A/N: I call this a prologue, mostly because it's in 3rd person and isn't set to a specific time. The others will be in first person, and more pinned down in their timing. Anyway, enjoy!

This is my first manga fanfiction ever, mostly because I'm so scared I'll screw up the amazing characters with my writing. So, I want your honest opinion when you review, mmkay? No short little "it was good" or "meh" will work for me. Why was it good? Why was it meh? Sorry- I just can't stand vague reviews. 3 ~Grey's Princess

If I owned Fruits Basket, why on earth would I be writing fanfiction?

He found himself looking for any chance to embrace her.

It was all still so new, this freedom to hug her without worrying about people seeing, this ability to hold her close for as long as he liked without any second form getting in the way. It was a shock to his system, being able to touch her like this and stay human, and he couldn't imagine how he'd survived all these years without this.

It seemed he was addicted to it.

He just couldn't help it. Never in his life had he imagined there could be such warmth, and it became everything he wanted to remain tucked in her arms forever. Maybe that's what love really meant, he mused.

Love. When had he become so lucky? Had anyone said even five years ago that he would fall in love with the nicest girl in the world, and he would be free of his curse, finally free, he probably would have assumed they were crazy. But somehow things had worked out exactly like that, and it left him so dumbfounded he didn't know what to do with himself.

But when life gave him something good like this, he wasn't going to let it slip away from him. He took every opportunity he was given to slip his arms around her, took delight in the little startled smiles and squeals she never seemed to run out of. Right after the curse had been lifted, he had spent so much time hugging her it had shocked, confused, and concerned some of the others. He'd backed off some then, but not much. And only when they were looking.

But he liked it most when she hugged him.

She had picked up on it almost immediately- his almost insatiable need to make up for the time when every embrace brought fear and pain- and would hug him almost as often as he hugged her. Of course, she was always so polite about it, asking permission first. But that was just who she was, and somehow that made it even more special to him.

Was she home yet, he wondered? How long had it been since he'd seen her last? Three hours, maybe? That seemed like an eternity to him. Suddenly, he was filled with the need to hug her, and now. Where was she?

Some would call it an unhealthy addiction. Kyo called it being in love.