Welcome to my first Fruits Basket story. Hope you like it and don't forget to review!
Momiji felt a slight blush tinge his cheeks and he suddenly felt immobilized. Like every muscle in his body was going to explode. Tohru smiled at him happily, oblivious to the emotional torture she was putting him through.
"Thank you again, Momiji! Thank you so much!" She said for the umpteenth time, squeezing the little plush toy he bought her.
He looked away and tried to brush it off nonchalantly, but failed miserably. "Um, it…it was nothing. I just noticed it…and I thought of you! I mean, it made me think of you!
A-a-and, I just thought you would like it and so...ahem… I bought it, and here it is!"
He coughed several times and felt his legs twitching, like they were about to bolt out the door without his consent.
He was trying very, very hard to ignore the events that transpired just a few minutes ago, but the problem was that he didn't want to. Those past minutes had to be the happiest moments of his life and to forget them would be blasphemy against everything he stood for.
In case you're wondering, this is what happened:
Momiji bounded over to Tohru, with a big smile plastered on and a stuffed animal behind his back. He was his usual bouncy rabbit self yet with a hint of maturity sprinkled on top.
"Oh, Tohru! Look what I got!" he trilled, practically squeezing the stuffing out of the animal.
The various school girls glared jealously at them and gawked at the tall and handsome Sohma simultaneously.
He waited till she turned around and flashed him that beautiful, innocent smile that always had his stomach in knots. Even though he was so much taller than she was he still felt like a kid at Christmas.
Momiji displayed the rabbit with the little pink bow around neatly tied around its neck with all the fervor of a magician about to make an elephant disappear.
Tohru's eyes widened and her smile was so big that it nearly imploded on itself.
"Oh, Momiji! Thank you! And I don't even have anything to give you!"
He beamed at her and her apparent happiness. "You're welcome, Tohru! It was nothing! Just thought you would like it."
Everything was going just fine, until it happened.
Without thinking of the repercussions, Tohru went on her tiptoes, grabbed his hand and kissed him flat out on the lips.
Did she know what she was doing right before?
No.
Did she realize what happened afterwards?
Of course. But in a rare case of swiftness she pretended like it never happened and continued praising him mercilessly for the toy.
It was a spontaneous action and she had no idea why she did it, making it all the more easier to pretend like it never happened. Things weren't so easy for the rabbit, who had been praying for that moment from the first time he saw her. It was like a spark of electricity had flashed its way through him and stuck him to the ground.
Now back to the future…
"Its getting late, so I'm going to head home so I can start dinner. Thank you again!" she called and ran off before he could do anything else.
The moment she was out of sight, he felt his body melt into the ground and a dreamy smile crept onto his face. Momiji felt like giggling and crying and screaming all at the same time.
"Are you gonna die?" a voice asked behind him. Momiji whipped around and saw Haru leaning on a tree and watching him.
"W-what are you talking about, Haru-k-kun?" Momiji asked, wiping the remnants of the blush from his face.
"Well it's my understanding that you sold your soul to the devil or something in order for her to kiss you, right?" Haru asked, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
Now Momiji was really confused. "What?"
"Oh, wait a minute, I remember now: If I could make her feel the way I feel every time I hear her name, if I could feel her kiss me just once, I wouldn't care if I burned in hell for all eternity. Yah, I was right the first time. You're gonna die."
Momiji blanched as he heard the familiar words he had written in his diary a few months ago. "Haru? W-where did you um…how do you…?"
"How did I find your diary? You left your bag open just now…stupid. A better question would be how I memorized it so fast."
All the initial joy was gone, and Momiji was left in cold naked fear. For two years, he had kept up the façade that he was just a little kid, and couldn't possibly have feelings for Tohru, that would be just silly. She knew that's the only way she would ever see him. The only way he could ever get close without creating some sort of awkwardness. Now it was all about to blown apart because he forgot to zip up his book bag.
"H-haru…please. Please don't tell her. I am begging you. P-please," Momiji said quietly, feeling his heart beat a racket through his chest.
"Nah, I think I will. I wouldn't want you ending up like all the other members of the Zodiac with all their love issues. I mean, seriously. Why do we have so many problems? It's beginning to get ridiculous." Haru said while retrieving his motorcycle from behind the tree.
Momiji felt dizzy, like he was about to faint. There was no way he could outrun a motorcycle. And even if he could, what could he possibly do? Whisk Tohru away from Haru so she could never hear those fateful words? Live in the mountains and take baths together in the hot springs everyday?
That sounded pretty good actually.
The sound of an engine purring woke him from his reveries.
"Hey, Momiji. I could ride you there, if you want. So you can it yourself. If I just told her, and you weren't there, it would be kind of weird. She'd have to confront you in school in front of everyone, and I don't think you could take that."
Momiji stiffened. He knew his grave had been dug. It was either, face embarrassment now, or total humiliation later.
He got on the motorcycle and wrapped his arms around Haru's waist, hoping they would snap him in half.
"You know, squeezing me isn't going to make me want to keep your secret. In fact, it's doing quite the opposite…that's better."
Haru strode into the house with Momiji behind him whispering favors and ultimatums and pleas.
"She doesn't love me!" he said frantically, throwing down the last of his cards. "You're just ruining our friendship. And if I don't have that, at least, I will-"
"Die?" Haru finished. "I know the deal. Besides, how do you know she doesn't love you? Because, the other day, I happened to come across a diary that said quite the opposite."
The rabbit felt his blood rush into his ears with excitement. "R-really?"
"No. But if she had a diary I'm sure it would say that."
Finally they were in the living room with Tohru.
"Haru! Momiji! I'm happy to see you guys!" she said, setting some plates down on the table. "Would you like me to make some tea for you?"
"No, thanks. Momiji wants to tell you something."
Momiji looked down, trying to find a diversion, but was too late. Haru struck.
"Momiji is in love with you."
Everything in the room paused for a second as Momiji flinched and closed his eyes.
He couldn't look at her, and was still tongue tied, so Haru continued on for him.
"You should see the way he looks at you when he thinks no one is paying attention. Whenever he hears your name, his face lights up and his heart starts beating ten times faster. It even says here, on page 35 of his diary that-"
"Haru!" Momiji exclaimed. "Enough, please?" He was about to die from embarrassment.
Haru threw his hands in the air and walked out of the room, feeling greatly unappreciated. He went through all that trouble trying to save Momiji from a lifetime of regret and horrible metaphors about the winter and spring, and all he gets is yelled at.
Tohru just stared after him, hoping he would come back and relieve the awkward tension mounting in the room.
She honestly did not see this coming, but she had a feeling that something involving Momiji was going to occur after what happened this afternoon.
On the other hand, she kinda sortawanted this to happen. She had been waiting for it for a while. She had always liked Momiji a bit more than the other Zodiac members.
They were always so sad and depressed with their sad life stories (grandpas being locked away in boxes, girlfriends who make you go blind, sleeping with your younger cousin…), leaving her alone to bring in all the sunshine and happiness.
It got very tiring very fast.
At least Momiji tried to be happy with his candies and girl clothing.
But then he hit puberty, and she suddenly started to see things a little differently. Under all the optimism and excitement was a sort of quiet maturity that she had grown to respect and love.
Then again, she saw the look on his face when Haru had confessed his love. It was sort of green and sick and vomit-y. Not at all like someone who was supposedly madly in love with her. Maybe he really didn't love her and was actually ashamed, who would actually like little old Tohru. Maybe Haru was playing a cruel trick, because he's mad that everyone calls him the cow. Everyone knows that cows are girls and bulls are boys.
So Tohru decided to play it cool.
Anyways…
There they were. Two young adults staring at each other with nothing to say.
Finally, she put the feather duster down and gave Momiji a small smile.
"It's ok, Momiji. I don't believe him."
He felt his heart jump a little and he started toward her, about to deny everything but thought better of it.
"Why not?"
"Well, for one, why would you love me? It makes no sense. You should fall in love with a princess or something. And second, why would Haru tell me that you're in love with me? Shouldn't you be the one to tell me? Otherwise, how can I possibly know that you are telling the truth?"
Momiji looked down and bit his lip, debating all the possible things he could say.
He decided that it would be best to just tell the truth, never mind the fancy words and poetry. Forget all the hours he wasted rehearsing what he would say at this very moment.
"Tohru, I'm in l…" He whispered until it turned into a low indiscernible mumble.
"What?"
"Tohru, I'm…"
"I'm sorry, I can't really hear you."
"TOHRU, I'M IN LOVE WITH YOU!" He yelled so loudly he almost felt the house shake.
"Stop yelling! I'm right here!" Haru yelled from behind the door.
"So you finally did it?" He heard Shigure murmur from upstairs.
"Just like a tragic hero confessing his unrequited love," he swore he heard Ayame say from the other side of town.
Tohru smiled a small smile that he couldn't see since he was about to run out the door.
"Momiji? Before you go, I just want to say thank you and I love you too." She whispered.
He stopped and turned around and looked into her eyes and felt very lightheaded.
He saw the small smile on her lips and suddenly those were all he could think about.
He walked over to her slowly and felt his face go hot again, but in a good way.
"Thank you for what?" Momiji asked, voice barely rising above a whisper.
She just smiled wider and once again went on her tippy toes and pressed her lips to his.
And even though he saw it coming from a mile away, he still felt a flash of electricity shoot its way into his body and melt him into a puddle of sunshine.
And that is a very, very good feeling.
Wow. That was really...bad. I didn't realize. I apologize but still! The moment you opened this page you signed a binding contract that said you would review! Do it or face my wrath!
Review!
Thank you.