Fruits Basket:

Okay, you get it... Actually, this is where the story starts to get good.

(Note: Yori and the others still don't know that Tohru had been staying with the Sohmas. The renovations at her grandfather's house have been done for a day or so, and she's been there lately... Also, the story Yori later tells is rated M--just a warning--and I'm not really happy with the way it turned out. The vision in my head became scrambled, and I just threw it down on "paper"--rambling.)

Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket or any of the characters in this story, aside from Yori Seruke (random "main" character).

Thank you.

Enjoy. ^_^

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Episode 5:

Yori ran into an empty, potentially abandoned house, and began looking for leeks or marigold to cover up the scent of blood in the air. She actually found a few marigold flowers lying on the table. Quickly, she grabbed them and ran upstairs to look for a bathroom, making sure not to drip blood anywhere.

She jumped in the tub and began to run water over herself to wash away all of the blood and get rid of her scent, to throw the monster off of her trail. She thinned out the marigold under the water with her nails before shutting it off. Seruke shoved the herb into her wounds, closed the shower door, and lied down.

A little while after, the bathroom door opened, and Yori's heart began to beat rapidly. The Chiropoah stepped in, but quickly slammed the door back into place, shattering one side of it. Seruke silently exhaled through her nose, knowing that if he would have found her, she would have been done for. Flinching at every bang, Yori tried to keep her breathing calm as the monster tore through the house violently.

The entire place, finally, went silent, and the night was still. She heard his footsteps running from the house, and once more there was complete silence. She slowly counted to 500 and sat up. Yori slid back the door on the shower, and much tougher, the door to the bathroom itself. She breathed in and looked down each side of the hall. Her leg continued to burn as the medicine sank into her lashes. Looking around, she caught only a glimpse of the damage she had caused the house.

Yori breathed in deeply and began to strip. Quickly, she turned on the shower. Her wash time had to be fast in case the monster came back, or worse: the owners came home, soon. The water and soap that ran in and out of her thigh stung and tears swelled in her eyes. The tears slid down her cheeks as she thought about the pain. I have to be strong she reminded herself. Her posture stiffened, and she finished her shower with determination.

A towel hung on the outside of the sliding door, and she wrapped it around her clean body. She stealthily walked down the stairs and found the washing machine. She saw a basket of dirty clothes next to the door as she threw her own into the wash. She decided to do a favor to whomever had just saved her life, and threw the clothes in with her own. Finding the detergent, she noticed the basket was full of a man's clothing. Great…

She walked back upstairs to find some kind of replacement clothing. The first room she found, to her right, had a balcony and a grounded bed in the center of the floor. She grabbed some clothes out of the wardrobe assortment and dressed. Of course, the clothes were much too big, but she rolled up all of her sleeves and made due with what she had. While her own clothes washed, she began to clean up the mess that was made downstairs.

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Since there was less damage to the downstairs, Yori was finished fairly early. She had just enough time to put the load of clothes in the dryer and walk upstairs to start cleaning there. Diligently, she worked until everything was spotless, and the only thing left to do was repair the broken down doors. She worked on the bathroom door first as it was smashed to pieces. After finding all of her needed supplies in what seemed to be a work area, she stood on the inside of the door, closed what she could of it, and persisted with the task at hand.

As she concentrated on the bottom part of the paper, Yori didn't notice a tall shadow standing on the other side of the door. She had put all of her efforts into making this door perfect that she hadn't thought about any dangers, nor did she sense any. The cleaning, actually, took her mind off of everything. Bad idea. She stared up in fear as the door slid open.

"Ah!" he screamed as he jumped back a little.

"Kyo? What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing! Why are you in my bathroom?"

His bathroom… Oh great. How am I going to explain this one?

"Oh! Uh! Actually, it's a long story. I wouldn't want to bother you! I'd better get going…" Yori replied, more flustered and confused than ever before.

"Not so fast, Seruke," Kyo replied.

"Huh?"

"Kyo, why are there girly panties in your clean clothes?" Shigure sang from downstairs.

"What?" Kyo yelled in utter dismay.

"Um… I can explain that!" Yori said as she quickly stood up next to Kyo.

"And why are you wearing my clothes?" he backed up some and yelled again.

"I can explain that too!"

"Kyo," Shigure appeared from the laundry room at the bottom of the stairs with the frilly panties hanging from his finger tip, "how come you never told me about--" He stopped and stared at Yori and Kyo standing in the hall together. "…her!" His arms and legs moved in an attempt to race up the stairs to Yori, but Yuki had caught him by the back of the shirt.

"Miss Seruke," Yuki calmly stated.

"Yuki…" Yori politely bowed.

High school girls, high school girls, all for me! High school girls!

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"Are you always so polite to intruders?" Yori smiled at Yuki as she sipped her tea.

"We usually just kick their asses and send them up the river…" Kyo mumbled, resting his elbow on the table, not looking at Yori.

"I don't believe anyone asked you, Kyo," Seruke retorted lightly with closed eyes.

"I don't believe you asked if you could borrow any of my clothes!" he angrily turned to her, then quickly turned back around.

"Oh, shut up, you baby," Yuki quietly Kyo.

"So, Miss Yori, what brings you here on a night like tonight?" Shigure pleasantly asked.

"I was actually… I uh…"

"Yes?" Yuki seemed interested.

"Well…"

"Spit it out already!"

"Kyo, that is no way to speak to a lady."

"Thank you, Shigure," Yori smiled, then decided to be serious after she looked at Yuki's anxious face. "I can't very well say what happened tonight. Not only did it happen here, but it in the forest is where it actually started… I don't want to get you guys into any of this. Thank you for your hospitality, but I really must be going." Yori stood up and bowed.

"But, Miss Seruke, where will you be going tonight?" Shigure didn't want the new female to leave so soon.

"Home, of course."

"Why didn't you just go there in the first place?" Kyo mumbled again.

"Although the idiot is being awfully rude, he does have a point. Why didn't you go home to heal yourself, Miss Seruke?"

"To be honest, I didn't know anyone was occupying this home. Aside from the fresh marigolds on the table, the house just looked so… unlived in. So clean. Oh, and the dirty clothes tipped me off that someone lived here, of course. But I didn't see them until after…"

"After what?" Yuki continued with his questions.

"After I was attacked, of course. I went downstairs, after I took a shower, and washed my uniform, including that load of clothes… Which I think I should be changing into so Kyo can have his clothes back." Yori smiled.

Kyo growled and Shigure teased him about liking Yori.

"I do not like that Seruke!"

"Then why won't you look at her, Kyo?"

"Ah!" Kyo growled. "It's just something about a girl bundled in oversized guy's clothing!" he sounded disgusted.

"You secretly like it!" Shigure pushed.

"Do not! Give me a break!"

As the two yelled back and forth, Yuki took Yori to her clothes, in the laundry room. "Please, don't mind those two. I can't imagine what you must be going through right now. Are you sure you're all right?"

"Um. Yes, thank you."

"Truthfully, Miss Seruke--"

"Yori, please."

"Yori." Yuki pleasantly smiled, then slowly became serious again. "What happened to you tonight?"

Yori held onto her clothes tighter as she thought back to what had happened to her only hours before the Sohmas arrived.

"I was walking home from the market, and I was attacked by a Chiropoah."

"A Chiropoah?" Yuki sounded it out.

"It's just a folk name for a man who preys on the flesh of a younger person…"

"So, a man did this to you?" he indicated the wrap around her leg.

"No. A monster… These men, these cursed men, who lust for the flesh of another being, when close to getting what they want, will transform into a horrible creature. I believe it has to do with the excitement of the kill, or whatever else that drives them. Their lust. They become three times as strong and two times as fast as any normal male.

My attacker was a stranger. I made eye contact with him as I passed through the market. I smiled at him because he seemed like a nice, strapping young man. Little did I know, I would meet him in the forest later. Under the moonlight, he looked so pale, sickly maybe, but he stood upright and assertive. The trail I was taking home is the only one I know that connects my family's estate with the rest of society. He somehow got their before me, and just stood in the middle of the road. Waiting for me. I got closer, not knowing what to do.

He greeted me, and I smiled back hoping to just keep walking. As I passed him, my breathing became somewhat normal. I thought I was off scot-free until he grabbed my arm and spun me around. I was so struck with shock that my entire body became unresponsive. He pressed my body against his and the next thing I knew, we were on the ground, in the bushes. I tried to, but I couldn't scream. My instincts told me not to… I still don't know, for sure, why they told me not to, but I followed them.

He lifted my skirt and spread open my legs with his own. As his right hand ran back down my leg, he began to growl. It wasn't a normal growl, nothing at all what I've ever heard before. It was more of a raptor maybe, or an elephant. I don't know, but it was deep yet shrill. The more he tried to hold back, the tighter the grip around my wrists became. He tried to restrain it, but it continued to get louder and louder, until finally, the man's clothes burst open and a large green-black being kneeled over me.

Its claws sliced through my skin, and that's when somewhat of a reality set it. I slammed my knees into the bottom of its pelvic region, right under its bellybutton, and it rolled over in pain. I believe that those things can only endure two times as much pain as its original body. Anyway, I ran through the forest, and covered my scent once I got here. I'm sorry that I was so much trouble, but I really do wish to repay you for everything that you've done for me. Well, what your house has done for me. You literally saved my life…"

Everything went quiet as Yuki just stared at Yori in half-angry shock.

"Oh! But please don't tell Kyo!"

"Hey! Why can't I know?"

"Huh?" They heard the whole thing…?

"Oh, Kyo. Can't keep his mouth shut," Shigure smiled and grabbed Kyo's mouth as they slid upstairs.

Stupid cat thought Yuki.

"That's exactly what I'm afraid of! Please, Yuki, don't tell anyone!" Yuki made eye-contact with her again.

"What you're afraid of?" Kyo yelled at Yori again.

"Well, you don't exactly seem trustworthy enough to keep a secret…" she angrily, but quietly replied.

Shigure couldn't shut himself up: Once he began laughing, no one could stop him.

"Trustworthy enough?" Kyo yelled. "I can keep any secret, any day!"

"Oh really?"

"Yeah!"

Yori whispered into Kyo's ear just lightly enough that no other Sohma could hear her, and she sent shivers up his spine with the coolness of her breath on his ear. She pulled away almost too quickly for his liking.

"You got it, Sohma?"

"Yeah, I got it, Seruke." He crossed his arms in accomplishment as the other two Sohma's slouched over in embarrassment.

Shigure interrupted the silence with a question for Yori, "So, are you staying here tonight?"

"Um, well… I, uh…"

"Won't you, please?" he whined. "It's been so long since we've been graced by the presence of a beautiful girl such as yourself. Won't you stay to sleep here tonight? Your home is so far away, is it not?"

He bounces back quick Kyo and Yuki thought in unison as they sighed.

"Well, yes. It is, but--"

"Then it's settled. We have an extra room right upstairs, and I think it would be accustomed to your likings. You know, girly things. And you already have your school uniform, I'm sure we could find you something more suitable to wear to bed…" Shigure rambled on and on as he lead Yori to Tohru's old room.

Only a couple of days, and Shirgure has already occupied Miss Honda's room... Yuki glared at the top of the stairs, and Kyo did the same.

Damn Seruke... That nasty attitude of hers will never fill the place of Tohru!