Author’s Notes: Ah! Holy crap! I apologize for such a late update even though I promised to update like…months ago! As you can see, I’ve been busy with college applications! Goodness, and I started writing for this website when I was in…seventh or eighth grade? Well, hope everyone had an amazing holiday!

Disclaimer: Fruits Basket is not mine, but the concept of the story is.

---

Chapter 22: Vanilla Frapuccino

It was one of those cheesy chase scenes for the damsel in distress, who happened to be leaving the country for who knows how long. Yuki rushed out of the recording studio and sprinted his way down to the garage of the building. He looked around frivolously for his car. Finally spotting it, he jogged towards it. Checking his pockets for the keys, he realized something very important, he forgot the damned car keys!

“Dammit!” He yelled in frustration. He checked his watch. Hatori had said she was leaving in an hour to New York. Be resourceful you twit! Yuki thought to himself. God must have blessed him as he spotted an employee park a motorcycle.

“Hey! You there!” Yuki called out making his way towards the man.

“Huh? M-Mr. Sohma!” The man nervously greeted, “H-How are you s-sir!”

“I’m great, listen I—”

“It’s such a pleasure to talk to one of the company’s most outstanding prestige celebrity! I’ve only seen you around the building with Mr. Shigure, but I’ve never thought of actually meeting you, sir! Such an--!”

“Listen! I’m in a rush, but I’m going to borrow your bike real quick and I promise to give it back to you. Ask Shigure for a raise or something!” Yuki said all the while grabbing the motorcycle from the man and hopping on.

“S-sir!” The man stuttered watching the Prince steal his bike away.

Yuki sped through the cars, he smiled to himself, what was this, the second time he’s going after her in a motorcycle? He’s never done anything this reckless until lately. Meeting Tohru somehow had left him out in the open. Exposed. Yuki revved the motorcycle passing numerous cars by. Was it odd to throw everything away for one person? He didn’t know. Was he scared shitless for what will happen after this? Yes. However, he had a gut feeling that when he catches up to Tohru and tells her the truth, that everything would just fall into place.

Yuki was nearing the airport and he felt butterflies gather in his stomach. His grip on the motorcycle handles hardened as he looked ahead. Traffic. He nearly screamed. Yuki looked at his watch, it was rush hour and he had only ten minutes to get to the airport.

Cars were piling up left, right, behind, and in front of him. Yuki had one second to think. Should he recklessly go through the cars like an uneducated ass and piss people off? He paused. I did just pretty much steal this bike…

“What the hell!” He said to himself and made his way in between the cars.

---

Tohru had her hands folded neatly together on her lap. She tried desperately not to fumble with her hands, however, failed successfully. Hanajima looked at Tohru, “Are you all right Tohru?” She asked her.

Tohru jumped a little and looked at Hanajima with a smile, “Of course! You and Uo have been asking me that since we left the apartment. Is there something wrong?”

“I just feel this unsettling….wave…” Hanajima replied.

“Unsettling? It’s probably because it’s going to rain soon. Look at those clouds.” Tohru said as she looked at the sky from the window.

“Maybe so. Are you certain with this decision, Tohru?” Hanajima asked, concern evident within her mysterious dark orbs. Tohru could not look at Hanajima and instead focused her senses at her fumbling hands, “Yes, I’ve never been certain of anything else.”

Hanajima sighed, it seemed like her friend was sticking to lying. “That’s good to hear. Uncertainty is usually caused by doubts, yes? Doubts caused by both the mind and heart. The mind has all the intellect, the common sense. On the other hand, the heart has the passion, the intuition.”

Tohru stopped fumbling with her hands, but remained starring down as Hanajima continued, “It’s like a battle between the two. Usually, people go with their heart, but they get hurt and they start relying solely on the mind. People assume that it’s because they were being insolent that they were hurt. They come to the conclusion that it was a mistake to follow their heart.”

---

Shigure lounged in the recording studio waiting patiently for his protégée. The door opened and he stood up immediately, “Damn, Yuki, that was fast!”

However, to his disappointment, it was a man whom he had never seen in his life before. The man and Shigure looked at each other. Blinking, Shigure broke the ice and asked, “Uh…Can I help you?”

The man looked at him and stuttered, “M-Mr. Shigure! The Prince stole my bike!”

“And…?” Shigure asked.

“He told me to tell you that I’m to get a raise.” The man replied, somehow gaining an ounce of confidence. Shigure stared at the man, the things I do for Yuki…Shigure thought with a sigh.

---

Yuki had cut through and in between cars like a maniac. He was dangerously close to each vehicle, but it didn’t matter. He came across a huge jam consisting of two cabs stuck trying to cut each other, a truck blocking both of the cab’s way, and a bicycling courier who had been blasting his air horn annoyingly, which seemed to have already gotten on everyone’s nerves.

“DUDES! Hurry up! I have to deliver this letter!” The courier yelled.

Yuki looked around trying to see if there was a way to go around. “I need to hurry!” He said to himself as he squeezed his way through the traffic.

Hanajima laid her hand on her friend’s hands. Tohru looked up at her with tears brimming in the corners of her eyes. Hanajima smiled at her sincerely, “But I think, it’s not a mistake at all. I would rather get hurt than forever think of the answer to that infinite question, what if?”

“Hana…” Tohru said and immediately hugged her friend as she sobbed, “I c-can’t go through with this. I don’t want to leave. I don’t want to leave!”

“Then don’t, Tohru!” Uo finally said as she looked back at Tohru and Hanajima from the driver’s seat. “Stay here and continue studying with us. It’ll be more work compared to that scholarship that was given to you, but at least you have us.” Uo continued. Tohru let go of Hana and smiled at Uo, “Yes, yes I do!” She said with a laugh.

Hanajima smiled but a motorcycle making its way through the traffic caught her attention, “Who knows? Maybe you’ll get more.” Hanajima stated.

An air horn blasted and Uo turned around immediately and honked the car’s horn. Uo angrily rolled down her window, “WHAT THE HELL, MAN?! STOP FREAKIN’ USING THE AIR HORN!” She yelled at the mail courier.

“It’s not my fault! That asshole Prince nearly ran me over with his motorcycle!” The courier defended, pointing towards the real culprit, “Just because he’s a celebrity doesn’t mean he can just do that to people!”

All around them, windows of cars were being rolled down and heads were popping out to take a peak of the famed celebrity. Tohru looked at the direction the courier was point towards. Looking side to side in a frustrated way was Yuki, making his way through the cars.

“What do you think he’s doing?” Uo asked, obviously calmer.

“He’s…he’s going to the airport.” Tohru answered her, and quickly opened the door of her side of the car.

“O-Oi! Tohru!” Uo exclaimed. Lightning flashed and lit up the darkened sky and thunder rumbled over the traffic noise. The rain started and came down with a force. However, Tohru made her way through the steaming cars and angry drivers trying to get a glimpse of where Yuki had gone. She looked around and saw his silver hair.

“Yuki!” She yelled at the top of her lungs.

However, her voice was lost amongst the street noise as well as the developing uproar about the Prince in the midst of the normal society. Again she tried, “Yuki!” She yelled. Like the first time, she failed.

An air horn was heard and usual angry yell of the mail courier was hear, “WHAT’S TAKING SO LONG!?”

Tohru had an idea. She went up to the mail courier and grabbed the air horn from his hands, “Sorry, sir! I’ll return it to you, I promise!” She said as she dashed away.

This is bad, Yuki thought. He was getting unwanted publicity and not only is Shigure going to kill him, he was being held up! He looked down at his soaked watch, five minutes left and he was still fifteen minutes away from the airport. With the traffic jam…it was impossible.

It felt like his whole being just died then. He didn’t care that he was soaked, he didn’t care that people were starting to get out of their cars to take pictures of him or surround him, he didn’t care if Akito was going to take everything away, he didn’t care because frankly, the one thing he almost had slipped away from him.

“Isn’t that Prince?”

“Yes, you’re right!”

“Can we have your autograph?”

The crowd started to build. Five people gathered, soon, he thought, it would become twenty or more. Who cares though? He doesn’t want it anymore, being a celebrity—he didn’t want any of it all.

He let go of the handles of the motorcycles, both his hands at his sides as he sat numbly on the motorcycle. It sucked. It sucked that at this point it was hopeless. He should have never told Tohru to stay away. He could have protected her without her leaving, but it was too late.

The head lights of the cars, the steam, the smoke, the questions, and the noise all molded into one. He stared ahead as people probed him with questions. He heard everything but nothing.

Tohru saw a small crowd surround Yuki’s motorcycle and with all her might, yelled, “Yuki!”

Yuki looked around as if he heard something. “Say, can we please have your autograph, Prince? We’ve been asking you but you aren’t answering. Are you alright?” A woman asked.

“Y…yeah.” Yuki replied, still dazed and confused. Did he hear his name or was he imagining things?

Tohru sighed exasperatedly and looked at the air horn can in her hand. She pressed the top readying herself for a mind blowing noise. She squinted her eyes shut, holding the can away from her ear.

No noise came.

Tohru opened her eyes, “What?” She asked herself. She absent-mindedly put back a wet strand of hair away from her face, “You’re kidding me!” She said to herself as she looked at the air horn can to see if it would miraculously make a ear breaking sound.

Frustrated, she thought of what else she could to get Yuki’s attention. Looking for an opening between the crowds growing around Yuki, she held the can tightly within her hand.

“Please, God, if you love me, please let this hit!” She silently prayed.

Tohru, the non-athletic heroine of the story, threw the can with all her might as she once again called out, “Yuki! I’m right here!”

“Eh? Yuki? Who’s that?” The woman beside Yuki asked.

Yuki turned around.

The can flew through the wet air, over a cab, through the gap in the crowd…

“OW!” Yuki yelled, who in their right mind would throw a damn can--

“YUKI!” He heard. Immediately, he stopped and got off the motorcycle, but still cradling his head with one arm. It sounded like Tohru...

“Are you alright?” One of the people around him asked.

She called out once again. Yuki couldn’t believe it, it was Tohru! He searched for the familiar brunette. “Who the hell is Yuki?” One of the people in the crowd asked yet again. Yuki smiled, “That’s me.” He answered and walked away from the crowd as fast as he could.

Tohru’s voice was growing coarse and the rain was coming down harder. She shivered, did she get his attention? Tohru peered around and spotted him. He was soaked, his silver hair a mop upon his head, and she smiled. She was sure she was also a sight. Her long brown hair was sticking to her face, her dress was muddy and wet, and her cheeks flushed. Yuki finally saw her standing between a yellow cab and car. He stared at her in disbelief.

Tohru wasn’t sure why Yuki was there, but her heart told her that he was there for her, and unlike the rest of the world, she thought, she was going to follow her heart again and make that mistake. She took a small step towards him, another, and then another until she started to jog towards him.

Tohru opened her arms and embraced Yuki as she approached him. Yuki was still in disbelief and finally hugged the girl in return. His hand held her waist and combed through her wet hair. Tohru, in return, hugged him tighter.

“Did you have to throw the can at me? You already spilled coffee on me the first time.” Yuki whispered to her ear. Tohru sobbed in response.

“I’m sorry, Tohru. I shouldn’t have said those words. I was scared that you would get hurt because…” Yuki started, “Well, because…because I really like you and I wanted to be near you all the time. I think, I guess…” He stuttered as he embraced the girl in his arms.

“I guess you can say, I think I’m in love with you.” He quietly finished.

Tohru didn’t respond but slowly let go of Yuki. “Please say something.” Yuki said. He started to worry. Tohru looked up through her lashes, “I didn’t spill the coffee. I tripped and fell…” She whispered.

“Yuki…” She continued and looked straight at him and tears slowly escaped her eyes, “Thank goodness…thank goodness… b-because I love you…I love you!” She cried.

Yuki smiled in relief and hugged the girl once again, hushing her sobs. He kissed the top of her head. He kissed her left eye gently. Tohru’s sobs quieted as he kissed her cheek, and finally she stopped crying as Yuki found her lips.

“Get off the road! Stupid teenagers!”

“Don’t ruin the moment, old man!” Someone retorted back.

The couple laughed as the rain and the traffic started to finally show improvement.

---

Shigure blinked as the camera flashed directly at his face, “Hey! That can blind me, you know?!” He said. He was making his way outside his house, when the media suddenly bombarded him.

“Is it true? Prince quit the entertainment business?”

“Was it because of that girl named Tohru Honda?”

“The sudden drop of Sohma shares—is that because Yuki quit?”

“Where is he now?”

“STOP!” Shigure yelled. On cue, a brand new car with a big red bow on its roof drove into his garage way. Shigure beamed, “It’s here!” He exclaimed and made his way towards the brand new car. Coming out of the car was his cousin, Ayame.

“Shigure, you win…” Aya said with defeat giving Shigure the keys.

“Don’t worry, Aya, you can always ride with me!” Shigure exclaimed with a wink. The media gasped as Aya winked back and hopped into the passenger side.

Shigure faced the media, “His name is not Prince, but Yuki. Yuki Sohma.” He said as he sat down on the driver’s seat, but before closing the door, continued, “Sohma Corporation has branched out according to Akito, with the family members owning certain industries. Ladies and gents, you’re looking at the president of the music industry of Sohma Corporation.” Here Shigure grinned at the automated response of the cameras.

“As for Yuki, he’s happy with Tohru. I guess you can say, she shot that can through the air and scored!” Shigure finished and laughed as he closed the door of his brand new car, driving away from the media.

Meanwhile, at Tohru and Uo’s apartment, there was a get together with friends. Uo, Hanajima, Kyo, and Kagura were having a Wii tennis game, and were very into it. “ACE!” Uo said victoriously, taunting a very irritated Kyo. Yuki smiled at the scene as he leaned against the wall in the living room. A glass of vanilla frappucino appeared in front of him. “It’s in the house.” Tohru said with a smile as she moved closer to him. Yuki took the glass from her hands. He looked at her blue-green eyes and kissed his girlfriend.

“I love you, Tohru Honda, and the vanilla frappucinos you make.” He said after he kissed her and grinned.

The End!

---

Author’s Notes: I hope you guys enjoyed the last chapter of the story! Thank you for those who have fervently kept up with the story and waited patiently for it! Thank you, thank you! Thank you for the continued support, reviews, and some of the threats you guys have jokingly sent actually helped me out! Yes, they were scary at first, but hey, they helped! Thank you yet again! Stay tuned for Red Butterfly Legends: The Fall’s update!