✓ | WITHERED BONDS, shigure sohma [Fruits Basket]

Chapter Forty One

　　　When Shigure was not fooling around and acting like his carefree self, he was often observing Kira. He had noticed she had been less immersed with her surrounding and just slipping away when things seemed to get interesting in the house.

Then when it came too late at night, the best time for him to ask her things, Kira had always seemed to come home very late or head on to bed when he stepped out for a shower.

He knew one thing and it was clear she was avoiding him.

The truth in the matter is that he hasn't even had a proper conversation with her since the villa. Anytime after was just small talk and it was definitely not enough for him. He would have even just enjoyed drinking sake with her and have random topics discussed, but even that was not happening.

It led Shigure to wait it out and studying the times when she slept and came home. He thought it was going to be easy, but Kira had underhandedly made it complicated.

However, Shigure was stubborn and even if he had to sacrifice his sleep or time to write late at night, he would-just to get answers.

Kira had known that Shigure would be stubborn, but she had not realized it was enough to get her caught off guard. When it came to times when she arrived at home late, Shigure was usually asleep, because of working from the night prior and throughout the day, so he was normally in a deep slumber.

Then the times that she slept early, was when Shigure only could spare a quick shower and snack before working hours on end on his manuscripts. Even if he did enjoy pranking his editor, in the end, he was never truly slacking off.

When Kira arrived home, she went straight to the restroom. She tended to spend a couple of hours since Shigure was in a sleeping state that would be near impossible to be woken. However, upon entering the room, she was caught off guard when a pair of arms wrapped around her, practically dragging her down.

It took her a moment to take in the fact that Shigure's futon was empty and that the person who was currently trapping her from behind was him.

She had tried to get out of his hold; however, he had a firm grip, that restrained her from moving. So, as much as she wanted to struggle or even get mad at him, she succumbed to the lost.

"Okay, you caught me" Kira deflated in his arms; however, he did not let go and held her.

Instead, he slid down and sat with her sitting on his crossed legs," Why are you avoiding me, Kira?"

"Big of you to assume that I need to avoid you" Kira grumbled

Shigure let out a big sigh before placing his chin on her shoulder," Cut me some slack, Kira. I have known you for a long time. Tell me, why have you decided now of all times to pull away from the reality that you had a large part of creating. You are the one who allowed most of the things to happen and you are trying to run away from it"

"I am not running away; I never do that" Kira said belligerently

Shigure tightened his hold around her stomach, keeping her still," Kazuma told me about what you said about Tohru, word from word" Kira froze in place as he continued," You were always denying the change whenever I asked or brought it up, but then when Kazuma has an issue you are suddenly being so honest"

Kira fell silent for a few minutes, but she knew that Shigure was not going to give up and let her go.

"It wasn't Kazuma that made me be honest. It was something that I felt needed to be said. I always never cared about the situations that each of the kids had gone through, being bullied, being beaten or even being shamed. I just never cared because I don't feel anything from it...but I can't keep denying that I still don't feel it"

"Ever since the night I had that nightmare, I just felt something click inside my head. Something that was foreign and something fearful. The first time I felt it properly was when you brought us to the villa, for Hatori because of Kana getting married very soon and for me, who had been having trouble sleeping. At first, I was forcing myself to ignore it, but then suddenly the incident with Kisa and then Kyo not too long after-I realized that I couldn't avoid it. I was feeling these emotions of sympathy and it scared me, Shigure-because every time it grows, the more I fear Akito"

Shigure's eyes widened at the last couple of words. The words that he never thought he'd ever hear come from Kira, ever.

She was starting to fear her other half, she was starting to fear, Akito, but why?