said quietly. "I never wanted this to happen."
Yuki nodded. "It's all right, Hatori. This isn't your fault."
Hatori motioned for Tohru to sit down but she had already taken a seat on the floor rather than the offered chair. Yuki got down next to her, taking her shaking hands in his. Hatori knelt down across from them.
"You won't feel anything," Hatori told her. "It's more of hypnosis than anything else. All right?"
"H-Hai," Tohru said. "Will I be able to remember anything?"
Hatori looked away for a moment. "No. Akito wants me to erase even Yuki's name from your mind. Gomen."
A hand flew to Tohru's mouth. "Even his name?"
Hatori didn't respond.
Yuki gaped a little. Usually memory suppression wasn't so thorough like that. They got to keep small things like names and it was only the reality of the relationship that was taken away. His name? That too?
"I'm ready," she whispered.
Yuki felt like he was dying a slow and painful death. The dream was ending; the curtain was finally coming down. There wasn't one more day or one more night, there was only seconds. "Aishiteru, Tohru."
Tohru turned and looked at him with tear-filled eyes. "Aishiteru mo, Yuki. I always will, even if I don't know that I do."
She faced Hatori, her hand still gripping Yuki's. The doctor slid his palm over her eyes, and closed his own. Tohru's hand gripped Yuki's harder and then slowly, the pressure lessened until her fingers slipped away from his entirely. Her body went slack and she fell backwards. Yuki slipped a hand behind her back and head, catching her before she hit the ground. Gently, he laid her down, staring at her peaceful face.
Everything was darkness again; his light was gone.
Hatori stood up. "Gomen nasai, Yuki. Gomen nasai. She'll wake up in ten minutes or so. I'll let you be alone with her." Yuki heard him leave and broke into sobs over his wife's unconscious body, emotional pain wracking his body.
"Tohru… Tohru…" He rested his forehead against hers, her name becoming a quiet mantra. "Aishiteru, Tohru." He looked through tear-blurred vision and found her left hand. Silently, he removed her wedding ring and stowed it in his pocket. His fingers brushed the note she'd given him and he took it out.
The paper was crumpled but it was one last ray of sunshine and warmth.
Yu-chan,
You've given me everything I ever wished for when I was young. I always wanted to be able to live my life for some one else, and now I have. Arigatou. I'm so happy I met you, and a few ruined vegetables were worth it.
If the curse ever breaks, please find me. Wherever I am, I'll still long for you, although I may not realize it.
Aishiteru,
Tohru
OoOoO
Two strangers passing in the hallway
Barely touch each other's hearts
Two shadows blending
Now they're pretending
But they're a million miles apart
OoOoO
Hatori had come back in and it had taken all the emotional strength Yuki had left to leave. Now, almost half an hour later, he leaned against the wall outside of Hatori's office, his heart shattered. He was falling again and there wasn't anything to catch himself with.
The door slid open and Yuki gripped the wall behind him as he looked at the young woman who'd exited. He spoke before he could force the single word back. "Tohru."
She looked at him, confused. "Sumimasen, I… I don't think I know you." She paused, glanced away and then said, "I have to go."
As Yuki watched her walk away, the darkness that he'd grown used to before meeting her seeped back into his mind, slowly pushing away all of the hopes and dreams he'd carefully built.
"Akito wants to see you." Hatori's voice startled him just as Tohru's figure disappeared.
Yuki took out Tohru's note and her wedding ring, handing them to Hatori. As an afterthought, adding his own ring to them as well. "Can you keep these safe for me? Just until I get back from seeing Akito?"
Hatori nodded, tucking the items away. "You should know something. Akito has… discovered new ways to hurt people. He's too weak to do what he used to."
Yuki hardly cared—Tohru was gone.
OoOoO
"What did I tell you, Yuki?" Akito hissed as Yuki knelt on the floor in front of him.
Yuki didn't answer and didn't look at the Zodiac god. Tohru was gone; there was nothing Akito could do that would hurt him more than that.
"Look at me," Akito ordered. When he saw that Yuki wasn't listening, he grabbed the silver hair and yanked his head up to look at him. Yuki hardly noticed the pain, his mind focusing only on Tohru. "You thought that you could get away with going behind my back, didn't you Yuki?" Akito backhanded him across the face. "You can't."
Yuki felt Akito release his hair and heard him walk away. He was numb from losing Tohru. Numb to fear and physical pain. Akito returned and wrenched Yuki's sleeve up past his elbow, injecting a needle into the tender flesh of his underarm.
"You need to understand something," Akito said into Yuki's ear, his tone dangerous. "No matter how far you run or how much you try to ignore it, there is nothing you can do to escape me. And there are consequences for disobeying me."
Suddenly, Yuki was shocked out of his daze as he was seemingly torn apart from the inside. His fingernails dug into the palm of his hand as what felt like electrical spasms shot through him. He couldn't hold back his screams and Akito simply stood above him with a scowl.
"So worthless and weak," he said, kicking Yuki's stomach. The pain was intensified by whatever Akito had given him and Yuki felt the pain like fire rippling over his body.
He couldn't breathe and couldn't think. Akito placed a foot on Yuki's head and pushed his skull into the floor. The pain was excruciating and Yuki's back arched involuntarily as a hoarse scream ripped from his throat.
OoOoO
Soon she'll be packing up her suitcase
And they'll be dividing up the blame
They know how they started
Now empty hearted
They don't have a clue how they became
…Strangers
OoOoO
Two weeks later, Yuki stared in devastation at the apartment he'd once shared with Tohru. Hatori had finally released him from his care, and the injection fluid Akito had used had at long last worn off. It had taken three days of constant pain, but it was over now.
Now, as he looked around it was impossible not to miss the fact that many of his possessions were missing. Not just possessions, things of a life with Tohru. Everything that had been obviously theirs was gone.
The door opened behind him and Haru's voice said, "Hey. You all right?"
Yuki looked at him. "No, not really."
Haru set a box down. "Here. I saved some stuff of yours." On the very top was the wedding photo.
Yuki picked it up, studying what was now long gone. "Arigatou, Haru."
"Want some help putting everything back where it should be?" he asked.
Yuki shook his head, as he hung the picture back where it belonged. "I'll take care of it."
"Promise me that you won't blame yourself for this," Haru said.
"I'll try not to, but I can't help thinking that it is." Something caught his eye that had been looked over when whoever it was had gone through the apartment. He picked it up from its place on the ground, where someone had thrown it or else it had fallen. "This is hers."
"What? The hat? Why would she have something like that?" Haru was confused.
"Do you know where she is?" Yuki asked. "She should have this back."
Haru shrugged. "No one knows where she went. They packed up all of her stuff the day you went to see Hatori—" Yuki winced at the memory "—and sent it somewhere. I expect that she's living there, thinking she's been there the whole time. Gomen. I don't know."
He would mail it anonymously to Uotani or Hanajima. Although thier memories had been taken away as well, they would get it to her. She had to have it. It was the only memory of him she still had and he would make sure that she would be able to keep it. Even if she didn't know he'd been the one who'd given her the hat, it didn't matter. Yuki had called Hatori beforehand, asking him if she could keep just that one memory. She didn't know it was him, so surely it would be all right for to remember that?
Hatori had agreed, and told him that since Tohru didn't associate the memory with him he couldn't have touched it anyway.
Yuki set the hat down promising himself that he'd mail it the next day. Aimlessly, he wandered into the bedroom. Yuki could feel Haru watching him but didn't care. He took Tohru's pillow and held to his face, breathing in the strawberry scent. She felt so near… as if she would pop around the corner and proclaim that supper was ready with that beautiful smile of hers. Yuki fell to his knees, still embracing the pillow.
His eyes watered and he leaned forward until his hair brushed the floor. She'd never smile at him again. She'd never welcome him home. She'd never blush at something he said and cover her face with her hands to hide it.
"Yuki? Are you gonna be all right?" Haru asked softly.
Yuki looked up at him. "I don't think so."
OoOoO
The world's greatest lovers
And now they are strangers
OoOoO
Years later, Yuki stared back into his own violet eyes. This girl… She was his daughter. Tohru had never said a word about being pregnant, but there wasn't a doubt in his mind who the child was. And if she was here, unable to find her mother, than Tohru was nearby.
He stood up, looking around quickly and then back down at Kyoko. "Want me to carry you?"
In response Kyoko held up her arms, and Yuki scooped her up, fighting back the urge to just hold her close for the rest of eternity. He was a father! It was some sort of miracle, he was sure.
"Let's find your mother, okay?"
Kyoko nodded enthusiastically. "We were over there," she said, pointing. "And then I saw a big pretty butterfly and chased it. I went back and Mama was gone!"
Yuki understood how she felt. He'd lost Tohru and it had destroyed him. "What does your mother look like?" Yuki asked, as they started walking. He already knew every detail, but he longed to hear her say it.
"Long dark hair and pretty, pretty eyes," Kyoko told him.
"She is pretty, isn't she?"
Kyoko gave him a big smile and nodded.
The voice Yuki heard then was one that he'd wanted to hear for years and had heard only in his dreams. "Has anyone seen a little girl? Please! Kyoko!"
Yuki looked around, his eyes searching wildly for her. He was reaching the end of a dark tunnel that had taken six long years to get through. He finally saw her, running from person to person asking desperately after her daughter. "Has anyone seen her? Kyoko! Kyoko!"
Yuki pushed past a few people until he was close enough to call out to her, tell her that he'd found her—their daughter but Kyoko beat him to it. "Mama! Here I am, Mama!" Yuki set her down before the little girl leapt out of his arms on her own.
Yuki stood back, watching. Tohru was crying slightly and held Kyoko tightly. Yuki felt… he felt… The truth was he wasn't entirely sure how he felt as he looked at his wife for the first time in years. He wanted to hold her close, touch her hair, and never look away for even one second. But he couldn't do any of that because to her it would be sudden and rude. He was a stranger even though she held their child in her arms.
Discreetly, he removed his wedding ring and slipped into his pocket. As far she was concerned they had never met, much less pledged to stay together until death.
Tohru looked up and saw Yuki standing there. He tried to control the erratic beating of his heart and appear calm. Tohru took Kyoko's hand and came towards him. Yuki smiled at her, "I found her a few blocks back."
Tohru bowed. "Arigatou gozaimasu."
"Do itashimashite. I couldn't have left her there."
Tohru straightened and when she met his eyes she let out a small gasp. "Ano! Ano… sumimasen, are you Yuki Sohma-san?"
Yuki took a step back, his breath coming fast. She'd said his name. She knew his name. How could she know who he was? "I… I… How did you know? How can you remember?"
Tohru's eyes widened. "Please, will you come and join us for supper? I would like to thank you for helping Kyoko and there's something I'd like to talk to you about."
He didn't know what to think. She knew him. How was that possible? "I would love to come," he said.
I'm going to ask if you cried. Did you cry? My sister did when she read it, but I would love to know your reaction. Please review and tell me! If FF allows anyway. I hope it does, and I hope you take the time to leave a few words in a review. I would truly appreciate it if you did! I'll even mention you in my next chapter, as always! (Anonymous reviews welcomed.)
Aishiteru mo: I love you too
Arigatou gozaimasu: Thank you very much
Do itashimashite: You're welcome
Sumimasen: Excuse me (Can also be used as another form of an apology, but to avoid confusion, I'll be using it as 'excuse me')
Ano: Um