Fruits Basket Christmas Fanfic:
Finding the Meaning of Christmas, Part 1 of 3
AN: Mad w00t to all my FF.net and Fruits Basket Haven ML people. Yeah, Ariel Tsuki is gonna put her two cents for a Christmas fanfic of her latest obsession, Fruits Basket (I'm getting FB Tankouban 6-8 and the first DVD tomorrow! Wah~! Enjoy! WARNING: Shounen-ai and fluff content ahead, enjoy.
SN: This is a Momiji POV fic. This takes place over two years after FB Tankouban 8, you might consider it an AU if it conflict with the canon manga storyline.
"I didn't think this would be so hard…"
Hello, my name is Momiji Sohma, seventeen years old and in the nearing end of my high school career. Wondering what is my current dilemma? My senior Creative Writing class teacher, Miss Nakagawa, decided to assign an essay with a Christmas theme that is due tomorrow on Christmas Day (1). I tapped my mouth with the cute pen with a small plastic bunny sitting on the tip. Tohru gave me that for last Christmas, along with a diary and bag with it. I plop myself unto my bed, with also have a bunnies on them. Then a knock interrupted my train of thoughts, trying to find something to write about Christmas.
"Momiji, ready to go to Shigure's house?" My cousin, Hatsuharu (or Haru) asked me. I stared down into the blank paper in front of me.
"Haru, help me with this essay!" I said, of course with a pout on my face. Haru scooted over to me and looked at the blank paper with me.
"Doing the Christmas essay right?"
I nodded with tears threaten to spill over my face. "Yeah, did you finish yours?"
Haru thought about this for a while and then nodded at me. "I finished it at school. Come on, you can finish it when we return from Shigure's."
I nod again, with defeat on my face. Haru left while I started dressed to visit Shi-san's house. I decided to wear the jeans I wore when Tohru was once sick (2), my white turtleneck, my cream white sweater with a bunny hood, my beige coat and beige boots. I look at myself in the mirror. I'm still pretty much the same height I was for years, maybe an inch taller than I was at fifteen. Luckily, my face lost some baby fat, but the height thing still bothers me. Yuki, Kyou, and Haru grew into tall men and I'm still a 'small runt' that Kyou personally nicknamed me, but Hari said that there was nothing wrong with my small stature. I covered my burning cheeks and giggled. Hari really changed towards me; he's been dropping small compliments lately. I stopped my giggling and coughed. I must go before I delay everyone.
I walked out of my family's part of the massive Sohma compound and across the bridge that stood over the frozen koi pond to where Haru was helping a very pregnant Tohru out of the main house.
"Oh, konnichiwa, Momiji-kun, ready to go to Shigure-san's house?" Tohru said to me with a beaming smile, using Haru as a balance to walk down the small stairs.
It was surprising when Tohru decided to stay at the Sohma's compound at Akito's command, but it was more surprising that Akito and Tohru decided to marry. Tohru managed to thaw out the cold heart Akito once had and now carrying his child, or children one might put it since she carrying twins. Tohru took a deep breath as she finished the stairs.
"Oh, dear. Those steps were a real struggle. Thank you very much, Hatsuharu-kun." Tohru said with a smile and bowed slightly to Haru.
Haru just nodded back as I ran up to Tohru and laid my ear onto her large tummy and heard a kick.
"Wah~, Tohru! I'm so excited about the babies coming, how long are you?"
Tohru gave me a thoughtful look. I love when she make those looks. "Hatori-san said that I should give birth to the twins anytime in two weeks. Akito-san is so happy about that he'll see the twins before he dies." Tohru said with a sad smile.
I pouted. Akito's current round of sickness really is starting to diminish his already fragile health. Hari said that the chances of Akito surviving this were slim. Akito and Tohru have been taking the news the best they can. I smile at Tohru. She was wearing a winter irotomesode (3) with a light blue michiyuki over it (4), but her twin ponytails made her look much younger than her nineteen years. "You look cute, Tohru."
"Ah~! No, I don't, Momiji-kun!"
She's still the same Tohru Honda I met a few years ago, although she's now a more elegant Tohru Sohma. Then a window opened with Akito draped over opening. A slight fear stroked my being, even though Akito stopped his cruelty, he's still a feared and respected head of the Sohma clan. His sternness with the Juunishi is still intact despite the softening of his heart that Tohru's presence did.
"Tohru-chan, I want you here back before nightfall. You're nearing the birth date and you shouldn't be moving around so much."
"Hai, Akito-san. I won't be long!" Tohru said with a smile. Akito blushed then scowled at her as he closed the window. It seems he still feels a bit new at the emotions Tohru evoked in him. Tohru giggled.
"Come on, Hatori is waiting for us at the car." Haru said, holding Tohru's arm, making sure he won't transform into his Juunishi cursed form.
What's the Juunishi curse? Me, Haru and eleven of our cousins transform into the Juunishi, the twelve animals of the Chinese Zodiac and the rejected cat. We change into our Juunishi forms when a member of the opposite sex hugs us or when we get really sick (or in my cousin Ayame's case, the change of weather [5]). Hari was sitting outside the car, smoking his usual cigarette. He lifts his head and dropped the cigarette as he crushed it into the ground.
"Hallo, Hari! We're ready to go!" I said with my best smile. Hari smiled at me then looked at Tohru.
"Tohru, are you sure you want to go? You really shouldn't walk around a lot, not until the twins are born."
"I'm okay, Hatori-san, I haven't seen Shigure-san, Yuki-kun and Kyou-kun in weeks! Plus I have to give them my Christmas presents to them!" Tohru said, getting excited. Hatori put a hand on Tohru's shoulder. "Calm down, please, Tohru."
"Hai, Hatori-sensei!"
Tohru and I laughed as Haru smirked. Hari shook his head as he opened the car. Haru sat shotgun while Tohru and I sat in the back. I laid my head on Tohru's shoulder, reveling in the warmness she emitted in her soul. Tohru smiled as she laid her head on mine.
"Ah, isn't it Tohru-kun! It's been so long since I seen you last! Can you come back and cook for us again? Kyou-chan's cooking is about to waste us away- Ow!" Shi-san (6) said, releasing Tohru from his small 'hug' (7) as he rubbed his new wound on his head. Shi-san is so funny!
"Impolite dog, don't bite the hand that feeds you." Kyou said as he walked back into the house. I smiled. Kyou still didn't changed. Yeah, he looks older and certainly much taller (he said that he's about 5'10" now), but he still has that brash personality. I looked at Tohru and saw her hurt face. I guess the wound between them hasn't completely healed yet. I took off my boots in the foyer and wore some slippers apparently Kyou had prepared for us and walked into the dining room.
"Yuki, you're back!" I ran and hugged Yuki.
"Hello, Momiji." Yuki hasn't changed either except now he looks exactly like Ayame, except with his short, grayish hair and gray eyes. His hair was tied into a small ponytail and was wearing a white Mandarin-style shirt with blue jeans.
"How's New York City? I heard it's really cool. You're attending at Columbia University, right? (7)"
"Well, New York is like a larger, less crowded Tokyo, I guess. It's really diverse with many cultures. It's as cool as the hype said, I suppose. Yes, I'm attending Columbia University. I have a month vacation so I'll be here for a while."
"Wow! I wanna go! I wanna go!"
"Calm down, Momiji. You have send out an application for Pace University, right? (8)
"Hai, Father said that it's good that I expand my horizons."
Yuki's attention shifted to me as he saw Tohru walk into the room with Haru helping her in tow. Tohru gave Yuki a small smile.
"Yuki-kun. Konnichiwa…"
"Tohru-san (9), konnichiwa. You seem healthy. How the pregnancy going?"
"It's okay, I guess. I'm due around the sixth of January. Hatori said it's going to be twins. I told him not tell me what sex they are…"
I can sense the tension in the air. I bit my lip. This reunion was supposed to be happy but Yuki and Kyou were still hurt that Tohru left them for Akito.
"Yuki-kun, I know you're still uncomfortable that I married Akito-san, but he changed. He's not the same Akito that-"
"It's okay, Tohru-san. I'm glad that you're happy with him. I already told you that I have no more qualms about your marriage to him."
"I know that but that doesn't mean you harbor any resentment against me."
"Tohru, calm down. Remember you're still carrying your children." Haru said, rubbing Tohru's back. Tohru took a deep breath.
"Tohru-san, I can't ever resent you…"
I turned to Yuki and saw his wide eyes. Tohru took another deep breath as Haru helped her down onto the floor. Then Tohru smiled.
"I'm glad, Yuki-kun. I don't want our friendship to be ruined over this."
"It won't, Tohru. I'm just glad to see you again even though you're bigger than I saw you last."
Tohru giggled. I'm glad that they made up. I was smiling along with them until my tummy growled.
"I'm hungry!" I declared. Then a fist pounded my head.
"Kyou! That's mean!" I said, tears threatened to come out of my eyes.
"No one told you that you can be an annoying little runt, I had to stop Shigure from eating my so-called slop that's for dinner for tonight. Here, I brought some miso soup." Kyou said, growling as he put a large soup bowl in the middle of the table.
Everyone sat and took some of the soup as Kyou filled our bowls with rice (despite Tohru's insistence to do it, old habits die hard I guess). Then Shi-san and Hari appeared after a while being outside. I think they were smoking guessing from smelling Hari next to me. Probably didn't want to bother Tohru with the fumes. Hari's scent smelled unique, a scent of a hospital mixed with cinnamon, added with the smell of the cigarette he just smoked. Hari turned to me with an eyebrow raised. Predictably, I blush and turned from him as my heart hammered against my chest like a hummingbird. The rest of the meal went smoothly. After the meal, Kyou gathered the dishes and just put them in the sink, I guess he'll clean them after dinner.
"Little brother! *I* have come!" A voice ranged out in the air. I walked into the front door and found Ayame walk in, taking off his designer shoes. I swear that Aya gets more creative every time I see him. His long white hair is wrapped in a twist, with a red ribbon holding it together. He took off his long dark green coat and revealed the most beautiful red cheongsam with green snake near the top where the jade clasps are. His white Mandarin style pants flowed as he searched for Yuki. "Wow, cool outfit, Aya!"
"Well, well. Isn't it Momiji-kun! I see you're also looking fashionable today? What brings you here?"
"It's Christmas Eve and Tohru decided that we should visit today!"
"Princess' here? I heard that she was pregnant with twins! I'm so excited, aren't you? Why, I remember that I once helped a woman to deliver her baby! Want me to tell you that story?"
"Really? I love stories!"
"Momiji, get away from him. His nonsense stories will just confuse you in the end."
Ayame went past me and hugged Yuki. "Oh, Yuki! It's been so long since I saw you! How's school in New York City? You know, I might visit there since I'm thinking of setting up a shop there." Ayame said, hugging Yuki tightly. I widen my eyes in surprise. They really look like they could be twins.
"Get away from me." Yuki said with narrowed eyes.
"But little brother, you haven't seen your big brother in nearly four months. Come, come, we must see how Tohru's doing and discuss your life as a first-year college student. Hi, Kyonkichi (10)!"
"Hey, stop calling me that name!" Kyou said from the kitchen.
As Ayame settled in, we resumed our reunion. It also seemed that Ayame is happy for Tohru's pregnancy too. Yuki later managed to escape Ayame after telling his stay in New York City and other stuff. Kyou haven't come back to the living room and seemed to be ignoring Tohru. Tohru also seemed to sense this too. I puffed my cheeks. That cat can be so thoughtless sometimes. Last time I saw him, he went upstairs and I'm about to give him a piece of my mind! I marched to the staircase and stopped at the last few steps as I saw Yuki knocked softly on Kyou's door.
"Kyou, open the door. I need to talk to you-"
Now, I really thought that Shi-san really put something in the tea as I saw Kyou and Yuki kissing. Yuki pulled away blushing and scowled at Kyou.
"Baka-neko, that was reckless, what if someone saw us?"
"Nezu-chan, no one saw us. I would've heard them."
"Not when you're too preoccupied thinking about Tohru-san. I thought we agreed that we would forget about our love for her…and that you'll love me, Kyou."
"Don't be silly, I do love you…it's just that … just come in, we'll discuss this in my room."
"Momiji, what are you doing there?" Haru said.
"Aa-!"
Then I lost my balance on the stairs and fell down the stairs and hit my head on the last stair as I blacked out.
End Part 1
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1. This line was corrected during the revision when I realized that Christmas Day was on a Tuesday in 2001, where the story takes place. In Japan, Christmas isn't considered a national holiday and everyone still had to go to school or work like it was a normal day.
2. Refer to Fruits Basket Story Number 30, Page 189. I really like his jeans in that picture! I'm such a fashion freak!
3. Irotomesode is a colorful kimono with colorful designs on the clothes; married women usually wear irotomesode.
4. Michiyuki is a short kimono worn as a jacket. You can see Shigure wear them during the manga whenever he's outside on fall and winter months.
5. Ayame does change into his Juunishi form, the Snake, whenever it's really cold out. I guess because snakes are cold blooded.
6. Remember, this is what Momiji calls Shigure.
7. Columbia University is an Ivy League college that is located in upper Manhattan in New York City in Harlem. I was actually going to apply there but my mother absolutely forbade me. Meanie…
8. Pace University, also in Manhattan, but it's in midtown. It's a college that specializes in business majors, or so I heard. I guess Momiji would be following his father's steps…
9. If you think about it, I think Yuki would move up from Honda-san to Tohru-san since they knew each other for three years. It's amazing he still calls her Honda-san even they stayed in the same house for over a year…
10. It's kinda funny that Ayame calls Kyou, Kyonkichi, which means a cat fortune charm since "Kyon" is one of the sounds to describe a cat's cry and "kichi' means fortune charm.
AN: Ugh… I let this thing festered. I should be stabbed with a pitchfork. Well, I guess this can be considered a late Christmas fanfic anyway. Expect the next and last part in two days.
Fic started: 12/24/02
Fic finished and revised: 1/15/03
2nd Revision: 5/27/03
