𝐀 𝐓𝐖𝐈𝐒𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐅𝐀𝐓𝐄 | FRUITS BASKET

23 | Tohru

Alternate ending in which (Y/N) ends up with Tohru Honda.

Every New Year's Eve, she and Tohru would host a party to celebrate the joys of the past while looking forward to the year ahead. It wasn't quite like the Banquet (Y/N) used to attend as a member of the Zodiac, for this party was truly a celebration and open to all.

This year, more people would be coming. Even Rin and Haru, whom she had not seen in years, had sent word of their incoming arrival. Everyone was going to be there. It would be bigger than anything she had ever hosted before and the former Fox was nervous.

There were a million things occupying her mind, from rechecking if the current menu fit all of her relatives' dietary restrictions, to wondering if she needed to redo the floral arrangements, and a whole other list of final tasks to do before the guests would arrive.

Akito, Shigure, Ayame, and Hatori would be there, and she really wanted to show them that she was doing well as the new head, and that the Sohma clan was in great, capable hands.

(Y/N) sighed in frustration.

Great, capable hands that didn't seem to know how to tie a simple knot.

"I'll be ready in a few minutes!" announced her partner, who was retrieving a necklace from the jewelry box a few meters away. A quick glance at her sent a rush of adoration through the anxious woman.

"Uh, Tohru," (Y/N) called anxiously as she fiddled with her dress. "Can you–?"

"Oh! Sure," Tohru hurried over, humming as she helped her fix the minor flaw in her attire. "Ah, there you go."

"Thank you," The former Fox smiled, giving Tohru an affectionate peck on the cheek before stepping back to study herself in the mirror. Her reflection stared back at her, worried and nervous. Rattled, she turned to ask, "So? Does everything look okay?"

Tohru nodded, sticking out her thumbs to show approval.

"Don't worry, it suits you very well!" She assured, smiling as (Y/N) felt her face heat up. "You look amazing!"

"Really?" (Y/N) replied, a touch of bashfulness in her tone. Mustering up some courage, she added, "Well honestly, you look even more amazing!"

Tohru's face turned a pretty shade of red, and was about to fire off another compliment in response when she remembered the tangled-up necklace in her hands.

"Oh no, wait..." She muttered, taking a seat in front of the mirror so she could focus all her attention on untangling the knotted chains. "Give me a few minutes to fix this."

"Sure, take your time... Let me brush your hair while you finish that up," (Y/N) suggested thoughtfully as she picked up the hairbrush. "That way, you can get two things done at once."

Such a simple gesture seemed to make her beloved unbelievably happy. With a cheerful expression, Tohru sat back down, her nimble fingers working quickly to untangle the necklace.

Behind her, (Y/N) worked through her long, brown hair with loving gentleness, careful not to pull on it and cause her pain. Together, they worked in contented, comfortable silence, focused on their respective tasks and enjoying each other's presence.

With Tohru, all of (Y/N)'s worries seemed to evaporate. Her mind cleared and a quiet, fuzzy sort of emotion filled her chest and made her smile. 

It had always been like that.

When she was struggling to cope with her studies and other family matters that resurfaced after Akito's self-imposed "exile" from the clan, Tohru was there to support her through it.

If she was having a bad day, simply seeing the other would be enough to cheer her up and forget her troubles, even just for a moment. If she was having a good day, seeing Tohru was sure to make it even better. As long as she was around, (Y/N)'s life was happier.

She was perfect, she was precious, she was everything to her. There was nothing the former Fox wouldn't do to make Tohru as happy as she made her.

A small grin formed on her face as her fingers stilled, hair slipping from her grasp as she continued to reminisce about her fondest memories with her.

"What are worrying about?" Tohru asked in concern, noticing that her gentle motions had stopped. "Everything will be fine, you've done an excellent job at planning this event, you know. Like you do every year."

(Y/N) laughed lightly, realizing that she could not tell Tohru that all her thoughts were actually about her. Spotting the untangled necklace in Tohru's hands, she found a way to change the topic. "It's nothing major... Oh wait–woah, you've done it! Here, let me put it on for you."

Reaching over to take the necklace, she realized how sweet they were being and her heart erupted in a flurry of happy, excited beats.

After they had finished getting ready, Tohru held (Y/N)'s hand in hers and reassured her, "Don't worry about anything going wrong. I know you do. Just enjoy this night, okay?"

The former Fox lifted her hand and kissed it. "As long as you're here, I'll be fine."

It had been five years, and she was where she wanted to be.

ᴢᴏᴅɪᴀᴄ ᴄʟᴜᴇꜱ

• After completing her education, Tohru went away to start her career. Around that time, Hatori approached (Y/N), informing her of his plans to get married and have her succeed him as head of the Sohma clan.
• Despite their busy schedules, Tohru and (Y/N) met up regularly and were still very close.
• Together with Kagura, Ritsu, his wife Mitsuru, and other members of the clan, (Y/N) was able to expand their influence into the publication industry.
• After some point, (Y/N) started neglecting her health and fell ill, prompting Tohru to move back to Tokyo and help her recover.
• Spending more time together made them closer than before, and after she had made a full recovery, (Y/N) told Tohru she wished she could stay with her and stand by her side forever.
• Tohru tearfully expressed the same wish and since then, they've never left each other's side.