I don’t care if this is too much OoC... I love this ship from the beginning!!! ~ ♥
I can’t help it!! And at least on my fanfics they are together and happy (snort)
First winter drawing XD I’m trying to make two per fandom hehehe
10 Lessons Fruits Basket Taught Us and Is Reteaching Us Today | Its Impact, Themes, and Importance
i felt compelled to share the 10 lessons i learned from Fruits Basket when i was growing up and am relearning now as a young adult. Fruits Basket holds a special place in my heart since it was one of my very first anime and one of the first manga series i read through entirely.
rewatching it in my twenties has given me a wonderful sense of nostalgia and also humbled me quite a bit. its reminded me of truths that are easy to forget and has inspired me to be a more positive, kind, and forgiving person. i hope yall enjoy taking this little trip down memory lane as we discuss some of the lessons we can walk away with as well as how this points us to the importance of the series and some of the bigger themes in fruits basket.
I Got Too Carried Away With My YukiKyo Headcanons Again
Well, anyway.
Was asked by Shark on the discord if I had fluffy headcanons for them. And I thought about what it would be like if Kyo proposed to Yuki. And then apparently I couldn’t stop.
Have a half ramble/half freeform drabble about Kyo proposing.
SFW
Warnings: This Is Cheese Central
Word Count: ~2500 (because I haven’t been concise one day in my goddamn life)
So I've always had a long standing headcanon that Yuki and Kyo really like to hike together or go on long evening walks. They're just really outdoorsy people, and I imagine if they go on vacations they avoid cities and go on more nature-esque type trips. Like they would go to California and not go to any of the LA tourist stuff, just go right up north to the redwoods and spend time in those kinds of places.
Anyway, I think they have their normal walks that they go on (and really, it's a shame that they're not pet people because any dog would be over the moon to get such long walks all the time).
They've talked about marriage a little back and forth, they've been living together for a good while now. But they both agree that they're not super romantic people, and if they get married it won't be this big thing. The conversation is really..... tepid? And wildly unromantic and very "straight to the point". Anyway, Kyo and Tohru are having lunch together just the two of them as they often do, and Kyo kinda just mentions casually what's going on with him and Yuki.
And Tohru FLIPS out, she's so excited. She wants to know who proposed to who and what the wedding is going to be like when it's going to be and HAVE YOU TOLD KAZUMA YET and just bombarding him with all these questions
And he's like "woah woah, chill out, it's not like that. We just kinda decided on it. No one proposed. We're not gonna have some dumb big wedding. It's just something we're talking about is all."
"....Oh."
And Tohru just kind of deflates and pouts, and Kyo gets irritated like, "We're not romantic people, Tohru. In case you haven't noticed."
And Tohru's like "that's not true, what about the time Yuki surprised you for valentine's day at that restaurant" (Yuki found this place that served sepcifically country-style food that was close to the region where Kyo trained in the mountains that Kyo really likes -- took him there, and then surprised him with an overnight trip at a hot springs like an hour away from where they live).
"Or what about the time that Yuki surprised you at the dojo," Tohru adds. (Kyo got his official teacher certificate for karate, and Yuki asked Kazuma if he could borrow the dojo for the night, and threw a small surprise party for him with all his tolerable friends).
And she just starts listing example after example until Kyo's like -- “I GOT IT.”
Cause the difference between them is that Kyo is all about the little gestures, which Yuki isn't great at, but Yuki is much better at the grander gestures that throw Kyo off and make him feel so important and special and loved.
And Kyo kinda puts his head on the table like "fuck." And Tohru waits for a second before she's like "soooo..... you'll do something special then?"
"Yeah, yeah, get off my back."
Because Kyo realizes he's never really... done something like that for Yuki. Never done something that focuses on him so much and makes Yuki feel like the special one. And.... Yuki’s never really had that in general. Any praise he got from their high school peers or the main house were based on things that weren't true about Yuki, or that Yuki didn't like about himself. And Kyo knows that by now. (But also Kyo’s an idiot, and if you were to ask Yuki who is the more romantic one between the two of them Yuki would say Kyo without a doubt. He’s so consistently considerate on an everyday basis without even trying. Yuki’s a little insecure about the fact that his affection has to be so deliberate at times, but I digress).
So Kyo huffs, and realizes it actually would be really nice to see Yuki caught off guard by that.... and it makes Kyo feel happy to think about how happy it would make Yuki to receive some kind of gesture like that.
So Kyo does his best to plan something. But despite it all he's not great at it. Until he kind of comes up with an idea.
(Also he's acting a little weird throughout this whole period of trying to figure something out, and Yuki figures he's freaking out because they talked about getting married and Kyo's realizing he’s not ready.
Yuki actually confronts him one night, and is like "You know... things are fine the way they are. I didn't mean to pressure you into anything." And Kyo is like ???? he never even considered not marrying Yuki as an option?
And he wants to open his mouth and say that he's wrong, but all the things he wants to say kinda step on his speech he's been working on for like a week now, so he just says instead "Don't worry about it.” And kisses him, and sorta just goes to bed. Even though he knows Yuki is still feeling a little uneasy.)
So anyway, one night, he goes up to Yuki and asks if he wants to go on a walk with him -- which is a pretty standard happening. And Yuki stretches and smiles and agrees, and they walk down the path they've walked since they moved into their new place. Their first apartment was small and crowded, and they were still young and figuring things out. The new place they've moved into is more of a town house, and they've been there about a year now. It's closer to wooded areas, like Shigure's place, and they're close to a temple that goes up a huge amount of stairs (they went there for their first new years in the new place and watched the sunrise from one of the benches at the top of the hill. They both decided they were gonna invite Tohru to come with them next year).
Anyway, Kyo leads him down the path, and they're pretty silent. Yuki tries to start conversation, but Kyo's really nervous and kinda tongue tied and can't really focus so Yuki gets the hint that Kyo's probably just lost in thought and just walks by him comfortably.
Now, more backstory because apparently even random headcanons that I come up with on the spot need this kind of bullshit:
There was exactly one (1) maid that Yuki liked in Sohma house when he was growing up that worked in Akito's house. She had other duties, but once a week, she would also clean the whole house -- and often times Yuki was there while she would. She was a nice, older woman and at first they didn't interact much. But when she would clean, she would play English songs on her little radio and hum along to them -- in particular Ella Fitzgerald. It was such a nice sound, and the woman's voice on the radio was so comforting and rich — it was so unlike how people talked to him, so cold and dispassionate. So he would silently follow her around from room to room to listen to the music.
The maid thought it was really cute, and wouldn't say anything because she didn't want to scare him off. It's a few weeks of this when Yuki finally asks who the woman singing is, and the maid tells him. Yuki starts paying more attention to his English studies because he wants to understand what she's saying. When the maid comes over, instead of lurking outside the rooms, he sits in a corner out of her way as he reads a book and she does her work silently. She also starts commenting on how skinny Yuki is (he didn't eat much at the time) and would always give him little candy treats that she usually gave to her grandkids.
She tells him how she was a little girl when the war ended, and they lived in a place that got flooded by a lot of American activity, and so she was exposed to a lot of English music growing up, and how it reminded her of her family.
There's one song in particular that Yuki starts to sing along to -- Someone to Watch Over Me
When he and Kyo start dating, and they stop being spiky little shits, and become more relaxed, Yuki starts opening up a little more. Kyo is over at Yuki's place one day and Yuki puts on Ella Fitzgerald, because once he was old enough he was sure to track down all her records and CDs and plays them while he's working now.
Someone to Watch Over Me comes on and the two are just sitting, idly, Yuki working on homework, Kyo reading one of Yuki's books, and when the song plays he starts to hum it and then clumsily sing along to it. He sits next to Kyo and takes his hand and says "You know, this song always makes me think of you."
And he sings along (though he's half tone deaf and still has a pretty bad accent, despite his grades lol)
Won't you tell him please to put on some speed
Follow my lead, oh, how I need
Someone to watch over me
And Kyo kind of snorts, and squeezes Yuki’s hand back and goes "What does it mean?"
And Yuki hums and goes "You should have paid more attention during English class."
Back to the present day, Yuki's interest in Ella Fitzgerald doesn't go unnoticed.
He walks Yuki along the path, and it's about a mile and a half until they reach this really pretty clearing. It's almost summer so there are some fireflies around, and the bamboo is really high and creates this cool little secluded place that they've found. When they're about to reach it, Kyo takes Yuki's hand and Yuki, still not aware of anything, takes it easily and smiles.
And Kyo stops him and is like "Hang on a second."
And Kyo looks really nervous now.
And Yuki kind of looks at him and asks "What's wrong? Are you not feeling well?"
And Kyo is looking around all frantically before he kind of snarls out, "you assholes have NO sense of timing, do you?"
And there's this really faint voice off in the bamboo that goes "sorry."
And all of the sudden the area is lighting up. There's lights placed all around the bamboo, and it gives off this really beautiful, glow. And then, music starts to play. it's Ella Fitzgerald, but it's not Someone To Watch Over Me -- it's Night and Day. And Kyo puts his hands on Yuki's waist and goes "this is the one that reminds me of you."
And Yuki is already fucking floored and is looking at Kyo and goes, dumbly, "What are you doing?"
He sways with Yuki a bit back and forth in this really awkward dance, and because Kyo isn't all that conventional of a person he just says "I want to marry you. And you'd be dumb as hell if you didn't want to marry me too, cause no one else is going to take your shit other than me."
"I want to marry you," Yuki says immediately, still shocked.
"Good. But. Shut up. Let me just. Talk."
"I want to be with you. And I'm not gonna hide that. You're not something in my life that I'm gonna hide. I don't give a shit who knows I--no, I want people to know. That I love you. And that I'm choosing you. And that you're gonna be part of my life. Forever. If you want."
Yuki opens his mouth but
"Shut up, I'm not done. I'm tired of you talking. You always have to have the first AND last word, and you don't think about what I want half the time. Let me tell you what I want without you thinking you're dragging it out of me, or whatever. Because I'm about to ask you to marry me, and then I'm gonna tell you that I don't want to just sign a piece of paper, I want people you care about... and I care about with us. I want a big fucking party because I should get some kind of congratulations for agreeing to deal with you for the rest of our lives, got it?”
And Yuki just kind of nods, and his face is starting to turn kind of red and he's breathing pretty hard.
"Good."
Kyo goes on one knee, finally. Even though this is all really out of order, and digs something out of his pocket and pops up a ring box for a gold band.
"Let me marry you, Yuki. Please. Keep me around, alright?"
And before when his expression is kind of still pinched and irritated like Kyo gets when he's embarrassed and nervous, now it's completely sincere and vulnerable. And Night and Day is still playing in the background. And he can HEAR people rustling around and he has no idea who yet and he still can't believe this is happening.
He sinks down onto his knees in front of Kyo, takes the band and holds it up. "Aren't you going to put it on me?" He asks, but he doesn't sound smug he sounds winded. And Kyo nods. And he does.
And Yuki holds his hand up in front of him and is kind of holding back tears, until he slides that hand through Kyo's hair really gently and looks at Kyo.
"Can I speak now?" Yuki asks, a little teasingly, but still pretty much caught off guard.
Kyo snorts, "If you gotta."
"I want everything you want," Yuki says. "I think that's how it's going to be for awhile. And I want to marry you. I. Yes. I don't even think you technically asked, but I'm still saying yes. Kyo."
And he leans in and kisses him, and the two kiss there in the clearing both on their knees, holding each other really really really tight, and Yuki can't help it maybe ONE tear slips past.
Anyway, the people who were hiding in the bushes were Haru, Kakeru, Momiji and Tohru. Haru was taking pictures the whole time, and the one of them breaking apart after that kiss they have framed. Because Kyo's hands are wrapped around Yuki's waist, and Yuki's hand is on Kyo's cheek, and his other arm around Kyo's shoulders, and they're both smiling at each other.
Yuki keeps the rest of the photos in a photo album along with all their wedding photos.
Once the proposal is over, Kakeru and Tohru roll out a whole picnic that Kyo had prepared for them. And Momiji is the one who set up the lights and the music, so. They all fuck off and let them have their dinner together, but not without all of them hugging them first.
Kyo tried to shoo them away after they helped him set up, but they refused. Yuki seemed happy enough that they were there, so he guesses it’s fine.
Ehh not exactly nsfw but I still feel the need to put it under cut (hopefully tumblr won’t flag this one). Idk what possessed me to drew this during work time.
Thank you @mistergrass for encouraging me to post this XD.
