Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket.


Picture Puzzle.

Kyo absolutely hated the rain. He also didn't particularly like the effect it had on his health, either. And right now, it happened to be raining. So he was sitting at his desk, glaring daggers as the big, fat, wet droplets spread themselves happily over the window, and wishing that the sun would come out.

He sniffed. And there wasn't anything to do, either. So he was stuck in his room, watching the hated rain batter at his window, and feeling completely miserable. Just perfect.

A knock, then his door slid open, Tohru quietly stepping in. Something rattled as she moved her hands, and Kyo's attention was diverted from the window to the large, and rather colourful, box she was carrying.

"I thought you'd be up here!" She said, sounding rather pleased with herself. He merely nodded, gaze still on the box in her right hand. Did it, by any chance, contain food? No, she would've brought that up on a tray. And besides, they'd already eaten breakfast. Couldn't be lunchtime so soon, could it?

"Ah, uh…well, I thought that I might bring you something which would take your mind off the weather. It might cheer you up as well!"

Kyo glanced up at her, raising one eyebrow in mild curiosity. She seemed to take that as a sign of encouragement, holding out the box for his inspection.

He blinked, plainly puzzled and a little taken aback. It was a jig-saw puzzle, the top of the box showing a farmyard scene.

"Don't you like it?"

"What would I want with a stupid, girlie puzzle?" He turned away from her, huffing. On the inside, however, he was kicking himself for hurting her feelings.

Her smile dropped off her face, and she sighed. "O-oh, well, um…I could always find something else for you, if you…"

He cut her off. "Fine! I'll do the stupid puzzle." With that, he grabbed the box out of her hand.

Knowing that this was his way of apologising, Tohru made no remark, but simply slipped quietly back out of his room, leaving the grumpy cat to solve the jig-saw.

The top of the box, Kyo tossed dismissivly to the floor, revealing the mess of pieces inside. These he tipped onto his desk and then stared at them for a while. How did these things work again? Oh yeah, you had to find the corner pieces first, then work your way outwards from those.

He glanced around for four pieces that resembled corners, scrubbing through the others, cursing whenever one of them made a bid for escape over the edge of his desk, then searching around for them on the floor.

Having found and assembled the four corner pieces, Kyo was about to continue when he noticed something. The right hand corner had what appeared to be red paint on it. Intrigued, he picked up the lid and stared at it. No, no sign of red on there. So then, why was there red paint on the actual puzzle itself?

He set to piecing it together again, wondering what the paint could be all about. In fact, he was so occupied, and slightly amused, with putting it together, that he hardly even noticed the storm lashing on the window outside.

A few hours later, Tohru hesitantly knocked on his door. Receiving no answer, she carefully opened it. Kyo was curled up on his bed, fast asleep. She crept across the floor, grinning as she notice the completed puzzle, with the smiley face that she'd painted on it, sitting on his desk.

There was a note placed on top of it.

Too easy. But…thanks.

Her grin still in place, she crept back into the hallway, missing the half open eyes that followed her progress, and the small smile at her finding of the note.