Author's Note: I'm definitely on a Kyouotani kick after reading Fruits Basket 7. Not much to say, as it's 5:10 AM and I'm pretty much brain dead. I came up with a word today to use when you really, really hate something that's absolutely terrible. Abhorrible. Mark me, for it shall go down in history.
Edit: So I went over and corrected some of the smaller errors (a few grammatical ones but mostly typos), and I have to say... I now agree with BloodFat, haha. Oh well, I'm not going to go and rewrite it all. We'll call this fic a stepping stone! If you like it, cool, and if you don't, that's fine too. But please, don't flame, because I'm aware of all the negative things in this fanfic. That being said, it isn't as bad as I've made it seem. Read on!
Disclaimer: Fruits Basket and its respective characters, settings, etc. copyright Natsuki Takaya. In other words, I (sadly) don't own it. Obv.
"As Blouse is to Jacket"
By Genetix Chiquita
"God damn it, Kyou!" cursed Uotani Arisa, too infuriated to be bothered with honorifics.
"You're the one that ran into me!" retorted the orange haired boy.
The blonde looked down and motioned to the coffee seeping into her blouse. "My shirt is ruined because you don't have the common sense to watch where you're going! This is fucking hot!"
Kyou had to admit that he couldn't deny that. With the dark drink slowly turning her blousing into nothing but a glorified view of her breasts, the cat had to admit that, in fact, it was quite "fucking hot". However, some things were better left unsaid. "Yeah, well what about my books! Your damn coffee's all over them!"
"It's not like it matters! You're too stupid to read anyway!" she spat.
"What did you just say?" Kyou demanded rhetorically. "You wanna go, bitch!"
"I'd like to see you try, you freaking idiot! Now give me your coat!" she demanded. The two of them were making quite a scene in the center of a busy commercial street.
"Why the hell would I do that!"
"So that I don't have to walk around with old guys staring at my chest!" she yelled, which only caused men in the vicinity to take an unapologetic gander.
Kyou huffed. "I don't see why I should give you my jacket! It was your fault!"
Uotani fumed. "That's a fucking lie! I was walking out of the café, minding my own Goddamn business, and then you come running up like a bat out of hell, straight into me! Tell me how that's my fault!"
"It is because you were just standing there!"
"Well, excuse me, I guess I left my standing permit in my other blouse. You know, the one you haven't completely ruined!" she quipped.
Kyou's eyes narrowed into a leer. "Stop blaming this on me!"
"I'll blame it on you because it's your fault!" she responded.
Meanwhile, the café manager had sauntered outside and took the opportunity of furious silence to interject. "Excuse me, but could you please take this somewhere else? You're causing quite a scene, and if you don't turn down the volume, I will be forced to call the pol-"
"FUCK OFF!" they both screamed in unison. The manager squeaked and slowly backed away before sprinting into the coffee shop like a dog with its tail between its legs.
"Just give me your Goddamn jacket so I can stop being near your ugly mug as soon as possible!" Uotani hissed.
"Fine, if it means I don't have to stare at your hideous face, anything's worth it!" Kyou replied, practically ripping off his coat and throwing it at her.
"It wasn't my face you were staring at, you pervert!" she said, putting on the jacket and marching away indignantly, leaving a seething Kyou and some relatively amused spectators in the wake of their argument.
"What are you staring at!" he yelled, causing the people to recoil. Kyou muttered various curses under his breath, walking in the opposite direction with his hands clenched into white-knuckled fists.
That evening, the Sohma house was relatively quiet. Kyou, upon returning from the dojo, retreated to his room and had not emerged since. Though Tohru was concerned by his absence, Yuki coerced her into leaving him be.
"He probably has a hairball," the prince had said. "He'd be embarrassed if you found out."
Tohru hadn't been able to tell if he were serious or not.
Eventually, the minutes ticked by and it became time to prepare supper. As Tohru was withdrawing all the ingredients for leek soup (upon Yuki insistingit they was good for fighting hairballs), a knock came at the door. Tentatively, Shigure slid the door open, fearing a visit from Kagura or Ritsu. He was greeted by the no-nonsense eyes of one Uotani Arisa.
"Hey," she said plainly, inviting herself in.
Shigure smiled uneasily and closed the door, a little taken aback by her ease to enter his home uninvited. Then again, of all the intruders into his home, she had been the least violent. The dog thanked his lucky stars it hadn't been Kagura at the door. "Welcome, Miss Uotani. Tohru-kun's in the kitchen."
"Preparing dinner?" inquired Uotani, slipping off her shoes and taking a glance around the place. She never ceased to be impressed by its sheer size.
"Yes, leek soup. You're welcome to stay if you like."
Uotani shrugged. "I'll go help her."
Entering the kitchen, the scent of leeks made Uotani's eyes water. They had to be among her least favorite food.
Tohru turned around to see her, face lighting up into a grin. "Uo-chan!"
"Hey, Tohru. Thought I'd help you out in the kitchen. God knows those men aren't going to," she said somewhat spitefully.
"Oh, no, I don't mind. They try, but they aren't very good cooks," Tohru smiled as her friend slipped on a spare apron.
"Making anything besides leek soup?" she asked.
Tohru's eyebrows knitted in concern. "Oh no, do you think this won't be enough? Should I make more? I didn't know you were staying for dinner, or I wouldn't have made leek soup. I know how much you don't like it. Does Uo-chan want me to make something else?"
Uotani smiled, patting Tohru on the head. "It's fine, Tohru. You make leek soup and I'll make some rice, all right?"
Tohru nodded and smiled, and the blonde grinned in response. She always found Tohru's smile contagious. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out her old gang mask and placed the strings behind her ears.
"Uo-chan really doesn't like leeks, does she?" Tohru laughed.
Uotani smiled. "At least being in a gang was good for something." She then set about filling a pot with water.
Not much time had passed before dinner was ready, and the two girls smiled at the accomplishment.
"They better appreciate this," remarked the blonde dryly.
"I'll go get them," said Tohru, but her friend placed a halting hand on her shoulder.
"Let me," she smiled, before shouting, "DINNER'S READY!" so loud it could have shaken the house.
Tohru laughed politely. "Really, it's no trouble to just get them..."
Uotani chuckled, placing the mask back in her pocket. "Trust me, they know now."
Shigure soon ambled into the room with a painful expression on his face. "I think my eardrum just broke. Uo-chan, you're so vulgar."
"Don't call me 'Uo-chan'," she said flatly, taking a seat at the table.
Yuki soon wandered into the room as well, eyes widening slightly when he saw Tohru's friend. "Hello, Arisa-san."
Uotani didn't look at him or wave, but simply said, "Hey, prince."
Sighing, Yuki took a seat at the table. "Shouldn't someone get Kyou-san?"
The blonde gave him a frank look. "Why don't you?"
Shigure grinned nervously. "Maybe Tohru-kun should get him. I don't want any more furniture broken."
Tohru nodded and was out the door before her friend had time to tell her it wasn't her responsibility. Part of it was that she disliked the fact that Tohru was so obedient, and the other part was that she simply did not want Kyou to join them for dinner. Especially a dinner she had helped make.
"He's undeserving of the food I've prepared," she mumbled, irate.
"Pardon, Uo-chan?" inquired Shigure.
She glared. "Don't call me that."
"What's Yankee doin' here!" came an angry voice from the doorway. No one had to look up to know it was Kyou.
"Ah, she helped me make dinner," Tohru said, smiling.
Kyou scoffed. "Well, don't eat it. It's probably poisoned."
Uotani sipped her tea coolly. "Only your portion, Kyon-Kyon."
"Why you-!"
"Please, Kyou-kun. Uo-ch-... Arisa-san and Tohru-kun went through all the trouble of making dinner. The least you could do is sit down and eat quietly," scolded Shigure, though he was eying Kyou's rice with suspicion.
"Fine," Kyou muttered as he sat. He inhaled the scent of leeks and quickly recoiled. "Leeks! She really is trying to poison me!"
"Actually, I made that," said Tohru, feeling a little guilty.
"Why the hell would you do that! You know I hate leeks! Are you stupid!" he yelled.
"Yuki-kun said-" Tohru began but was quickly interrupted.
"I told her to make it," Uotani's voice rang firm and frank as she looked at him nonchalantly. Shigure, Tohru and Yuki all stared at her. "Don't yell at her when you're the only one at this table that's stupid."
"I'm sorry," Tohru apologized, feeling slightly flabbergasted.
"Don't apologize, Tohru," said Uotani, her tone one of leveled rage as she never took her eyes off Kyou. "He doesn't even deserve to hear you speak, let alone hear you apologize."
"Damn it, Yankee! You're really pissing me off!" Kyou swore as he hit his fist down on the table. The force sent the opposite end flying into the air, bowl taking flight and leek soup splattering all over the blonde's - new - white blouse.
"God damn it, Kyou!" she cursed, but saw no apologies in his eyes. So she did the first thing she thought of: she grabbed a handful of rice from Shigure's bowl and flung it at the arrogant carrot top. The glob hit him the cheek and stuck there, little pieces of rice flying in every direction.
"U-Uo-chan! Kyou-kun!" Tohru shouted in alarm.
It took the cat a moment to recover from the projectile grain product before he glared at her. Picking up Tohru's glass of water, he flung the liquid at her, splashing her in the face.
The ex-gang member blinked before yelling something reminiscent of a battle cry. She robbed Yuki of his tea and splashed it into Kyou's face before smirking triumphantly.
Livid, Kyou bent down to pick a spoon...
"Both of you, enough!" Shigure's words were crisp, clipped, and surprisingly loud. They seemed to echo as the room became silent aside from the sound of tea dripping from Kyou's chin and splashing onto the ground. "If you're going to fight, do it outside so that I may actually enjoy this meal!"
Both adolescents glared, gazes locked, daring the other to move first. Sighing, Shigure rose and dragged them both outside before shutting and locking the door. In the distance, they could hear Tohru begging to go outside to talk to them and Shigure soothing her, saying that it was something they needed to resolve themselves.
"You really piss me off," Kyou managed to say through gritted teeth.
"Are all your comebacks so automated?" Uotani chided before gripping his collar and pulling him towards her, menacing eyes matching the fire thriving in his amber ones. "If you're ever so rude to Tohru-kun again, I will make you regret the day you were born."
"I'd like to see you try, Yankee," he hissed, his face contorted in rage. The blonde observed his expression, his chin dripping with tea and rice splattered all over his face, dangling precariously from his lower lip, and she simply couldn't help... laughing.
She released his collar and clutched her stomach, doubling over in laughter. "What are you, the rice demon?"
"What the hell are you laughing at, bitch!" demanded Kyou, irritated and infuriated.
"You just look so stupid!" she managed to say between giggles.
"Yeah, because you're such a vision!" he replied sarcastically, yet somehow he found Uotani Arisa convulsing with laughter somehow... cute. Even covered in water and smelling like leeks.
She stood, still laughing lightly. "It's all in how you wear it, Kyon-Kyon," she replied, flipping her damp hair dramatically. "Leek soup is so in right now."
Kyou scoffed. "Well, rice is the new rouge," he remarked dryly. There was a short silence before they both started laughing at how ridiculous they looked.
"Your face looks like someone just massacred a rice ball!" she said.
"It looks like you use tea leaves as conditioner!" he replied.
"That's you, you idiot!" she corrected, which only caused them to laugh harder.
"Well, your shirt," he began, his eyes drifting downwards and he suddenly found himself slightly vexed. Noticing she was laughing alone, she stood straight and glanced down at her very apparent bosom, before chuckling bitterly.
"Jeeze, Kyon-Kyon, if I didn't know better I'd think you keep spilling stuff on my blouse on purpose," she joked, crossing her arms over her chest.
"And what if I were?" he asked, his tone completely serious.
She stared at him for a moment before scoffing. "And to think I came here just to give you your jacket back. A pervert doesn't deserve such a nice coat."
"So, you're going to keep it for the next time I spill something on your shirt?" asked Kyou, taking a step towards her.
She didn't notice, but looked him straight in the eyes. "Don't assume it will happen again, because it won't."
"And if it does?" he asked, taking another step forward.
"Then I'll kill yo-" her sentence was interrupted as his lips ceased hers. Her eyes widened in shock before closing and she returned the kiss. His tongue slid over her bottom lip and she granted him entrance, the passion climbing. She tasted like leeks, but beneath it was the familiar taste of cinnamon and ginger. Kyou had to stop from grinning; her taste was spicy, just like her.
They soon broke for air, both panting and giving each other quizzical looks laced with something knowing.
"Tohru-kun will be coming out soon," Kyou muttered. "We should go back inside."
Kyou was about to start back towards the house when he swore he saw Uotani chew something. "What was that?" he asked.
The blonde didn't bother stifling a chuckle and shrugged. "Rice."