✓ | WITHERED BONDS, shigure sohma [Fruits Basket]

Chapter Ninety Seven

            During the first dinner, Akito and Kureno had come back, Shigure had chosen to bring up the suggestion from a couple of days ago. Kira had not reacted as the two had, since he's already spoken to her about it the next morning.

She was genuinely not surprised, because she has known from the way everyone tended to be during the gatherings.

"Wait," Akito lowered her eating utensils as she looked at Shigure," You said...that Isuzu brought this up?"

"Believe it or not, yes" He responded not stopping himself from enjoying his meal," Kagura had told me and I don't need to think about her even lying"

Akito turned to her husband and then Kira who she noticed did not react," I...I am not against the idea, but I am still not sure if I am confident to be around them" She confessed looking down," It hasn't been a year since"

"It is just a suggestion," Kureno smiled placing a hand on her own," But, think of it like this, since it's not a formal gathering, our positions are not important, we all are just the one and same"

Kira raised a finger," True, I mean" she turned to Akito," I'll be honest, I am still very nervous when I go to the small gatherings, but one thing I've learned was that just as long as I do my own thing and just allow myself to not overthink, I enjoy my time. I still don't talk to some of them to this day, but we just have an understanding that we are on neutral grounds"

"Since we still have months left of the year, we can take the time to think it through," Akito stated as she looked at each of them," We can have the discussion again in a month from now, would that be enough time?"

"More than enough," Kira nodded along with the males agreeing in unison.

Later that night, the moment Kira and Shigure were heading to their quarters, they had run into Sama who told them, specifically Kira that she had a few boxes delivered and so she placed them in their room.

Kira was light on her feet picking up her pace in excitement, leaving Shigure to watch her quicken her pace and leaving him slightly behind.

When he arrived, he saw Kira about to lift a box, so instead, he took it and placed it down so that it was no longer stacked.

             "What are these?" Shigure questioned as Kira turned to him smirking. She waved her hand motioning him to sit next to her and he did without question.

            "The other day, at the gathering, I went to our old room, realizing I had left some things—So I asked Tohru if she can send them over when she can" She explained moving to open the box in front of her.

             Shigure looked over her shoulder as the contents of the box came into view," Those are—

            Kira chuckled pulling out the stacks of neatly organized papers," All of your manuscripts, Mitsuru saved them for me after she had them copied. I asked her if I could keep the originals and she said there was no issue"

She handed them to Shigure who had looked at all of his work, from the first novel until his last one.

              Kira leaned over to him as he looked through some," I remember you not sleeping for almost 4 days for this part, Yuki and I often had to make sure you were still alive. We even tried to attempt to make coffee once, but we ended up just having a quick run to the convenience store, not wanting to burn down the house"

              "Oh, yeah this one was something I had the most trouble with. At one point I was worried I'd stop it, but I remember how you and Yuki kept talking about how you looked forward to it"

             Kira smiled as she nodded," And you ended up going beyond our expectation! Even Mitsuru cried at how good it was" Shigure laughed remembering how he's heard that Mitsuru bragged about it at the office for months.

Kira kept on commenting about moments when he turned to different sheets and Shigure was taken back so much at her strong memory. After a while, finishing looking over all his old works, he noticed the other box that Kira did not open.

It was as if she heard his thoughts because she grinned and got up to sit on the other side of the box across him.

               "Now this box is the most treasured one!" She said ecstatically before opening it painfully slow, making Shigure literally want to open it himself out of curiosity.

               Kira had smirked noticing his unease and she kept the pace winking. Once it opened, Kira did not even give him a chance to look inside because she had grabbed one of the items and lifted it up," Tada! All of Noa Kiritani's novels' First editions!"

                "First editions?" His eyes widened as Kira wore a smug on her face nodding.

               "After you had quit, Mitsuru had asked me if I wanted them since usually the editor in charge keeps them, but she realized how I always collected your manuscripts and rough drafts that she'd rather I have them"

                 "But...why did you—" Shigure have no idea that tears were practically falling down his face and Kira crawled over hugging him

                 "Do you want me to give all the reasons? I mean we might be up all night if I do" Kira leaned back looking at him," Scratch that it'd take weeks,"

Shigure chuckled leaning forward and kissing her. For a few minutes of just being affectionate, that was when it hit him.

The words his father had told him had come to the light.

               He pulled out of the kiss and let out a breath before placing his hands on her cheeks," Marry me, Kira"

              Kira blinked before tears dripped down her face. She just gazed at him before nodding her head profusely," Yes! YES! I want to marry you!"

Shigure let out another laugh as he wrapped his arms around her and fell back embracing her.

The two soon became a huge sobbing mess.