Disclaimer: Fruits Basket is (c) to the great Takaya Natsuki-sama. Not KrimzenAngel...She only wishes it was.
Summary: For Tohru to realize her feelings for Shigure, he got engaged. But for Shigure, it was far worse than anyone could've ever imagined...(Shigure/Tohru)
Authors Notes: Many thanx for the good reviews! Even though there was only 3, they were still good. They motivated me enough to write this chapter! So here ya go! Also, possible future OOC-ness, especially for Tohru! Read on!
Whatever It Takes
Chapter 2- Questions And Answers
"Wow, gym class was kind of tiring today." Tohru said as she walked into the house and took her shoes off and looked to see Shigure's there as well. "Oh, Shigure-san's home!"
"Maybe we can see what Akito wanted from him." Kyo said as he, Tohru, and Yuki walked into the kitchen to get a drink. They then all went into the living room, where they found Shigure. But he wasn't alone.
"Hello Shigure-san!" Tohru said as she, Yuki, and Kyo sat down at the table.
"Shigure, would you like to introduce us to your friend?" Yuki said.
"Oh, yeah..." Shigure said, pretending to be happy about this whole thing. "This is Sohma Kohana, my fiancee."
Everyone let out an audiable gasp around the table...And that's when Tohru felt a pang of jealousy and pain hit her heart.
'Shi...Shigure? A fiancee? Since when?' Tohru thought as she looked at the couple. 'Was this a secret or something?'
"Shigure, you have a fiancee?" Yuki asked, surprised by this sudden and random bit of news.
"I didn't even think he could get himself a girlfriend." Kyo stated. "But a fiancee?"
"Yes, quite surprising, isn't it Kyo?" Shigure said in a playfull voice, but it was fake. Shigure was still beyond angry at this whole situation. 'But wait 'til Yuki and Kyo hear about this...But I guess I should tell them about that now...'
"Yuki, Kyo, can I talk to you in private?" Shigure asked.
"Sure." Yuki replied as he and Kyo got up and followed Shigure out of the room and into his writing room. Shigure leanded against the door with his head down, looking as if he was delivering some bad news.
"Where do I begin...?" Shigure said.
"What is it that you want to talk to us about?" Yuki asked.
"Just spit it out already." Kyo said. Shigure took a deep breath as he lifted up his head.
"Yuki...Kyo..." Shigure said, the usual playfullness in his voice gone. "My engagement to Kohana...Akito forced it on me and her..."
"What!" Yuki and Kyo nearly shouted in unison.
'Why does it hurt so bad?' Tohru thought as she stared down at the table. 'I feel jealous and depressed all of a sudden...Right after Shigure told us he was getting married...What's making me feel this way?'
"Tohru-kun, is something wrong?" Kohana asked.
"Huh? Oh, no, I'm fine, Kohana-san." Tohru replied as she looked up. "I was just thinking, that's all."
"About what?" Kohana asked. "You looked a bit sad..."
"Oh, I was just thinking about all the homework I have tonight. The teacher gave us alot more than usual." Tohru replied, even though she had the usual amout the class always got. She just didn't want Kohana to know what she was really thinking about.
"Oh really? I'll help if you want." Kohana replied as she smiled at Tohru.
"Only if it wont cause you any trouble." Tohru smiled back. 'Wow...She's very kind...And pretty...No wonder Shigure's marrying her...' Tohru thought as she looked at Kohana. She had long black hair tied back in a loose ponytail with a few stray strands framing her face and bright green eyes. But somehow, all of Kohana's good features only made Tohru feel worse.
"What are you saying!" Kyo asked. "You mean Akito actually picked out the person you're gonna marry!"
"Unfortuantely, yes." Shigure replied. "But that's just part of it...Akito is arranging marriages for all of the Juunishi...Meaning-!"
"Someone else is gonna pick out the person I marry!" Kyo said, outraged.
"But why?" Yuki replied. "Why is Akito doing this!"
"To keep us in line..." Shigure replied. "Akito wants more control over us, so he sees this as a way to do that..."
"Are you serious!" Kyo said. "I mean, this isn't some sick joke, right!"
"All Juunishi are going to have their future husbands and wives picked out for them?" Yuki asked. "Just like that?"
"I'm afraid that's how it is..." Shigure replied. He completely sympethised with the two. It felt as if their life was being planned out for them, and nobody likes that.
"How does he do it?" Yuki asked as he slumped down onto a cushion on the floor. "How can he just pair us up with some random person and not have a second thought about it?"
"Actually, Akito did think about this one." Shigure replied as he took a seat in his chair. Kyo also sat down between Shigure and Yuki.
"What do ya mean?" Kyo asked.
"Before he let the news slip, Akito had Hatori do some researching on what other Zodiacs would be compatable with us." Shigure replied. "Once Hatori finished the research, he gave it to Akito. He picks out a non-cursed Sohma with a compatable Zodiac and engages them to one of the cursed ones. So far, Hatori, Ayame, Kagura, Ritsu, and I have been paired up with someone. It's just the rest of the younger Juunishi that haven't been paired up yet."
"What about Akito?" Kyo asked. "Is he gonna get involved in this too?"
"What about Honda-san?" Yuki added. "She's considered part of the family. Akito even agreed to that himself back a year and a half ago. Remember, it was after the incident with Kyo's true form."
"With Akito, who knows?" Shigure replied. "As for Tohru-kun, you're right, Yuki. Tohru-kun is family in everything but name. We're not too sure, but Hatori says that the chances of her getting paired up with one of us is very high."
'Hmm...I guess it wouldn't be so bad if I got paired up with Tohru...' Both Yuki and Kyo thought.
"But there's a dark side to it..." Shigure said.
"What do you mean 'dark side'?" Yuki asked. Shigure then looked away as if he wanted to take it back.
"Look at the time!" Tohru said. "I have to start dinner!" Tohru was about to race off into the kitchen when she remembered Kohana sitting there. "Oh, I'm sorry! Kohana-san, will you be staying for dinner?"
"Actually, I'm moving in." Kohana replied. "As of tonight, I'll be living here."
"Really?" Tohru asked. 'It shouldn't really be any surprise...I mean, she's getting married to Shigure, right? It's only natural that married couples live together...'
"Yeah." Kohana replied. "Hey, do you want some help with dinner? It could also give us a chance to get to know each other. I mean, we'll be living together, right?"
"Alright." Tohru replied. They both walked off into the kitchen and started working on dinner.
For a half an hour, everything was going fine, considering the fact that Yuki, Kyo, and Shigure still hadn't come out of the room, and Tohru and Kohana seemed to get along with each other, but Tohru couldn't help but feel a bit of resentment towards Kohana.
"Okay, anything else you want, Kohana-san?" Tohru asked.
"Hmm, let's see..." Kohana said as she thought. "How about some codfish? I love that stuff."
"Alright, I'll go get some." Tohru said as she smiled and walked towards the fridge. As Tohru pulled the codfish out of the fridge, the phone rang.
"I got it." Kohana said as she walked out into the hall where the phone sat. "Hello, Sohma residence? Oh, Hatori-san, hello...Oh, Tohru-kun? Yes, I'll get her for you. Hold on." Kohana then stepped into the kitchen. "Tohru-kun, it's for you."
"For me?" Tohru asked.
"Yep, it's Hatori-san." Kohana said as she walked up next to Tohru. "Go on, I'll finish this up."
"Okay, thanks." Tohru said as she stepped out into the hallway and picked up the phone. "Hello, Hatori-san?...To the main house? Sure, when do you want me over?...Right now? Is it that urgent?...Okay, I'll see you soon. Bye." Tohru then returned to the kitchen.
"So what did Hatori-san want?" Kohana asked as she sliced the codfish.
"That's what I came to tell you." Tohru replied. "He wants me to come to the main house right now. So...When the others come out, will you tell them I'm not here?"
"Sure thing." Kohana said.
"Thank you, Kohana-san." Tohru said with a smile and turned away. "Bye!"
"Bye, Tohru-kun!" Kohana replied. "And take a coat with you! You'll freeze to death out there!"
"Okay!" Tohru replied and was out the door and down the street that led to the Sohma Estate.
"Spit it out, Shigure!" Kyo said. He hated it when Shigure had something to say, but wouldn't say it.
"C'mon, Shigure." Yuki said, trying to get him to talk just like Kyo did. "What is it that you're not telling us?" Shigure sat there for a minute before drawing in a deep breath.
"When...When Akito deciedes the engagements..." Shigure said, his voice shaking a bit. "He...He turns them...He turns them into..."
"Into what" Yuki asked. But just when Shigure looked like he was about to answer, Kohana opened the door.
"Hi, I hope I'm not disturbing anything, but dinner's ready." Kohana said.
"Oh, how wonderful!" Shigure said, quickly changing his addittude. "Yuki, Kyo, get up so we can go eat our delicious dinner!" They both got up without an argument and trudged onward into the dinning room. Shigure followed after them, but was stopped by Kohana.
"You were telling them, weren't you, Shigure?" Kohana asked, as she looked down a bit.
"They have every right to know, Kohana." Shigure replied, his voice a bit solemn.
"And did you tell them everything?" Kohana asked.
"No..." Shigure replied as he walked towards the dinning room."Not yet...I was about to, though..."
Twenty minutes later, they were all seated and eating until Yuki broke the silence.
"Where's Honda-san?" Yuki asked. "It's been twenty minutes since dinner started and she still hasn't shown up..."
"Oh, that's because she went to the main house." Kohana said.
"What!" Shigure asked as he paled a bit. 'Akito's not serious is he! He's not really going to-! Is he...?'
Then without warning, Shigure got up and raced towards the phone.
"Woah, where are you going!" Kyo shouted.
"I have to call someone!" Shigure shouted back as he took the phone and dragged it as far in his writing room as the cable would allow. As the reciver rung, he grew more worried and impatient until a voice on the other end eased his worries a bit. "Hatori, it's Shigure! Look, I need to know, is Tohru-kun really over there!...She...She is?...Is Akito really going to...I can't belive this...She'll...O-okay...Just don't let anything bad happen, please...Bye, Hatori..." Shigure just placed the phone back on the reciver and slowly got and placed it back on the table in the hallway. He stood there in a daze until Yuki came out to check on him.
"Shigure..." Yuki said. "Is everything alright?"
"Remember when I told you that Tohru-kun could possibly become engaged to one of the Juunishi?" Shigure asked. Yuki's eyes widened in shock. "Well...She has been...But the worst part of it is..."
"Is what, Shigure!" Yuki asked. "Tell me, I want to know!"
Shigure just looke up at Yuki with a grim, apologetic smile as he said his next words.
End of chap. 2! Hmm...Another cliffie. And an evil one at that. I must enjoy leaving you guys hanging at such suspensful-ish parts of the story. Well, I gotta go to sleep. Til next chapter!