Author's Note: hey guys, this is a one shot about what happens after the end of the Manga, this fic sort a takes up after my other fic Photographs, so yeah.
Hope you enjoy please review thanks
Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Fruits Basket!!!!!
Animals
"This is a Rat, can you say Rat, Kyoko?" an orange haired boy asked his two an half year old sister, who was staring at him with the expression that said 'I don't know what you're talking about and I don't care, I just want to play with that toy your holding'. The little girl reached out for the rat toy her oldest brother was holding.
"not until you say it." the boy said, holding the toy out of her reach, his younger sister glared at him, well tried too, glaring on the face of a two an half year old was far from terrify it was cute, Kyoko was one who didn't like being called cute.
"Kat what are you doing?"
Katsuya jumped at the sound of his uncle Momiji voice; Momiji was a cheerful, blonde haired man, who told always had brilliant stories, they where almost as good as his mom's.
"I'm trying to teach Kyoko, how to say the names of the Zodiac animals, but she's being stubborn." The boy grumbled, frowning at his sister, who was now showing Uncle Momiji the rabbit toy that he had given her for her birthday.
"Give her time; she'll learn them in her own time." Momiji said fairly sitting down on the porch with them.
"But she can say Ox." The boy howled and as if to prove her brother point, Kyoko grinned at her uncle and said "Ox" proudly to her uncle's amusement.
"See she can say Ox, why not Rat or Cat." Katsuya asked, his uncle shrugged, ruffling his nephew messy orange hair.
"You couldn't say rabbit or dragon until you where Five." Momiji pointed out, Katsuya pulled a face.
"That's different, their longer and harder to sound out, but rat and cat are easy, how can she say Ox's, she can't say cow either."
"Cow." Kyoko said proudly, sticking her tongue out at her brother, Katsuya groaned.
"No fair." He grumbled, Momiji laughed.
"Kat, what are you doing, are you torment Kyoko again." A seven year old, brown haired boy bounced over to them.
"I'm not tormenting her, Kaz, I'm teaching her how to say words." Katsuya mumbled.
"Yes, tormenting her." Kaz said, grinning at the older boy's frustration.
"You didn't think it was that bad when I was teaching you." Katsuya muttered, his younger brother shrugged and went back to playing with his other cousins.
"Kat, call the other it's time for lunch." His mother called from the kitchen.
"Yes, mom. Oi, you lot lunch." Katsuya yelled to his cousins.
"Did someone say lunch?" A dark haired man bounced out from behind some bushes.
"Uncle Shigure, why where you hiding in the bushes." Asked a young girl, her name was Bella and she was the daughter of Haru and Rin, her light brown hair fell off to her face as she tilted her head up to stare up at her uncle.
"Well, you see, I'm hiding from a mean witch who wants to steal my manuscript." Shigure said, beaming at the gasps of horror coming from the children around him.
"Stop lying Dad." a boy said who looked like a miniature Shigure, the boy grabbed his father arm and dragged him towards the house.
"Aw, Akira, no fair, your always spoiling my fun." Shigure howled, tears rolling down his face, much to his son frustration.
"Act your age, you jellyfish." Akira yelled at his father, his father pouted.
"But that's no fun, honestly Akira your too series, it so hard to belief were related sometimes." Shigure said, fling his arms around his eleven year old son, who grumbled "only sometimes."
"Shigure let him go, your straggling him." Hatori said, his eight year old daughter, standing beside him, wearing the same expression as her father, waved at Akira, who waved back under his annoying father arms.
"Get off me, Dad, or I'll tell Mom." Akira threaten, Shigure let out mocking shrieked, but let go of Akira none the less.
Akira rolled his eyes at his cousins, before going back to his book, trying to get some peace and quiet away from his father.
"Kat, what are you doing."
"You know that seems to be what everyone asks me today." Katsuya said, now sitting on the living room floor waiting for lunch, still trying to teach his sister how to say animal's names.
"Sorry."
"Its fine Gina I'm just a little annoyed that's all." Katsuya said, looking up from his sister to smile at his younger Cousin, Gina, she was the oldest daughter and child of Yuki's children and of eight years old. Gina took the rat toy from Katsuya, which he was still trying to teach Kyoko how to say it.
"r-at, Kyoko, can you say r-at." Gina asked the younger girl, holding the little Rat toy just out of the small girls reach.
"r-at." The young girl said, and then giggled at the look of disbelief on her brother's face.
"No fair." Katsuya complained to Gina, who laughed at him.
"Oh sure she says it for you." He grumbled, Gina laughed harder.
"Stop complaining, honestly, you just need to have the special touch or you just need some on new to give it a try." Gina said, sliding her arm threw Katsuya's and marched him to the children's table.
"Please, say Rat or Cat or just anything." Katsuya begged his younger sister, who was falling asleep in the mongst the toys on the porch.
"Hey, Kat, why don't you give your sister a break?"
Katsuya turned around to stare up at his tall orange haired father, who was leaning against the door frame.
"Ok." Katsuya mumbled, admitting defeat, his father ruffled his hair before picking up his sleepy little sister. Katsuya clenched his fist and stared up at his father and at his sleeping sister.
"But I won't give up, Kyoko will say the names of the Zodiac, just you wait and see." Katsuya said, determination in his small face blazed brightly, his father raised an eyebrow, mentally telling himself that though his son might look like him and really did take after his mother.
Shaking his head, he watched his son run out to play with the other children, before heading up stairs to his old bedroom.
It felt strange to be back in the room where he had spent the late years of his youth. He had lived in this room all threw his high school years and a bit after and now he came here on and off to spend time with his family.
He settled Kyoko into her crib before sitting by his window staring out at the darkening sky, it was going to rain that evening, a thought that no longer bothered him, why should it, he was no longer cursed.
"C…at." A small voice broke threw his thoughts; he turned from the window to stare at the crib beside the bed. His small daughter had a small cat toy in her arms holding it tight. What his son or anyone else for that matter, didn't know was that Kyoko could actually say "Cat", and he had been the only person to witness it and that it had actually been her first word, because she had heard her mother mention it so often in her stories.
He smiled deeply as he looked down at his sleeping daughter, he wouldn't tell Katsuya yet, that Kyoko could say "Cat", for if he did the boy would never leave his baby sister alone. No, it would be better to let his son learn to be patient and for Kyoko to talk freely in her own time.
"Sleep well, Kyo Kat."
