Italics are thoughts.
Fruits Basket is something that I don't own.
Anyway, hm, on with the story and enjoy.
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July 2nd. The date was circled on Tohru's calendar with one of her red markers. Summer was in full swing and she was currently on vacation from school. To make things better, a week before, she had asked Shigure if she could get permission to adopt a pet. He approved and told her that they'd go out to pick a pet to bring home. Tohru stared at her calendar as if it would answer her swarm of mental questions that rolled through her mind.What should I get? Maybe a really cute puppy... but then it might be expensive. Ah! What if I get a bunny? They're so fluffy and cute...
The mental debate continued until she finally turned her head to her door. When the motion was complete, Tohru whispered, "I can ask for ideas... I guess." as she was getting off her bed. She took the small steps to her door and pulled it open before entering the empty hallway. Her brown hair swayed from side to side as she looked left, then right to find the others. No words were spoken though a sad look was present on her face. "What if..." Tohru spoke to herself and left to go to the main room.
Sounds of people occupying the room reached the girl's ears and she smiled to find her friends. When she got into the room, she ran her eyes over them before speaking. The first to notice her presence was Yuki who smiled as he raised a hand to her as if giving a lazy wave. "Ms. Honda, how are you?" he asked in a low but polite voice, his smile not fading one bit as he spoke. Tohru waved as she took a few steps deeper into the room. All of this made Shigure glance over and Kyo try to hide a dreamy smile by trying to reinforce his tough exterior.
"I'm fine, thanks. I was wondering...if you guys can help me with ideas on what pet to get." she explained to them as they nodded to her words. When she was finished, they all began to think and the room was silent. It was then that the suggestions began to pour forward to her. "You can probably get a hamster." one of them randomly spoke up and then got drowned out by some more talking.
When everything got settled, Tohru still didn't know which pet to get and, if anything, asking the males only made it worse. Now, her mind was filled with even more possibilities of animals that she could have as a pet. "Um...thanks." she smiled with a small tilt of the head when the others were finished. Opening her eyes, Tohru saw Kyo who was the farthest from the small group and from what she could remember; he didn't bother to suggest anything to her. Maybe Kyo can help me. Oh, but he doesn't look like he wants to talk to me. Tohru thought to herself. Her watching to caught by the bright haired Sohma who looked back but only for a moment.
"Kyo? I'm not bothering...am I?"
"What? No. What is it?"
"Today Shigure's going to take me to get a pet. Um...do you have any ideas on what I should get?"
"I don't know. Pick an animal that you like."
The short conversation was made even shorter when Shigure gasped quietly. "That's what this is all about? I almost forgot. Come on. We might as well get it now, Tohru," he said, getting up from his seat and leaving to get ready to go outside. The room had one less person in it now and eventually, two as she also left to go to her room.
I should get a cat. Maybe then Kyo won't seem so down in the dumps since there'll be another cat around.
The thoughts continued as she quickly changed from her pajamas to clothes that she'd wear outside. A few swipes through her hair with her brush and Tohru was making her way out the door. She went back to the main room and decided to wait for Shigure to come back so they could go to the pet store. While she waited, she saw Yuki had left while Kyo was still in the room. He was on the opposite side, reading a magazine…or from what Tohru could see, anyway.
For Kyo, the room was filled with a painful silence. Him on one side of the room and the girl he'd picked up feelings for, on the other. Just keep your cool and act like you're reading this magazine. She'll go away eventually and then everything will be better. He kept saying to himself. If anything, this was one thing that kept happening to him. He had so many feelings for the unknowing girl and wanted to be around her but when the time came, it was nothing but mental torture. Usually, this made Kyo bring up that tough-guy appearance so he could hide what was really going on. On the other hand, Tohru never picked any of this up and was so blissfully unaware of what she kept causing.
A minute or two past and the room was still deathly silent and Tohru looked over to Kyo with a curious twinkle in her eyes. Doing the same, Kyo slowly turned his head and paused when he and Tohru's eyes hit dead center with each other. Quickly, she flinched from the surprising eye contact and looked down to the floor. The other took the accident a totally different way and he looked back to the magazine and used it to hide his tomato-red blush. He coughed and went to leave; all while the pages of the magazine covered his face.
Wonder what that was about. I hope he's okay. A worried Tohru frowned as she watched him go. Quickly, he was replaced with another that smiled upon seeing her. "Tohru, are you finished?" Shigure asked as he stopped beside the girl. She just nodded and followed him out of the house. As they went, Shigure shouted out reminders to Yuki and Kyo such as not to kill each other or play chess since the last time they played, one of the pieces somehow embedded itself into the table. The excuse? The two were playing a game and Kyo, who took the game as a rival match, used too much force and broke the chess board…leaving the piece embedded into the table.
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Half an hour later, the two was at a pet store and scanning through the animals. It was just the afternoon and the store was decently filled with people. Some of them were workers and others were customers who were just there to look at all the pets they had.
"Oh, Tohru, take your time!"
Shigure gave another complain as he watched her dart from animal to animal. They had been there for a good twenty minutes and now she was almost having a nervous breakdown. "I'm so sorry that I'm holding you up!" Tohru cried out as she left a tank of tiny green and blue fish. It all made him laugh as he followed her into another section of the store. When he had gotten beside her, he repeated, "I said to take your time" and now with a hand on her shoulder. Tohru looked up to him and saw he was smiling as if to show he was serious.
"Do you even know what animal you'd like to get?" He asked as he slid his hand from her shoulder. The girl shrugged but then said how she wanted to get a cat. Shigure slightly frowned at the random choice, "A cat?" and she nodded. "Yeah. That way, Kyo won't be in a bad mood or anything. He probably just needs another cat in the house, you know?" Tohru explained as a smile grew and grew. Shigure just nodded and watched her walk off into the section of cats. It's not that he's in a bad mood, Tohru; he's just having issues on what to do with you. He thought to himself with a small smile. The thought set off a small flashback, which started off as a joke to him but turned into something serious.
-Flashback-
The uniform in the Sohma house was one that screamed winter. Everyone was dressed on socks, old sweatshirts, and baggy pants, anything to keep them warm. The four were all in the living room of the home drinking hot chocolate that Tohru had made. It was freshly made since thin streaks of heat floated from the drinks, through the fluffy marshmallows. "Your welcome." Tohru said when she finished handing out the mugs.
She took her seat on one of the cushions and looked into the brown liquid. Gently, she blew on the mug while Kyo watched her with piercing red-orange eyes. "You should really let it sit. Drinking it now will only burn your tongue." He said with his mug resting on the table to cool off a bit. The others agreed but watched as she just giggled. "Aw, don't worry about me." Tohru smiled and took a few sips of the hot chocolate and set it on the table.
"Nugh! It's hot!"
The cry erupted as Tohru dashed to get something cold to drink. Yuki watched in worry and went to follow her. The other just watched, knowing she'd be fine in the end and noticed Kyo didn't move an inch. Instead, his eyes seemed dark with worry. "Kyo?" Shigure asked and saw him glance up to him, "She'll be fine."
"Are you sure? I told her not to drink the damn hot chocolate but she did and look what happened!" the cat Sohma said loudly. Shigure laughed but then waved a hand to him and stopped, "She'll be fine. You must really care about her."
"So? You and Yuki care about her too!"
"We do but not like how you care about her. I saw how you was when she left. It's like… it's like you love her."
"Shigure, don't you ever say that again! I swear to God if yo-"
"Uh-oh! I think I hit a nerve! It's okay… I won't tell her. Even if I did… she probably wouldn't understand. Tohru's too unknowing of love and she's just too innocent."
-End Flashback-
"Shigure!"
The call startled him from his thoughts as he saw Tohru waving him over. "I found the perfect pet!" she called out to him. Shigure went down the aisle, following her calls and waves. When he had gotten to her, she points to a cage that had a cat in it. It was all black with baby blue eyes. As he studied the cat, Tohru slipped a finger between the bars and began to stroke its little face.
"The tag says it's a boy." She informed and pointed to a tag near the cage. Shigure followed her other hand to the take and began to read it. "Oh, yeah. It is a boy. Is this what you want to get?" he asked, letting go of the tag.
Tohru nodded as she took her finger from the cage and clapped her hands together. "Yes, please!" she said with sparkling eyes. He just nodded back and went to inform one of the workers that he'd like to buy the black cat. Watching the Sohma leave, Tohru looked back to the black cat and smiled. Compared to its midnight fur, the baby blue eyes seemed to glow. Again, she reached two fingers between the bars and began to brush them along the cat's face.
"You're so cute! I can't wait to bring you home!"
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Yay, the first chapter is down and the next should be up soon. I also need a little help on what to name the cat. I have an idea but I'd like to see what you guys think he should be named. You can include it in a review or private message me the name, which ever works for you. Hugs to all.