Marry Me!
Fruits Basket is the property of Natsuki Takaya. I only own this story.
Chapter One: Noodles Anyone?
Winter is a season marked by its chilly nights and frozen lakes. When one thinks of winter, one thinks of snow. Little frozen flakes of water clinging to your hair and eyelashes. Fireplaces come to mind and the smell of apple cinnamon; eggnog and maybe misiltoe.
Something that does not enter one's mind when one thinks of winter, is the possibility of traveling half a mile to one's mailbox.
Kazuma had definently not thought about the frigid factor that was included in his trudge to the mailbox. He simply had not expected it to be so cold outside. He sighed to himself and stuck his hands further into his kimono for warmth. 'I really should have brought a coat or something.' He thought as he shivered from a gust of wind that had uncaringly decided to blow his way.
Kazuma took a turn and came into sight of his mailbox, and what a glorious mailbox it was! 'Oh thank goodness.' Kazuma walked rather quickly to said mailbox and scraped of the thin layer of ice that had formed over the contraption the night before. He sighed in annoyance while taking out his mail. 'Bills, bills, bills.' He thought as he flipped through the white envelopes. Then he came across a rather interesting, and quite unexpected letter addressed to himself. He quickly opened the white envelope and scaned it's contents thoroghly.
"Oh my," He chuckled to himself, "I had almost forgotten. Kyo is going to be in for...quite a surprise."
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Kyo paced back and forth in Kazuma's kitchen.
"What is taking him so long to get the freaking mail!" The orange haired boy screamed aloud. He had been waiting for a mere fifteen minutes, "I'm so hungry!" but hunger makes for an impatient teenager. Kyo's stomach let out a loud gurgle proclaiming to all present that it was empty and in need of serious food fullfillment. "Oh forget it! I'll just make dinner myself!" Kyo stomped over to the cupboards and searched for anything that was edible. 'Shishou never has anything good to eat here.' Kyo thought to himself as he scanned the various packages of Ramen Noodles. 'Are you kidding me?'
Kyo thought of himself as quite a good cook. If he was provided with the adiquite neccesities with which to prepare a proper meal, he was assured that it would be quite good. But not good could come from Shrimp Rame Noodels.
Being in a state of complete starvation, he roughly took a package of the despised Ramen Noodles and a clean pot from the sink then filled it halfway with water. After completeing the small task, Kyo set the pot on the stove burner on high and waited for the water to boil.
"This is boring..." Kyo mumbled as he left the kitchen, not able to stand standing still. He stomped over to the living room and slumped down onto the couch, flipping on the television.
"As you can see this mother elephant is herding her child-"
Kyo switched from the discovery channel. He hated educational crap, it was too boring.
"And in other news-"
"Boring." He complained at the television, as if saying this would persuade the television to put on something more entertaining. However; all it had to offer was reality t.v. shows, re-runs of old television series, and news.
Since the television was holding absolutely none of Kyo's interest, he decided to go into the kitchen and check on the pot of water. He walked over to the pot sitting shamelessly on the stove burner and peered in at the water.
It looked just as it had looked when he poured it in there only moments ago.
Not boiling.
Not even a little bubble.
But still he watched. Hopeing that maybe with his eyes, he could will the water to boil faster.
The force was strong with this pot however, it refused to be turned.
It remained silent and unmoving.
And not boiling.
'Why does it seem like now that I'm watching the water it takes longer to boil?'
"A watched pot never boils Kyo."
Kyo turned to see Kazuma standing in the kitchen doorway, tiny snowflakes clinging to his hair and shoulders. His hands were hidden in his kimono for warmth, and his nose was red just at the very tip from the cold outside. Kyo would have made a remark about this, however; he was to angry to do so.
"Jeez! Shishou, what took you so long to get the mail! You've been gone for almost twenty minutes!"
"My apologies Kyo, I was reading some of my mail." The man smiled and took a seat at the kitchen table, placing the letters out before him.
"Heh, don't you always only get bills in the mail Shishou?"
Kazuma laughed, "Yes that is the case most of the time, but today I got a letter from an old friend and I stopped to read it before I came home."
"Keh, whatever. So what was the letter about?"
"Oh nothing much." Kazuma said in his usual calm voice. "Just old friends reminiscing about the past. But you might want to make more then just one package of those noodles Kyo. We are having a guest over for dinner."
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'Okay Tohru, this is it. Your big day. Today you meet him, the man you are going to spend the rest of your life with.' The young girl's determined smile fell from her lips and was replaced my a look of complete failure.
"Oh this is never going to work. Who am I kidding! I'm only fifteen for crying out loud, I'm not ready to be married!" Tohru looked again to her reflection in the bathroom mirror. She had come in the bathroom for some private time, and to give herself a pep-talk. Though, she was doing very well, she felt more down then ever. She ran her pale fingers through her dark hair. Looking back up at the mirror Tohru saw her solem reflection. Her long hair lay plainly around her shoulders. Two simple green bows where tied atop her had. Plain brown eyes stared back at her. 'Who would ever want to marry me?' She questioned herself. "I'm so ordinary."
Trying one final time to cheer herself up, Tohru smiled brightly at her reflection. Though the smile did not reach her eyes. She ignored this, thinking it was good enough, and headed off to catch her train.
'Well Kyou Sohma, I hope your more prepared then I am to enter into this compainionship.'
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"What! But Shishou all we have to eat is damn Shrimp Ramen Noodles!" Kyo yelled.
"Watch your language Kyo." Kazuma scolded.
Kyo's frown increased.
"And besides, I don't see a problem with Shrimp Ramen Noodles. As long as its not burnt it's good." Kazuma smiled in his seat at the kitchen table.
If Kazuma didn't want the food to be burnt, then Kazuma wouldn't be making it. He was a terrible cook.
"AARRGH! This is so stupid!" Kyo yelled even louder then before and turned to check on the noodles and grudgingly add more to the pot. "Well, can you at least tell me who this guest is?" His words came out through gritted teeth.
"…It's a surprise.' Kazuma stated then got up and left the kitchen.
"Hey Shishou! Wait what do you mean it's a surprise!" Kyo called after his master but got no response. He growled and got back to stirring the noodles.
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"Okay, well I guess this is the place." Tohru said nervously. It wasn't a long train ride, as she had rather hoped. Her aunt had been more than happy to have a reason to get rid of her, and Tohru was hoping to have more time to herself before her life became someone else's.
She took a deep breath as she looked at the long forest path caked in snow. 'It most have snowed here earlier.' She thought vaguely, and with one last longing sigh Tohru took a step forward. Clutching only one bag to hold all of her belongings, she began to head toward the house of Kyo and Kazuma Sohma...and her future.
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Kyo's brow was furrowed as he placed a lid on the finished noodles. He had a bad feeling about the guest Kazuma had invited over. Something just didn't feel right. Aside from the fact that Kazuma refused to tell Kyo who it was.
'It sure as hell better not be Shigure, or that damn Yuki.' Kyo thought angrily to himself. He couldn't stand the old hentia, or his pretty-boy cousin. 'It better not be them.' Kyo's anger grew as he indugled more in the idea that it was Shigure and Yuki coming over. He plopped down on the couch and just sat there. 'Who else could it be?'
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All to quickly Tohru Honda came in sight of a small quaint house with a straw roof. Though the straw could barely be seen under the immense amount of snow piled ontop of it.The house was surrouned by trees, trees that had all too long ago lost their leaves. Now they stood rigid and bare in the freezing cold. Tohru felt much the same. She had nothing to offer but her self, and she feared that all she was, was a leafless tree.
She had no idea what to expect, and coming face to face with the residence of her future husband nearly petrified the poor girl to stone.
Tohru glanced one more time at the slip of paper in her hand. It had on it the address and direction to the place of residence of Kazuma and Kyo Sohma.
She was in the right place.
Tightening her grip on her black leather bag, she took in a deep breath and put on a determined face. Slowly she took one step towards the house. Then another and another, and before she knew it she was closer to the house then she wanted to be. She wanted to run, to turn around and run away from all of this. But her mother told her never to run away from her problems, and that was who Tohru was doing this for. She was going through with this arranged marriage for her mother. 'It's what you wanted mom, so I will do it, even if it kills me.' Putting aside her breif moment of faulter, she raised her hand to the door and prepared to knock.
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Kyo sighed for what seemed like the billionth time that night. It was becoming quite an annoying habit. The silence was adding to his annoyance. He could help but sigh in utter frustration. Kyo scowled up at the clock. It was quarter to six.
'Wonder when this guest of ours is going to show up…' Kyo thought with mild curiosity. But upon thinking of the possibility that it might be Shigure, the curiousity fadded in a minute to be replaced yet again by annoyance.
Knock Knock Knock
"Kyo, there is someone at the door." Kazuma's voice sounded off from somewhere nearby. "Go ahead and answer it, it must be our guest." His voice was getting closer to the living room. Kyo guessed that his master must have been upstairs.
Kyo obediently went to go open the door, and reaching for the handle he prayed to the heavens that he would not see Shigure on the other side.
Pulling back the door, he was shocked to see his prayers answered. Though he wouls have to question the method..
There stood before him a girl looking to be about his age holding only a simple black leather bag. She wore a pale green button up sweater and a white dress shirt beneath that. Despite the winter weather, the girl wore a plain skirt of blue. Pale legwarmers occupied her legs, and simple white shoes occupied her feet.
She looked like she had stepped out of a Precious Moments magazine.
"Konbawa," the girl bowed deeply, "My name is Tohru Honda." She looked up at Kyo and smiled brightly at him.
"Um…I'm Kyo." he said awkwardly.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Kyo-san." And the girl bowed again.
"Kyo is fine."
It was at this moment that Kazuma decided to enter the room. He had brushed all the snow from his hair and off of his kimono. His nose was no longer red and he looked quite presentable.
"Ah, I see you have already met our guest." he said to Kyo while smiling at the girl standing in the doorway.
"Y-yeah, we just introduced ourselves."
Tohru bowed to Kazuma. "It's a pleasure to meet you Sohma-san. I am Tohru Honda."
"Please come in Honda-san. It must be freezing out there." Kazuma ushered her inside his home. "Here," Kazuma gestered toward the leather bag clasped in the girl's pale hands, "Let me take that for you."
"A-arigato Gozaimasu." Tohru smiled kindly at the man.
Through out this whole interlude, Kyo was finding it very odd that Kazuma and the girl, Tohru Honda, were just introducing themselves. 'Wasn't he expecting her?' Kyo looked over to his master, then to the girl. 'So why are they acting like they've never met before?' Then the words, "Your room is upstairs." caught his attention and he finally took note of her leather bag that was sitting innocently on the floor next to him.
"Wait." Kyo said.
Kazuma and Tohru turned to look at him expectantly.
"She's not, she's not going to be staying here. Is she?"
"Yes of course Kyo, she is your wife after all."
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So how do you like the re-write? Good? Bad? Reviews are apprciated, so is constructive critisim. And if you notice any spelling errors please point them out. Do not be afraid to speak up. Flames are not welcome, but are tolerated.
Enjoy the re-write.