A/N: Hey, all you Furuba fans! Yeah, this was going to be a little drabble in my drabble series (called Fruits Salad), but I decided to turn it into a full blown, multi-chapter fic! Huzzah! There was just too much fun I could have with a story like this to make it so short. I may just post a condensed version in Fruits Salad though, because if I want to make it into a longer fic, I'll have to do away with the ending I had in mind. T^T
Salutations to all the fishermen (or fisherwomen!) out there!
Three little fishing boats bobbed serenely on the calm lake. The sun shone warmly on the surface, its golden rays winking and flashing with each slight disturbance. Every so often a frog or fish would make a splash, creating lovely blue-green ripples before their slick and shiny forms would disappear into the dark, gentle waves.
A few of the Sohmas were preparing for a relaxing day of fishing. Ayame and Yuki would share one boat ("This will be the day that we, the inseparable pair of brothers, will connect with each other, deeply and emotionally! The splendor of this lake will unearth hidden powerful feelings of the brotherly love that lay dormant for so many painful years!"), Hatori and Shigure would be in another, and the last boat was for Kyo and Tohru.
"Come, come sweet Yuki, and let us become a team of fisherman! We shall reel in lobsters and rainbow trout as a team! After a few hours of bonding, we will become one, in both mind and in spirit! Our thoughts will be synchronized, and we shall be able to understand each other perfectly in a way that no other mortal can understand!" Ayame boomed, gesturing wildly with his fishing rod.
He was outfitted in a fancy fishing outfit, probably handmade by Mine. Ayame was obviously not an outdoorsman, much less a fisherman. He was using his fishing pole as a cane.
Yuki looked as though he was walking to his execution. A storm cloud of gloom and despair had hung over his head for the entire day. He'd never tell, but he was beginning to think that being stuck in a boat with the stupid cat would be better than with this lunatic.
"…There are no lobsters in this lake, Nii-san…" Was his only replay to his brother's long rant.
Yuki wouldn't have even thought about coming on this horrible trip if it wasn't for Tohru. Her sweet little face had looked so crestfallen when he first declined her offer, and he couldn't bear it if he disappointed her. Tohru had done so much for him that he thought the least he could do was put up with his maniac brother for a day. And Yuki didn't want to ruin Tohru's fishing trip, for he knew she would only fret over him the whole time if he stayed back at the vacation house.
"Not to worry, Yuki, not to worry! Your Nii-sama has thought of everything!" Ayame gestured theatrically towards the pale blue boat they would be in, "The solution to every problem we could possibly encounter rests in this aquatic vehicle!"
Basically, the boat was filled with junk. Yuki wondered if Ayame had thrown the entire contents of his house in it, and more importantly, if the wretched thing would float with them in it.
If it starts to sink, Ayame will be the first one overboard. He thought icily.
"Did you remember life vests? And I'm not calling you Nii-sama."
"KYAAAAAA!"
Tohru had been practicing how to use her fishing pole with Kyo's help. Somehow she had released the line backwards, and the hook swung around and got tangled in Kyo's hair.
"Kyo-kun! Are you hurt! I'm so, so sorry! I-I just won't cast my line! I'll sit and the boat, and-and I can tell you where the fish are! You can-"
Kyo, gently covered her mouth with his hand, using his other to pull the hook off of his head.
"I'm fine! Just watch where you swing that thing! You wanna poke my eye out?"
Tohru fell to her knees and clasped Kyo's hand, tears springing from her eyes.
"No! I wasn't trying to hurt you! I would never-"
Kyo chuckled and rolled his eyes, pulling her to her feet and handing back her rod.
"Look, you're fine. You've just never done this before. I'm gonna teach you if it kills me!"
Kyo held the pole up in the air and looked skyward with a determined glint in his eye. Tohru smiled and gave a little bow.
"Thank you Kyo. You're such a wonderful person, putting up with me!"
"Shut up. I'm only doing this so you won't spear anybody with that hook," Kyo blushed and tugged her towards their boat.
"Alrighty, children, are you ready for a day of fun? Tori-kun and I are super excited!" Shigure sang as he skipped towards the pairs, Hatori in tow.
The doctor did not look "super excited", but he did look happier than usual. He was dressed in a comfortable pair of jeans and a t-shirt, which was very unusual attire for him. A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, and he appeared more at ease. As he gazed out at the lake, his eyes became softer and friendlier.
"Does everyone have their bait, tackle boxes, life jackets, and medical kits?" Hatori asked.
There was a chorus of agreement as the group surveyed their equipment. Hatori nodded solemnly.
"Everyone meet back here before it gets dark, and if you run into trouble, and I mean legitimate trouble-"He looked sharply at Ayame, who pretended to be appalled, "then shoot off the emergency flares. And Kyo, take good care of Tohru. No one would like to see anything happen to her."
Kyo bristled.
"What? Are you sayin' that I'm not gonna do a good job of taking care of her? Are you saying that I'm just gonna sit back and let something happen to her!" Kyo yelled defensively.
"He's saying that you shouldn't let Tohru drown because you're so afraid of getting a little wet, you stupid cat." Yuki remarked calmly.
"WHAT! YOU LITTLE RAT! YOU WANNA FIGHT ME?"
"Uh, um, maybe we should, uh, go get in our boats now?" Tohru suggested, trying to diffuse the tension.
Yuki smiled.
"You're quite right, Miss Honda. I'm sorry that the cat was delaying everybody."
"Um…"
"WHAAAA? It's YOUR fault, rat!"
"Come on, Kyo! We can catch some fish, and I'll cook them for dinner! You like fish, don't you?"
Tohru took Kyo's hand, and this time it was she who was leading him.
"Well, this will be interesting, don't you think, Hatori?" Shigure glanced slyly at his childhood friend.
"I feel as though I'm on Noah's Ark. Two by two, the animals boarded the boat."
A/N: How was it? Was it too boring? Did I overdo it with Ayame? If you guys have any predictions or suggestions, put them in a review!