Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket. (Damn, after 21 fanfics, I'm getting really tired of this disclaimer part)
A/N: My first AU! It's actually going to be a LOT different from the real thing and very Yuki/Machi-centric, but it's going to have the same characters and the same personalities, although Tohru's past changes a lot, as well as Machi's eye color. And the character's relationships (as in family, friends) change a lot too. Oh, and a LOT of the characters are not there. I don't even have Uo-chan and Hana-chan! But it's going to be a lot more well-written than my other fanfics. Ah well, we'll see how it turns out!
The wind whistled gently through the early morning. the late spring cherry blossoms adorned the tress spread aroudn a spacious courtyard. The soft humming of a violin drifted between the benches that sat around the paths that cut across the courtyard. The music came from the stroking of a young man's bow on his violin from his position on one of the benches. Silver hair the color of moonlight slipped between his cheek and the violin. Long lashes swept his cheek as he opened his eyes and revealed deep pools of violet, a small msile playing across his lips.
His sharp ears picked up the sound of soft footsteps, and he stopped playing abruptly, his eyes turning up. A few feet in front of him a girl with dark hair flipping every which way looked around frantically, a slip of paper clutched in her hands. He watched her for a bit, admiring her bright green eyes that stood out from her pale face and otherwise plain, almost dull appearance. She was wearing their school uniform, so he assumed she was a student. Her face finally turned towards the person who was observing her and she blinked at him for a few moments.
"Are you lost?" The boy finally asked.
An embarrassed blush spread across her cheeks as she scowled at her feet and nodded.
The boy laughed and put his violin and bow into the case on the bench and snapped it shut. He stood and held out her hand for the paper she held. "May I see?"
She nodded and handed it to him. After looking at it a moment, the boy smiled. "Ah, you're a transfer student. Hmm, it says you're Gifted..." he cocked an eyebrow at her. "What's your Gift?"
She looked up at him in confusion and he shook his head. "Oh I see. Nevermind then." He began walking down the path, expecting her to follow. "I'll take you to the headmaster, then. Oh, and by the way... Welcome to the Sohma School for the Gifted adn Talented."
The two reached the office not too long after. The boy stopped and turned to ther girl. "This is where I leave you. I--" He was cut off by an almost feminine voice.
"Good morning. I believe it's me you're looking for." The other two quickly turned their attention to the person behind the boy.
The girl's eyes widened when she saw the man. He posed a striking resemblence to the boy who had helped her here. The only difference was the color of his charcoal black hair and equally dark eyes-- ones that sent shivers through those who met them directly. A slender snow-white hand extended and plucked the paper out of the boy's hand.
Their headmaster read the paper before reaching into his breast pocket and pulling out a schedule. He scowled at it a moment before handing it to her. "Odd. You have the exacting same schedule as the boy next to you." He shifted those cold eyes to the boy he spoke of. "It's settled then. You will be her guide. I turst you'll show her the ropes. I will see you later." With that he walked away briskly, but the dangerous tone of his voice still hung in the air.
The boy watched with an unreadable expression on his face. It was then that the girl next to him spoke for the first time since they had met. "W-Who are you and are you in any way related to our headmaster?" She asked abruptly, her eyes looking questioningly into his.
He sighed and nodded. "Yes, Akito... our headmaster... is my brother. My name is Yuki Sohma, and my family owns this school." He gestured towards the giant building that surrounded the courtyard and grade 1 through 12. "We also own the island and the town... But enough about me. Your name?" He turned so that his gorgeous eyes looked into her's.
"M-Machi... My name is Machi Kuragi." She replied, slightly shocked by what he had explained.
He smiled at her. "Well, Machi, ironic isn't it, how our schedules match up?"
"Yeah..."
"Well, class iwll start soon, so let's go." He led her through the hallways into which students were already pouring. The peace of the morning was broken by the students' chatter that echoed through the halls and classes. The two entered their first class-- math. They soon foudn they were seated on opposite sides of the room.
Yuki gave Machi an encouraging smile as she took her place between two giggling girls. The kind who had highlighted hair which they straightened everyday, and were overly-tanned with loose socks.
"Oh, did the Prince just smile at you?" one of them asked Machi. Machi just shrugged.
"Ohh, I'm so jealous!" the other girl squealed. "Oh, you're new here, so you don't know who he is. He's Yuki Sohma, the Prince of this school. The headmaster is his brother. Isn't he absolutely dreamy, like a god! He even has his own fanclub!" This followed a series of bouncing and screeching.
Machi watched Yuki copy the problems on the board. Several images of him flashed through her head. "There's nothing god-like about him." she concluded. "He's just like you or I... actually I think he seems quite... alone."
The two girls scowled. "How could you say that? You don't even know him. Man, you're weird." They didn't say a word to her again, but she knew they were whispering about her when they thought she wasn't listening. She resisted the urge to tellt hem that if they took some of that cheap makeup off, they might look like normal people too. Maybe.
Class ended, and the students filed out, Yuki catching Machi outside. "We have our Fine Arts next, which is Art and Music for us. You're probably good at both, if you were assigned them."
Mach nodded mutely.
They took on easels next to each other and began painting.
Yuki painted a smilple still-life, a flower vase full of bright blooms of every color. He finished his painting and out of curiousity, walked over to stand behind Machi, peering over her shoulder at her painting. He inhaled sharply. In one word, it was... beautiful.
It portrayed a snow-filled field that stretched endlessly into the painting. At the center, a woman with raven hair gazed up at him with eyes as piercing eyes as black as ink. Her skin was as white as her billowing dress and the snow that surrounded her. If you looked close enough into the womans face, you would notice the tears that slipped from her pleading eyes and past her crimson lips.
"How sad..." Yuki whispered to Machi, who was laying th last strokes of the sky onto the canvas. Machi closed her eyes, but didn't answer. Yuki placed his hands on her shoulders."Are you alright?" He asked gently.
She nodded and looked aher painting once more. "Some people... keep their secrets and pain to themselves, closed in their hearts until they become filled with snow. Thinking of such things makes me sad... and I wish that people like that... could find wings to carry them out into the sky..." Machi's voice trailed off, and Yuki squeezed her shoulders. The two stood in silence, until the bell sent a shrill sound cutting through the peace, and both snapped out of their thoughts.
"I'd better put this away..." Machi said quickly,s tanding up.
Next they headed to their music class.
"What instrument do you play?" Yuki asked, taking out his violin and fiddling wit the tuning pegs. In answer to his question, Machi took out a black case and began piecing together it's hollow silver contents. "Ah, the flute. I always loved it's sound." he grinned. "Well, let's hear you play it."
Machi lifted the flute to her lips and closed her eyes, a soft, haunting, but sweet melody escaping the instrument. A few people even turned their heads to listen.
Finally, the teacher tapped his music stand with a baton and she ceased. Through the entire class, Yuki's eyes wandered to the flute section. That girl was so mysterious, but she seemed to know so many things. In truth, he was mesmerized by this shy girl.
He snapped back into reality when a classmate tapped his shoulder. "Class is over, you know."
He put his violin away and stood, knocking into an instrument in the process.
"Ouch!" He looked over to the other sid eof the instrument, where a girl stood, a long scrape forming on her arm. He recognized her instantly. With her long brown hair and large chocolate eyes, the innocent you girl could only be Tohru Honda. Which meant what would come next was Kyo.
"Hey, Yuki. What've you done to her?" An angry, protective glare peeked out from underneath the bright orange bangs of Tohru's boyfriend, and Yuki's cousin and childhood rival.
"It was an accident." Yuki muttered, tryin to find his way around a fight. There was no such escape with Kyo, though. His temper rose and he punched Yuki square in the nose, causing blood to gush out. "ACCIDENT MY ASS."
This time, it was Alan's turn to get mad. "Would you just shut up!" He grabbed Kyo's arm and twisted it behind his back. Kyo was just about to return the favore by kicking Yuki whre it really hurts before a teacher came and grabbed the by the shoulders, prying them apart.
"You two again? For heaven's sake, don't you ever learn? To the guidance counsilor's office, and take your girlfriends with you!" The teacher gestured to the two on-lookers, Tohru and Machi.
Why am I going? Machi thought as she followed the other three to teh guidance councilor.
They stepped into the office to see and st in the chiars facing their councilor. He was a tall man with black hair escaping the clutches of his hair gel and straying into his face. He was fairly young, reading something with severe concentration on his computer, dark eyes hidden behind narrow glasses. He looked over the computer monitor at them and sighed, taking off his glasses and leaning back in his chair. "This is the fourth time this term. Your behavior can't go on."
Kyo and Yuki narrowed their eyes and Yuki said "The teacher left."
"Oh, okay then!" The teacher's face completely changed and he looked cheerfully across his desk at his frequent visitors. "So, what's happening?" His eyes turned to Machi. "Oh! You're the transfer student! I'm Dr. Sohma, your guidance coucilor, but you can call me Shigure-sensei!" he grinned.
Another Sohma...? Machi thought.
"A cousin... Very distant though, probably a few times removed. Thank god for that too." Yuki grumbled, as if reading her thoughts.
"So, do you want to read the latest of my books?" Shigure turned his monitor around. "I was just re-reading it for fun!"
Tohru read a few lines and looked away, face scarlet. "Oh dear..."
"Please, spare us..." Yuki grimaced.
Machi began scanning it.
'I need you' whispered the man as he placed his hand hungrily on her...
"Oh my..." Machi stopped reading at once, her face also turning slightly pink. "How vulger..." she muttered disbelievingly.
Kyo read the title and gaped. "Forgotten Love Songs? Isn't that the one that was banned from fifty colleges and school districts because of its OBSCENITY?"
Shigure chuckled. "Oh yes. It's actually fifty-three colleges and school districts.
"THAT'S NOT SOMETHING TO BE PROUD OF!" Both Yuki and Kyo yelled at once, Kyo placing his hand over Tohru's eyes to prevent her from reading further.
Shigure laughed. "Well, yout wo had better go to the nurse's office." He scoffed as he put extra emphasis on "nurse", nodding at Tohru's steadily bleading scratch and Yuki, who was clutching tissues to a his bleeding nose. Yuki rolled his eyes, and the four exited, leaving Shigure to his kinky romance novels.
Now the group shuffled to the nurse, to see a man sitting at the desk.
"Excuse me, where's the nurse?" Machi asked monotonously, looking the man straight in the eye. The man had straight black hair falling into his face, one side of his bangs so long it covered his whole left eye. He was strikingly handsome, a serious expression in his golden eyes... er... eye.
The man looked at her and twitched. "I am Dr. Sohma... the nurse..." he coughed. "But I prefer to be known as the school pediatrician..."
Machi looked questioningly at Yuki, who shrugged. "Another cousin, just as distant as Shigure, but much less of an embarrassment. Since people in our school are exeptionally informal, we just call him Hatori." Yuki added with a laugh, relieved that the bleeding in his nose had stopped.
"Whatever, Hatori, just gimme some bandages." Kyo interrupted the introduction and grabbed the long winding cloth from his desk. "Come on, Tohru..." he gipped her arm and led her into the other part of the health room.
After examining Yuki's nose and coming to the conclusion that it was not broken, Hatori excused Yuki and Machi with a pass to their next class and resumed his work.
On his way out, Yuki took at quick peek into the other room to make sure Tohru was alright before his guilt ate him out. Most people would have questioned why Tohru and Kyo were together. They didn't seem to match up at all. Yuki knew Kyo better than that, though. In the room, Kyo was kneeling by the bed Tohru was sitting on, securing the bandage onto her am.
"Are you suure you're okay?" Kyo demanded, face red with worry.
She giggled. "I'm fine, Kyo, stop making such a fuss. It's nothing to get stressed out about."
"If you get scarred, I'm gonna KILL that damn Yuki for sure this time!" he clenched his hand into a fist.
"Oh no, don't get into a fight again!" She wrapped her hands around his fist. "You know I've had enough fighting..."
"Sorry... I..." Kyo's face flushed and he looked to the ground, his usually defiant eyes downcast.
Tohru pressed her forehead onto his, a smile breaking through her face. "It's alright. I understand you're just worried. Now smile for me, will you?"
Yuki stayed just long enough to see an awkward smile form on Kyo's face before stepping away, a soft smile on his face. It was a private moment and he decided he shouldn't be watching. He knew that Kyo cared for Tohru more than anything in the world. He may be an awkward, rough person, but if other people saw how he treated Tohru when they weren't looking, girls would swoon with jealousy. The same went for Tohru. She seemed nice to everyone, and not the kind of person to even go near Kyo. But there was more to Tohru than met the eye, and she sacrificed everything she had ever known just to be with Kyo, seeing through his mean exterior and straight into his heart. Yuki and Kyo could almost be friends, but first Kyo would have to get over his stubbornness, and Yuki would have to get over his age old grudge against Kyo. That wouldn't be anytime soon.
After seventh period, Machi began to notice how all the students were either going home or back to the dormitories. She blinked at her schedule, which still had another class on it. "For the Gifted" was all it said for subject matter.
Yuki found her and smiled. "You must be confused. Come with me and I'll show you where we're going." He took her hand and led her to a nook in the school. Machi stared at the empty wall, still confused.
"Aperio." Yuki said, his voice sounding unfamiliar. A door appeared on the wall, Machi staring wide-eyed at it. Yuki held out his hand to the door. "Patulus." The door swung open, leading into an ancient stone staircase. Yuki lowered his hand and grinned at Machi, who was staring, jaw dropped. He circled her hand with his. "You ready for this?"
CLIFFIE! XD Yeah, and so ends the first chapter. And just FYI, those are pretty much the only characters in the story, except for a couple people who come in VERY minorly. (shrug) That's just how my story played out. Sorry if I'm disappointing anyone.
