Tohru puttered around the kitchen, turning on the rice cooker and looking through the cupboards. She selected a few boxes and set them next to the cooking rice.
The front door slammed and Tohru heard some shuffling about. There was a crash followed by some mild swearing and she smiled. "Welcome home, Kyo."
Stomps down the hall and then Kyo's orange head popped around the kitchen door. "Yo."
Tohru's face glowed and she stepped forward. Then Kyo saw the scene in slow motion as Tohru tripped over her own feet and he lugged forward to catch her.
Poof!
Tohru, on all fours, looked down at the orange cat beneath her. The expression on his face wasn't angry, but resigned.
"I should have seen that coming," the cat said. "I'm just glad Shig—"
"Honey, I'm home!"
Shigure, dressed in a grey suit, swept into the kitchen and saw Tohru on the floor over Kyo in his cat form. He widened his eyes dramatically and said, "It seems I've caught you in a compromising position. Did you squeeze her too hard, Kyon-Kyon?"
The orange cat ran out from beneath Tohru and hissed at Shigure. "Of course we weren't doing anything, you pervert! Tohru tripped and I tried to catch her!"
Tohru stood up, face flaming, and said, "It's true, Shigure-san! Kyo-kun and I weren't doing anything. I simply tripped and Kyo was kind enough to catch me before he turned into cat-san."
Shigure chuckled and patted Tohru's head. "Same old Tohru. Don't worry about it, I was just teasing Kyon."
"And stop calling me that stupid nickname!" Kyo-cat took a swipe at Shigure's pant leg and missed. "Dammit, why are you so annoying?"
"What happened to Kyonkichi, Gure-san?" Ayame said, peeking around the kitchen door. "I heard some yelling and knew it would be our hot-tempered relative."
"Welcome, Ayame-san!" Tohru said, smiling as Ayame strutted into the room and spun her around. "It has been a while since you visited, will you be staying for dinner?"
"Alas, dear Tohru, I will not be staying," Ayame said, releasing Tohru. "I came to see my dear brother, Yuki, but I can't find him." Ayame frowned and looked to Shigure, who shrugged.
"I've been at my editor's office all day," he said, taking off his suit coat and folding it over his arm. Everyone stared. "What? I do, on occasion, do my job. How else could I afford to live with three kids in such a nice house?"
"How long has Kyonkichi been a cat?" Ayame asked, watching Kyo-cat scratch at his ear.
"He was a cat when I got home," Shigure answered, loosening his tie.
"Did Kyonkichi's fantasies get the better of him?" Ayame intoned dramatically. "Tohru-chan was just too much in her house wife attire and Kyon had to have her? How naughty, Kyon-Kyon!"
Kyo-cat's hackles raised and he spitted at Ayame. "Shut up! Like I'd have some stupid house wife fantasy about Tohru! Yeah right!"
Ayame nodded wisely as if this confirmed everything. Tohru, who has lost track of the conversation, had gone back to preparing dinner and let the men talk. A few minutes passed and then Shigure said excitedly, "Tohru-kun, look at this. Watch Kyon chase the tie!"
Tohru set the timer and turned around. Ayame and Shigure were crouched down, watching Kyo-cat pounce on the tie as Shigure twitched back and forth. Kyo seemed lost to the world, all his concentration focused on the grey tie as it went back and forth in front of his orange face.
Tohru's eyes widened and she smiled. She didn't say anything, so as not to break his concentration, as she sat on the kitchen floor next to Ayame. They watched Kyo-cat fly back and forth across the kitchen floor until a voice broke the silence.
"What are you all doing?"
It was Yuki, returning home from school after his student council meeting.
"Yuki!" Ayame squealed in delight, hopping up to hug his brother. Yuki evaded the attack and Ayame was carried into a wall by his momentum.
"Why is that fool here?" Yuki asked Tohru. She stood to welcome him as he said, "And what are those two fools doing?"
Kyo had just turned back into a human mid-pounce and both he and Shigure had frozen, the tattered tie in shreds between them. Kyo swore and scrambled for his clothes as Tohru eeped and covered her eyes.
"Kyonkichi gave into his male fantasies and Tohru turned into a cat. Then Gure-san and myself found them and we began Kyon-cat with Tori-san's tie," Ayame explained, rubbing his nose. Yuki raised an eyebrow at Kyo, who was half-dressed.
"Male fantasies?" Yuki said darkly. Kyo flushed.
"Hell no! Stupid Ayame is making it up!" Kyo shouted. "Tohru tripped and I caught her, which turned me into a cat."
Yuki didn't look convinced.
"Screw you!" Kyo shouted, stomping off to his room. Ayame, Shigure, and Yuki laughed and Tohru just looked confused as she went back to cooking.
