"Would you like some tea?" Kureno asked softly, standing beside the table. "I made some earlier, it should still be fresh."
"Thank you." I nodded, heading to sit down across from him. "I'm sorry to barge in, but Tohru called me after your meeting yesterday and I couldn't get it out of my mind."
"Thats quite alright." Kureno smiled. "I understand it would be a shock to any of the Sohmas to find out about something like this. And you of course-"
"Kureno-san- is your curse actually broken?" I asked, looking into my cup.
"Yes. My curse is fully broken." He nodded.
"Then- how come Akito still controls you?" I frowned up at him. "If you're free, why stay with Akito?"
"I'm afraid it's much more difficult than that-" he spoke, sighing. "The zodiac are bonded to the Head, through more than just the curse. Even though my curse is gone, I still feel the need to stay by their side."
"How did it break?" I cocked my head. "Something must have happened to sever the ties between you and Akito."
Kureno stiffened, eyes flashing towards the door. "I- don't know. One day, the curse was there. The next day, it was gone. Broken."
He looked at me, eyes soft but sad. "I'm sorry if that's not much help to you. If I could tell you more I would."
"Kureno-san, do you think that the curse could be breaking on its own?" I asked curiously, fiddling with my hands. "None of the members of the Zodiac seem to be close to Akito these days. Could the strings that tie them all together be breaking?"
He let out a slow breath, shaking his head. "Akito is too powerful for that to happen. I think, maybe I was just defective." He paused. "You want to help Kyo, am I correct?"
"Yes!" I nodded quickly, my cheeks reddening. "I can't allow Akito to have him locked away for the rest of his life. It's cruel for anyone."
"You really love Kyo, I'm safe to assume you two are an item? Shigure has assumptions-"
“Shigure?!” I yelped, then nodded slowly. "Yes- Kyo and I are dating. I love him more than life itself. I just want him to live a happy life."
Kureno smiled, standing up from his seat. "I'm not the most use, but I will tell you, I think you can break Kyo's curse. From what I've seen, you two have something Akito can't break."
Really?" I turned red just thinking about his words. "Thank you Kureno-san!"
"Of course."
"I'll take her home." We both looked up to see Hatori in the doorway, his eyes set on Kureno. "Sato, Kyo asked me to make sure you got home safe. And I have a few words for you myself."
"Ha-chan?" I asked, bringing my eyes up to look at him.
"Have you asked Kureno everything you need?" He asked, leaning against the door frame.
I thought for a moment. "Are you the only one?"
"As far as I know." He nodded. "I'm afraid I have to attend to Akito now, have a safe ride home."
"Of course. Thank you." I bowed to him and passed through the doorway behind Hatori. "Ha-chan, you knew about Kureno?"
He nodded, running a hand down his suit. "I did."
"Why didn't you tell me?!"
"Sato, I need to keep you safe. I can't let you get involved with something you don't know much about." He spoke sternly, his voice gruff. “I told you when you first started this that I’d only help as I saw fit. I drew the line at Kureno’s curse.”
He held the door to his car open, allowing me to slide in. “Well-” I started. “What about your curse? Don’t you want to be free?”
He stared silently at the road for a moment, then sighed. “Sato, I have no wish to be free from Akito.”
“But-”
“Please respect my wishes.” He said softly. “I never have, and never will.”
I felt tears welling up in my eyes, sniffling them back. “Ha-chan?” I mumbled, holding my hands in my lap. “I’m sorry. Do you think I should stop trying to help?”
The car screeched to a halt, Hatori’s eyes flashing to meet mine. “Sato. Never stop. Don’t give up the things you want. Please.” He reached out a hand and ruffled my hair, a small smile coming to his lips. “I’ll still support you, you know I will.”
I hiccuped, nodding silently. “Thank you Ha-chan.”
“Of course.” He nodded, bringing the car back into drive as we headed down the long road. We drove up the side of the mountain to the house, where he parked. “Do you need anything else?” He asked curiously, peering through the window at the house. “I’ve got a couple of minutes to kill until Akito needs me.”
“Uhm-” I bit my lip, staring at the house. “Why is Akito the way they are? You’re by their side all the time and they still act like you’re horrible-”
He laughed. “Akito is a child, just like you and Miss Honda and the boys. They just get selfish, you know all about that don’t you?” He chuckled quietly as his phone chimed in his pocket. He pulled it out, sighed, and looked back up at me. “Now get inside before Kyo begins to worry. I’ve got to get back to the Estate and help Kureno with some things.”
“Thank you Ha-chan.” I smiled, stepping out of the car.
"Anytime, Sato." He gave a small tight lipped smile as I shut the door, and pulled down the mountain.
"So, I take it you and Hatori had a nice night?" I turned around, watching Kyo emerge onto the porch.
"Yes." I smiled softly, walking up to meet him as he sat over the edge. "What about you?" I asked, kissing him gently on the cheek.
He smiled, tucking my head into his chest. "Better now." He said, kissing the top of my head. "C'mon, lets get inside. It's too cold for you to be out here in just your uniform."
Even if there was nothing I could do for Kyo now, knowing Kureno's secret made me feel much better about our chances. The curse was breaking, and, I hoped at least- happiness was right around the corner. I smiled, reaching up to hold his cold cheeks in my hands. "I love you so much." I whispered, leaning up to kiss him.
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Word Count: 1093 Words
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✔Fighting Hearts |Fruits Basket| Kyo Sohma
FanfictionSato Sohma is the love child of Kazuma Sohma, the Sohma martial arts dojo master. He raised her on his own, teaching her along side the zodiac children. She became close friends with Kyo when he was taken in, launching her into the world of the Zo...
