Hey everyone!
This is my first Fruits Basket story. I haven't written fanfiction in a few years so any comments/suggestions/constructive criticism is most certainly welcome! Oh and I am currently reading the manga, but not very far in yet so I apologize if I haven't got the characters quite right (I'm mostly working from the anime).
I don't own Fruits Basket any of the characters.
~Leesh
Take This as an Apology
Chapter One: Here Comes Trouble
"I'm hungry!"
The orange-haired teen grumbled unhappily, stomping around the kitchen restlessly. He fidgeted with a few pots and pans, only to set them down and continue circling the kitchen. His stomach growled angrily and he rubbed his hand across it, looking up at the clock.
"You could just make something yourself you know," muttered the silver-haired teen as he watched his rival rifling through the fridge.
"Meh. Where's Tohru-kun anyways?" He was pulling items in and out from the shelves indecisively as he spoke. "She always has my breakfast ready… just the way I like it too." He sulked, retreating from behind the refrigerator door.
"Leave her alone, she's been really worrying about finals lately." Yuki turned and left the kitchen for the big table, neatly placing his bag beside him when he sat. "You need Honda-san for everything. Did she help you get dressed this morning?" he remarked snidely from through the doorway.
"I don't need anyone!" Kyo's felt his face grow hot and if it weren't for his damn stomach aching for food then he would have been getting into it with his oh-so-neat and ready-to-go-to-school cousin by now.
"Well are you going to make breakfast, then? It give you some purpose for once, dumb rat."
"Good morning children!" Shigure's voice filled the room, cheerful despite the frigid weather outside. He had come in as if on cue, just in time to stop the beginnings of yet another morning argument and Kyo instantly became irritated with him. His opportunity to retaliate to Yuki's words had passed thanks to the stupid dog and his sunny, morning the time again, he frowned.
"Ugh does no one care that it's half past and there's no food on the table?"
"Ah Kyo, stop complaining. Why don't you go and see what's taking so long if you're that impatient." Begrudgingly, the belligerent teen complied and stalked towards the stairs that led to their bedrooms.
Shigure shook his head, a small smile on his lips as he began heating up water for tea. He re-entered the front room, sighing thoughtfully. "Tohru-kun has been working hard at school and keeping this place clean. We should all be a little more helpful during exams week, don't you think?" His question, not meant to be rhetorical, was met by silence. "Yuki?"
The boy had left the table and lingered idly by the entrance of the house. He glanced upwards at his cousin, hair quivering just the slightest bit with the small movement. Both his hands were jammed into his jacket pockets as he leaned quietly against the doorframe.
"What's with you this morning? You're usually more… alert."
"It's early." Clearly the boy wasn't in the mood for talking which puzzled Shigure, but then again it was finals week and Yuki had been packing in a lot of study hours. Before he could further contemplate the matter, Kyo's voice drifted down from the upstairs.
"Shigure! Kyo!" The tone in his voice made them both jump up immediately.
Tohru.
xxx
"It's probably influenza. I've had my hands full all weekend with the rest of the Junniyshi. Akito's got it bad. Not that that should surprise me I suppose." Hatori was, as usual, calm and direct with his instructions. Shigure nodded, listening intently and playing with the telephone cord as he Hatori spoke. "It came so early this year, not everyone has received their vaccinations yet."
"Ah Ha-san is so smart!" Shigure marveled, still smiling despite having to force both Kyo and Yuki to leave for school just a few minutes prior. Kyo had found Tohru curled beneath her blankets, shivering and feverish. Immediately he had yelled for Shigure and from there it became chaos until Shigure convinced the boys that all would be fine and he was perfectly capable of watching after Tohru until school was over. Surprisingly Yuki had come to his aid and hastily dragged the cat from the house before he could pitch a fit over that idea.
"She needs a lot of rest and fluids. Keep Kyo and Yuki away from each other so they don't fight and disturb her. Let her sleep as much as she wants but make sure she eats a little something to keep her strength. Call if you have any questions or if her fever gets worse."
"Don't worry about me." Shigure assured him. "I have everything under control."
Hatori snickered, a bit of playful doubt infiltrating his voice. "Well I'll try and swing by if I can to check in on her and give you all your vaccinations but I probably can't leave unless it's an emergency. Akito's been demanding my time all day and you know how it is when Akito's sick."
The line was silent for a few moments and the statement hung in the air rather awkwardly before anyone spoke again. "Thank you Ha-san, I'll keep in touch."
"Alright Shigure, talk to you soon."
xxx
The lukewarm meal in front of them was definitely mediocre and there was no way to refute that. Shigure sighed, pushing his food around his plate absentmindedly. Across the table, the teens were doing the same. He opened his mouth to say something but fell silent. Everyone was thinking about Tohru and he wasn't sure anything he could say would make either boy any happier.
After they had left from school, he had quietly gone in to check on the girl. She was still burrowed under the covers, cheeks flushed and temperature holding around ninety-nine degrees despite the medication Hatori had instructed to give. She had woken briefly near lunch and managed to eat some soup which she weakly, but politely, thanked him for before returning to sleep. After cleaning the kitchen he had called Hatori once more who reassured him that the fever would probably last for a few days but was okay for the time being. This he had reiterated to the teens who bursting in the door after school immediately inquired about their friend. Apparently even the news that Tohru would be fine in a few days was not enough to assuage their concerns.
After a drawn out twenty minutes, Kyo rose from the table. "I'm going to make tea for Tohru-kun," he announced, leaving the room briskly. Yuki barely nodded, still staring at his nearly full plate. Shigure was beginning to grow worried about his cousin. Yuki's lack of interest in anything since dinner began, especially Tohru's condition was puzzling.
Cautiously he tried to make conversation. "You've been awfully quiet tonight."
Almost immediately, Yuki rose from the table as well, ignoring Shigure's comment. "I'm going to check on Tohru," he murmured, leaving Shigure puzzled and alone with all the leftovers andan empty room.
xxx
After leaving the bathroom, Shigure frowned looking at his cousin's bedroom door. He had not seen ot heard from the teen since he left the dinner table. Even Kyo wasn't able to get a rise out of the rat as they passed each other in the hall. Pausing before the door, he knocked lightly against the doorframe. "Yuki?"
"Yeah, come in Shigure."
Shigure slid open the door. Yuki was at his desk, books open as usual. He looked exhausted, shoulders slightly slumped and hair mussed. Papers were spread out in front of him, each covered in neatly printed notes. The bed was neatly made and Shigure almost wanted to laugh at the cleanliness of the room because he was nowhere near that neat at that age.
"You didn't eat much at dinner."
"It wasn't exactly gourmet food." The answer was quick and edged with annoyance, unusual for Yuki's generally quiet nature. As he spoke, the boy rose and neatly closed the books, stacking them in an organized pile.
"Well I'm nowhere near as good as Tohru-san," Shigure paused as a smile filled his face "but she's simply amazing!" he laughed trying to lighten the mood in the room. Yuki ignored him, shuffling about the room and gathering his pajamas and towel. Shigure stopped grinning like a small child and watched Yuki intently.
"That and I know you well enough to know that you get grumpy when you're sick." Yuki paused for a moment, turning away. Shigure gently asked "Are you feeling okay? Perhaps you've caught Tohru's bug."
"M-fine Gure-san." He made to leave the room but Shigure's hand shot out blocking the doorway as Yuki tried to pass. The light playing off his slender features made him seem especially pale and Shigure was worried that Yuki wasn't being entirely truthful with him.
"Oh no you don't." Shigure placed a hand across the boy's forehead, feeling heat radiating from it before their skin even made contact. He was right, his cousin had a fever.
"Bed. Now." Yuki opened his mouth in protest but Shigure abruptly cut him off. "Ah- no questioning me or I'll bring Hatori over here. And I mean that," he warned.
"You wouldn't." Yuki looked up, eyes narrowing at his older cousin. "You know I hate it when he goes overboard treating me."
"Then slow down and rest. School can wait. Kyo and I are capable of taking care of Tohru. I know you hate when people single you out, but you especially have to be careful. I don't think I need to remind you about the endurance run episode."
Yuki sighed, sitting on the bed. "Fine. But I'm okay on my own. It's Tohru that needs your attention."
Shigure chuckled and patted the boy on the shoulder. "Just take it easy, I'm going to make some tea." He left the room, musing to himself. Well the next few days should be interesting.
xxx
Morning came more quickly than Shigure would have liked. The sun was streaming through the windows as Shigure entered the living room. He was almost surprised that nobody was downstairs at the table, but then he remembered that half the house was currently incapacitated. Both children were no worse, but by no means better and therefore not going to school.
"Kyo?" He looked around for the orange-haired boy. "Kyo hurry up or you're going to be la-"
The sound of shuffling footsteps made him turn around. The boy appeared wearily at the top of the stairs looking quite disheveled with a few strands of flame-colored hair damp and stuck to his forehead. Shigure only needed one look to figure out what was wrong.
"You caught it too, huh."
He sighed heavily, shaking his head in frustration as he reached for the phone.
"I hope Hatori's around."
xxx
"They all need rest. Keep Kyo and Yuki away from each other so they don't try and fight. Try and get them all drink tea, water. I assume you kno the drill from yesterday." Hatori sounded much more tired than he had the day before and Shigure figured Akito had kept him up through most of the night.
"And how are you doing Ha-san?" The question was lighthearted in tone but sincere in nature.
"Not any worse than usual Gure-san. Speaking of, pay attention to your body too. Eat, sleep, and stay hydrated. The last thing we need is for you to also come down with the virus."
"I understand. Thank you Ha-san."
xxx
He was stuck. The pen seemed to be mocking him as he stared at the blank page laid out on the desk. Nearly three hours had crawled by and still no ideas had filtered from his jumbled brain to the paper. At least he didn't have that damned assistant of his running after him shouting "Sensei, sensi!" He chuckled a bit. At least there was one upside to flu season.
He thought of Hatori's warning and sighed. The past day had been spent running around between the three bedrooms, dispensing tissues, tea, and cool towels to the three ailing children. He found it interesting the way that an illness could warp one's personality. Ironically, Kyo was the whiny and oh-woe-is-me patient that required things every half hour while Yuki was surly, reserved, and generally grumpy but self-sufficient. Any food or drink left my his bed was consumed and he spent most of his time quietly reading or sleeping. Tohru was by far the best patient, thanking him for her food and inquiring about the others before falling into a gentle sleep.
As he continued to stare at the page, a rather loud and booming voice startled him and he nearly topple backwards off the chair in which he had been leaning back. Poking his head around the corner quizzically, he was surprised to see his cousin, hair and red robe dramatically flowing as he glided across the room. "Aya-san!"
"Ah! Gure-san my handsome." The man ran to him, caressing his face before spinning around and crossing the room. "I ran into Ha-san and he told me that my little brother was sick. I came to check on him as a big brother should!"
Shigure nodded. "It appears that all three of them have caught the flu. I'm not so sure you'll want to spend much time here. It's contagious you know."
Ayame grinned, still floating around the room, his long hair following suit. "I won't be long haha. Just long enough to get Yuki's things and we'll be on the way."
"Get Yuki's things?" He was puzzled at Ayames statement.
"Ahahaha, I shall be taking my brother with me. What better care can you get than from me!" He pulled a bag from somewhere inside his robes and proceeded towards the stairs. Shigure opened his mouth in protest but was interrupted by yet another knock on the door.
Ayame beat him to it, flinging it open and posing with all thirty-something of his sparkling teeth showing. "Ha-san!"
Hatori, as exhausted as he looked, perked up when he saw both of his friends. "Aya-san, what are you doing here?" Ayame was humming to himself absentmindedly as he flitted about the two men.
"He's come to apparently take Yuki to his house."
"Oh?" Hatori raised an eyebrow, looking at his friend.
"It's true. After you told me my little brother was ill I prepared my place and then came here to pick him up." He frowned playfully. "But Gure-san doesn't seem to trust me."
"I just worry about Yuki's reaction. He's fine here; quiet, resting, and under my care which he barely tolerates as is." Shigure looked back at Ayame apologetically.
Hatori looked down thoughtfully and then spoke up. "I am the only one who can control him you know Shigure. I say let him-" he shook his head as Shigure resisted, "if anything it will keep him and Kyo from racing each other to get better or quarreling while they should be resting." He put his hand on a concerned looking Shigure with understanding in his voice. "He'll be closer to me as well Gure-san. Just… just in case."
Shigure nodded, agreeing to give in on this one. It certainly was going to make his life easier and it did make him feel a bit better knowing if Hatori was needed he had easier access to Ayame's place. "I'll let Yuki know, albeit he won't be pleased with this situation."
"Ah but who better than to hear it from than me! His big brother!" Ayame cheerfully explaimed as he went bounding up the steps.
"Ayame!" Hatori went running after him with a you-better-stay-in-line tone coating his words. Shigure stood at the bottom of the steps, running his fingers through his hair worriedly as he waited for the cries of protest that were about to begin. He sighed and turned to fetch Yuki's coat.
"Here comes trouble."