Author's Note: Hi, I'm SapphireShell91, I'm currently writing "Something I Treasure", which I was surprised at how many reviews I got for it in such a short time, I'm so honour thank you so much.
Anyway, this is a very long, one-shot that just about, well you'll have to read and find out. I like it, but mainly I wrote it because I was in my Mum's library and I was bored so I wrote this down.
I promise to go back to "Something I Treasure", and most likely update it Tomorrow or Wednesday
I hope you enjoy it.
Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket no matter how much I wish I knew the ending.
Paint Day
Tohru was soaked, cover head to toe in white paint. Why was she soaked head to toe with white paint, well it might have had something to do with two buckets of paint being tipped from the second floor window above her as she had walked under it.
Tohru closed her eyes, trying to stop the paint from going into them. Not only that she tried and failed to block out the sound of people (girls) laughing, from the window where the paint had been tipped from.
"Honda-san?"
Tohru jumped, opening her eyes for a split second, before quickly closing them again. She rubbed at them furiously, trying to get the paint away from them.
"Honda-san, stop your making it worst." Hatsuharu exclaimed, grabbing her wrist, gently pulling her small hands away from her already red, burning eyes.
"Come on." He said dragging her to the drinking fountain, turning on the water, full ball.
"Haru, what's going on?" asked an extremely high pitch bubbly voice from behind them, Tohru might have been blinded by paint and water, but she still knew who was there, and wasn't surprised when the high bubbly voice went high with horror and anxious.
"Oh no. TOHRU! What happen?" Momiji gasped, running to her side, helping her wash the rest of the paint out her eyes and off her face, while Haru zoned out, holding her painted hair up and away from her face.
"We should probably get you home." Haru said, zoning back in to earth. He inspected her up and down; the paint was pretty much gone from her face. Though her eyes where horribly red and swollen, her school uniform was ruined, in alight she was a, well mess, not to mention her hair was a rat nest, a tangle mass of drying white paint and water. Tohru nodded, she look absolutely miserable, but she didn't cry.
They started the half an hour walk to Shigure house, though now it was going to take an hour because Haru got lost trying to take a short cut off the main road, to save Tohru from more embarrassment. Tohru sniffed and shivered, though spring was approaching, winters chill still hung heavy in the air, and the days where still ending early. Haru tilted his head, glancing at Tohru who was walking quietly in between him and Momiji. Wondering why he hadn't thought of it before he pulled off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. Tohru looked from the jacket on her shoulder to Haru then back again. The rest of the way to Shigure's house there was a bit of an argument over the jacket, for Tohru, being Tohru refused to wear it, in fear that without Hatsuharu might catch a cold, it only ended when Haru forced Tohru arms into the sleeves of the jacket and telling her that if she caught a cold because she hadn't taken his jacket, both Yuki and Kyo would beat the living day lights out of him and that he would be in better shape if he just caught a cold. Tohru somehow saw the logic in that, stopped complaining and wore the jacket the rest of the way to Shigure's, with Momiji trying to cheer her up. By the time they had reached Shigure's Tohru was smiling with the happiness of the generosity of the two younger Sohma boys.
Shigure was sitting at the table in the living room, watching with amusement at what was going on around him. Ayame unexpectedly popped over for a visit earlier that afternoon, before Yuki or Kyo had come home from school. Shortly after Kyo and Yuki had come home (surprisingly together and without Tohru, it seem they two were just as surprised to be together without Tohru with them), Kagura had come to visit Kyo (much to his dismay, though on the bright side nothing was yet broken and only thing Kagura was doing was talking to both Kyo and Yuki about their final year coming up and warning them what to expect in the test and what they should study, though while doing this she gave none of the answer on the test away, or what specific question where on the test.), with Kisa and Hiro in tow.
"Hey, Sensei. You in?" Haru voice called unexpectedly.
Well today seems to be a day for unexpected visitors, Shigure thought, things were already getting so interesting.
"Come in Haru." Shigure called, over his hardly read newspaper.
"Yes, Hatsuharu come in come in, more the merry as they say." Ayame sang loudly, Yuki groaned, so loud, his voice is so loud, why can't he just shut up.
"Oh great, more people." Kyo grumbled, he was stuck in a room with several people he deeply disliked and if Haru was here that meant the annoying little Bunny was too.
"We might need some Newspaper." Momiji voice called. I knew it, Kyo thought crankily, wrapping his arms on the table resting his head upon them, wishing for some way to be alone, no scratch that, he didn't want to be alone. His head shot up from the table, wondering what Momiji had meant by needing some newspaper, Kyo got to his feet. Clearly Shigure had been wondering the same thing, got up too.
"Why may I inquire?" asked Shigure cheerfully, clearly thinking this was some more entertainment for him.
"Because, I got two buckets of paint tipped on top of me." This time it was Tohru voice, though it was more high pitch then usual.
Everone in the room looked at one enough; Kyo pushed past Shigure and open the sliding door to the hall. His mouth dropped.
"Err, what happen." Shigure asked sticking his head around the screen door, the first of the two to get over the shock of the sight in front of them. Kyo knew that Shigure was trying desperately not to laugh. Bastard, Kyo thought venomously as he stared sadly at the wreck of Tohru.
"I already told you, I had two buckets of paint tipped on top of me." Tohru finished in a mumbled since her voice had been cracking in parts and going high pitch in others.
"Yeah, I kinda figure." Shigure sniggered, which earned him hit in the head from Kyo, before the two once again looked her up and down. She looks such a dag, thought Shigure laughing inwardly, so hard his side hurt from keeping his sniggers in.
But she really did, dressed in a oversize black coat that fell well past her knees, her hands, arms and shoulders weren't even visible in the sleeves of the jacket, of what could be seen of her uniform underneath the jacket, was ruin, her hair was defiantly ruin, the hairs where stuck together with paint.
"How do you know it was tipped, you can't just jump to conclusion you know." Hiro said as the rest of the group came to the hall all gapping at her.
"Oh I think the laughter that I could hear after it happen is clear indication that they were tipped." Tohru grumbled, she stare at Hiro as if to challenge that, when he didn't her eyes softer, till they looked extremely guilty.
"I think I need a new uniform, Shigure-san, I'm sorry." She added to Shigure, her head bowed low. Shigure sigh, he was getting no joy out of Tohru looking guilty, and seeing that no one else was taking charge of the situation, he decided he might as well.
"Alright then, all of you who don't live here, should all probably go home and I'll come escort you, so don't fear," Shigure said, patting Kisa on the head, ignoring Hiro growl, "and I'll grab Hatori while I'm there, just to make sure your ok, you know to treat those eyes and so don't get poison by accidentally swallowing the paint or something awful like that." Yuki and Kyo both shot him murderess looks, as Tohru went from horrify to down right scared.
"Well so long, Yuki, next time I promise we'll have more time to deepen our bonds as brother." Ayame said, clutching Yuki hand dramatically, Yuki stood there waiting for the idiot to finish, Yuki had learnt the hard way that resisting was futile sometimes with Ayame, especially when Hatori wasn't near for the rescue, Yuki had just learnt to space out like Haru did whenever Ayame went into his "deepening the brotherly bond" speech.
"Oh, Tohru-kun, consider you new uniform done." Ayame added warmly to Tohru before he left.
"Bye, bye, Onee-san." Kisa said, hugging Tohru ignoring the odd spot of wet paint that appeared on her own jacket, Tohru smiled, feeling better and happy, for all the Sohma's cared about her.
"Bye Tohru." Momiji said, putting his bag on to his chest and hugged her sideways.
"Bye Momiji-kun." Tohru said warmly,
Kagura also gave her a hug telling her firmly not to rub her eyes and to have a long hot bath.
"And make the boys cook dinner tonight," Kagura added, before pulling a face of disgust, "or maybe you should just order take out, wouldn't want to get food poising too." Kagura said, giving Tohru hand a warm squeeze before wrapping her arm around Kisa and Hiro by shoulders.
"Hatsuharu-kun, I promise to pay for your," Tohru glance at the inside of the jacket, it was ruined on the inside by the paint, "jacket." She said in a small voice, but Haru just waved off her comment vaguely.
"Feel better, Tohru." Momiji called.
"Be Safe." Tohru called, all the Sohma's nodded and waved back.
"And you don't rub the EYES." Several of them yelled back to her, clearly seeing her as lowed her arm tried to rub her irritated eyes.
"Or," Kyo mumbled in her ear, "We'll tie your hands to your sides."
Tohru nodded, showing that she understood.
Now she was alone with only Yuki and Kyo her happy, smiling face slipped slightly and she pulled her also ruin shoes off in disgrace.
"I'm so sorry I cause you all so much trouble, that's all I ever do, is cause trouble for all those around me." She babbled, the first tears she had cried that day, pricked in her sore eyes, before rolling down her face.
"Oh shut up and take a bath." Kyo snapped, as he and Yuki grabbed hold of one of her arms and dragging her up the stairs, down the hall and to the bathroom, shoving her gently inside.
Tohru went for the shower instead of the bath, turning it on, full ball with warm on the hot side water, before she stepped into it fully dressed, only discarding Hatsuharu jacket. She closed her eyes, scrubbing at her hair, trying to control her rats nest. She mange to wash out most of the paint out of her roots but trying to attack the full length of her hair, only made the whole mess more tangle. She gave up and started to clean the rest of herself. After twenty minutes, she was clean as she could be, dressed in her warmest clothes, her uniform dumped in the garbage, Hatsuharu jacket was in the laundry basket, to wash the next day. Now she was ready and aimed with a brush to attack the mess of hair, paint and what ever the wind had decided to drop into it on the walk home. She dragged the brush threw the tangles, several painful times before it got stuck, she tugged and tugged, feeling as if she was ripping not only her hair but her scalp off.
"Kyo." She screamed as her hand also got stuck in the mass, she heard the sound of pounding feet against the stair, before sprinting the down the hall, shoving the door open, making it creak under the pressure.
"What are you ok, what happen?" He demanded looking the reason she screamed out his name so loudly that probably the whole city heard it. Maybe even Kyoto, Kyo wondered.
"My hair." She wailed, showing him her tangled hand and brush.
"Ow." Kyo said wincing at the sight. "That really must kill."
Tohru unexpectedly shoved a pair of scissor into his hand. Kyo looked at the scissor in his hand dumbly.
"Yes, it does kill, so cut it off." Tohru shrieked (come on there's only so much a girl can take of ruin hair before shrieking for it to be cut), "please." She said a little more quietly.
"Why are you asking me, I'll probably make it worst." Kyo said, slightly dumbfounded at what everything that was happening.
"How could it get any more worst?" Tohru asked, touching her hair, where the brush was tangled.
"Good point." Kyo said, giving in, he sat Tohru on the edge of the bath and start to cut madly at the tangles with the scissor, which he seriously doubt would do much damage to the rats nest. He hacked at the hair not bothering with length at that point of time.
"What are you doing?" Yuki asked, leaning against the doorframe looking in on the truly weird scene in front of him, Tohru sitting on the side of the bath wincing every so of if Kyo tugged to hard on a tangle, her hair was at really strange length, not to mention the brush sticking out of mess and Kyo, with one bent on the side of the bath, snipping madly at Tohru hair.
"You, shut up." Kyo grumbled, not looking up, cringing as he notice Tohru wince again, even though she had made a sound.
Yuki turn around and left the bathroom, only to come back with a pair of sharper scissor.
"You know you could have pick a sharp pair." Yuki said, Kyo glared at him for a moment, before taking the sharper ones from Yuki and handing him the blunt one. Once again Yuki left and once again came back with another pair of scissors.
"What do you want me to do?" Yuki asked Kyo, both Tohru and Kyo heads snapped around, starring at him, mouths hanging open, Yuki stared calmly back at them.
"Uh, you can trim all the part I'm finished with and make her look better." Kyo mumbled, turning his head away, and started to cut away again, Yuki nodded and got to work.
Tohru didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the situation, they were working together and not arguing. She placed her hands over her eyes and started to giggle, she earn a bonk on the head for that.
"No rubbing." Kyo scolded, bonking her on the head again.
"I'm sorry." Tohru giggled, turning around to grin at the two boys. Kyo bonked her on the head again.
"No your not, if you were, you wouldn't be laughing." Kyo and Yuki said at the exact same time. The two boys realising what they did, started glaring at each other, Tohru giggled.
"Can't you two do that later and finish my hair, because there is no way I'm walking around with my hair like this." Tohru said firmly, pointing at her hair, though she ruin the firmness with laughing at the look on the two boys faces.
Half an arguing hour later, they were done.
'Thank god that's over. I am never doing that again." Kyo grumbled, flopping beside the TV, switching it on, while Yuki dialled for take out.
Tohru sat down next to Kyo running her hand through her extremely noticeable shorter hair, it was now fell down, a little past her chin.
"Thank you." She said as Yuki sat down on the opposite side of the table, to her and Kyo. Yuki smiled and warmly said, "You don't need to thank us, it was our pleasure to help." He kicked Kyo, for suddenly a terrifier look came over his face.
"Their going to kill us." Kyo yelped, Yuki and Tohru glanced at each other then to Kyo.
"Who's going to kill us?" Yuki asked in a bored tone.
"The Yankee and the Psychic freak." Kyo complain, smacking his head against the table, Yuki groaned following Kyo action.
"They won't kill you for cutting my hair." Tohru said, frantically to stop the boys before they hurt themselves. Both boys lifted their head and raised their eyebrows at her.
"Well, if they don't kill us for cutting your hair, they'll kill us for not being there to stop the paint." Kyo groaned, going back to smacking his head against the table again.
"I'm Home and Hatori's with me, Kyo, Yuki I hope you didn't do anything that I would do." Shigure sang, there was a smacking sound and Hatori voice saying "don't be rude."
"Oh, welcome back." Tohru called cheerfully, Shigure stepped into the room and with one look at Tohru, was laughing madly. SMACK, CRASH.
Shigure was lying on the floor quivering slightly, with Yuki and Kyo standing over him, fist raised.
Tohru fingered her short hair, somewhat shy now from what the reaction Shigure had shown, it wasn't that bad, actually she liked it, length and all.
"Ignore him, Honda-san, his just being an idiot." Hatori said, stepping over Shigure's fallen body. Hatori sat Tohru down and checked over her red eyes.
"Well, there's no damaged to them except that they are extremely irritated and will be for a number of days." Hatori said handing Tohru a small bottle of eye drops. "Put a drop of this in twice a day, as soon as you get up in the morning, and as soon as you go to bed, ok." Tohru nodded her head vigorously, making her hair bounce, Hatori smiled slightly, taking hold of one of the side strands and gave it a friendly yank.
"It looks good; it suits you, makes you look more grown up." Hatori informed her, making Tohru go bright red and stammering in denial, before he got up as if embarrassed at showing emotion or giving a praise. Though his smile grew slightly as he notice that his comment had been heard by Yuki and Kyo, who were both leaning in to see if the new cut really make her look more grown up. Tohru fingered her hair again thoughtfully.
"Uh, Ha'ri, would you like to stay for dinner." Shigure asked, carrying several containers in his arms. Hatori started to shake his head, Tohru stopped him.
"Oh, Hatori you must stay, after all you did give me a free check-up, it's the least we can do." Tohru said, her small hands clasped against her chest, she stare at him with big, soulful eyes. Hatori sighed and sat down again; Tohru beamed, and went to get plates and such.
"You fell hook, line and sinker, Ha'ri." Shigure sniggered, place the containers on the table.
"What are you babbling about, over there?" Hatori asked impatiently, scowling at the knowing look on Shigure's face.
"You fell hook, line and sinker, just like these two always do." Now Shigure had all three glaring at him.
"So much tension." He whimpered, raising a hand to the already large lump on his head.
"Tohru, their being scary." Shigure whined, tears pouring down his face, crying to the clearly bewildered Tohru.
"Don't go crying to her." "Your suppose to be an adult." Yuki and Kyo yelled at the exact same time, so what was actually being yelled was unidentified, only to be a ramble of yelling.
Hatori and Tohru sat in silence watching the at home entertainment show, Hatori only making a few comments to continue the direction of the fight directed at Shigure and not to be turn into a Cat verse Rat fight. Tohru smiled weakly, trying to keep the fight from turning into a fist fight.
"I'm going to go to Bed." Tohru said, as the fight finally seemed to be calmed down quite a bit.
"Good night, Honda-san." Yuki said, dropping his bored look for a moment to smile at her.
"Good night, Honda-kun, remember one drop in each eye twice a day, I'll check back with you in a week or two, call me if you need anything." Hatori said, nodding her good night.
"Night, night, Tohru-kun." Shigure said cheerfully.
Kyo got to his feet and made a gesture for her to go first, Tohru nodded, feeling puzzled.
"Good night Kyonkichi." Shigure called.
"Shut the hell UP." Kyo bellowed, slamming the door closed, before grabbing Tohru's arm and pulled her up stairs. He stopped outside her room and crossed his arms and scowled down at her.
"So," He asked, "what happen?" Tohru went red with embarrassment, but also she didn't want to tell Kyo what happen, she didn't know why, but she felt ashamed that it had happen and that she had let it happen.
"Come on, you can tell me, I won't laugh." Kyo said with surprisingly gentleness.
"It's not that I just don't want you to go kill them for doing it." Tohru mumbled, Kyo rolled his eyes in exasperation.
"I'm not going to kill them, I might beat them to a pulp, but I promise I won't kill them." Kyo promised, he looked away for a moment, "much." He mumbled, Tohru let out a sad little snigger.
"You can't beat them up, because you might accidentally transform." Tohru mumbled staring down at her feet, Kyo made a grumblings sound. He sigh, he just couldn't win, could he, not against Yuki and not against the people, correction girls, who where picking on Tohru.
It has to be those girls from the Damn Rat's Fan Club. Damn, it's all his fault, it's always the Damn Rat's fault. Though Damn Rat had seem to be just as angry as Kyo had been when he first saw what had happen to Tohru, and after they had pretty much chopped all Tohru's pretty hair off. Without thinking he reached out and tugged a slightly longer strand of hair that was falling over into her face. Hatori was right, the shorter hair did make Tohru look older, more grown up. Kyo wondered if Tohru used her long hair to hide from the world at times.
"Do you like it?" Tohru asked nervously, it surprised her how much she wanted to know what he thought of her hair. Kyo grinned brightly and tugged the strand he was holding, before ruffling her head.
"Go to bed." He said, pushing her into her room. Tohru felt a twinge of disappointment; he hadn't answered her question about if he liked her hair. Well I guess his playing with my hair is an intercation he does, she thought feeling happier. It took her a moment to realise Kyo was still behind her.
"Hatori right it does make you look more grown, it shows off your face more, though I don't know how that works, but yeah, it looks nice." He whispered into her ear, Tohru shivered, she tilted her head to look back at him, smiling at him. Kyo smiled back, but he suddenly realised how close they where and that Tohru was in danger of him kissing her. Tohru smiled slipped as she saw the conflict going on in Kyo eyes, she focus her eyes on his trying to figure out what was causing him so much conflict. Then it was as if a light went on in her mind; he had said she looked nice with her hair short, he…he…he….oh dear, this was absolutely great and absolutely awful.
They continue to stare at each other, trying to think what to do, neither wanting to back down in case of hurting the others feelings, both wishing some one, any one would come and give them an excuse to back down, to leave.
Oh what the hell, you only live once, Kyo thought and leant into kiss, only to find that Tohru had been thinking something along same lines, so their lips met far more quickly then either were ready for.
"Kyo, what are you doing, hope your not doing anything unbecoming to Tohru-kun." Shigure annoying voice came from down stairs, Kyo shot away from Tohru like he had been fired from a cannon, breathing heavily, ready to tear out Shigure's throat.
"I don't know why you bothered, to do that since Kyo and Tohru-kun are already in bed, and can't hear you." Hatori said, clearly getting ready to leave.
"Yeah, but sometimes Kyo hears me, and will fall out of bed." Shigure said laughing, only to follow with a smacking sound that Kyo guessed came from Yuki. For once Kyo was grateful to the Rat, though he was sure Yuki had only hit Shigure for Tohru sake.
Speaking of Tohru, Kyo head swung around to stare at Tohru, who was still standing inside her door frame, her head down, but was not, to Kyo relief, sad, actually she looked extremely thoughtful about something.
I kissed her, Kyo moaned inwardly, he was both hyper happy and down in the dumps about it.
Tohru raised her head and looked at him, smiling; she walked out of her room and hugged his arm.
"Thank you Kyo, you made me feel happier then I have been in a while." Tohru said, standing on tip toe she kissed his cheek, before almost flying into her room, shutting her door quickly behind her.
Kyo grinned and walked to his room, feeling more happy then he could ever remember, though had she meant by he make her feel happier then she had been in a while. He sighed, that was tomorrow's problem, he get it out of her sooner or later.
"WHAT HAPPEN TO YOUR HAIR and YOU'RE EYES?" A loud scream could be heard from Kaibara High School, the next morning.
"Uh, well, you see." Tohru stuttered, as Uo bear down upon her.
"And who cut it? it looks like it was done by garden pruner." Uo asked slightly more calmer, Hana looked in the direction of the two Sohma boys who were trying to act invisible, to the two angry girls, knowing sooner or later, sooner being the more obvious that the blame would come down to them.
"Orange top what did you DO?" Uo growled deadly, her eyes glowing as her Yankee blood started to boil.
"oh, no, Uo-Chan, Kyo-kun and Yuki-kun didn't do anything, they helped me you see I had all this paint stuck in my hair and I couldn't get it out so they cut it to chin length to get the tangles out." Tohru said, standing in front of Uo and Hana to block their way to Kyo and Yuki.
"Don't forget the brush." Kyo and Yuki mumbled.
"What do you mean to get the paint out of it?" Uo asked, Hana head immediately snapped in the direction of the Yuki AND Kyo fan group, all of whom hand satisfied about something, thought their face's soon turned to horror as they all notice the death looks, from the Psychic, the Yankee, the Prince and Orange-Top.
"Well I might not be able to beat them to a pulp, but Psychic freak and Yankee sure can." Kyo said, grinning at the sound of the Fan Club girls screams as the exit the classroom though neither Uo nor Hana had done anything to them, yet.
Tohru looked puzzled, but shrugged her shoulders.
Well, in a way things all worked out, strange though as they were, but they worked out. Who knows she might actually get use to having below chin length hair, and if not she could always grow it out again.
Then again maybe not as Kyo seemed to like it short, she smiled at Kyo who was yelling at something one of the boys had said. Tohru grinned, she was going to break the curse, even with every bump in the road, but now she had a good feeling that she was going to break it. She had to, she need to, she wasn't planing on losing any of the Sohma's. They were her Family now, and she would do every thing in her power to help them find happiness.
She looked out the window at the sky, please mum give me strength to do this, to break it.
Author's Note: wow, if you read all this rambling I'm really, really happy, or if the only reason your down here is because you were trying to find where it get good, that's ok too, I'm only put this up to practice my writing skills and stuff, I'm not looking for reviews on this one (though they would be nice thank you.), anyway I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I did typing it (it's nine Microsoft word pages long, size 12 font, just if you want to know.), if you have any tips or notice any spelling mistakes or grammar, please tell me, I'm happy to know. Also flames are welcome, though I would rather if you used not to verbal words, I have a very low self-conference when it comes to these things. Ok, bye, hope you enjoyed.