Here's my side of the bargain of my art/writing trade with Starryeyedrin :) Not sure if you've seen Fruits Basket, Starry, but it's sorta based on a phenomena of the characters in that. Hope you enjoy it!
The first time Aria attempted to find out her secret was in the morning.
Sunlight seeped down into the high school campus as Yukari entered through the gateway with a yawn. She had her usual outfit on: skirt, white blouse, and rabbit hoodie. The girl was a new transfer that year. She was quiet, a bit cold at times, and skeptical. Other than that, though, she was just like any ordinary student. Except, of course, for her secret.
"Morning, Yukari!" A chipper voice greeted her, causing Yukari to nearly spill the drink in her coffee cup.
"Oh. Morning, Teto," She muttered. Teto widened her arms.
"C'mere!"
"N-no!" Yukari cried out suddenly. In a panic, she threw her contents of her cup at the smiling girl.
"Yukari, why did you just throw your carrot juice on me?" Teto asked genuinely, her mood no less cheerful despite the orange liquid now dripping from her shirt.
"I told you since I first transferred to this school, Teto, I have a 'no touch policy'," She
explained in exghasperation.
"You're no fun," Teto pouted, just as Aria walked up to the group.
"Hey guys," She greeted, dipping her head respectively.
"Well, Aria will let me hug her, right Aria?" Teto exclaimed, pulling the girl close.
"Gross, let go!" Aria demanded, pushing herself away from Teto's soggy shirt.
"I'm going to give you a hug someday, Yukari," Teto vowed, giving her a determined stare before scampering off to first period. Yujari sighed, pulling her hoodie a bit tighter around her.
"Yukari, have you considered homeschooling?" Aria asked quietly. "I mean, this is an all-girls school, so I think coming into close contact with people like us is pretty inevitable."
"But that would mean-" She started, but stopped herself. She looked around, before lowering her voice. "That would mean leaving you, Aria." Aria couldn't help but giggle.
"Yukari, you really confuse me," She admitted. "You tell me I'm your best friend, but you won't let me within a certain radius of you. I love being your friend, and you're a really cool person, but I feel like there's something you're not telling me."
"That shouldn't matter to you," Yukari quickly replied. "I only-"
"You're not going to spontaneously combust if I just touch you, right?" Aria ventured, placing a hand on Yukari before she could stop her. The bunny-hooded girl winced, but nothing seemed to happen. Aria stared in confusion.
"What's wrong with that?" She asked.
"N-nothing," Yukari admitted through clenched teeth. "T-that's fine, just don't…don't…"
"So a hug shouldn't really be much-"
"Don't hug me!" Yukari dropped her bag and shoved Aria so roughly she nearly fell over. She stumbled back in shock.
"Why not?!" She managed.
"Just don't," Yukari huffed, picking up her bag again and gesturing to the classroom. "Come on, let's go in." Aria stared at her for a moment.
"What was that all about?" She wondered. But didn't speak as they wordlessly entered the classroom together, as though nothing had happened between them at all.
The second time Aria attempted to find out her secret was at noon.
IA and Yukari were eating lunch together out on the grass.
"Hey, Yukari?" Aria lowered her voice to a whisper. "I'm going to tell you something, but don't tell anyone else, ok?"
"S-sure," Yukari replied with uncertainty, munching quietly on an apple slice.
"I…I still sleep with a teddy bear," Aria admitted. "I know, it's silly and childish! But that bear was given to me when I was really little, and it's very precious." Yukari raised an eyebrow.
"Aria, exactly why are you telling me this?"
"Oh, no reason," She quickly replied, giving a smile. "But, you know, friends share their deepest and darkest secrets with each other. So I figured I'd share one of mine with you." Yukari sighed.
"Aria, I'm sorry, but I can't share my secret with you." She told her.
"Darn it," Aria mumbled. "And I shared a really good one, too!" She looked up for a moment.
"Fine, you don't have to tell me. Why don't you just show me…" Aria crawled over to her and opened her arms.
"Aria, no!" Yukari stood up immediately. "I'm going to be late for class. So just…leave me alone!" She turned on her heels and ran off, leaving Aria to watch her flee.
"I wish I knew what she was hiding…" Aria sighed, hurt glowing in her eyes.
The third time Aria attempted to find out her secret was the afternoon.
School was over, and a flock of jittery high school teenagers flooded out of the front entrance. Aria was shuddering, eyes darting back and forth as though she were an animal being hunted. Five people had attempted to hug her after final period for no sane reason she could think of. Ahead of her, Aria stood waiting. She waved with a smile, and Yukari managed a tiny wave back.
"Hey, Aria?" Yukari muttered, eyes firmly planted on the ground. "Look, I'm sorry about earlier. I guess I was-"
"Kari-chaaan!" Teto came bolting from the hallway, beaming with arms open. Yukari gasped and dodged out of the way, sending the hyper girl to a stiff halt right before the entrance.
"What was that for?" Teto whirled around and demanded.
"I told you, I have a no touch policy!" Yukari told her firmly.
"Well, that's just cruel! Putting that postit on yourself and then avoiding everyone?"
"What postit…?" Yukari quickly reached her hand back and removed a sticky slip of paper. Written on it, in all-too familiar handwriting, were the words 'hug me'. Yukari glared at Aria.
"Are you responsible for this?" Aria looked off to the side, tapping her two pointer fingers together innocently.
"Maybe…" Yukari shook her head.
"I can't believe this. Why are you so desperate all of a sudden? It's never bothered you before."
"Well, I'm starting to really like being with you, Yukari," Aria explained, "And it's difficult to be your friend if I can't give you hugs, and stuff like that." She gave her a shy smile. Yukari blinked, feeling her face heat up.
"Well, uh, I really like being with you, too. Just…I'm sorry." She shook her head. "I'm going to head home. Later, you two." She pushed passed, not wishing to inexact any longer. Aria watched her go sadly.
"Why don't you trust me, Yukari?" She muttered.
The fourth time, Aria wasn't actually trying to find out her secret.
The blonde sat in horror, staring at the large "F" planted on her test. She had felt so confident about it, too, prior to receiving the grade. The teacher turned to face the class, his expression emotionless.
"Anyone who got below a D, I expect you to write a three page paper on how to better your studying habits." He was looking directly at Aria as he spoke. The girl bit her lip, trying really hard not to cry. "I am very disappointed in some of you who normally score high. If you continue down this new path, you'll severing hurt your quarter grades." Aria, feeling tears sting her eyes, stood up and ran out of the classroom before they could fall.
"Aria!" Teto called after her, but Yukari was up in an instant. She briefly dipped her head to their teacher before dashing out after her best friend.
Aria sat agains the wall, sobbing into her hands.
"Aria!" Yukari exclaimed, running to her side in an instant.
"My d-dad's gonna k-kill me!" She sobbed, burying her face further into her hands.
"Aria…" Yukari muttered. But her friend was practically inconsolable. She wailed in silence for a while, Yukari watching her sadly, wishing she could somehow comfort her best friend.
"Well, there's one way…" She realized. And she loved Aria enough to take the risk. "I guess you get your wish, Aria." Yukari quietly glanced around to make sure no one was watching, and hesitantly reached out a hand.
"It'll drag down my grade, and h-he'll notice, and p-punish me-"
"Aria, calm down…"
"And then I won't get into university, and then-" Her words were cut short when she felt herself become enveloped in a pair of arms. But only for a moment. She glanced to the side, but Yukari was no longer there.
"Y-Yukari-chan?" She managed, glancing around in confusion, until she felt something fluffy on her lap. She glanced down, shocked to see a small black bunny rabbit staring up at her with familiar blue eyes.
"Yukari?" She asked dumbly. She had been completely shocked out of her tears. The rabbit nuzzled her affectionately in reply. "What on earth…this is your secret?" She picked up the rabbit and held it close to her, and suddenly Yukari was back in her arms. The rabbit girl backed up, eyes firmly planted on the ground.
"It's a family curse," she muttered. "I'm not really sure when it started, but since I'm year of the rabbit in the zodiac I turn into a rabbit whenever I'm hugged. So…yeah." Aria blinked.
"I know, you probably think I'm a freak now," Yukari sighed, standing up. "That's what the girls at my last school thought, too. I was just getting to know one really well when she hugged me, and the curse was activated. She didn't speak to me after that." She gave Aria a half-smile. "You'll always be one of my best friends, Aria, even if you decide to follow her actions. I love you, but I understand if this is too unusual for you to take." She began walking away, but a hand caught hers.
She turned hesitantly, and yelped in surprise when Aria threw her arms around her.
"Never in a million years will I give up our friendship," IA promised, hugging her closer. "You mean too much to me for that to ever be the case. I'm sorry for being persistent, but I promise that this…curse won't change anything between us." She glanced down at the black rabbit in her arms with a smile, and gave the rabbit's ears an affectionate stroke. "Come on, I'll see if I have any leftover carrots in my bag from lunch."
And there you have it~ Just a short, sweet little fic I penned last week. Yukari's family curse is the same as the Sohma curse from Fruits Basket (I came up with this after the requestor mentioned her Yukari probably wouldn't want to be touched, and would hide a dark secret). I know the yuri is very subtle, but that's sorta how I imagined it with these two. Hope it brought a smile to your face, Starry :)