Fruits Basket- After the Anime
Chapter 1-Fountain of Sohma
-Hello, all. This is Kyuubi Wiz, or as I like to be called, Talon. I've been watching the anime for Fruits Basket a lot lately- three times through, in fact, and I decided to write a fanfic for it. I've only read volumes one and two of the manga, though, so I'm sorry if anything is inaccurate. I've looked all the characters up on Wikipedia, though, and I hope everything flows and makes sense for you all. The fic incorporates a character I just made-up today (sorry if she's underdeveloped), and again I hope she flows with the story. It starts off maybe a week to a month after Tohru has discovered Kyo's true form, and accepted him for it. Thank you for reading, and enjoy! Sorry for the long author's note… But it had to be said. ;-
"Shi-chan, why don't YOU have a driver's license?" Izumi demanded from the back seat of Hatori's sedan. She had her arms crossed and she stared out the window with one eye, her chin-length, wavy brown hair covering her right one; her hair was the opposite of Hatori's.
"I'm so glad you asked!" Shigure began cheerfully. "You see—"
"He failed the test about twenty times. So he gave up," Hatori replied bluntly. Shigure's cheerful face fell and he let out a sad moan.
"Oh, Hari… Why must you be so cruel?" he sniffled.
"Hari-chan isn't cruel… You just lie so much that he has to tell the truth for you. I'm honestly VERY surprised that you aren't used to it by now, Shi-chan," Izumi confessed.
Shigure smiled half-heartedly. "Oh, Izumi-chan… You're exactly like your older brother…" Izumi blew out a breath of air, temporarily pushing her hair out of her face.
"You only THINK I'm like Hari-chan because I always take his side when I'm around him. And you've only seen me when I'm around him," the girl replied coolly.
"Ah… Touché." Shigure put his hand on his chin and said, "Of course Hatori's sister could best me at a game of WITS--!!" Shigure suddenly flew forward in his seat, smacking his head off the windshield. Izumi burst out laughing.
"And how are you supposed to win at a game of wits when you can't even muster enough wit to put on your seatbelt?" Hatori asked, shutting the vehicle off. He sighed. "Never mind for now. We're here."
"Oh, Hari…" Tears streamed down Shigure's chibi face. "You're so cruel…" All three of the Sohmas stepped out of the car. Shigure, used to the scenery, walked right up to the door, expecting to go in right away. Hatori stayed next to his sister, who was watching the trees sway in the gentle fall breeze. He gently touched her shoulder and broke her out of her daydream. Together, they walked inside the picturesque home.
"Yuki!! Kyon-kyon!! Tohru-kun!! We're ho-ome!!" Shigure sang as he removed his shoes.
"And what the hell is that supposed to mean?! This 'we' crap??" Loud, obnoxious footsteps sounded coming down the stairs.
"Ah… I see you're as bad-tempered as ever, Kyo." Shigure smiled, not bothered by Kyo's disagreeable nature. "As long as you're asking, I suppose I should answer. I'm sure you remember Hatori."
"How could I not??"
"Yes, well… To continue. This is his younger sister, Izumi-chan." He gestured toward the girl beside Hatori. "She's going to be living with us. First off, she just finished college and is going into the world as a free-lance artist—with no money. And, as Tohru is the only girl in the house, we figured she might like some feminine company. Not to mention some help cleaning up after us. Aheh…" Shigure cleared his throat. "So, I'm allowing her to stay here. Okay? Okay!" The writer smiled and trotted off toward the bathroom. "Bath-time, bath-time!" he sang.
"…Shi-chan really is strange, isn't he, Hari-chan?" Izumi stated as a fact, more than a question. Nevertheless, Hatori answered with a murmured "Yes", and thusly left himself and Izumi open to complaints from Kyo. However, Kyo was interrupted before he could start.
"Oh, wow! Another Sohma?! Are you a member of the zodiac, too?!" Tohru asked excitedly from the doorway into the kitchen. Kyo sizzled because he wasn't allowed to complain, now that Tohru approved of the arrangement.
"Me? No. But, Hari-chan… He's my brother, and I learned of it when I was young. I'm surprised Akito didn't have my memories erased, but I'm really glad they weren't!" Izumi smiled, remembering the first time she had accidentally transformed him into a seahorse.
"Oh, I didn't know you had a little sister, Hatori! How come you never introduced us, or anything?" Tohru smiled.
"Well, she was away at college. Izumi never came up in conversation, and there wasn't a subject she would have fit into, so it never really crossed my mind." Hatori shifted, wondering if Tohru was upset he hadn't mentioned it.
"College? How exciting!" The girl laughed, and Kyo blushed.
"College isn't all THAT exciting…" he argued.
"But you've never been, so how would you-- Oh, who am I kidding? It was as boring as a tomb. Doesn't change that I learned a lot, but still. Gray concrete buildings without any landscaping around them? Oh yeah… That's a wonderful environment for art students." Izumi sighed. "And I can tell you're the inquisitive type, so I'll just say now. Yes, I brought supplies with me, as well as a portfolio of some of my previous work. I'll be drawing, sketching, whatever…" She sighed again, as if disappointed by the notion. "You know. That whole thing."
"Oh, that's amazing!" Tohru's eyes sparkled. "I can't wait to see!"
"Whatever," Kyo said, remaining indifferent. "I couldn't care less about that art crap… She's probably just like Shigure, messing with her editor, or dealer, or whatever… Geeze, this is gonna suck…" Kyo walked into the kitchen, grabbing a ladle full of rice out of the rice-cooker and shaping it into an onigiri.
"Oh… Well, don't mind him! Kyo's just… been a little moody lately, is all!" Tohru dismissed it. "Um, dinner will be ready soon, so please, Hatori, stay for dinner?"
"Huh? Oh… If you insist, I suppose…" he replied tensely. He had planned on going back right away. He smiled lightly. Of course Tohru would insist. That was the kind of girl she was.
"Great! I'll remember to put all of it out, then!" Tohru scurried into the kitchen to put the finishing touches on everything.
"Gee, Hatori… It seems like Honda-san has everything under control here. I doubt I'll be needed at all," Izumi commented, half-joking. She supposed the two of them could take turns with the cooking, and share the housework evenly. The door slid open behind Izumi and Hatori.
"Uh… Hatori? Why are you here?" Suddenly, the look on Yuki's face changed from one of surprise to worry. "Honda-san isn't sick, is she?!" he demanded. "Uh, but then… why would Izumi-san be here?" he wondered aloud.
"Tohru-san is fine. We're just… making some living adjustments, is all. Izumi will be moving in with you," Hatori explained.
"Oh… Well, uh… I hope you like it here," Yuki replied, still a little stunned at the news. He knew Hatori's sister, but hadn't really spoken to her much. He didn't think she would be very loud, though. 'Then again,' he thought, 'No one could be loud compared to that stupid cat.' Yuki shrugged it off and removed his shoes, going into the dining area to wait for Tohru's delicious meal.
"…Izumi?"
"Hmm?"
"You're sure you'll be all right staying with Shigure and the others?"
"Of course… Why?"
"No reason. I'm just making sure it's what you want," Hatori said, walking into the dining room without another word on the matter. A slightly confused Izumi followed him, sitting happily between him and Shigure (who had had to pass up his bath for Tohru's heavenly home-cooked dinner).
:-:-:
"She'll sleep in my room, of course!" Tohru declared happily.
"Oh… And here I was hoping that I would get to spend the night with lovely Izumi-chan…" Shigure sighed, blushing. Hatori promptly smacked the back of his head.
"You will do no such thing, and hell if I'll hear about it." Hatori fixed him with his good eye. "Honestly, Shigure, you act like a dirty old man."
"Really! You're such a pervert, Shigure…" Izumi then got a thoughtful look on her face and innocently held up a copy of Shigure's "side-project". "Then again… If he wasn't, he wouldn't be able to write as well as THIS." Kyo fell over, and Yuki smacked his forehead. Tohru only smiled, trying to ignore that Izumi liked that sort of novel. Then again, it seemed that Saki enjoyed it... Hatori sighed.
"I can't believe you read that sick book…"
"I can't believe you liked my book!" Shigure exclaimed excitedly. "Well? Well? What did you think?" he wanted to know.
"The main characters were so interesting! I absolutely adored the way you laid out the plotline, and the romance scenes were lovely! However, you left a lot to the imagination. About the characters, I mean. I don't know if you were planning on it, but you really do need a second volume!" Izumi told him happily. Hatori covered his face with one hand, and ignored the exchange going on beside him.
"Really? Well, now that I think about it… I believe I understand why Saki asked me about a volume two, now! Thank you, I'll get right on it!!" Shigure ran off to his room, giggling. "Nov-el, nov-el, nov-el…" he sang.
"That guy tired me out…" Kyo complained. "Okay. I'm taking my bath now."
"No you're not, I am. It's my turn tonight, remember?" Yuki argued.
"Yeah, and I said I was tired. You seem fine, so I should go first so I don't collapse on my freaking feet!"
"Uh, Kyo…"
"You should have thought about THAT before you went and tired yourself out, you stupid cat," Yuki snapped.
"Yu-Yuki…"
"Shut up! You damn rat, you have it easy!" Kyo raised a fist. "C'mon, I'll take you on!!"
"G-guys…?"
"Oh, I thought you were tired…" Yuki smirked. "But if you insist, I'm happy to oblige."
"Oh…"
"Hey!" Izumi grabbed both Kyo and Yuki by the back of their heads and smacked their foreheads together. "The lady's trying to tell you something."
"Subtle as ever, I see, Izumi…" Hatori commented as Yuki and Kyo shut up to rub their heads and listen to what Tohru had to say.
"Um… I know it's supposed to be Yuki's turn to bathe first tonight, but since it's Izumi's first night here… Why don't we let her go first? While she's in the bath, we can figure out who goes next," Tohru suggested fairly.
"That's a fine idea, Honda-san. Maybe we can draw straws?" Yuki added. Tohru nodded and smiled, glad that Yuki went for her plan. Kyo said nothing. He only let Tohru and Yuki plan everything out.
"Uh… So I guess you should be going, Hari-chan," Izumi said to her brother as Tohru and Yuki talked.
"Yes, you're right." Hatori picked up his jacket. "I'll be seeing you, Shigure. Don't cause too much trouble."
"Don't worry about me, Hari! Ayame was always the troublemaker, remember?" Shigure laughed.
"True... Goodbye, Tohru-san." Tohru smiled and waved, still involved with her conversation with Yuki. Hatori then turned to his sister. "I do hope you can stand it here," he said.
"Don't worry. I'll manage," she replied. Hatori laid a gentle hand on top of her head, his way of hugging her without transforming. Izumi placed her hand over his, her way of hugging him back and letting him know that she didn't blame him for his inability to show affection the way he wanted to, thus causing his seemingly distanced personality. They lingered like that for a moment, and then Hatori broke away. As he was about to pass through the doorway, Izumi called, "Be safe!" after him. Hatori nodded, and was gone. The girl looked around her, and sighed tiredly. This certainly wasn't a boring house, now was it? "Thank you for your kindness. Honda-san, I'll tell you when the bath is open?"
"Sure! Towels are in the closet downstairs!" Tohru said. Izumi gathered her supplies, thinking, 'I think I'm going to like it here, even if it is a little loud.'
:-:-:
End Chapter 1
-So, what do you think? I had fun writing it, and am SO looking forward to adding more! Until next chapter, Talon-