I Will, Always
Rated T
Note: I don't own Fruits Basket, just this story and the many OOC characters I magicked up wonderfully
A x 25 = Time passed/Perspective turn
* = Perspective Switch
- = Divider from Author notes
I'm gonna move at a slower place for this one, please be patient, I want to finish it, so I don't want to feel pressured to finish it one chapter a day. This story will be good though.
Chapter 1 - Chugi, the new one
"Meat, Meat, Meat" sung Tooru cheerfully whilst slicing a slab of beef
It was dinner time at the Souma residence. A normal school night; Tooru and Yuki walked home together, then did some homework until Kyou would suddenly jump in and do something fun with Yuki (or so Tooru thought) then Tooru would go downstairs to make dinner whilst Shigure wrote on his computer.
"Stupid Cat! Don't you dare call me that!" yelled Yuki who was running after a fleeing Kyou, knocking furniture out of his path in the house
"What? Pathetic Mousey? It suits you well!" teased Kyou running out of the house
Tooru completely ignored the events, she knew in the end they'd come back home to eat in harmony. Tooru starting putting the slabs of beef into the boiling pot on the oven to her left. Her mind started to drift away, she had been in this kitchen so much that she didn't even need to think to cook a good meal in it, her mind strayed to mini episodes of her homework, friends, Yuki,Kyou,Shigure, and all the other wonderful people in her life until she felt a little tug at her baby blue house dress.
She awoke to find Shigure clumsily trying to peek into what was for dinner whilst trying not to disturb Tooru's daydreaming.
"Beef and vegetable stew, Shigure-senpai" she said
"I look forward to it, my little Tooru-kun always makes delictable meals" charmed Shigure with a smile
Tooru was glad that Shigure was pleased with her cooking, she liked the feeling of being appreciated.
Shigure backed out of the kitchen to the front porch to get some fresh night air. Tooru started chopping vegetables expertly, she put them into the boiling pot that the now dark brown beef was in. She let the two ingredients mix together within the broth and water, forming into an amazing stew, prepared so well by Tooru to the point where it could be mistaken for alchemy or magic.
Tooru got out a tea set and started making herb tea; green tea for Yuki, black tea for Kyou, and chai tea for Shigure. She knew the three males so well, it really helped her be a better homemaker, knowing the likes and dislikes of everyone in the house.
She turned the electric kettle on and started to go back to adding spices to the stew. Again, her mind started wandering back to "la-la" land, she dreamed of giant, playful puppies, and of a vegetable garden, her dreaming never ceased until a whistle awoke her. The tea was ready.
She started whipping together the meal expertly and went to set on the living room coffee table.
"Dinner! Kyou-san, Yuki-san, Shigure-san!!!" she called out
Shigure emerged from his chambers of literature and went to the table presenting the sweet smelling beef stew.
"My little Tooru-kun has made another amazing meal!" exclaimed the cheery novelist "I can't wait to taste it, it must be delicious if it was prepared by little Tooru-kun"
Tooru blushed lightly at the flattery, she realized Kyou and Yuki haven't come to dinner yet.
"Dinnnerrr!" she shouted
No one came.
"They're probably just letting out some more energy Tooru-kun, don't worry, come enjoy your delicious dinner." beckoned Shigure
Tooru sat at the table and began filling her bowl with stew.
"So Tooru-kun, how is school?" asked Shigure, striking a conversation
"Good actually! We had a test yesterday, and I got an 80!!! Of course I couldn't of done it without Yuki's help, and Kyou was also... Blah... Blah blah" Shigure stopped listening and just stared at the happy youth spewing stories and oozing happiness in front of him- oh, to be young again, thought Shigure.
He sipped the hot broth of the stew from his spoon, watching Tooru's face turn different shades, and displaying diverse emotions. Sometimes it was fun to be alone with little Tooru-kun just to watch her be herself, thought Shigure.
The real world snapped back into his head. Tooru asked him "Shigure-senpai, Kyou-san and Yuki-san are taking awfully long"
She was right, Tooru managed to kill 30 minutes talking about school, what felt like a few seconds for Shigure. But nonetheless, where could the two idiots be at this hour of the night.
Just then, there was a knock on the door-
"Coming" chirped Tooru who got up from her seat to go to the door, she opened it to present a tall male, perhaps a year or two older than Tooru, with hazel eyes and neck-length dark brown hair, wearing a traditional maroon hakama. The boy seemed familiar, but was even more familiar were the two boys he was carrying on his shoulders.
"Yuki-san! Kyou-san!" started Tooru
The two boys were very tired, Kyou was even unconscious.
"What happened?!" questioned Tooru
"No 'hello' even?" joked the boy "I found them infront of a big tree on the ground, Yuki-kun said Kyou smacked into it, and so did he"
"I did not!" said Yuki groggily
"So how'd you manage to get beaten up?" said the large male, piquing the tired Yuki on his right shoulder
Yuki went embarassingly silent.
"Come in" instructed Tooru
"Arigato" thanked the boy, who walked in to the living room to set the two boys onto the tatami floor.
"Good to see our two morons are home safely, ne, Tooru-kun" joked Shigure finishing out his stew
"Yes, it is" said Tooru eyeing the boy who brought them in
"Err- excuse me" started Tooru "may I ask for your name?"
"Chugi Makoto, nice to meet you" replied the male, bowing on his knees to Tooru, which in most cases meant worship.
"Yes, you too, my name is Tooru Honda"
"Ah, so you're the Tooru that Kyou-san keeps talking about" said the male
Huh? Kyou never talked about Tooru unless it was her health... Ever.
"Ah, excuse me, I go to the highschool you and Kyou-san go to, same with Yuki-san" explained Chugi
Tooru remembered seeing this boy during the track race and during cultural festivals, he was usually helping people setup the events.
"Oh! Would Chugi-senpai like something to eat as a thank you?" offered Tooru
"Not really, it wasn't anything to be thanked for, but I wouldn't mind some chai tea"
"Yes! I'll go get you some!" Tooru jumped off the floor to the kitchen like a spring coil that was spun up too tightly.
Shigure took an instant liking to Chugi, perhaps just because of the chai tea they both liked, and their fashion sense was similar. While Tooru was making another batch of chai tea for Chugi and Shigure, the males in the living room started talking about how the hell Yuki and Kyou managed to slam into a tree, when Tooru came back, the conversation halted, concluding in the nonsense "the tree popped out of nowhere- literally"
"How is Yuki-san and Kyou-san feeling?" asked Tooru
"Much better Miss Honda" responded Yuki; Kyou was asleep for the night
Tooru placed the china tea set on the coffee table, the group started drinking they're zinged chai tea. Even if it was a tad late, nothing felt out of place, the house seemed to be engulfed in the silence.
Chugi didn't want to meet Tooru under the guise of saving Yuki and Kyou from getting ill, so he kept quiet. Shigure finished his tea and retired for the night to his room, but before that he said little "Good nights" to everyone.
Tooru and Yuki had nothing to talk about in the awkward situation.
"Well, it seems to be getting quite late, and I have done what I came to do." Chugi got up and placed his empty tea cup back onto the tray on the coffee table "Thank you for the tea Tooru-kun"
The boy left the house casually, shortly after, Yuki said goodnight to Tooru and went to bed. Tooru picked up a little bit, thinking to herself about what had just happened. To her, she just made a new friend, Chugi. Otherwise, it was a normal and boring, routine day.
She walked upstairs to her room, and went to the dresser, across the room from her soft and clean bed. Tooru got changed into her pajamas, and went tiredly to bed, her mind so exhausted that it refused to dream anything fun.
She crawled under her coverlet, feeling suddenly placid, and quiet, she pulled the covers up to her chin, looking like a kid, she lightly smiled, and started to doze off to sleep.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
The next morning, she woke up with renewed vigor, her eyes fluttered open and she glanced at the clock on her night table, she had just about enough time to prepare breakfast and get ready to go to school, she got up and started getting dressed.
Meanwhile, downstairs, held a very red-eyed Shigure who stayed awake all night writing his monologue, and thinking of how to annoy Mit-san when she came to gather the papers. It was always fun to see her try to get the monologue, like the stack of paper was her only lifeline. Shigure liked the feeling of being so important that someone would beg for his work, and do drastic things.
Shigure's eyes burned, he closed them, feeling the cool sensation and moisture of his inner-eyelids, he closed his document on his computer, saved it, then clicked the monitor off. He arose groggily and slouched his way to his tatami style bed. He layed on the straw, and went to bed instantly, except, it was early morning.
Tooru was in her school uniform, now tip-toeing down the stairs quietly. She dropped her bookbag on the living room floor, and pranced to the kitchen, gathering bread and other ingredients from the cupboards and fridge. She started making quick toast and hash brown breakfasts for herself and the rest of the tenants residing in the home.
Kyou got up off the living room floor, he seemed to have shifted into a painful position in his sleep, his back ached, but he saw Tooru's black bookbag and heard a pan sizzling, it must have been morning. Kyou rolled off the floor onto his knees, he wiped the drool off his neck and fixed his hair where he felt it stand up (more than usually). He heard Tooru's sweet melodic humming, he called out "What's for breakfast Tooru-san?!"
"Toast and hash browns, good morning Kyou-san!!!" answered the energetic sweet voice from the kitchen
Kyou got up, feeling his knee kink back into proper working order, and he came up to watch Tooru cook. He never bothered to get dressed until it was usually the last 30 seconds before they were to leave to school. Besides, he liked it better here, hearing Tooru happily humming, and the crisp aroma encircling the room.
Yuki got up off his tired ass, and wiped the sleep out of his eyes, he flexed, feeling his muscles awake from his rest. He sat up in his bed and looked around for his school uniform. He found it on the floor, next to his bookbag. The uniform was very dirty, he assumed it was yesterdays clothes. He got up off his bed and picked the clothes up, then deposited them into the hamper. He started walking downstairs in his off-white t-shirt and long boxers. He smelled the crisp breakfast being made by Tooru, he looked into the kitchen to see Kyou slowly snapping out of his rest by the good smell of food. "Good Morning Tooru-san" he said
"Good Morning Yuki-san, did you sleep well?" said Tooru with a smile whilst buttering a slice of toast.
"Yes I did, where is my clean uniform Tooru-san?" asked Yuki politely
"Oh! Let me get it for you" Tooru turned around to face Yuki, giving him a wholesome smile, then dashed off to the laundry room.
"Cat! What is for breakfast?" asked Yuki
"I know your stupid, but you're not blind, take a look for yourself" budded Kyou
Yuki ignored the attempt to start a fight and looked at the stove to see the golden tater's being cooked, he also saw the toast that Tooru was previously buttering.
"Here you go!" said Tooru when she returned, holding the black uniform belonging to Yuki
Yuki grabbed his uniform while gratefully thanking Tooru for doing her usual chores, she always said "Its the least I can do" she was always so cute, thought Yuki as he crept quickly up the stairs to his room. He quickly got changed into his uniform, smelling the fresh detergent in the threads of his clothes.
Tooru packed all the breakfasts up into bags and got the lunch out she made yesterday, she packed them all into boxes and handed a lunch and breakfast to Kyou, who started shovelling his toast down his throat like it was his last meal. Yuki came back to the scene quickly, he picked up his boxed lunch and drew his breakfast from the bag, he started eating and exchanging looks with Kyou.
Tooru left the kitchen to Shigure's den, she slid the tatami door quietly open just an inch or two. She quietly said "Shigure-senpai, we're going to school now"
Shigure tiredly said "Okay..." and rustled himself to sleep on his stomach groggily
She slid the door closed quietly, smiling a smile that could last all school day. She looked back in the direction of the kitchen and saw Kyou and Yuki standing in the den looking back at her, waiting for her.
She picked up her black bookbag and the trio started their daily routine walk to school, Yuki slowly ate his hash brown the entire walk while passively arguing with Kyou. Tooru just smiled and walked inbetween them, she was so happy that she could do this every day.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
"Tooru-chan!!!" cried out Uotani as she ran for Tooru during lunch "Look!"
Uotani handed Tooru a picture of a group of boys, two of the five boys she recognized as Kyou and Chugi, the boys were lined up and Kyou looked determined, Chugi was in his hakama noticed Tooru, and Kyou was in his black shirt and cargoes, so this couldn't of been a very formal occasion.
"What is it?" asked Tooru curiously
"Carrothead got into the wrestling team!" said Uotani excitedly
"That is quite exciting that Kyou-san accomplished to get into a team! Excuse me, but why is it so important to you?"
Uotani suddenly turned a lighter shade of pink and just wavered it off immediately "It's not, just thought I'd let you know"
"Oh, well thank you Uo-chan"
Hanajima slowly crept up beside Uotani looking as calm as always and said "Hello Tooru-chan" and bowed slightly
"Hey Tooru-kun" said a deep melodic male voice
Tooru turned around beaming, and saw Chugi with a toothless grin looking at her.
"Do you remember me?" he asked
"Yeah, your Chugi-senpai!" said Tooru
"Right, this is how I wanted to first meet you, seeing one of those smiles Kyo-san tells me so much about"
"Kyou-san talks about me?" asked Tooru, raising one eyebrow and putting a finger to her cheek
"Yes, never mind that though, it's all wonderful things Tooru-kun"
"Oh, good!" Tooru started smiling again
"Oh yes, Tooru-kun, I wanted to ask you what to get Kyo-san since his birthday is in a few weeks"
Tooru remembered that Kyou's birthday was coming up soon, she already got him a necklace that matched his tome bracelet, just to subtly tell him that she didn't mind his true form, at least that's what she wanted to think.
"I was wondering what to get him" finished Chugi
"Hrmmm... Well Kyou likes fighting, and the stars... Oh! And competitions" Tooru tried to name things Kyou liked, she realized that she actually didn't know Kyou as well as she thought.
"Okay, I think I'll get him a new hakama since his is much too small for him and it's tattered"
"I think he'd really like that!" said Tooru appreciatively
"Thank you very much Tooru-kun" and then Chugi walked away back to his friends, which were oddly enough, the other three boys she saw in the wrestling team photograph
The boys seemed to get along like brothers, they joked and made fun of eachother all in good fun. It seemed almost like a fraternity. In another second, Kyou popped up by the group, getting greeted by hugs and shakes, this is the friendliest Kyou she had ever seen.
She'd ask about the group later, now, she had class to go to.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
"Kya!Kyo!" shouted Chugi while punching
Kyou looked like a deer caught in headlights as a punch as fast as lightning, and as strong as a hammer, burning with rage, was about to hit him right in the face!
Smack!
Contact of knuckle and the soft skin of the face was made, Kyou got hit hard and toppled onto his back, Chugi fell back from recoil, the two fell on top of eachother, Chugi on the bottom. Tooru's heart snapped, Kyou looked extremely hurt!
"Hahahaha!" chuckled Kyou getting up off the concrete with a big goose egg on his head
"Hahahahehe" joined in Chugi
The two boys got up and laughed, acting like brothers.
It started when school ended, and as Kyou was about to go home, he jumped on Chugi! The two started brawling furiously on campus! But the two ended up laughing it off. Tooru couldn't understand at all why they would fight then laugh, she thought people only fought when there was a problem, but her heart recovered quickly, the laughter was infectious, she started chuckling a little too while cleaning up Kyou.
Yuki quickly approached them, dumbfounded at why Kyou had a lump the size of a rock on his head and why they were laughing. But ignored it all together and politely asked Tooru to join him to go home, while dragging Kyou irritably whilst Kyou shot off his mouth at him. Chugi just waved at them as they left, like they were leaving his home.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Click!
Chugi's apartment lock clicked open, he pushed the big white door infront of him, and entered. The apartment had 3 rooms, a bathroom, a bedroom with a laundry room attached, and a big main room that held the kitchen, living room and dining room, the entire apartment was hardwood floors, except the tiled kitchen and bathroom. The bathroom and bedroom layed to the left of the apartment, the dining room, ahead, and kitchen, and living room to the right. There was a sliding door in the dining room, which led to the balcony, it was the perfect bachelor apartment, maintained well, and owned by Chugi himself.
He threw his keys on the graphite breakfast nook that seperated the living room and kitchen. He sat on the couch that was pushed up against the far-side of the nook. Infront of him was a coffee table with a laptop, he turned it on and started his daily routine of staying up working on the computer until midnight, sometimes later, until he awoke, his face on keyboard.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
The group got home, Tooru dropped her bookbag in the living room and automaticly went to the kitchen. Kyou got out of the headlock Yuki kept around him as they walked home, Kyou shouted angrily at him while Yuki just walked upstairs to do homework.
Tooru started dinner when Shigure walked in and put his hands around her waist. She gave a little "Eeep!" and Shigure grinned.
"Oh Shigure-senpai!" answered Tooru innocently to Shigure's liking.
"I see you Shigure!!!" yelled Yuki and Kyou who came to the kitchen by Tooru's high "eep"
"Time to run!" Shigure ran out of the kitchen with the two young men in pursuit of him
"Get your perverted ass back here so I can beat you bloody!" yelled Kyou with his blood boiling
Shigure chuckled darkly while running around the house quickly.
Tooru innocently continued cooking dinner, while humming. She cut a head of lettuce getting ready to prepare a salad.
Chugi's dinner comprised of some sushi he made in a rush during the weekend. He hated the feeling of being lonely, he only had one girlfriend before; in the 6th grade, and his income was bad, he hardly made it. The relationship he had then wasn't even very serious. He didn't find bachelor life unenjoyable, but some of the girls at his school were just breathtakingly beatiful, like Tooru or Hanajima... And he could definetely wake up every morning, with someone sleeping next to him soundly, someone that he could just hold onto and enjoy the company of. He knew both the females he was thinking about were distinctly not meant for him. Even though Chugi was a good judge of person, and he knew Tooru would be good for him, Kyou and Yuki would be there, people who lived with her already. Hanajima shared the artistic side he had with her, from having similar sketchings and work during art class, they even almost kissed once, almost by accident, but they caught
eachother in ecstacy of the right mood, lighting, and everything really, almost like a two-sided love at first sight, but not quite.
Tooru finished making dinner; herring, salad, and white sticky rice. Shigure finally tired the two young males out, oddly enough, Shigure had energy when he needed it most. As Tooru got the tray of salmon from the kitchen and set it on the living room table, Shigure came up to her slyly and quietly.
"Smells delicious" he said with a chuckle
"Eep!" let out Tooru by accident, Shigure's head was perched on her shoulder, with a very perverted yet innocent grin on his face. "I'm sorry Shigure-senpai" she apologised genuinely
"Thats fine, it's okay if I get to have such good food everyday"
"Dog! Don't make us come after you again!" said Kyou, coming back in the house from the wild chase previously. The two boys were catching their breath still. The two boys walked awkwardly towards the table and toppled in their pillow seats. They filled their plates as Tooru brought the food in. Shigure settled from his thoughts and sat down to fill his plate. Tooru sat down with the trademarked smile she owned. They started eating when Tooru broke the silence.
"Kyou-san, when did you make the wrestling team?" asked Tooru being cutely curious
"Who told you that?" said Kyou
"Uo-chan"
"Oh, yeah, I joined a few friends who were already part of it"
"So Chugi-senpai is your friend?"
"A very good friend, I met him in grade 9"
"Oh~ Does he like fighting too?"
"Yeah! and he's better than anyone I know, he can even beat Yuki up!"
Yuki turned to a shade of red, he hated it when people blandly said when people were better than him, or they mentioned his weaknesses or fears.
Meanwhile, Chugi was nipping at his sushi whilst practicing playing his acoustic guitar, he was good at it, and liked to play love songs on it, he thought one day he might be able to share them with the girl of his dreams. Chugi's passion for woman was more than his passion for fighting and art combined, he loved the feel of feminine skin. He wasn't perverted at all, he just wanted someone to snuggle up to and hug lovingly while a little cute face looked up at him, as innocent as a child, then grinned slightly, meaning that she loved him.
Loneliness was something Chugi was used to, he temporarily substitued his missing need for relationship and companionship with fighting and fraternity. Chugi loved love alot, but he was much more than adaptable enough to live without love. Chugi was probably adaptable and resourceful enough to be able to live without water. The resourceful bastard he was.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
"Have a good night Tooru-chan" said Shigure
It was bed time.
"What did you say dog?!" bickered Kyou
"Nothing! Nothing!" joked Shigure as he slid his den door closed
"Good night Shigure-senpai" said Tooru, he heard her through the door
Yuki was already in bed snoozing his night away, Kyou climbed up to the roof to sleep, and Tooru went upstairs quietly. She slipped into bed and pulled the covers up to her neck, shut her eyes, and fell asleep.
Chugi was still up, and was up working on a philosophy report until the twilight hours of the night, he fell asleep on his couch like all bachelors do.
-
* Shigure is NOT Tooru's boyfriend, it is just Shigure's perverted works and Tooru's innocence that allowed it to happen. :) And I needed a little laugh in this story.