Konichiwa! I can't believe I'm actually posting this...it took long enough. First of all I'm aware that Minna sounds a lot like Tohru in this chapter. Let me say this. Minna is NOT a Tohru replacement. She will NOT break the curse or change everyone's lives like Tohru. I have no intention of rewriting Fruits Basket. Minna is actually not that much like Tohru (except for her feeling too responsable for things she's not responsable for...but that's another story). I also have no intention of creating an ideal female character that all the guys will instantly fall in love with because I don't like Mary Sue stories...so yeah, don't expect that. This is AU as if Tohru never happened. The curse is not broken either. I wrote this for my own amusement and therapeutic purposes. I likewise tweaked the characters' ages for my own purposes. Italics indicate thoughts. This is just a story for those who enjoy adventures with the Sohmas, funny, serious, or otherwise. If anyone's OOC let me know. It is very important for me that everyone is in character. Yay for my first fic! (On fan fiction at least).
I don't own Fruits Basket. Natsuki Takaya the Blessed One does.
"My what a beautiful family!" grandma whispered, as I stood beside my grandparents and watched our new guests climb out of several taxi's in front of our pre-Civil War bed and breakfast home. I was stunned as one beautiful person after another poured out of the cars.
"Ah! So this is the place!" said one tall handsome man with black hair, addressing one of the most beautiful people I'd ever seen. Is he talking to a guy or a girl!
"Oh! 'Gure-chan! It's a picture of foreign mystery! Can you imagine watching the sunset together, sipping lemonade, and eating strange American foods as the twilight settles on the perfect romantic scene?"
OK, so maybe it's the black haired guys' girlfriend? But that somehow doesn't seem right.
The beautiful androgynous person had the most gorgeous long silver hair I'd ever seen. He/she wore a beautifully tailored, flowing Japanese outfit.
But none of this tells me the gender!
"Yuki-kun!!!!" the beauty exclaimed. "Aren't you excited about spending the entire summer with your loving older brother!"
Brother? Oh, so he's a guy... Is he gay? I looked over at the person he was running towards, the person who had just emerged from the car behind.
Once again I was totally stunned. If I'd thought the taller silver haired one was gorgeous, this guy (I was pretty sure it was a guy) was like a younger version of him with shorter silky dark gray hair that shone in the sun, and eyes…what color is that exactly? Amethyst? Is he wearing contacts?
I was amazed. When I joked with my best friend Julie on the phone the night before about how lucky I was, having several guys my age staying at the bed and breakfast all summer, I didn't realized how lucky I'd actually be.
I'd found out the gender and ages of our guests when I had to prepare the rooms for their arrival. There were three girls and ten guys. Two of the girls were closer to my age (I'll be a College Sophomore next fall), and one was in junior high. Four of the guys were apparently around my age, which pleased me. The others were all older it seemed, except for one kid in Junior High.
I looked back to the beautiful guy with the dark gray hair. Well, now I knew that at least one of the guys my age was attractive. At the moment his eyes were narrowing at his older brother "Go bother someone else. I'm tired right now, that baka neko-"
"Shut up, you kaza nezumi!!!!!!!!!" Startled I looked over as another very attractive guy with very orange hair emerged behind him from the cab, "It wasn't my idea for us to sit by each other on the way here!"
"Of course not, that would imply that you had been thinking, baka neko." Yuki responded evenly. That sent the orange haired guy off.
"All right that's it! You want to settle this right now, Girly Boy?!" He looked like he was going to start a fight, but Yuki looked at him with a cool annoyed look.
"You realize when you call me that it just makes you look worse when I beat you."
"Shut up! You think you're so smart! You're just scared to fight me aren't you!"
I was getting a bit worried that they really were going to start a fight, when the orange headed guy was tackled from behind by a cute brunette girl who proceeded to give him the most painful looking noogie I'd ever seen "KYO-KUN!!!!!!!!!! MY LOVE!!!!!!!!!!!! WHY DIDN'T YOU SIT WITH ME!!!!!!!!!!! I HAD TO RIDE THE WHOLE WAY HERE WITHOUT YOU!!!!!!!!! I MISSED YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!"
Does she love him or hate him?
Another guy, emerging from the car behind them, suddenly distracted me. He had white hair but it looked black underneath at the roots. He wore a black shirt buttoned only partway up with the sleeves ripped off. He had a spiked dog collar around his neck, a tattoo around his arm, and a somewhat dazed expression on his face. He was also as hot as Yuki was gorgeous. He said nothing but seemed to float over to where Yuki was standing taking hold of Yuki's shirt. "Hello Haru." Yuki said sounding tired.
Two more beautiful girls also appeared next, but they all looked the same age. They couldn't contrast more in their choice of dress. One wore a traditional Japanese Kimono, the other a black miniskirt and revealing top with black boots that laced all the way up to her mid thigh. I thought one was supposed to be in junior high. But then a younger girl showed up as well. Did we get the genders wrong? That could cause rooming difficulties. Two younger looking kids got out of the car next, one was a pretty blond…. boy? Maybe? These people are too pretty; I'm having difficulty figuring out what they are. I thought there were only two jr. high kids. The blond bounced around the group with a lollypop in his hand talking excitedly in what sounded like a mix of German and Japanese. The other kid was definitely male. After inspecting the bouncy one more closely I realized he was about as tall as me. Perhaps he was in high school. He acted so young, though.
The last person to emerge was another young man who also seemed about my age. Yup, four guys around my age. He had black hair and carried himself with importance. I'm pretty sure it's a man. He was dressed in sleek black slacks and a long sleeve turtleneck. He's gorgeous! Still I wonder if he's hot in that black. Another handsome man in a suit, carrying a briefcase, followed him. Of the whole group he seemed the oldest and most mature. I guess he must be the head of the family. Still, he looks like he's in his late twenties. Surely he's too young to be the head of an ancient family.
The chaos, which had erupted as soon as the cars were vacated, died down as soon as the young man in black stepped out of his car. As the young man stepped forward the others followed suit. "Hello, I am Akito Sohma, Head of the Sohma family." No way! He's not much older than me! He smiled. I don't know I don't really like that smile, it's like the smile doesn't reach his eyes, and his eyes…they…
"Welcome to Kentucky. I'm Charles Terri, and this is my wife Ellra and our granddaughter Minna." My grandfather said. "We sure are excited to have you guys stay with us. It's not often that all our rooms are booked for the entire summer."
Akito smiled that strange smile and gave a small bow, "Arigatou Terri-san. It was difficult to find a place large enough to accommodate all of us." He started introducing everyone, and I tried to catch all the names but they were somewhat strange and difficult, especially that hot black and white haired guy's name. It was long and I couldn't remember it at all. Well I'll have plenty of time to learn it.
Normally my grandpa and I carry the luggage for the guests, but there was so much that the younger guys did most of the grunt work. We were busy enough just directing the rowdy groups to their rooms.
Our bed and breakfast is a really old southern house built before the Civil War. There are six large rooms upstairs, three rooms on each side of the house with a long hallway in between. The Sohma group was so large that they would be our only guests for the summer. We even had to house two of our rooms with three people each, the three girls and three of the guys.
I thought we should let the groups of three have the two large rooms at the front, but the head of the Sohma family wanted one of the front rooms to himself. So the three girls had to stay in one of the smaller rooms at the back, which didn't seem fair to me.
I took Akito to his room first. He didn't carry his luggage. The one called Shigure, who wouldn't stop talking to me, carried it.
"Now what is your name again?" Shigure smiled.
"Minna." I answered.
"Well, Minna-chan, you are a wonderful hostess, very pretty too I might add."
I felt a blush coming, but Akito turned round as he was entering his room. He didn't say anything, but he gave Shigure a cold look. Shigure didn't seem too phased. He smiled and shrugged but stopped speaking. He dropped the luggage in the room and gave me a wink as he passed by me, leaving the room. I felt a little confused and wondered if I was blushing. He really is very handsome. "Terri-san," I turned to Akito who'd addressed me. His eyes were strange. I couldn't read them. "Thank you for your hospitality. I will be taking dinner in my room tonight."
"Oh, that's fine. I'll carry it up for you. It will be served at 6:30"
"Arigatou," He smiled that cold smile and closed his door. I don't know what to think about him. I guess it's best not to judge too quickly.
"Was that Akito-san?" I heard a voice behind me. I turned to find Yuki (his was the only name besides Akito's that I was remembering well) and the black and white haired one standing behind me holding their luggage. My Grandma was showing them into the room across the hall.
"Yes, he's in the master bedroom."
Yuki's face fell slightly and I heard a sigh. I couldn't really read the expression on the other guys' face, it seemed kind of blank but he said "Of course Akito-san would request your room be near his, Yuki." Yuki's face looked grim.
"What?" I asked, "Do you two not get along or something?"
Yuki looked up and I distinctly saw him school his features into a smile as dazzling as it was fake, "I guess you could say that. But don't worry yourself about it Terri-san." The one behind him looked at him and made a little grunting noise that I didn't really understand.
"Oh, call me Minna please." I said. Yuki looked surprised and I remembered that thing about honorifics in Japan. "Oh! Unless it makes you feel uncomfortable. I really don't care. In America we call each other everything, so I won't be offended or anything. Call me what you like. Oh, what should I call you both?" Now I could be sneaky and try to relearn the other guys name without acknowledging that I forgot.
Yuki started to speak but the other, who'd been standing around with a kind of dazed look suddenly spoke first, "Call him Yuki. I'm Hatsuharu, but call me Haru." Haru. I can remember that. "Since we're in this country we might as well fit in. It's a pleasure to meet you, Minna." Haru bowed from the waist and I found myself blushing in spite of myself, this is fun!
Yuki, who I noticed had blushed a bit when Haru had answered for him, recovered himself and put on another charming fake smile.
"Yes, it is a pleasure to meet you Terri-sa - Minna." It was cute how difficult it was for him to say it at first. He seemed upset though. I noticed him Glance at Akito's door again. The look in his eyes was something more serious than annoyance, like what he'd shown outside towards…
"Hey! You're blocking the way!" I turned and saw that the orange-headed guy stood behind them holding his luggage.
"Oh! I'm sorry!" I apologized. "It was my fault I was keeping them."
"No need to apologize to him." Said Yuki. "Besides why are you bringing your stuff here baka neko?"
"Oh! Is that your name? Should I call you Baka Neko?" I asked eagerly. Maybe too eagerly because the orange haired guy who had been going to respond to Yuki looked at me shocked, and I had a feeling I'd said something wrong, particularly when I heard Yuki laughing beside me. Crap, I've just made an idiot of myself.
But before the orange haired guy could say anything Haru jumped in, "Yes, Minna, call him that. It fits."
"You shut up!" he yelled at Haru then turned to me, "And that's not my name so don't call me that!"
"I- I'm sorry! I didn't..."
"Don't apologize to him. You've done nothing wrong." Yuki said once again giving him a glare. "And you baka neko don't take your stupidity out on, Minna."
"Stop calling me that!"
"Then stop acting like it!"
"Um!" I interrupted…. this is getting bad. What exactly does baka neko mean? "Um, maybe we should take your things in your room."
Yuki turned to me with a smile, "Of course, if you wouldn't mind leading the way."
"Oh…OK" Gosh! Fake or not, that smile could charm a brick wall.
"Wait a minute! You're not in this room!" the angry one (as I was beginning to think of him) yelled.
"Of course I am you idi-" Yuki turned to the angry one with a look of horrified surprise that matched the angry one's expression.
"There's no way in Hell!" The angry one said.
"Um…is there a problem?" I asked.
"Damn right there is!" He turned to me, making me jump. "That Damn Yuki's staying in there too!"
"Um…well, yes, we roomed everyone according to Akito's wishes." I smiled trying to maintain my hostess composure.
The angry one just looked at me stunned. I noticed that Yuki's expression had turned to grim annoyance. By this time, Haru had already taken his own luggage as well as the luggage Yuki had set down in the hall, into the room and was standing in the doorway watching the scene with a bland expression on his face. Zen is the word. This guy is totally Zen.
"Dear," My grandmother appeared at the door, "Why don't you help these boys settle in while I show the other guests where to go." She winked and walked away before I could say anything. I couldn't stop the blush from creeping up. As if the tension could get any worse.
Yuki sighed, "Just move your stuff in here baka neko, there's nothing we can do." He crossed his arms and shot a glare at the angry one.
The orange head glared back and stomped into the room with his luggage. Haru stepped back out into the hall beside me to let him pass.
"Um…I could ask for a change of rooms, if this is going to be a problem." I suggested.
Yuki, looked at me in surprise then put on another charming smile, "No, don't worry about that. If this is how Akito-san wanted it then there's really nothing to be done." His smile faltered a bit as he spoke of Akito. Does the head of the family really care that much about where everyone sleeps? Oh well.
"Well, then, I guess if there's nothing else you need then I'll…Oh yeah!" I remembered something and turned to enter their room where the angry one was violently transferring clothes from his suitcase to one of the dressers. On second thought, maybe I should ask him his name later. Just then he notice me standing there and looked up
"What!" he said gruffly. "What is it!"
"Oh…nothing… I…do you need anything else?"
"No I'm fine!" He said gruffly then went back to stuffing clothes into drawers.
"Um…OK." I quickly left the room. I'll just have to find out his name some other time. I looked up, and Yuki was standing in front of me with a concerned look.
"I apologize for him. He has a temper and tends to take it out on others. Don't take it personally."
To be honest, I was a little frazzled. I don't think he likes me very much. But I found a smile and answered, "Oh it's OK. After all you've had a long trip, I'm sure you all must be tired."
"Yes, well we…"
"YUKI!!!!!!!!!!!" Startled, I turned around to see the silver haired beauty, Yuki's older brother, bounding down the hall toward us long hair flying. "Yuki! I was so distressed to find you wouldn't get to share a room with your loving older brother, but I suppose it cannot be helped!" I jumped back as he grabbed one of Yuki's hands in his and pressed it to his breast. This guy has to be in theatre or something. "Don't worry, I'm sure 'Gure wouldn't mind you sleeping with us anyway. Or better yet, I'll come and sleep in your bed with you!!!!!!!!!" His eyes sparkled as he looked lovingly at Yuki. Gay and incestuous?
"Try it and I'll throw you out the window!" Yuki yelled jerking his hand back. That's the first time I've seen him really lose his cool. Interesting.
The silver haired wonder seemed to ignore what Yuki said and suddenly turned to me grabbing my hands, startling me. "Oh Yuki! Of course you would immediately monopolize our lovely host! Well every Prince needs a princess! But really you must learn to share!"
What can I say? I was stunned. I felt my mouth dropping open, and a blush creeping up. So he isn't gay? Now I'm confused. Maybe he's bi?
Yuki's brother pulled me closer lifting my chin with a finger. So that I found myself inches away from the most beautiful golden eyes I'd ever seen. In fact they were the only golden eyes I'd ever seen. "Now, you lovely flower tell me your name again that I may know, whom to call when I want my tea."
I didn't know what to think. I can't say I'd ever been in this position before. My stomach fluttered and I suddenly felt confused, his golden eyes sparkled. Did he just ask me my name? What is my name?
Suddenly I felt myself pulled away by my arm, and my rescuer delivered a stunning blow to his brother's head with his other hand, "You leave her alone, you rude snake!" Yuki yelled still holding me by the arm.
His brother, who'd fallen to the floor with the force of the blow, bounded back up with a smile, "Ah excuse me, was that rude? So sorry my dear! I must make it up to you! Let me make you a dress! I don't have my regular assistant with me, but if you can show me a fabric store I will design you a perfect maid uniform to wear while your cleaning this splendid establishment, that will…"
"You will do no such thing!" Yuki yelled again, he turned to me releasing my arm, "I am so sorry, Minna, nii-san is…."
"Minna!!!!!!" the flamboyant one squealed! "Minna-chan the lovely flower! So you are on a first name basis with my brother! That's wonderful! I must say you couldn't have chosen better!!!!!!! I taught him positively everything he knows…" I stood there stunned. He just keeps going on and on. How is it that he has so much to say? Yuki seemed to be getting weary. He was holding a hand to his head.
"Stop…" Yuki was muttering under the endless rush of his brother's words, "Just stop…"
"Ayame." A deep voice from behind Ayame stopped the wave of words in its tracks. "Stop causing trouble for Terri-san and finish unpacking your things." I looked around Ayame to see the tall dark one in the suit standing behind him, and Haru was standing behind the tall dark one…funny I hadn't even noticed he'd moved.
"OK, Ha'ri!" I jumped as Ayame quickly turned to me and took my hand again. "So lovely meeting you." He gave me a wink, and waved to Yuki "By Yuki!" and was gone as fast as he had come. I stood there like a stupid idiot, not knowing what to say. The tall Dark one turned to me, "My apologies, Ayame tends to get carried away."
Tends to carry others away you mean. "Oh…it's fine, really. I was just surprised."
He grunted, "Indeed. Well, I'd best go finish unpacking."
"Um, yes, oh what should I call you please?"
He looked at me, "Hatori. If Ayame bothers you again, please come and get me." He bowed and turned away, walking past Haru to his room at the other end of the hall.
"Oh! Um, thank you!" I smiled. He was interesting too. They were all interesting. And I suddenly felt exhausted.
"Thanks Haru." I heard Yuki beside me. Haru smiled. It was the first real expression I'd seen on his face. And it was so cute! So I guess Haru went to get Hatori. "I'm sorry about my brother." Yuki turned to me. "He's an idiot. I'd suggest avoiding him in the future."
It took me a second to process the encounter with Ayame. Suddenly I laughed. Yuki and Haru looked at me in surprise. But I couldn't stop laughing. "I…I'm sorry!" I said between giggles, "I guess I'm just surprised. You're brother is definitely something! I mean, I'm a theatre major and I'm used to interesting characters, but he's…he's…" I realized I was in danger of making a potentially rude comment about a guest so I stopped myself. "…interesting." I finished.
Haru snorted. "I guess that's one word for it."
Yuki just looked at me. "You aren't offended?"
"Oh no! Not at all! I was just surprised…Oh but I really need to go help the others move in. I should go!" I waved and began making my way back to the stairs.
"Thank you for your help." Yuki said.
"Your welcome." I said though I realized that I hadn't actually done anything but get in the way and keep them from unpacking. Just then I remembered, "Oh yes, after you're unpacked we will show you all around the house and grounds so spread the word."
"Yes, we will." Yuki smiled, and Haru nodded at me. I made my way downstairs. Wow, I really really needed to call Julie.
I actually have about 7 chapters of this already written. They just need revising. So hopefully updates won't be too long in coming. I think it's kind of Ironic that this is a story about summer and it's currently the beginning of fall semester…Oh well…let summer reign!