A SAD BEDTIME STORY
A Fruits Basket Fanfic
Written by Miyu, Vampire Princess
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Another answer to Koishii's "...Happily Ever After" dare. No lemon.
Follows my previous stories "The Difference Between Love and Hate" and
"A Dog's Life", by about three years.
"...Happily Ever After."
Rin reached out, moving a large piece of brown hair out of her daughter's eyes. The four year old blinked sleepily, but she was still trying to fight it. She sighed happily as her mother kissed her forehead.
"I like that story, momma."
"I know you do."
"But do they really live happily ever after, momma?"
Rin paused, staring at Saya with a confused look. "Why do you ask?"
The girl shrugged under her covers. "I don't know. It just seems that, even though all the animals are having a party, they're all sad. And the poor cat...he wasn't even there. He must be the saddest."
Rin didn't know what to say. She continued to stroke Saya's forehead absently, trying to think of an explanation. She'd never considered the story to be sad before. What was there to be sad about? It was just a party. They were just animals. Of course, it WAS much more than that, but Saya was still too young to understand why her mother could change into a horse and why her father could transform into a dog.
Of course, the girl delighted in the latter. Perhaps they should buy her a puppy.
"I'm sure when they all come together, they're very happy," Rin replied. It was the only honest answer she could give her. Even she enjoyed being with her cousins, now more than before. They saw each other so rarely these days that it was a big occasion when the whole family got together.
Saya just smiled and nodded, her eyelids falling closed as she fell asleep. "Oyasumi, momma."
"Oyasumi, Sai-chan." Rin placed a final kiss to her daughter's forehead before standing from the bed. She made sure the covers were tucked tightly around the sleeping girl before she turned to leave.
She was surprised to find Shigure standing in the doorway. Actually, he was leaning against the doorframe. With a smile, he walked past Rin and, leaning over Saya's bed, kissed his daughter goodnight. The girl whispered something in her sleep, but didn't wake up. He stood, again smiling and walked over to Rin.
"She never tires of that story," he said, wrapping Rin in his arms.
Rin hugged him back. "Hai."
"We have to decide when to tell her. Really tell her. Tell her everything." Shigure hugged Rin tighter. "She deserves to know."
"Not just yet," Rin said, shaking her head. "She's too young to understand."
"If she thinks the story is sad, then she already understands," Shigure replied. He took a small step back to look at his wife. "We may never find a good time...and there's no use in waiting."
"Just a little while longer," Rin said determinedly. "Maybe when she's ready to start school."
"She'll have a normal life. The one we were denied."
"I know."
"She'll live happily ever after, Rin. We'll make sure of that."
"I know that too."
"But you don't trust, Akito."
Rin looked up at her husband, gawking. "Why should I? After what he did to us. He cast us out, Shigure. He threw us away like trash and now--"
"And now he wants us to come back." Shigure framed her face in his hands. "He's a dying man, Rin. He'll be around for another month at most. Perhaps, granting him this won't be a bad thing."
"He only wants something from us," Rin replied, tears forming in her eyes. "He'll want something from her."
"He won't touch, Saya. I promise."
"I want to believe you."
"Everything will be fine. He can't hurt us any more."
"But he can still hurt her. He'll find a way, I just know it." Rin wrapped her arms around Shigure again, burying her face in his shoulder. Then she started to cry. "I want her to live happily ever after, Shigure."
"Me too, love," Shigure said, placing a kiss to the top of Rin's
head. "Me too."
~OWARI~