SECRET ADMIRER
A Fruits Basket Fanfic
Written by Miyu, Vampire Princess
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Because people have been asking for it...a YukiRu, that is. No lemon in this
part, but there will be before the end of the story. I promise. This part told
from Yuki's POV. ^^
Part One - Good Intentions
"But we don't have the budget for that."
THA-THUMP!
"It's too late in the year to raise the money."
"What if we scaled this down...just a bit?"
THA-THUMP!
"Oh! I think we have curtains like these for the auditorium stage. We could use those."
"Lighting will be easy too!"
THA-THUMP!
"So we've figured that out. GREAT!"
"Now all we have to do is figure out who speaks when."
THA-THUMP!
"Yuki-kun?"
"Huh?"
THA-THUMP!
"There was a paper you needed me to sign?"
I blinked, the throbbing in my head increasing with each passing second. I pushed it away as best as I could, handing over a small stack of papers.
"All of this?!"
"Hai."
THA-THUMP!
"Yun-Yun, we've finished with the graduation preps for now."
I glanced over at Kimi. "What about Year One issues?"
The rep stood and said cordially, "We have nothing at this time."
I nodded, grateful for one less thing to worry about. "Good. Let's take a break then."
The sighs that were uttered sounded like bomb explosions in my head. This was the last thing I needed right now. There was still so much to do. Shimatta! Where did I put that speech?
"Ano...?"
I looked up from the table when I heard a familiar voice. The smile that formed couldn't be stopped as Tohru Honda stepped into the room. She looked a bit confused, as the representatives from Class One were leaving the room as she was trying to enter. A few of them smiled and said hello, greeting her as any other older student. She said her own hellos as she finally made her way into the room.
"Ah, Yuki-kun I just thought of something," a second year rep said, hurrying up to me with a piece of paper in hand.
With a sigh, I waved for Tohru to come in, even as she paused several steps into the room. I turned his attention to the second year rep, his words sounding like rambling to my ears. He wasn't saying anything different from what he'd said earlier. It was nothing new, but he was pushing the subject. Everyone was pushing today and it was giving me a headache. There was just so much to be done and so little time to do it in. I'd delegated everything I possibly could, but it still afforded me little rest.
"Fine, fine," I finally replied to the second year rep. He smiled, thanking me over and over as he walked away. I only nodded, which made my headache worse.
"Souma-kun," Tohru said, approaching the table. "Daijoubu desu ka?"
My smile returned and I nodded again. Pain shot down my neck. Ouch! "I'm fine," I replied, despite the pain. Tohru already worried about so much. She doesn't need to worry about me too, although I could've just been flattering myself.
"Is everything completed? Are you ready to head home?"
My smile faded again and I shook my head sadly. "Iie. We still have a few more matters to discuss. It may take a while though." I looked at her with an apology in my eyes. "Are you okay to walk home? Is Kyo still here?"
Tohru shook her head. "Kyo-kun left with Momiji-kun a few minutes ago. I said I was going to wait for you since you weren't supposed to be much longer." She sighed, although not audibly. "I can catch up to them if I leave now."
I tried to smile again but I couldn't. The sorrow in her eyes was just too much. I've seen this look for the better part of two weeks. We were a month from graduation, and as Student Council President, I had things to oversee before the next president could take over. Then there were exams and the speech I had to write for the graduation ceremony itself. I didn't want to be included in the speech list, but the teachers and my fellow classmates insisted. Even Tohru said I should speak. I think that's the only reason I accepted.
Pretty much the only reason why I do anything anymore.
"You should do that, Honda-san. I don't know how long I'll be yet. And Shigure's probably complaining about dinner--"
"Will you be all right to walk home alone, Souma-kun?"
"I'm sure I can walk part way with one of the others," I reassure her. "I'll try to be home as soon as I can."
"All right," she replied. Her smile returned, but it was a shadow of her usually cheerful smile. She was still worried, but she never spoke her true feelings.
That's all right, neither did I.
"I'll see you at home, Souma-kun."
I waved back to her as she left the room. When I turned back to the rest of the council, they had already started discussing business. I sighed and returned myself to the group. It would be at least another hour before I'd get to go home.
Actually, make that _two_ hours.
I walked into the house just before the clock struck 6:30. There was no greeting for me as I stepped into the foyer and removed my shoes. I mumbled a tired, "Tadaima" before stepping into the living area. The dining table was cleared. Had they not eaten dinner yet? Judging by the smile they had. The smell of fried fish, steamed vegetables and soba noodles filled the air, but it was faint, dwindling. Was I really that late?
"Ah, Yuki-kun. You finally made it home," Shigure said as I passed the living room on my way to the stairs. He was sitting on the couch reading a book. Strange, I rarely see him reading. Must be doing research for his latest novel. "You can still have some dinner if you hurry. Tohru-kun just cleaned up."
"Arigato," I told him before heading upstairs to my room.
I was grateful for the quiet of my bedroom. With a sigh I slid the door open and stepped inside. The lamp beside my bed was just enough so I could arrange my things and fall down on my bed. My head still pounded. Thought after thought ran rampant. I felt like I was driving myself insane.
But as I lay on my bed, I slowly began to relax. It helped with the headache somewhat, but then I noticed the tension in my muscles, in my back and shoulders. If Tohru or Hatori knew, I'd be scolded. What I needed was rest.
Yeah, right.
I wanted to work on my speech tonight. And there's a history exam in two days. Paperwork from the student council meeting could wait another day and so could the paper for my English class.
And I still wanted to apologize to Tohru. Today was the third time in as many days that I couldn't walk home with her. I had meant to speak with her today about graduation.
About AFTER graduation.
We really hadn't broached the subject since the day she learned about 'it'. About the culmination of the curse. About Kyo's 'punishment' and mine. I'd been doing a lot of thinking on the subject lately and it led me to a conclusion that somewhat surprised me.
"Oy!"
I didn't even know Kyo was in my room until I heard him speak. Opening an eye I looked where he stood in my doorway. At least he had the decency not to come charging in. "Nani?"
"You could've walked home with her."
Sighing inwardly, I sat up. "No, I couldn't have." I looked at him somewhat curiously. "Didn't she catch up with you and Momiji?"
"We left a half hour before she did," Kyo stated, crossing his arms over his chest.
This time I sighed audibly. "She told me you had left only a few minutes before. I didn't know."
"Are you trying to avoid her?" he asked out of the blue.
My eyes widened and my body stiffened for a second. "Of course not," I practically shouted. Was he looking for a fight?
"Then maybe you should tell her that," Kyo said angrily. "When was the last time you spent five minutes with her outside of class?"
That was an awfully good question. Damn him.
"I had good intentions today," I replied a tad angrily. "I didn't expect the meeting to run as long as it did."
"Good intentions or not you still could've walked home with her. She would've waited."
As guilty as I already felt, this only served to make me feel worse. Part of me thought Kyo knew this, so I looked at him angrily and asked back, "Have YOU talked to her lately?"
He looked slightly taken aback. "Of course," he stuttered. "Just before I came up here!"
"Not just any old talk," I said. "I mean, talk to her about graduation."
"Oh." Realization was quick to dawn on him. I was surprised. But not surprised by the shameful look on his face as he looked away. "No. I haven't."
"We should." I wasn't sure why I was discussing this with him. Probably because I knew he cared for her as much as I did. I can begrudge him a lot, but his feelings are his own.
"What are you going to tell her?" His voice was suddenly of a different quality. More serious.
I shrugged in reply. I honestly didn't know what I'd tell her...save for the fact that I love her. That's the realization that had been consuming many of my thoughts and actions lately. I didn't want to lose her. I wanted to keep her with me. I wanted her near me always. Was that love, or was I being selfish? I'd like to think it's the former. My heart was happier with that thought.
When he didn't offer any more I looked up at him questioningly.
"Well, there's no point in being sentimental about it right now," he continued with a shrug of his own. "I mean...we still have time." He looked at me almost pleadingly. Was he trying to convince me, or himself? "Right?"
I nodded rather dumbly.
"She left a tray of food sitting on the counter in the kitchen for you," he said as he turned to leave. "It should still be warm."
I nodded to his back, falling back onto my bed as the door quietly slid shut. I must've laid there for more than the five minutes I had planned, because when I went downstairs all the rooms were dark. I managed to heat the fish Tohru had left for me and eat. It was almost nine o'clock. I had enough time to take a bath and read through my speech before going to bed.
Everything was going to have to wait until tomorrow.
Even my apology to Tohru.
But the strangest thing happened on my way back upstairs. I noticed a light shining under Tohru's door. Was she still awake? I thought about knocking but paused when I heard a voice talking from within.
"Tell me what to do, Mother."
It was Tohru. Talking to the portrait of her mother no doubt. She did that when she felt overwhelmed and in need of help. I have to admit that made me a little jealous. My relationship with my mother wasn't what you'd call loving by any means. And I was also a little hurt. I've always prided myself on being there for Tohru, although lately I suppose I haven't been doing a good job of that.
Checking for the stupid cat, I crouched by her door and continued to listen.
"I'm very worried about Souma-kun...Yuki.... He's been very busy lately. But...we're very close to graduation. I know there are things he needs to take care of with the ceremony and student council. I know he's not avoiding me."
I blanched outwardly and cursed myself mentally. I should've knocked then...just out of purpose. I could at least ease her mind in that respect. But her next words halted me.
"But it makes me sad. He'll be going away after graduation, Mother and I...I haven't had the courage to tell him."
Tell me? Tell me what? I could feel the dull thump of my headache as my heart began to pound in time to it.
"I need to tell him how I feel, Mother. Good or bad. He should know...that I...I...."
THA-THUMP! THA-THUMP! THA-THUMP!
"*crying* He should know that I care. I care about what will happen to him when he moves back to the main house...when he goes off to college."
THA-THUMP! THA-THUMP! THA-THUMP!
"He should know that I will always be there for him. If he ever needs someone to talk to, or a shoulder to lean on. I don't want him to feel lonely."
THA-THUMP! THA-THUMP! THA-THUMP!
"*sniff* I don't want to be lonely either, Mother. I love him."
Something grabbed my heart and tore at my breath as her words reached my ears. She loved me? She LOVED me? ME?! Did that mean she'd chosen me over that stupid cat?
When I heard no other noise save for the tears she still shed, I picked myself up off the floor. As the tears faded and her sobs became minimal I knew she'd fallen asleep. I moved away then, creeping quietly back to my room and shutting the door with a low snap.
My heart was doing somersaults. This required a plan...and a bigger apology than I had originally considered. I wanted her to know how I felt, but I knew telling her directly may be out of the question. I still wasn't sure if she had truly chosen me over Kyo.
Crawling into bed I devised a plan...a surprise really. I'd let Tohru know how special she is to me in little ways. She gets overwhelmed quite easily. I'd do it over a small period of time. But time was running out. I'd have to gather my courage quickly.
And I'd start the very next morning.
~TO BE CONTINUED~