This is my first ever Fruits Basket fic, even though I've loved it for a few months less than I've loved Inuyasha. I read a fic a while back, by forbalathegreen. It made me want to, you know, request that fic be put into the actual manga books—that's how real I felt about it. So any way, to show my hmm, feelings for that fiction this is dedicated to my new-found-friend, Forbala. :3 Oh, and try to remember I live in America and I don't go to book stores and stuff. (And that the library has up to like 7 of the books.) So if I get something wrong, don't be mean about it. -- Oh, and I also don't watch the anime. FRUITS BASKET ANIME BOO. :

Chapter one: The new kid

Momiji Sohma, a Japanese-German 16-year-old, sat on the couch of Shigure's and sucked on his lollipop. He looked around the room, and then in amazement walked up to a painting hanging above the kitchen sink. It was of Tohru and this strange girl, one he'd never seen before. Maybe she was new?

Momiji shrugged, and listened to Shigure close the door quietly, then heard the rustling of his shoe removal. "Ah, I see Momiji is here," He'd noted to himself, then walked into the room in which he was in.

"Shigure-san, where did this painting come from?" Momiji asked, turning to the other man in the room, and looked at him questioningly. "Has Tohru not introduced me to her?" He got a pitiful look on his face as if it was the end of the world, that Tohru may be keeping secrets from him.

"I'm sure that's not the problem, Momiji." Shigure said thoughtfully, almost as if he knew the girl in the painting. He'd seen her around the dojo once or twice when he was trying to talk to Kazuma. "Maybe the girl likes you, and is too nervous to even get near you." He chuckled as he heard the door close, Kyo yelling at Yuki that he was a stubborn brat, Yuki replying coolly, "At least I'm in the Zodiac." He walked into the kitchen, and nodded at Momiji.

Tohru entered the room, and looked at Momiji. "Ah! I didn't know you'd be here! Are you staying for dinner?" She ran toward her adorable rabbit-friend, and noticed his look. "Momiji-san? What's wrong?" She asked, then looked at Shigure, who shrugged.

"Who is she, Tohru-chan?" He asked, pointing at the painting. He looked at it for a second, then at Tohru again.

"Oh, Momiji! That's (Damn! My name is Saki, but I can't use that, my back up name is Ayame, and I can't use that! WTF! D: ) Lin. Are you upset with me? Please don't be, Momiji-san."

Momiji smiled, and nodded. "Oh, okay, I see." He started sucking again on his lollipop, and then added, "And I am staying for dinner."

Over the course of the next week, Momiji tried and tried to meet this 'Lin' person. Soon enough he gave up, until he realized she was the girl sitting next to him in his History class. "Oh! Are you Lin?" he asked one day, getting a nod from her. "Hi! I'm Momiji Sohma, Tohru-san's friend!" He exclaimed, smiling widely at Lin.

"Oh, uhm, hi, Momiji, I'm Lin. …I guess you already know that, though, right?" She smiled shyly, and looked away. Momiji blinked. "Oh, yes. Lin-san, did I say something to embarrass you? You're blushing!"

"Oh, no, Momiji-san, I uh,… I don't know. The teacher's coming we should stop talking," She said quickly, and looked at her notebook.

The Chinese fifteen year old stood almost above Momiji's shoulder. She was tiny. She liked it that way, though she hated the short jokes. She'd always tried to avoid Momiji—she was just another fangirl. Only, she felt different from the rest. She wasn't always fighting off girls to get away from 'her man', she wasn't always screaming his name when he looked at her…

She felt as if he didn't notice her. But of course, that was her own fault for avoiding and hiding from him. She smiled. She definitely wasn't like the rest of the girls. "So, uh, do you live with Tohru or does she only live with Shigure, Kyo, and Yuki?" She asked suddenly in a whisper, looking at him slightly. The teacher was almost deaf; and wouldn't hear her. Momiji shook his head. "No, But I visit her quite often, ja. Het is pret!"

Lin blinked. "U kent het Duits?!" She asked, a tad bit too loud. She suddenly felt as if she'd known him all her life—like they do in the books. She grinned, and then snapped her attention to the teacher.

After class, which was the last period of course, Lin and Momiji walked out of the classroom talking about nonsense such as how "awesome Tohru is!"

Lin walked to Tohru's house—really Shigure's but who cares about him?—with Momiji. She loved him even more before she even set foot on Sohma property. Lin shyly opened the door, and Momiji bounded in, crying out, "Tohru-chaaann!" Lin quietly closed the door behind her, and slipped her shoes off.

Tohru greeted the two, and then they went up to her room. She'd already made dinner, but she was "waiting for Yuki to get home from the council, Kyo to get home from the Dojo and Shigure to get back from," Tohru paused then, "Wherever he goes today." She blushed and giggled.

When the three finally got home from the things they were doing, Tohru started heating up dinner. "You two are staying right?" Lin nodded, and Momiji said boldly, "Yes!"

A few weeks later came the big midterm tests. Lin was freaking out—as usual. Fortunately, Momiji was there to help her study.

"Who founded Japan?"

"Emperor Jimmu." Lin smiled. "I should go home. Thanks so much for dinner, Tohru." She hugged her friend, and turned to Momiji.

"Thanks so much for helping me study." She leaned forward to hug Momiji. She closed her eyes, then fell onto her stomach.

"Momiji?!"

--

Aha. Cliffhanger. :3