Mkay, so I had this idea when I was watching a Fruits Basket AMV.
It is possibly the best frikken AMV in all of AMV-dom.
So go to: .com/watch?v=AE3lopu5P9I
To watch it.
FYI: This is set 'during' volume one of the manga. I suppose it's my own little add-on.
-x-
Summary: As he watched them from the window, he realised something that would screw up his life forever.
Cursed Triangle
-x-
"Kyo, can I ask you something?" an innocent, brown haired girl interrupted Kyo Sohma's daydream of beating his cousin.
"Sure, fire away." Kyo retorted, sitting up and pressing his hands against the roof tiles. Tohru knew where her ginger friend would be; he was always up on the roof. It was his quiet sanctuary where he could go to think or daydream, or take an afternoon nap. The only person allowed up there was himself, for the exception of Tohru. She was always welcome.
"It's Yuki's birthday next week, isn't it? What should I get him? I have no idea what sort of thing he'd want." Tohru asked, carefully folding her legs as she took her place beside him. "No matter how much you fight, I can tell that you're the one who knows him best."
There was an awkward silence as Tohru slowly realised what an idiot she'd been to say something like that.
"Yuki and I…"Kyo whispered. "Are nothing alike. He doesn't know me. He only knows how to push my buttons and make me mad."
"Sorry, I didn't mean it. I just thought…Shigure doesn't know much about him – that's what he said when I asked him – and I didn't really feel the going to another Sohma house would be appropriate to ask such a small question." Tohru pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her slim arms around her shins. "So…do you have any ideas?"
"I honestly don't know." Kyo spat, more angry at himself than at Tohru. "I was out all day yesterday, right?"
"Yeah."
"Well I was looking for a present for Yuki." He murmured, embarrassed at the very thought of spending time on Yuki. He caught a glimpse of Tohru's shocked expression. "I know, it's dumb, spending so much time on someone I hate, and putting so much effort into it…I don't know why I did it."
"I know why." Tohru said in her usual cheerful manner. "You want to make a fresh start with Yuki, and make friends with him. Go back to the beginning, right?"
"Hell, no. Why would I want to be friends with him?" Kyo snapped back, a frown plastered on his face. "Besides, if I literally went back to the beginning…it would still happen."
Tohru paused, blinking. He was so right. With the Sohma curse, if they'd started as friends, they still would've grown to be enemies. It wasn't very fair, that it was their destiny to be enemies.
"Oh, right. Yeah, I'm sorry, I'll just leave - " as Tohru started to stand up, Kyo's hand whipped out and grabbed hers. "Um, Kyo…"
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap like that." He said quietly, looking away. His bloody eyes were hidden by his orange bangs, as was the rose coloured blush that was slowly seeping up across his cheeks. He bit his lip, hoping that he would say anything else. Tohru gave a soft smile and retreated to her original position.
"It's okay, Kyo. Maybe I could just make him something." She said, considering her own idea. "Yeah, I think I will. How about a pair of mittens?"
Kyo chuckled. "You realise it's August."
"Oh, yeah, right." Tohru blushed, and pulled a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm sure I'll think of something that he'll like."
"I'm sure you will." Kyo replied, and he smiled.
-x-
Up. Down. Up. Down. Prick. Up. Down.
Tohru stopped sewing long enough to suck her now bleeding finger. She'd never been very good at sewing, and always managed to hurt herself, or any other person within a ten mile radius.
She let out a long breath, and started to sew again. She'd eventually decided to make Yuki a stuffed animal; a small, grey rat.
"Miss. Honda, what are you doing up so late?"
Tohru squealed and made a quick grab for a large sheet that she'd had near her. She placed it over her work and turned to face Yuki. She gave her usual, nothing's-wrong smile.
"Oh, just doing some laundry." Tohru gave her best excuse and stood up to her full height, trying to hide her sewing even more with her slim, pale legs.
"At one in the morning?" Yuki asked, his violet eyes full of questions. "Miss. Honda, you really should - "
"It's fine, I couldn't sleep, anyway." Tohru interrupted. "Really, you go back to sleep. I'm okay up by myself."
Not wanting to be nosy, but still curious of what his 'housekeeper' was really up to, Yuki nodded politely, turned around, and started padding back up to his room. Tohru sighed and pulled the sheet aside.
"That was close, mom." She whispered to the photograph, neatly placed beside her work. "I thought for sure he was going to see."
She picked up her needle, then stabbed it through the silvery material. She was careful not to make a mess of her stitches; this was for Yuki. She couldn't, no, wouldn't give any friend a poorly-made gift, even if it's the thought that counted. She bit her lower lip gently, concentrating like crazy. She tugged at the needle again, forcing it through the material, and the thread fell out of the hole. Tohru sighed, and started re-threading it. She didn't have time to mess around. She needed to finish this sooner, rather than later.
Two hours later, with blistered hands, Tohru was finished. She gave a long, exhausted sigh and smiled down at her artwork.
"Wow…it looks better than I thought it would." She murmured to herself, her tone lacking it's usual enthusiasm. "Hm…tired…"
Tohru gathered up her scrap material, threads, and other various sewing supplies, and started for the stairs. As she drifted past the kitchen doorway, she saw a dark figure, slumped over one of the few counters. She didn't need prompting to know who it was.
"Shigure," she croaked, scraping sleep-dust out of her eyes with her spare hand. "Why are you up so late?"
Shigure whipped around, shocked to hear Tohru's voice. His dark eyes instantly softened, and his usual chilled out smiled graced his lips. His face was illuminated by the moon, and Tohru saw that he had grey – almost black – rings under his eyes. It was clear he hadn't slept well for a couple of days.
"Oh, Tohru. I was having trouble sleeping. But, why are you awake? What are those?" he asked, his voice thick with fatigue.
"It's Yuki's birthday present. I've been making it since he went to sleep." She paused, rummaged through her spare material until she found the well-stuffed animal and held it up for Shigure to see. His face lit up.
"Tohru, that's excellent! I know he'll love it." He said, clapping a few times. Tohru smiled, her pale cheeks going slightly pink.
"Thank you, Shigure." She said politely, nodding her head. "I'd love to stay and chat, but I'm exhausted. I'm going to bed…you should too."
Shigure smiled. "I'm okay. You go on ahead."
"Promise me you'll get a little sleep?" Tohru asked, genuinely concerned. Shigure nodded.
"I promise. Good night, Tohru."
And then she was gone, leaving the author to think, alone.
-x-
"Happy birthday, Yuki!"
The look on the Sohma's face was to die for; eyes wide, eyebrows raised, mouth in a perfect circle. His family and friends started to laugh, and swarm around him.
"I love surprise parties." Tohru said, turning to Kyo. They were stood over by the sofa, waiting for the right time to greet Yuki and say happy birthday. "Don't you?"
"Never had one." Kyo replied, shrugging casually. "I wouldn't know."
"Oh, I'm sorry." Tohru said, her face slightly fallen. "That's sad…you've really never had a surprise party?"
Kyo shook his head, orange bangs swaying from side to side. He scanned the room; Momiji was perched on Yuki's shoulders, singing 'Happy Birthday' at the top of his voice. Hatsuharu was leaning back against the wall, eyebrows quirked. The other Sohma's were all cooing over Yuki, giving him presents and cards and hugs.
"What did you get him in the end?" Tohru asked, trying – and failing – to change the topic. "Yuki, I mean."
"I didn't."
"Huh?"
"I spoke to him, asked him hat he wanted, he told me not to bother with a present."
Tohru paused, trying to think of what to say next. "Oh."
"Miss. Honda, can I talk to you outside for a minute?" a familiar voice interposed. Tohru looked up to find the Birthday King himself, smiling down at her.
"Oh, sure!" she turned to Kyo. "I'll be back in a little while."
She followed Yuki outside onto the porch, and he shut the sliding doors shut. "So, what's up?"
"I wanted to thank you. For the party." Yuki said quietly, his gaze not quite meeting hers. "I know it was you who organised it."
"Hehe, it was nothing. Shigure helped, he invited everyone and did the party food." Pause. "Don't worry, he didn't make it. He got it at the store and microwaved it."
"That's alright then." Yuki laughed softly.
"Oh! I almost forgot." Tohru produced the packaged she'd been hiding behind her back since the beginning of the party. "Happy birthday!"
Yuki, a look of shock on his face, took the package and carefully unwrapped it. He held the small 'animal' in his hand, and smiled.
"Thank you, Miss. Honda. I love it. So much."
"You do? Really?"
"Really."
He bent down and kissed her gently on the cheek, cautious not to hug her at all. Her cheeks flushed bright red.
And Kyo saw it all. He'd been watching from the window. He felt sick.
Why?
I love her.
-x-
Well, that's it!
I like how this turned out, and it's my longest one-shot so far.
REVIEW!