#furuba fanfiction

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Kyo Sohma X Reader: Protective [fruits basket]

You love your school friends, but one has always been a little more protective than the others.

      Even though I’ve been at school since the beginning of the academic year, I’m still not adjusted well with the students. Some students still treat me with disrespect and no remorse. I’m happy to at least have supportive friends like Tohru, her friends, and the Sohma’s; especially Kyo.

For whatever reason, he’s been very protective of me as of late — as weird as it is to put it that way. Truth be told, it does get on my nerves sometimes. His support is appreciated and all, but I can also take care of myself. Though none of this is to say I want him to change. I wouldn’t change my friends at all.

It’s currently the morning of the school day. I’m putting away my shoes in my locker when Kyo, Tohru, and Yuki walk up to meet me. Yuki gives me a wave, partnered  with a "Good Morning" and Tohru says a quick hello in passing. The two of them head to class, though Kyo hangs behind with me.

     "So, Kyo, How's your morning been so far?" I ask him. He scratches the back of his head.

     "Annoying. Yucky Yuki's already ticked me off," he says.

     "Oh, is that a new record? I’m sure he’s done worse sooner," I say sarcastically.

     "Haha," he feigns an unenthusiastic laugh. "What about you? No one's tried to mess with you yet, have they?"

     "Kyo, I can handle myself. Besides, no one gets violent. Just a couple of crude words,"

     "I want to make sure you're safe,"

     "I know, Kyo. Thanks,"I say, resting my hand against his shoulder. "C'mon. Let's get to class,”

The two of us start our trek to class. I noticed Kyo trying to hold my things for me, and while I appreciate the gesture, I tell him I can take care of things myself. We arrive at the room well before homeroom starts and claim seats with Tohru, Uo, Hana, and Yuki. Of course when the teacher actually gets here we’ll have to move to our assigned seats for the whole day, but for now some light chit-chat should be fine.

“Hey, you guys. Where's Yuki?” I ask, noticing his absence.

“He had some prince business to attend to. He’ll show up later,” Uo explains.

“I hope he’s doing alright,” Tohru says.

“Me too. He didn’t seem to want the student council position to begin with, much less to be the president. I hope he knows if he’s struggling he can come to us. That goes for all of you, as well,” I say.

“He’ll be fine. He was practically born for the role,” Kyo says, rolling his eyes. This, of course, earns him a quick jab to the ribs, courtesy of myself. Our chatting continues as the class waits for things to begin. For some reason, I thought it would be a great idea to drink a huge can of an unhealthy, sugar-filled beverage first thing in the morning, and I start to regret it as I feel a strong need to pee.

“So close to class? Excuse me guys, I’m going to use the restroom quickly,”

*

Yuki walks into the room just as class is about to begin, but sees you are nowhere in sight.

“Good morning everyone. Where’s Y/n? Didn’t she come to class?” Yuki asks before finding his seat.

“Now that you say that, it has been a while since she went to use the bathroom,” Hana notes. “Do you think she’s alright?”

“Orange top! Go check on Y/n!” Uo demands.

“Hah?? Don’t you tell me what to do!”

“It’s okay, I’ll do it,” Tohru suggests, but Kyo rises from his seat before she can.

“Sit down. I was going to check on her anyway,” Kyo says. As he goes to leave the room, the teacher stops him.

“Haven’t we been over this? Quit trying to skip my class,”

“I’m not trying to skip nothin’! I’m going to check on Y/n. She went to the bathroom a while ago and she’s not back yet. I’m doing your job here,”

“Just go. Don’t cause trouble,” the teacher excuses him and Kyo heads off.

*

The bell rings and I know I’m late for class. But it’s not completely my fault. Two students, a boy and a girl, had stopped me on my way back from the restroom. I don’t know their names, but they’ve stopped me before. They’re not really my biggest fans. I stand there against the wall as they ask and say to me things no one should ask or say, cruel words I would rather abstain from repeating. But it doesn’t really affect me. I stand there with no reaction as they berate me. Turn the other cheek, you know? 

“Hey!” The interjecting voice is immediately recognizable to me. Kyo. His eyes are narrow as he walks up to the two students and I. “How about you shut your mouths? The both of you,” Kyo offers.

“Kyo, it’s alright, I got it,”

“No, I think these idiots need to learn who they’re talking to,”

“Kyo I said I got it alright? Getting aggressive isn’t going to change their perspective so let’s just head back,” you say. He grabs my hand, passing the two students a dirty look as he drags us away from the scene and back to class.

*

The bell rings, concluding the school day and letting the students out. To be truthful, I’ve been avoiding Kyo a bit. I’m not mad, just a bit annoyed. It’s great having such a considerate friend, no one has ever looked out for me the way he does, but when he steps in for me it looks like I can’t handle myself. I open my shoe locker, pulling out my things to leave. When I close the locker door, Kyo is leaning against the ones next to it, looking down at the floor.

“I’m sorry,” he says. I cross my arms and lean against the lockers myself.

“About what?”

“I know you don’t like it when I get really protective of you,”

“Yeah, what were you even doing out there?”

“You hadn’t come back yet and we were starting to get worried. I was starting to get worried,”

“You’re a good friend for staying by me, and I appreciate what you do for me, wanting me safe and happy, but I can fight my own battles. You can stick up for me, but you don’t need to act responsible for me,”

“I know. I’m trying to not get annoyed by them, it’s just…” Kyo trails off, debating his next words, “I don't like when people make fun of the person I like"

“What?”

“Gosh, ya need me to spell it out for ya?” I stare at him for a moment before realizing.

"You… like me? More than a friend?”

"Well duh. Why wouldn’t I?” I shrug.

“I don’t know. It’s not like you flirt with me. I don’t remember you telling me or asking me out,”

“You seriously never noticed?”

“Didn’t have a clue,”

“Well, then you must be really dumb because I made it really obvious,”

“Hey!” I say, nudging his arm. “I guess like you too… dumb dumb,”

Kyo smiles. He stands up straight, extending his hand to me. “Want me to walk you home?”

“Sure,” I say after rolling my eyes. I take his hand and we walk off the premises together. I guess I should pay more attention to things.

[triptychgrip]

Fanfic Rec: What if we'd seen Akito in therapy, post-curse break?

For the second time in just a week, Fruits Basket fanfic has utterly ruined me, in the very best way. For the Fruits Basket Monday prompt 'What If', I wanted to share a rec for the amazing story 'I can barely breathe' by @renywrites, which is a masterful 15K story that details the messiness and loneliness marking Akito's journey of atonement and healing after the zodiac curse break.

Note: in this fic, Akito uses they/them pronouns, which is what I'll be using as well, out of respect for the author's vision

Akito is obviously a very, very polarizing character in the fandom, and I'll be honest that they are not someone that I usually seek out reading material for. But as I detailed in my post on the dangers of individualizing systemic abuse, healing for the Sohmas doesn't begin and end with Akito, because they, too, are a victim in the multi-generational cycle of trauma that has plagued the Sohma family. Given the vastness of this cycle and the many people that enabled it to continue over time, I've always wished we could have seen more content in the manga (and more explicitly in Fruits Basket Another) that touches directly on what the challenges would have been when the various members of the Sohma family have to pick up the pieces of their lives after the curse breaks.

'I can barely breathe' does this so poignantly by focusing on Akito and Shigure, in particular. Below is an excerpt of one of my favorite parts, from chapter 2. I hope you'll give it a chance!

----

Akito starts to panic once the sun begins to set. They’d gone through their entire “toolbox”, as Itsuki would call it. They’d done every distraction in the book to take their mind off of it, and after all of that, they still hadn’t heard anything.

They consider calling Hatori to see if he’d heard anything, but if Shigure truly was mad at them and they pulled strings through Hatori to get him home, he'd be furious. Besides, Hatori would definitely chew him out for blocking them.

But the later it gets, the more Akito’s worry turns to anxiety, and anxiety turns to panic. They start to think about what he’d said the night before. Had he really gone home with a stranger?

The thought alone makes them ill, makes their heart race and palms sweat. He’d slept with their mother to get back at them, once upon a time. That thought doesn’t help any, and their imagination runs wild.

Akito lays in bed, mind racing through all the possibilities. What if he had gone home with a girl? What if he preferred that over coming home to Akito? And if that was the case, was she something better?

(Of course. Everyone was better than Akito.)

Was she pretty? Akito thinks of long, silky hair, and curves that could never be mistaken for a man’s body. They curl tighter into themself, burying their face in the pillow, hiding from the thought of Shigure undressing said curves.

(Their mother looked like a proper woman. Shigure had once said, in a fit of cruelty, that their mother looked like everything Akito could never be. Beautiful, tall, curvy. Akito had always wondered if he wished they looked different. If he wished they could be beautiful, too.)

Once the thoughts start they don’t stop. Soon Akito is stuck in a whirlpool, convinced that he had left for good, that they were now truly all alone. The bed becomes too confining, and they find themself on the bathroom floor, fighting to breathe, the tile cold against their skin.

They wanted it to stop. They didn’t want to feel this way anymore! Itsuki had said it would get better, but when? When would they feel better? When would they be good enough? When would their efforts to be a better person pay off?

Yuki had been right. Shigure deserved so much better. Everyone did, really. Akito tangles a hand in their hair, holding hard and hiccupping. They weren’t god anymore. They weren’t anything anymore. When had they become so small? Had they ever been big in the first place?

[triptychgrip]

Absolutely floored by how amazing this fic is. If you are also someone that appreciates the friendship between Haru and Yuki, and love reading about the care in their dynamic, I promise you, you won't regret reading this.

It hurts, but in the best way. Below is an excerpt of one of my favorite parts:

----

Yuki’s scowl deepens and he scuffs his foot on the pavement, moving a little to face Haru more fully.

“You’re pretty pushy for a guy who doesn’t talk,” Haru snaps. Yuki makes a little hmph noise and turns away from him, nose stuck up in the air. 

Haru sighs. He doesn’t like getting mad at Yuki. He knows he’s not doing it on purpose, not really, but the longer he’s silent, the more agitated Haru feels. He relaxes his shoulders and leans his arm against Yuki’s, his own silent apology, and Yuki leans back, a silent forgiveness. Haru leans his cheek onto the top of Yuki’s head—he won’t be able to do it for much longer, not with the rate Yuki’s been growing. This is okay now, he thinks. 

There’s a tap on the back of Haru’s hand and Yuki’s reaching inside of his coat pocket, pulling out something small—a stick of gum? No—

“Is that a cigarette?”

Yuki nods, looking at Haru meaningfully. He jerks his head to the left and pulls away from Haru, starting down the sidewalk. Haru follows. 

They end up at a park that Haru has never been to but has walked past a million times. They find a rock wall and pull themselves up to sit on top, looking out at the small grassy area from above. Yuki pulls out the cigarette again, along with a lighter. He tries flicking it a few times, but he can’t even manage to get a spark.

“Give it,” Haru says, and Yuki drops the lighter in his hand. Haru flicks it and Yuki silently watches the little flame dance before Haru lets it go. Yuki brings the cigarette to his lips and looks at Haru expectantly. 

Haru raises an eyebrow, suddenly apprehensive. It’s a little thrilling, but Yuki’s past comments about his asthma are poking holes in his excitement. “You sure?” 

Yuki just looks at him, challenging, cigarette still poised between his pale fingers. 

So Haru lights it for him. 

Yuki’s coughing before he’s even done blowing all the smoke out. He doubles over, face flushing red. It’s a dry, hacking cough, like his lungs are trying to escape from his body through his mouth.

“Yuki, are you okay?” Regret floods Haru immediately. He doesn’t know why he did that. He shouldn’t have done it.

Yuki nods weakly.

“Are you sure?”

Yuki nods again, struggling to regain control of his breathing.

“Did it…feel good?”

Yuki laughs under his breath and flips a palm—so-so—before extending the still-lit cigarette to Haru. Haru plucks it from his fingers, examining it.

“I’m having second thoughts,” Haru mutters. Yuki punches him in the side of the leg, turning his face to look up at him, smiling a little through small wheezes. Haru can’t help but smile back. “This is peer pressure, you know.”

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Fruits Basket, Fruits Basket - Takaya Natsuki (Manga), Fruits Basket (Anime 2019) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Sohma Hatsuharu/Sohma Yuki Characters: Sohma Hatsuharu, Sohma Yuki, Sohma Kyou, Sohma Rin, Sohma Kagura, Sohma Momiji, Sohma Akito, Sohma Hatori, Sohma Shigure, Sohma Kazuma, Tomoda Kunimitsu Additional Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Pre-Canon, Canon Compliant, Pining, First Crush Summary:

Haru is quiet. He thinks he’d describe himself as quiet, even though sometimes he gets loud—very, very loud—but for the most part, he’s quiet. The only person he knows who is quieter than him is Yuki.

[ponderingmoonlight]

Hello!!! Would it be possible to write for hatori sohma from fruit basket childhood friend to lover with a some angst and fruff at the end of

Thank you😊

aww okay we NEED to do this 🥹

Hatori Sohma realizing you're more than a friend to him

Pairing: Hitori x reader

Word Count: 3,5k

Synopsis: You were around since he can remember. You, the only sunshine in his life, that woman he never gets tired of looking at. It takes Hitori too long to finally confess his feelings to himself. And then he's about to ruin everything...

Warnings: hurt to comfort, friends to lovers, this is sooo fluffy hehe

Hatori Sohma is not a man who easily surrenders to the urges of emotion. The weight of his family’s curse, the pain of his own heartache, and the gravity of his responsibilities have forged him into a man who exists with quiet detachment in the shadows since that one fateful day. And yet, as you sit across from him at Shigure’s dinner table, laughing softly at one of Shigure’s ridiculous remarks, Hatori finds himself lost in thoughts he was never prepared to face.

You’ve been his friend for years - a steady presence in his life, like the moon hanging quietly in the night sky whenever he needs it. While others come and go, bringing chaos and change, you’ve always been there, offering your unwavering kindness and support. A warmth he has leaned on more times than he’d care to admit.

Still, he didn’t even dare to think about you as someone other than a friend. He’s always been careful to sort his feelings when it came to you, forcefully avoiding that little skip of his heart whenever he saw you.

Especially after Kana. Loving her, only to have the curse of the Sohma family destroy what both could have been, left scars he’s not sure will ever fully heal. He buried those wounds deep, vowing not to allow himself the vulnerability of love again. Not when it always means agony. Not when he’ll never live a normal life like all those other men walking around the world.

But lately, his heart has been betraying him, and today, watching Shigure lean a little too close to you while you laugh, it stings in a way he doesn’t know how to rationalize.

Earlier in the day, it was Ayame who started to chip away at the walls Hatori keeps so carefully constructed.

“I must say, Haa-san,” Ayame had declared, lounging dramatically on one of Shigure’s couches, “it’s almost tragic how blind you are to your own emotions.”

Hatori sighed, pushing up his glasses. He had little patience for Ayame’s theatrics at the best of times, and today was no exception. Why again this talk?

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Ah, denial,” Ayame said with a flourish, “the first stage of awakening!”

Shigure, who had been scribbling something in a notebook, looked up with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

“What Ayame means, Haa-san, is that you’re rather obvious when it comes to a certain someone.”

Hatori froze in place. Shigure and Ayame exchanged a knowing glance that made his stomach twist. Were they talking about…you?  

“If you’re going to make a point, do it quickly,” he remarked, his tone colder than he intended.

Ayame smirked, unbothered by the sudden change of tone. Even though he’s so convinced no one knows, everyone saw the way Hatori looked at you earlier with that slight smile forming on his lips. Every one knows about that picture of you he keeps well hidden in his purse.

“The point, dear Haa-san, is that your little friend has managed to do something extraordinary.”

“And what’s that?” Hatori inquired, already regretting engaging in the conversation.

“She’s gotten under your skin. (y/n), I mean”, Shigure interjected smoothly.

“In a good way, of course. You’re different around her - softer, more… alive.”

Hatori frowned, hating the way his heart skips a beat how it always does when someone talks about you.

“That’s absurd.”

“Is it?”

Shigure leaned back in his chair, a sly grin tugging at his lips that usually means nothing but trouble.

“You’re a careful man. But I think even you can’t deny that she means something more to you. The question is, are you going to do anything about it?”

Before Hatori could respond, Ayame clapped his hands together.

“Oh, this is so romantic! The brooding doctor and his steadfast friend, bound by years of quiet affection, only to realize the depth of their feelings amidst life’s trials! It’s like something out of a novel!”

Hatori pinched the bridge of his nose.

“You’re both insufferable.”

Now, hours later, Hatori finds himself replaying their words. As much as he wants to dismiss their observations, there’s a nagging truth to them that he can’t ignore. He does feel different around you. You have a way of making the world seem a little less heavy, of making him feel seen in a way no one else does. Even though you know about his curse, despite the fact that you’ve seen him and other Sohma’s turn into animals countless times by now, you never changed your soft attitude towards him.

Just the thought of losing you, even to something as harmless as Shigure’s playful flirting, fills him with an ache he doesn’t fully understand.

“Earth to Hatori,” Shigure teases, waving a hand in front of his face.

“You’ve been staring at your plate for the past five minutes. Is something on your mind?”, you add with your brows furrowed in that way that glues his eyes onto yours in an instant.

Hatori shakes his head, brushing off the question. But when he glances up, he sees you watching him with a quiet concern that makes his chest tighten.

“Are you feeling okay?” you ask softly, your voice laced with genuine care.

“I’m fine,” he replies, his tone measured. But the truth is, he feels anything but fine.

The evening continues, with Shigure and Ayame carrying most of the conversation. You join in here and there, your laughter like a melody that Hatori finds himself clinging to. He stays mostly silent, his thoughts too tangled to untangle.

It’s only after dinner, when Shigure retreats to his study and Ayame bids an overly dramatic farewell, that you and Hatori are left alone in the living room. The atmosphere shifts, quieter, more intimate. You’re seated on the couch, your legs tucked beneath you, while he stands near the window, his gaze fixed on the garden outside.

“Hatori,” you say gently, breaking the silence. “What’s on your mind? You’ve been quiet tonight.”

He hesitates, the weight of your question pressing against him. How can he possibly put his feelings into words when he’s still struggling to make sense of them himself?

“It’s nothing,” he says finally, though the words feel hollow.

You frown, clearly unconvinced. “You know you don’t have to keep everything to yourself, right? I’m here if you need someone to talk to.”

Your words are a lifeline, and for a moment, he considers taking it. But vulnerability doesn’t come easily to him. Instead, he deflects. “Shigure was particularly annoying tonight.”

You laugh softly. “He’s always annoying. That’s part of his charm.”

Hatori’s lips twitch in the faintest hint of a smile, but it doesn’t last. The conversation lulls, and the silence that follows is heavy with unspoken words.

After a moment, you rise from the couch and cross the room to stand beside him. The proximity is both comforting and disarming. You don’t press him further, but your presence alone feels like an invitation—to let down his guard, to let you in.

“Do you ever think about the past?” he asks suddenly, surprising even himself with the question.

“Sometimes,” you reply, your tone thoughtful. “But I try not to dwell on it too much. It’s easy to get stuck in what-ifs.”

He nods, his gaze still fixed on the garden. “I envy that about you. Your ability to move forward.”

“You can, too, you know,” you say softly. “It’s not easy, but it’s possible.”

Your words settle over him like a balm, your voice so comforting that he forgets that numb feeling in his stomach for a second. He turns to look at you, really look at you. The way your eyes meet his, full of understanding and something else, something he’s afraid to name, something he’d never speculates about, makes his heart stumble.

“I’m not sure I know,” he finally admits, his voice barely above a whisper.

You smile, and it’s the kind of smile that feels like sunlight breaking through a storm.

What if you get hurt though?

Hatori can’t help but shake his head, breaking his gaze away from you. No, he can’t allow that to happen. He can’t come this close to you. What if he hurts you? Or what if you don’t feel the same way about him? Why would someone like you fall for him in the first place? You, known and loved by countless people, secretly admired by someone like Shigure as well. There’s no way you’d actually fall for him, right?

“You don’t have to figure it out alone.”

Gently, you place your hand on top of his. But instead of welcoming the warmth of your palm, he jerks up in his seat and leaves without saying another word.

The days following the incident were unbearable - for you and for Hatori, though he would never admit it out loud. He avoided you with a determination that bordered on cruelty. Every time you tried to reach out, he found an excuse to slip away. He didn’t answer your calls, didn’t allow you to visit him, didn’t even text you back when you begged for a single sign of life. Not even Shigure and Ayame were able to drag him out of this hole. Hatori hated himself for hurting you, for pulling away when all he wanted was to be close to you. But the fear of losing you, of ruining your life just like Kana’s, was just too much to bear.

It’s for the best, he told himself so often that he lost count on that little walk alone. Staying in his apartment meant getting reminded of all the times you visited him and sat on that one chair while sipping tea out of your own personal mug no one else is allowed to use. He needed to get out there, needed some fresh air to calm his mind.

Not even this warm summer day is able to comfort him, though. Not when every beautiful flower on his way reminds him of you, not when he imagines you in all those dresses displayed in the shopping windows.

Not when you’re standing just a few feet away from him with Shigure by your side.

Shigure and…you?

There you are, walking beside Shigure, holding an ice cream cone and laughing at something he said. The sound of your laughter, so free and light, hits him like a punch to the gut. Shigure, ever the charmer, leans in closer than necessary, his expression playful as he licks his own ice cream.

Hatori’s heart twists painfully, hands balling into tight fists on their own. He doesn’t have the right to feel jealous, no right to claim you when he’s done nothing but pushing you away.

But watching Shigure, so at ease with you, stirs something primal in him, feelings he tried to drown multiple times already. The thought of losing you - to anyone, but especially to Shigure – becomes unbearable.

Like in trance, he steps back, away from the scene that might make him lose his mind. No, he can’t feel like this about you, he can’t allow himself to be jealous when you’re not even his. All he did those past weeks was pushing you away. You’re not his, you’ll never be.

Hatori slams his door shut harder than necessary before gliding down the cool wood.

What is he supposed to do now?

-later-

You’re sitting in your small apartment, trying to distract yourself from the ache in your chest. The ice cream with Shigure had been nice, a kind effort of him to break you away from your train of thought,  but it doesn’t erase the sadness you feel over Hatori’s sudden distance. What went wrong? Was it something you said, something you did? Was it because you tried to cheer him up by holding his hand that one evening? You didn’t really think about it twice, just tried to cheer him up when it was clear that he’s upset…

You can’t understand what went wrong. And it hurts more than you want to admit.

A knock at your door breaks through your thoughts. Did Shigure forget something or is he here to look after you. Maybe Tohru wanted to pay you a visit-

“Hatori?” you breathe out, your voice laced with surprise.

“What are you doing here?”

For a moment, he doesn’t say anything while you try to process the stinging fact that he’s really here. He simply looks at you, his eyes searching yours as if trying to find the courage he needs.

Then, in a voice thick with emotion, he mutters, “Can I come in?”

Your mind goes blank, lips not able to move. He’s really here. He didn’t forget about you. He wants to…talk?

Like in trance, you step aside, letting him enter. The air between you is heavy with tension as he stands in your living room, his tall frame seeming out of place in the cozy little space you can afford. You wait, unsure of what to say, as he struggles to find the words himself.

Finally, he turns to you, his gaze intense.

“I owe you an apology.”

“For what?” you mumble softly, though you already know the answer.

“For avoiding you. For pushing you away. For being…a coward.”

His voice is steady, but you can see the vulnerability in his eyes, the way his hands clench at his sides.

“I thought I was protecting you. From me. From my life. But I see now that I was only protecting myself.”

Your heart aches at his words. Is this really how he feels about everything? Does he really think he’s a threat, a burden for you?  

“Hatori, you don’t have to-”

“I do,” he interrupts, his tone firm.

“Because I can’t keep doing this. I can’t keep pretending that I don’t…”

He trails off, taking a deep breath.

“That I don’t feel something for you. Something I’ve been too afraid to admit for a long time.”

Your breath catches in your throat. Is he trying to say that…

“Hatori…”

“I’m in love with you. I have been for longer than I care to admit. But I was so afraid. Afraid of hurting you. Afraid of losing you. Afraid that you couldn’t feel the same way”, he suddenly blurts out.

You stare at him, your heart pounding in your chest. This can’t be real, right? Did he really ignore you because he thought he’d hurt or lose you. Did he really just say that he loves you? Him, the man you’ve kept your eye on for years by now?

“You thought I didn’t feel the same?”

He hesitates, the doubt still etched into his features.

“Why would you? You could have anyone. Someone without all the…baggage I carry.”

Tears prick at the corners of your eyes as you step closer to him. Just the thought of him feeling this way, of him suppressing his feeling because of something like that…

“Hatori, you’re the one I want. You’ve always been the one”, you reply with trembling voice.

For a moment, he simply looks at you, as if he can’t quite believe what he’s hearing. Then, slowly, he reaches out, his hand brushing against yours before taking it in his own.

“You…really mean it?”

“Of course I do!”, you breathe out while clinging onto his hand for what feels like dear life.

“But I didn’t want to rush you, especially after those past weeks. I felt like you don’t see me that way. And after what happened to Kana, I wasn’t sure if you’d give me a chance…”

“I’m sorry for all the pain I caused you. I don’t want to run anymore. I want to be with you, if you’ll have me.”

You smile through your tears, wrapping your arms around his arm the way you always imagined. Even though you’re not able to hug him the way he’d deserve it, you pour your heart and soul in this little moment. That moment you’ve been imagining in your head over and over again. That moment that fell apart in your mind those past weeks.

“I’ve been waiting for you to say that.”

Hatori buries his face in your hair as the weight of his fears finally lifts. For the first time in a long time, he feels like he can breathe. And as you stand there together, he promises to himself that he will do whatever it takes to make you happy, to protect the love you’ve both found.

Because with you, he knows he can finally heal. Now he finally knows you're more than a friend.

Dividers by @saradikagrafics 🤍

[faintrustle]

"I love Akito. I always have. I love her so much that sometimes I want to spoil her rotten and sometimes I want to crush her to a pulp." SOHMA SHIGURE

[novelist-becca]

I love reading post-fb fics where after the curse breaks, Kyo and Tohru walk back home, and they already have some domestic comforting moments, taking in the fact they can actually hug each other now 😭

[triptychgrip]

Ahhhh, this is so LATE (and I have a number of other tag games to follow up on!), but I needed time to organize my WIP folder, lol. Thank you for the tag @blonndiec :)

WIP Game rules:

1) make a new post with the names of all the files in your wip folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous

2) let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet or tell them something about it!

3) tag others to continue the game

-----

Below are some options for WIP asks, mostly all Yuri!!! on Ice, except for 1 Fruits Basket idea (which I've noted). Some are probably more self-evident than others, lol. I've starred ones that are NSFW

A golden-eyed snake man

My husband, Sergey*

Where The Horizon Changes Hue

chronic pain/fighting

Narcissus Is Back

Omegaverse kink negotiation*

Through The Amber Light

Diary/Time Being

An exercise in mentorship (this one is a Fruits Basket WIP)

Who even needs friends

Two Vita Nostra nerds

Anyone who would like to play this game, please feel free!! And for the talented fanfic writers I've tagged to continue the fun, no pressure whatsoever if ask games aren't your thing! @my-private-tsukuyomi @arcielee @cinderella-ish @oatmealcrisp-freak

WIP game

rules:

make a new post with the names of all the files in your wip folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous

let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet or tell them something about it!

tag others to continue the game

thanks @this-is-krikkit  for the tag!

My WIP folder is very, very very big so I'll try to put them randomly random ones.

Sharp blades of welcome

You're my right kind of ingredients

beautifully unknown

a month after the wedding

Summer of Change

The Curse

Passing of Years - adults

Of Lost Coffee Budget And Perfectly Placed Venus in Capricorn requested

Babygirl requested

Destiny in your eyes

Dream a little dream of me

I'd rather go blind requested

The Superposition Singularity requested

In any universe you are my dark star requested

why don't we collide the spaces that divide us

Angry tiger april's fools requested

never meet your heroes

each night, you spin me up high emotions on ice let me have a taste

butcher with a smile

paris

tagging (no pressure):

@triptychgrip / @moonlightseve / @crickets-lovely-place / @rosereleasestheart / @buttercup-yoi / @muttthecowcatridesagain / @capsensislagamoprh

My flu brain went blank but anyone can participate! Send me an ask with the number that interest/intrigues you the most on my WIP list

(👀 probably won't receive any ask, but it would be fun)

[eurydicees]

look in the mirror, you look more like me than i do (fruits basket genfic, 10807 words)

If it were really up to Kyo alone, the Curse would stay hidden away in memory, far from where his children can touch it. But then Yuki tells Mutsuki everything, and Kyo is forced to think a little harder about whether or not he wants to tell Hajime about his past. (Just Kyo and Tohru and Hajime and a secret that doesn't rest easy. And love, too, above all else.)

sure, people have already written about kyo telling hajime about the curse, but i haven't. so obviously that had to change. notably, i have not read the sequel so please take everything about hajime with a grain of salt. and yes this is going to be part of a series of fruits basket fics. don't worry about it. i'm clearly going through stuff.

[fruitsbasketmondays]

Fruits Basket Mondays Summer 2024 Masterlist

Shout-out to everyone who participated this summer:

AveSolace (AO3)

@cinderella-ish / AO3 / Masterpost

@gaycinema / AO3

@lostbutterflyutau / AO3

@tjmaxbutnotthestore

@triptychgrip / AO3

There were 22 fanfics, 5 pieces of fannish meta, 3 recs of earlier fanfics, and 2 pieces of fanart, totaling 32 works made for Fruits Basket Mondays!

If you have a masterpost of your contributions, tag us and we'll link it here!

(If you catch a mistake, please let us know!)

Works made without our prompts:

Fic Recs Under 1000 Words, by cinderella-ish

Morning Conversations, by lostbutterflyutau

Completely Hopeless, by cinderella-ish

Reflections, by lostbutterflyutau

scene from Ch. 110, by tjmaxbutnotthestore

ichigo ichie, by cinderella-ish

Fruits Basket x Disney's Cinderella, by tjmaxbutnotthestore

That's Like the Pot Calling the Kettle Ayame, by triptychgrip

Like Father, Like Son, by cinderella-ish

Siblings by Chance; Friends by Choice, by lostbutterflyutau

reaching across years, by ohmygodwhy

Where We Left It, by cinderella-ish

She's the Albatross... She is here to destroy you, by lostbutterflyutau

I was tame, I was gentle, 'til the Sohma life made me mean, by lostbutterflyutau

Adulting: What did everyone do after the curse broke? by cinderella-ish

The One Who Stays, by cinderella-ish

Fanfic Rec: What if we'd seen Akito in therapy post-curse? rec by triptychgrip

Why Machi and Yuki just make sense together, by cinderella-ish

Who's your favorite ship? by cinderella-ish

Dialogues and Dreams, by lostbutterflyutau

In a Pickle, by cinderella-ish

The First Step, by lostbutterflyutau

Fourth Trimester, by AveSolace

Over (Un)Easy, by cinderella-ish

The Whereabouts of Loneliness, by lostbutterflyutau

Of Lost Cats and Half-Shadows, by cinderella-ish

Fanfic Rec: a sweet and funny Hiroshi and Yusuke fic, rec by cinderella-ish

lessons in lingerie, by lostbutterflyutau

something good can work, by ohmygodwhy

Along a Pitch Black Path, by cinderella-ish

like a bolt out of the blue, by cinderella-ish

an inch away (from more than just friends), by gaycinema

[anonomouswriter-blr]

Female Akito X Male Reader: Pretty Girl

If you couldn't tell already, this is a very quick one-shot based on the two prompts above. Sorry the images are so big; I don't know how to make them smaller. But any tips on how to do that are appreciated.

347 words.

Story begins under the cut.

     It was a beautiful spring day and Y/n didn't have a clue of what to do with it. A visit to his girlfriend might be nice. He never did anything anyway. Paying a quick "Hello" to Hatori, he went to Akito's room only to find it empty with the back door open. Y/n stepped outside to see Akito peacefully reading a book under a tree: A book that, if he wasn't mistaken, Y/n had lent her.

     Y/n quietly walked over to his girlfriend with his own book in his bag. He kissed Akito on the cheek then sat down beside her. The sunlight was warm and the light breeze was relaxing. All the pair needed was the beautiful weather and the comforting presence of each other.

     Y/n wanted to focus on what he was supposed to be reading, but he couldn't help but get distracted by how cute Akito's facial expressions were. Sometimes her eyebrows would twitch together in annoyance or a confused surprise, then they would relax and her lips would release a breath of relief. How could Y/n help but smile?

     Akito's eyes flicked to her boyfriend for a fraction of a second before she spoke. "What are you staring at?"

     "You. Pretty girl,"

     "Shut up. Stare at something else,"

     "I don't want to stare at something else. I was to stare at the beam of beauty reading next to me,"

     "I said shut up. Stare at… stare at the flowers there. They're beautiful,"

     "Not like you," Akito rolled her eyes and went back to her book, trying ignore Y/n's gaze. Y/n spoke again. "Hey, you wanna see something beautiful?"

     Akito rolled her eyes. "Fine," With a cheeky smile Y/n pulled a small mirror out of his bag and faced it at Akito. Akito blushed a shade of rouge and turned away, trying to cover the blush with her hand. She spoke again quietly "I wish you would stop sometimes…"

     "Only when you stop being so irresponsibly adorable," Akito only blushed harder.

     "I'm gonna hit you,"

________________

Posted 17.Sunday.March.2024 17.32 (5:32 pm)

[triptychgrip]

I would read the hell out of this!!! This sounds amazing, I am here for anything that explores Yuki and Ayame’s relationship 🥺

Asking about if it makes you happy!!

Thank you my love! 💜

My hopes is that it will be my most self-indulgent fanfic ever. It will be a Fruits Basket AU that follows Ayame breaking away from the Sohma family, but takes Yuki with him.

It will follow Ayame as he struggles to find his niche outside of the Sohma family and cultivate non-toxic relationships (or at least learning from them).

It will be angsty and messy and delicious (hopefully). Right now it lives rent free in my head, but I really want to share it.

[triptychgrip]

What is "An exercise in mentorship" about? 👀💜

Thank you for the ask, my friend! <3 <3

That WIP would continue the portrayal of my endless love for Ayame, and in particular, explore the relationship between him and Ritsu.

Ritsu is a character that really breaks my heart, and it always bothered me when he seemed to give up on dressing in the feminine style that he had once mentioned made them feel 'safe'. I feel like the manga was trying to convey that Ritsu grew in confidence to the point where they didn't need to rely on clothing as a "crutch", but it always left a bad taste in my mouth, as if to imply that dressing in a feminine way was always meant to serve as a mark of weakness for him, or like feminine clothing as their comfort zone was in some way a bad thing. I have headcanoned Ritsu as gender-fluid (but can also see her coming out post-curse break as a trans woman), and I thought it might be interesting to tap into their obvious admiration for confident, unapologetic Ayame, who is sort of Ritsu's foil.

Here is a summary of the story: Despondent over Yuki’s rejection of his attempts to bond, Ayame focuses on a different target to pass on his “brotherly wisdom”: perpetually anxious Ritsu, who seems to admire his confidence rather than shrink from it. When Ritsu accepts his request to assist in the preparation of costumes for Cinderella-ish, neither realizes the changes this mentorship arrangement will catalyze in the zodiac monkey’s evolution and journey towards confidence.

If I end up getting around to completing this, I'm aiming for it to be a good mix of feels and humor :)

[totallybakedcake]

THERE ARE ABSOLUTELY NO KATSUYA HONDA FICS????

Did ppl hate him so so much that no one even dared to write a fic on him🥲😭😢

If anyone knows any katsuya fics (only the fruits basket one) do let me know because my heart is 💔

[festivalofthe12]

all eyes and ears and fingers and thumbs, 6.9k, Yuki/Kakeru. Kakeru learns about the curse, more or less. This is about what happens next. Or, the meta-mortifying ordeal of being known that you are known.

I finished my fic! \o/ As I state in the author's notes, there may be.. some or many canonical inaccuracies, due to the highly sleeper agent manner with which I came back to this fandom!!

However, I imbued with it all my long years of loving and projecting on to Yuki Sohma, so I really hope that it will be able to mean something to some of you guys as well! <3

[triptychgrip]

This sounds so good!! I am intrigued 👀👀👀

Fruit basket wip if akito saved tohru

Eeee! Another ask! (WIP asks here)

Like the last two asks, this WIP is also for my series That Day in the Rain.

If Akito saved Tohru from falling, I think Akito would have a very emotional reaction, because it would be the first time she saved someone instead of hurting them (I'm pretty sure...). I imagine once she knew Tohru was safe, she'd pull Tohru into a hug and break down.

The two of them would already be bonding at the house by the time Shigure and Yuki returned. Shigure would be delighted because he'd suspect it meant the end was *really* coming soon, and Yuki would be panicking at the slash wounds on Tohru's arm, trying to get her help while still very distrustful of Akito.

Meanwhile, nothing would call Kyo back to the house. I've shared in other responses that I think he would try to turn himself in to the main house for his confinement, but in this story, Akito would be present and have the wherewithal to prevent him from being confined. She would probably contact Kazuma to let him know what happened, and Kazuma would come to get Kyo.

Without the full context, Kazuma would suspect it had something to do with whatever put Kyo in a catatonic state two years prior. This is where he might be able to coax some information out of Kyo, and Kyo, having already spilled his guts to Tohru, would probably confess everything to Kazuma. I see Kazuma being the one to knock sense into Kyo in this scenario, albeit much more gently than Yuki.

I haven't figured out *exactly* how things would proceed from there, though I know how I'd have Kyo & Tohru's stories resolve, and I'd want to tie up most of the other loose ends, too (like whether Kyo speaks to his bio dad, whether Yuki confronts Kyo, etc...).

Even though I tend toward heavy angst, this is probably one of the few stories I have planned for this series that's probably a bit lighter than canon.

Thanks for asking!! 😊

[lostbutterflyutau]

Reflections

Note: This "missing scene," like all my Furuba fics, takes place in my headcanon in which all canon events still occur, but my OC is part of the story and things change a bit after the OG ending. Because I still consider it free real estate.

I'll explain various plot elements as needed. For this one, all you really need to know is that my OC plays a major role and it might help to read about her (HERE).

Also, this is my first time in a while writing for this fandom and participating in a fandom event, so hoping it goes alright.

(Didn't have time to give it to my beta before posting, so I apologise for any silly mistakes).

**** Prompt: Missing Scene

Timeline: Chapter 132/Season 3, Episode 12 (Before the Meeting) **** “You have really long eyelashes,” Shima complimented, gently brushing mascara over them.  

“Is that a good thing?” Akito asked, doing her best to keep still even as she spoke.

Shima already had to re-apply her eyeliner twice due to her not being used to the feeling and accidentally smearing it. But Akito couldn’t help it. She’d never had makeup put on her before. It was strange, just like her ensemble. And everything else that had happened in the past few weeks.

Even just a few months ago, she would have never thought of being friends with people like Tohru and Shima. In fact, Shima’s hair still irritated her at times, which she seemed to pick up on given how it was tied back now, or maybe that was just to keep it out of her face. Akito wasn’t sure, but also knew that it didn’t matter. She was just grateful for the help from both her new friend and the maids that had helped her dress.

“It is. They’re pretty.” Shima sat back, put the wand in the tube. “Now you just need some lipstick.”  

Akito didn’t respond, only watched as Shima turned to the small bag sitting at her side and pulled three tubes from it. She wasn’t sure she’d ever get used to such words being directed at her and wanted to protest, but she knew it was fruitless. Shima wasn’t one to backpedal on her words. She and Shigure had that in common. Besides, there were much more important things at hand.

While she didn’t say anything, Shima could tell from the look on Akito’s face that she felt awkward, which was more than understandable. Dressing up this way – hell, just being a girl in general –  was still a foreign concept to her. And, on top of that, she was about to go and reveal that fact – and more – to her former Zodiac.

Unfortunately, it was one of those rare occurrences where she was at a loss for what to say. As much as she hated admitting it, anything having to do with the inner circle was outside her understanding. Always had been. She’d been foolish enough to think she understood once, but recent events proved that she never really had. It was something she was still coming around to even as she decided to look ahead instead of behind her. So many things had happened and today was going to be the official start of a new path for all of them, including Akito.

“Definitely this one,” She decided, twisting open one of the tubes.

“What is that?” Akito asked, looking over the applicator in Shima’s hand. Though she knew very little about makeup, it still didn’t look like any lipstick she’d seen before.

“Liquid lipstick,” Shima explained, gently slid her hand underneath Akito’s chin and tipped her head up.

She applied the colour delicately, smiled at the finished result before putting the makeup aside and pulling out the headband holding Akito’s hair back, watching as her fringe fell into place. She then swept up the flowers and pins, moved over to the side to complete the final touch.

For a moment, neither spoke, unsure of what to say. Navigating this friendship was new for both of them, and Akito wasn’t sure what she could or couldn’t say or if Shima would even understand the weight on her heart. The one that she wasn’t sure she was even allowed to have after everything. But, on the other end, there was any one else she could talk to aside from Tohru, but she wasn’t here. Shima was. And being the sister of one previously possessed, she’d lived with the cloud of the curse much longer, albeit in a different way.

Finally, she took in a breath, decided to take her chance.  

“Shima?”

“Hm?” Shima murmured. It was the most she could muster with the pins in her mouth.

“Do you think this is even worth it?

Shima didn’t answer. Not right away. Instead, she kept her focus on the task at hand, contemplating her response as her hands worked. Despite having a vague idea of what Akito was asking, she still decided to ask as she pulled the final pin out of her mouth,

“Depends. What exactly is ‘it?’”

Akito flicked her eyes down to her hands, fiddled with the end of one of her sleeves. “This whole thing, I suppose. They have to know what happened. And after everything, would they even listen to what I have to say?”

Cautiously, Shima reached over, placed a hand over hers. “I think they will. Especially after you come in like this. Remind me. What did Gure say when he gave this to you?”

Keeping her eyes down, Akito recalled, “He said it was both a parting and a welcome gift. That I was leaving behind the person everyone wanted me to be and becoming a new me. Whoever that is.”  

Shima smiled. She knew the answer. Had it stuck in her head since Akito told her a few days prior. But she needed her to say it, hoping that if she did, she would start to believe his words.

“In other words, it’s an external representation of the internal.”

 At that, Akito finally looked up, her expression telling Shima that while she probably got the gist of what she meant, she still didn’t appreciate her use of writer speak.

“They can’t see the change in your heart,” Shima explained. “At least not yet. But by doing this, you can show them that you’re taking the first big step to becoming your authentic self.”

“But even with the ‘external,’ will they believe me?”

“I can’t speak for them, but I like to think that they would. Even if it takes time.” She shifted then, and despite knowing it was a risk, moved to wrap her arms around the smaller woman.

“And if it helps, I believe you.”  

Though it wasn’t the first time and far less shocking than the time Arisa Uotani had hugged her, Akito still wasn’t sure what to make of her affection. Reassuring, but not pitiful, just like her words. Shima knew she didn’t need anyone’s pity. Not anymore. So, as she reached up and gently squeezed Shima’s arm, Akito chose to believe she only wanted to let her know she was there. That there was one more person in her corner.

“Akito?” Another voice interrupted as the door slid open, the maid first blinking at the unusual sight before shaking it off and continuing as Shima returned to her previous position.  “Are you ready?”  

Akito sighed to herself. There was no turning back now. It didn’t matter if she was ready. The time had come to take the first step into a life that was truly her own and begin her atonement. Whether anyone would accept it or not, especially without the pull of the curse, was another question, but one she had to face.

It had never been a matter of whether she could do this. It was something she had to do. For them. And to a lesser degree, herself. And even after today, there would still be a long road ahead. One without the eternity she had been previously promised. A world full of strangers.  

“Hey.”

A faint whisper caught her attention and it, along with a gentle touch, brought her back to reality. She turned, saw in Shima’s eyes nothing but warmth and support – underserved, she thought, but earnest.

“You got this.”   

It was such a small, simple declaration, but something about it eased the tension stirring up inside her, making way for a wave of relief she hadn’t felt before now. While it didn’t shake off all her nerves, the thought that maybe the world wasn’t completely full of strangers and that she had a few people – including Shima – on her side was enough to make her finally stand.

Releasing another deep sigh, Akito took a step forward, the movement as firm as her reply.

“Ready as I’ll ever be."