Fruits Basket
txn.
SHORT.
because my fingers hurt from typing already.
Syaoran observes a scene between Touya and Nakuru under an apple tree one special afternoon. txn, my v.day treat to all
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It's afternoon, and Syaoran sits on his favorite spot on the tree. It's also a special day, and no one's supposed to be staying back in school so late. But then again, he has his reasons for doing so, because he doesn't think Sakura will be done with cheerleading practice in another hour's time.
So it's not his choice, really, but he happens to observe a coincidental scene on the other side of the fence. It's Seijouu High school grounds, with grassy green banks. It's also relatively empty, saved for two little figures sitting underneath an apple tree. And Syaoran knows them - it's the guy who always calls him a gaki, and that Hiiragizawa freak's moon guardian.
A fruits basket sits in between them. Syaoran arches an eyebrow. It's a funny way to spend this special day sitting in school, picnicking. But then again, this is Touya Kinomoto and Nakuru Akizuki - so there's nothing ordinary about them.
She's bent over, frantically trying to finish the pages of her history essay with a scratchy pen. Sometimes, she'll cry out in a fluster, with red, frustrated cheeks when she has to correct her mistakes. Touya will sigh, roll his eyes, and offer her some strawberries from the basket.
Touya'll watch her work quietly, and it doesn't take more than a few minutes before his eyes register the first beat of perspiration on her forehead. He'll lean in with a handkerchief ready between his fingers, and press them gently against her skin. She'll look up from her history essay, splotched with ink blots, and mouth a soft 'thank-you' together with a smile.
Sometimes when she's sick of writing so fast, she'll take a break, and nibble on more strawberries he's offered to her lips. She tells him they're too sweet. He asks out of concern, though he's careful to mask his emotions carefully, if she wants another kind of fruit. It's okay, she says, and proceeds to tell him her latest knock-knock jokes that he doesn't know if he should laugh or narrow his eyes in irritancy because they're not funny.
But then, Syaoran observes that Touya will always be looking away when she starts to laugh, or smile. It's a habit, he thinks, for Touya to hide his blush each time it surfaces. So it happens very often, especially when some leaves fall accidentally into his hair, and she'll lean forward to pick them out carefully one by one. She'll be extremely close to him, and the proximity, as Syaoran notes, makes Touya look away for a full whole minute.
There'll be small hints of gestures that don't seem significant, but Syaoran sees them, anyway. Like how she'll put down her ink pen, and very spontaneously tidy out the collar on his neck. Or like how Touya will help her with her history essay, by erasing her mistakes for her and spotting some more along the way. He'll be reading over her shoulders often, and when she turns around to smile up at him, he'll look hastily away again. These moments, Syaoran doesn't think even if the sky falls down, it'll conceal Touya's blushes entirely.
When she's finally done with her history essay, and he's checking errors for her, she picks up an apple from the fruits basket, and begins to peel with a fruit knife. He doesn't look up, but Syaoran hears it enough, when Touya whispers with eyes focused on Nakuru's big, cursive handwriting, 'to be careful' peeling the apple. She'll huff up her face, and pout her bottom part of the lips, and tell him she's not a child, and it's fine, she knows how to take care of herself.
Then when she lets out a small muffled cry, and it hits Touya that she's cut herself in the finger - however just a small, superficial cut it is, Syaoran doesn't think he ever sees Touya so worked up in his life. How Touya looks now is comparable the first time he catches Syaoran holding Sakura's hands.
And Syaoran notes how Touya hastily snatches Nakuru's small hand into his, how he inspects the cut, presses a tissue to it, and then softly nibble on the open wound to make sure it stops bleeding. Nakuru's smile is genuine, and very radiant. Syaoran swears he thinks it's actually glowing on the moon guardian's face, as she calms Touya down by telling him she's okay, and that a small cut like this won't kill her. He responds by snapping, telling her not to say stuff like that, and when she breaks out smiling widely, Touya doesn't look away this time when their eyes meet.
Syaoran thinks he's intruded onto something private and personal, when their heads are slowly bending extremely close to each other, and how the distance is beginning to close upon them. So he turns his head, and looks back into the other direction. His eyes brightens, as he spots Sakura running down the steps of school building. She's waving, "Syaoran-kun!!!" And it doesn't take him more than three seconds to jump down the tree and land neatly on his feet with a boyish familiar rush of blush on his face.
With a final glance tossed behind his shoulders, looking across the fence to the other side, he spots the small fruits basket again, and two figures under the apple tree.
Syaoran smiles just a little, shakes his head, and then goes to meet Sakura.
He knows showering affections is not one of Touya's best points, anyway, but no one ever says the boy who always calls him a gaki doesn't ever try when he's around Nakuru.
owari
and a very happy valentine's day to all!
reviews are warmly appreciated like box of chocolates on this special day!