Beauty and the Beast (Fruits Basket Version) - Kyo x Tohru

Chapter 1: "you're a special girl"

Dawn has arrived, the gilded sunlight tenderly breaking out of the wispy white clouds.

Another beautiful day, Tohru thought, eagerly getting out of bed. She quickly got herself ready and was beginning to prepare breakfast when her mother appeared from her room.

"Hi, Mom!" Tohru exclaimed gently, a beaming smile overtaking her features. Kyoko smiled back, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes; it was then that she realized her daughter was cooking.

"Hello, Tohru...oh, sweetie, you don't have to make breakfast. That should be my job as a parent!" Kyoko chided, still half-asleep. Tohru just grinned even wider, replying, "Well, I knew you had work till late last night, so I decided I would get up early and cook. Besides, I'm meeting Uo-chan and Hana-chan at the market today, so I wanted to wake up earlier anyway!" Kyoko sighed, gingerly planting a kiss on the top of Tohru's head.

"I can't argue with that. Thank you, my darling Tohru."

"No problem! There, it's just about finished," Tohru said while cheerfully placing two dishes of fried eggs on the counter. Mother and daughter ate their meal in peaceful silence, the morning sun burning even brighter through their cozy apartment windows. Tohru, once she was done, checked her watch and immediately sprang up in alarm.

"Oh no! I'm going to be late! Uo-chan and Hana-chan are waiting on me now! Sorry, Mom, I've gotta go!" Rushing around the apartment, Tohru grabbed her things. Kyoko shook her head in amusement, before opening her mouth to let out a yawn. "Have fun and be careful, Tohru!" As if on cue, Tohru emerged from her bedroom and gave her mom a tight hug. "I will. Love you lots!"

As her daughter headed to the market, Kyoko finished up her meal and, within minutes, was fast asleep once again.

—

"Morning, Tohru!" Uotani and Hanajima exclaimed in unison at the sight of their friend running to catch up to them.

"Good morning, Uo-chan, Hana-chan! I'm so happy to see you guys! I'm also really sorry for being late," Tohru explained in a rush.

"No sweat, Tohru," Uotani said, shrugging off her apology.

"Yes, we only just got here as well," Hanajima added. Tohru sighed in relief, and the trio headed off into the marketplace.

"So what are we getting today, Tohru?" Uotani piped up as they browsed what the different stands had to offer. "Um, I was looking for...aha!" All Uotani and Hanajima saw was a stalk of green pop out from behind a pair of tall guys. Tohru emerged with some chives, rice packets, and other assorted vegetables. "Ah, I see you're making rice balls today," Hanajima surmised, and Tohru nodded vehemently.

"Yes! I'm so excited to—," Tohru was cut off by someone bumping into her. The ingredients she had collected fell to the ground, threatening to spill out of the bag they were placed in. "Oh dear. I apologize, Tohru," said a slightly-raspy voice in a deadpan sort of tone. Tohru looked up from her fallen ingredients to see a familiar face—Akito, accompanied by a younger man whose face was covered with shadows. Recently, the mysterious Akito had taken a liking to Tohru, and somewhat befriended her. Akito smiled down at her in a mildly condescending manner, his eyes holding a hidden dark menace. Tohru's friends stiffened at the way Akito didn't move from his spot as Tohru stood up to greet him.

"Oh, it's alright. I should've noticed you were standing there," Tohru stammered out, nervously laughing it off. Akito grinned, wide as a cheshire, eyeing the girl like she was his prey. Uotani and Hanajima visibly bristled, an aura of protectiveness of Tohru enveloping the surrounding area as they stood behind her.

Tohru instantly began introducing her friends to Akito, who only spared them a passing glance. His companion, however, seemed to only have eyes for Uotani. He wasn't staring at her necessarily, but his eyes wandered in her direction every so often. Hanajima took note of this, and was about to speak up, but Akito interrupted her.

"Mind if I speak with Tohru for a moment?" Akito inquired of them, but it felt more like a demand. Uotani gave him a curt nod, and Hanajima furrowed her brows at the dark-haired man as he led their friend a short distance away.

"I don't like this one bit."

"That man radiates bad energy; his waves have a strange quality to them."

"You said it, Hanajima. Should we do something?" Uotani asked, raring for a fight.

Hanajima shook her head, answering, "Not right now. As of yet, Akito has done nothing to harm Tohru."

Uotani rolled her eyes. "Keywords: 'as of yet'. That guy is clearly bad news, but Tohru is too nice to say anything about it." She sighed, exasperated, and ran a hand through her hair.

"I know. Tohru is almost too kind for her own good. It's her greatest strength—but also her greatest weakness," Hanajima added, keeping a watchful eye on the pair.

—

"So, Tohru, what brings you to the marketplace today?" Akito asked. Tohru shifted a bit, replying, "Oh, um, I was just here to get ingredients for rice balls. What about you?"

"Why, I'm here to see you, of course."

Akito replied without hesitation, and it startled Tohru a bit. "W-why would you want to see me? I'm just me! I'm not anything...," Tohru wondered, trailing off near the end of her sentence. Akito grinned at her, but it seemed like he was baring his teeth more than smiling. "You're a special girl, Tohru. There's just something about you that...intrigues me, and I'm not sure why," Akito explained. Tohru's eyes widened, and all she could say was, "Oh."

Akito grasped Tohru's wrist, and whispered in her ear: "You mustn't get down on yourself. It's very unbecoming, Tohru." Now she was uncomfortable, and Tohru searched for a way to leave as politely as possible. "Alright, I won't then," Tohru said in order to appease him. This seemed to work well enough, as Akito loosened his hold on her arm. His grip then shifted from her wrist to her hand. "Miss Tohru Honda, I want to ask you something," Akito said, turning to face her. Tohru nodded, her words getting stuck in her throat like a big ball of rice. He smiled once more, and whispered something in her ear. Tohru's eyes went wide as he uttered a phrase she never would have expected.

"Marry me."