Word Count : 2422
Kyo was lying on his bed at the vacation house. He was staring at the sealing lost in thoughts.
When did it start? When did I start thinking that my name had a special ring to it whenever you would say it? And that I would do anything over and over again for you if I knew it would make you smile. When did I start thinking sappy things like that? When did I...
---
"Ami, Tohru-kun. Can I have a moment?" Shigure asks, walking over. Tohru and I were carrying in the laundry that Tohru had hung the day before.
"Sure." Tohru agrees before pausing. "Wait. I thought you had left."
"Yeah, I forgot something... Kyo-kun." Shigure calls out.
"Huh?"
"Akito-san, asked me to bring you to the annex. So, sorry, I'll be borrowing him for the day."
"What?!" I dropped the basket as the three of us shouted at the same time.
"Oh you're all in sync." Shigure comments.
"Oh sorry, it must have slipped." I say picking it up and putting the stuff that fell out back in.
"W-Wait! W-Wha-"
"Wonderful. It's wonderful! How lovely."
"Huh?"
"You were invited as well, Kyo. I'm happy for you." I smile. It was hard but I had to. I knew it would most likely not go well and I was worried about what would happen. I felt something hit my head and saw Kyo in front of me.
"Be good and wait for me to get back. And don't look so sad when you say that."
"Alright, see you when you get back." I smile, meaning it this time.
"Bye!"
---
Kyo and Shigure made their way through the hallways at the annex. It wasn't long before they ran into Yuki.
"Wait, what's going on? Did Akito really call for him?" Yuki asks. Akito never called for Kyo and if Kyo was called it wasn't when everyone else was.
"That's right, Kyo-kun. Akito-san is in the inner room. Go on." Shigure says.
"It's the same as New Year's... they are both all alone again! What the hell are you all doing?! Did you all come here on vacation just to leave them alone again?!" Kyo shouts, referring to Ami and Tohru.
"Then why are you here? It's not like you can defy Akito's orders as well. So stop acting so superior. I'll warn you again. You better not lash out like an idiot in front of Akito." Yuki told him.
"Shut the hell up, you bastard!" Kyo yells going to punch Yuki but stops before his fist comes in contact with Yuki's face. He pauses and switches targets before hitting the wall. Kyo then walks away before things get truly out of hand and opens the door leading to where Akito was. There inside the room Akito sat next to the window.
"Welcome. It's been a while since we talked face to face. It's okay. Come in, my pitiful monster." Akito greets looking at Kyo who stayed in the doorway.
---
"Kyo must have arrived at the annex by now." I mentioned. Tohru and I were enjoying the sun out on the porch.
"I wonder if they are eating together." She smiles. If only she knew what went on behind the doors of the Sohma estate.
"Be good and wait for me till I get back. And don't look so sad when you say that."
"Maybe..."
Please let Kyo come back okay.
---
"How is the bet going? The bet you made with me. It's impossible, right? It must be impossible. You can't win. You won't win. I told you. You were made to be inferior. The cat was never meant to beat the rat. You'll never defeat Yuki. That's how it's supposed to be... how it's been from the start. Those born with a spirit are tied to that spirit's destiny. Well not her... As I've told you before, it's the fate of your lineage." Akito says, referring to the bet they two had made before Kyo had moved in with Shigure and everyone else.
---
"Shut up! Fate has nothing to do with me!" Kyo shouts, grabbing onto Akito's shirt and shouting. "I'll smash that fate! I'll definitely beat Yuki! I'll beat him!"
"Well then, shall we make a bet? If you beat Yuki by the time you graduate high school, I'll stop calling you a monster. I'll even let you join the zodiac. But, if you can't beat him..." Akito suggests. Akito looks at Kyo and a dark gleam in Akito's eyes gets Kyo to let go, scared of the power Akito had. "I'll lock you up until you die! If you can't beat him, you really are nothing but filth."
---
"Looks like I'm going to win our bet." Aikto says.
"What? Don't just assume that! There's still time! You don't know that yet!" kyo shouts. Akito raises their hand and yanks down the wind chime that was blowing in the wind.
"Who's the one who doesn't get it?" Akito questions throwing the wind chime and hitting Kyo in the face with it leaving a small mark. Getting up from the window Akito makes his way over to Kyo. "Why don't you get it? How come? Did you forget? Why are you so deluded? Remember, come on. Remember that you're a monster, and it's because you're a monster that your mother is dead." When Akito was close enough to touch Kyo took a step back.
"You're wr-" Kyo starts.
"I'm not wrong." Akito says cutting Kyo off and denying his statement.
"No, it wasn't my fault!"
"It was your fault. You killed your mother." Akito repeats, grabbing Kyo's arm.
"Stop. Stop! Don't touch me!"
"Don't give me orders. Your poor mother. Even though she gave birth to a monster in human skin, she bravely protected and raised it. But in the end it was too much and the monster killed her. And now that monster, her son, won't morn her. You should have died instead. Surely everyone would have been a lot happier if you weren't born." As Akito continued to speak the strings of the curse slowly curved around Kyo almost like they were holding him in place, not allowing him to leave
I killed her. I...
"Please stop! Please stop." Kyo shouts.
"Hey, I've been thinking... Is Tohru Honda the one who's been feeling your head with delusions? Or was it Ami Sato? She wasn't fazed by the sight of your true form."
"How... do you know that?" Kyo asks.
"It's really amazing, in the end it freed her from the zodiac curse. It's almost like she's an angel. The Holy Mother? Or more like... a monster? Really don't you think she's too perfect? Someone like that must have secrets, things she won't even tell you. No one is that perfect, which means she must be a monster. Ami Sato is a monster. She's a freak just like you. Any sensible person would run after seeing you in that form, no doubt." Akito comments.
"How... How can you say something like that about her? She always said that you were kind to her but when she's not looking you are the opposite. You don't know anything. You weren't there when it happened. You didn't see it, so how could you know? There is nothing monstrous about her. How can you... You don't know how scared she was that night. So how can you say those things?!" Kyo yells.
Her hands and her voice trembled. She was cold, her face was pale, she was terrified...
"Even so... Even so she didn't run away from me!" He shouts.
"Shut up." Akito says, covering his ears. "Shut up! Shut up!"
"She held my hand!"
She knew that if she let go of my hand. I'd probably never return. That I might have never trusted anyone again. It's not like she took away all my pain. There's no way she could fill that chasm. But that doesn't matter. The most important thing was that she stayed by my side. She smiled at the simplest things when we were together. Why? I wish she would put herself first more often. Why doesn't she realise she's getting the short end of the stick with me? She sometimes thinks that there is nothing good about her. I love her. I love her so much, just the way she is.
Kyo cried thinking about all that had happened during that night when she had seen his true form.
"Are you crying?" Akito says, in a rather calm voice, but in seconds it was gone, replaced with an angry and harsh one. "Stop crying! You don't deserve to cry! You took her away from me! She was the only one I had left from her! She said she was going to stay by my side and because she met you she left! Her curse broke and she isn't forced to listen to me when I ask her to visit! This is all your fault!" Akito pauses to think. "Don't tell me you are in love with her? It would almost be perfect. For a monster to fall in love with another monster. But you can't have her. She's mine and when you get locked up for losing the bet you will never be able to see her, ever again!" Akito shouts at Kyo. Kyo looks up at Akito.
"What? Why are you looking at me like that?" Akito questions hitting Kyo.
"None of this is my fault." Another hit.
"You're the deluded one!" Akito goes to hit Kyo a third time but this time Kyo stops it by grabbing Akito's wrist.
"If you care about her so much and want her to stay with you, why would you let her live with us?! That's messed up! What are you thinking? What are you..." Kyo stops thinking about what Akito would do.
...scheming? Are you using her? For what? I don't know. But...
"You dragged her into this mess."
"You're always quick to make me the villain, huh? So what is it? Do you love that woman?" Akito asks again.
"I-"
"Then you're even dumber than I thought! You killed your own mother and now..." Akito accusingly points at Kyo. "Do you think you have the right to fall in love?! With her no less!"
"Kyo. Hey, Kyo. think about it. Who's the real villain here? Who dragged her into this? Well?"
"It was me." Kyo caves.
It's your fault.
"Though that scheming woman is also to blame-"
"I'm... I'm the one who... I don't...love her. I definitely don't love her. I'll never fall in love with anyone. I'll never fall in love." Kyo lies, collapsing on the floor.
No. No more. I won't let anyone talk bad about her because of me anymore.
"Is that right? I see. I was jumping to conclusions. That's right, obviously you don't love her. You made a sensible decision for once. You'll never beat Yuki anyway. Your confinement is certain. But that's for the best, you know? It would be a shame to involve her, Kazuma, even Tohru or anyone else more than you already have. The best thing would be for you to disappear. It'll be okay. I'll visit you when you are locked up." Akito says, bending down and playing with Kyo's hair. "I'll be with you, so you won't be lonely."
"You can't even stand me."
"I love you. I actually love you so much, Kyo." Akito leans forward and whispers into Kyo's ear. "Be a good boy from now on. For the short time you have left living outside."
---
Kyo eventually gets home and looks around. No one was there but Tohru who was fast asleep on the couch. He looks out the window and sees a figure on the beach. He steps closer to the window and sees Ami all alone on the beach. Without a second thought he takes off running.
Sorry, Master. I understand now. Back then I pretended I didn't, but I actually understood. I understand that many in this world reject me, there are just as many people who will reach out their hand to me. She's never coming back. I couldn't keep it. But she bloomed right in front of me. She continued to bloom. A small... small flowers.
---
The white haired girl cried as one of the women officers held her back. She broke free and ran to the door only to fall to the ground. As the small orange haired boy watched from the side having seen the robber break in only moments before.
---
Kyo arrives at the beach to see Ami making another suncastle by the water as the sunset.
A tiny flower. Precious... My precious...
---
Tohru had fallen asleep while I was doing some cleaning up so I had left a note for her telling her that I went to the beach. I had nothing else to do and wanted to work on making another sand castle since the last one was destroyed.
"Ami!" I hear Kyo's voice call out. I look behind me to see him standing there not too far away, and out of breath.
"Huh? Kyo?" I get up and walk to him and he walks to me. "What happened? You're back so soon. I thought it would have taken longer." I noticed he had a small injury on his face. I reach out to touch it. "Kyo, You're cheek..."
"Oh, I got into a little fight." he explained.
"A fight?! You didn't fight Akito did you?" I questioned.
"Said not to come anymore."
"What?!"
"It's fine I don't mind not being invited. Actually... I just don't really care anymore, I guess. What?"
"You're not happy I'm back?"
"That's not it! I mean-"
"I'm kidding. It was a joke." He laughs.
"Welcome back. Welcome back, Kyo!"
"Yeah, it's good to be back." He smiles and we make our way back to the house.
---
I love you. I don't want to take anything else from you. I don't want to trample on you ever again. At some point, I had hoped we could always be together wherever I ended up... But I won't hope for that anymore.
"It would be a shame to involve her more than you already have."
Akito's words echoed in Kyo's head.
I couldn't possibly wish my fate on you. I won't wish for that, so please... at least be by my side for the time I have left. I want to be with you. Until we are torn apart... until the very last moment.