Sort Of Forced Stay

Miyu's POV

After work we go back to the tent to wash up in the stream before going to sleep. I wait for Tohru while she talks to mom's picture. I groan loudly and bury my face in my towel, "I hate living in the freakin' woods!" I shout into the fluffy substance.

Then I hear Tohru breathe in sharply, and I lift my face out of the towel to see Yuki and his cousin Shigure standing in front of me with shocked expressions.
Then Shigure starts laughing very loudly and rudely, and I would punch him if I had the energy. At this point, I am extremely tired and sick and not too up for this bullcrap.

We sit across from Yuki and his older cousin in their house at their table. Shigure is still laughing hysterically and I glare daggers at him.
"So you two have been living in a tent by yourselves?" Yuki asks softly. I glance at Tohru whom is bowing her head in shame and embarassment.
"Yeah." I reply and scratch the back of my neck nervously.

'Alright, I'm about ready to punch this laughing jackass in the face, because he's still laughing!' I keep glaring at Shigure.
"How long?" Yuki asks solemnly.
"I don't know, a week, I guess." Tohru answers this time.
Yuki ignores Shigure's constant laughing, it must be years of practice because the only thing holding me back is that I don't want to subject Tohru to any violence coming from her sister.
"Well that explains it. All of this is Sohma property. It seems odd that we would suddenly get a new neighbor." Yuki muses and I groan inwardly.
'Great, they'll probably call the police on us now. I really don't need a run in with those guys; I just got away from them last time.'
"I'm sorry. But if we could just stay for a few more weeks!" Tohru exclaims.
I add quickly, thinking fast, "We can pay you. We don't have much, but I could take on another job."
"You know it is dangerous to live alone in the woods. There's landslides, animals, and the occasional weirdo roaming around. It's dangerous for just the two of you to be by yourselves." Shigure stops laughing now and says calmly.
"Oh, so you're done laughing?" Yuki asks him and gives him a blank look.
Tohru jumps up to her feet with determination and her fist raised. "Don't you worry, we can handle ourselves!"
I stand up, but not as enthusiastically, "Yeah, we're used to the bugs, and I can beat up any-" I cut off when I suddenly feel lightheaded and fall on my knees.
"Miyu!" Tohru exclaims.
Yuki puts a hand over my forehead. "A bad fever."
Shigure jumps up and opens a door, "Ice! I'll get ice!" But instead, he sweatdrops when he takes sight of the huge mess and bags of trash in what I assume to once have been the kitchen.
"And you say the woods is unsafe?" I laugh lightly with a fever blush spread across my face.
Suddenly, a wolf howls outside. "There, hear that? There's just been another landslide somewhere." Shigure turns serious at this new information.
"Really? How do you know that?" Tohru looks up at him from our kneeling positions on the floor.
"I guess you could call it instinct." He replies casually.
"Was it close?" Yuki questions him.
"Close to the tent-" Shigure begins then finishes with a high voice. "I mean not at all!" My eyes widen and I get up and dash out of the house and to the spot where our tent is supposed to be.
"Hey! Wait!" One of the guys yells behind me but I ignore them completely.
"No, no, no, no, no, no!" I shout in panic when I see the huge pile of dirt that is now where our tent used to be.
"Oh no, this is terrible! Mom's picture is still in there! We have to get her out!" She begins to frantically dig with her hands while I fall to my knees in front of the mass and begin to rip my hair out.
"DAMMIT!" I yell aggrivatedly. I quickly join her but stop because I begin coughing violently.
"Miyu, please calm down. You already have a fever!" Yuki stops me and Tohru.
I manage out between my coughs, "But… we have… to get… Mom out…"
Shigure bends down next to Tohru and puts his hand on one of her's. "But you two shouldn't strain yourselves. I bet your mom is happy that you two weren't in there when the lanslide happened. How about we come back in the morning?"
We end up back in the Sohma house under blankets with Shigure sitting in between us. Tohru is looking a bit pale as well. I just hope she doesn't get sick. I don't care too much about myself; I was a very sickly child. I could get colds and fevers easily when I was younger and I still do now.
"We-We lost our home again." Tohru stutters and I sigh quietly.
"Are you both okay?" Shigure asks.
"Yes." We say quietly.
"It's sad. But not as the other things that have happened." I say. I guess when you're weak, you spill out the bad things that have happened to you. Now I guess everything is starting to come out.
"Like what?"
"Like not telling mom to 'Be safe' on the day she died." Tohru whispers. "We said that every morning. 'Bye, be safe!' Except that day, we didn't say it."
"The night before, we had a test and stayed up studying the whole night. And when it was time for mom to go to work, we didn't wake up. We couldn't tell her to be safe. It must've broken a spell or something. Because she never came home." I close my eyes and drape my arm over my eyes. "Both of us used to think about quitting school. I eventually convinced Tohru otherwise because she was doing very well with her grades unlike me. I was going to go into full time work to help better support the two of us. But mom told us that she never finished school and that she always wished that she did. So I couldn't quit and disappoint her."
"She worked so hard. And it was all for us. All she did, and we couldn't get up and tell her one little thing and then she was gone. So now we have to finish high school no matter what. We have to do for her."
"And we can't give up because of a fever or cold." I fall asleep after saying that last sentence.

Third POV
Miyu and Tohru fall asleep and Yuki speaks, "It's amazing. They've always been cheerful and laidback in school that you couldn't have guessed that they have been suffering for so long." Shigure listens with his head resting on his hand.
"When I was young, there were so many times that I wanted to run away from Sohma house, but I didn't. I always found some reason to stay. The fact was that I wasn't strong enough to leave and live in the woods by myself in a tent. I could've done what they did." He sighs in bitter amusement.
Shigure looks up, "You can call it amazing. But I don't think the word does it justice." This puts a small smirk on Yuki's face.
Yuki looks at Miyu and Tohru each for a good few seconds. "No, no, it doesn't." He looks out of the sliding door to outside.
"Would you mind keeping an eye on them for a while? I'd like to go out for a bit." He says.
"What?" Shigure asks, a bit surprised at this comment. "Where? You're not going to try to get out that tent?" He sees Yuki's unwavering expression, "You are. You want me to come with you? It won't be a easy job for you alone."
"You're right. But I don't think I said I was going alone." Yuki says mysteriously and the doors behind him slowly slide open and the squeaking of many rats are heard behind him.
"Be safe, Yuki." Shigure says as he leaves.

Miyu's POV
"Miyu. Tohru. You both have got a fever again. You don't have to push yourself so hard. You don't have to live the way I did. Just be yourself. Do things your own way, one step at a time. You'll get there. I promise." A familar memory of Mom comforting Tohru and I when we each got a fever one time. I get this just before I wake up to see her picture sitting next to my head.
I sit straight up and gasp. Tohru follows my actions, for she wakes the same moment that I do. "Mom, you're here," She picks up the picture and starts at it in confusion, "But how did you-"
"Good morning," A soft voice cuts her off from the doorway. It's Yuki with some bags in his hands. "How are you two feeling today?"
I sit up and stretch lazily, "Personally I hate sleeping overnight when I get sick, but it was okay."
"I-um-I" Tohru stutters and clutches Mom's picture.
"I got your things. I'm pretty sure this is all of it, but you can check if you want." He puts the bags down in front of Tohru since she's the closest to the door.
"Yuki, this must have taken you all night!" Tohru exclaims in surprise.
He just chuckles, "Hehehe, don't be silly."
"Then how did you - there was so much." She stutters.
He puts on a mysterious small smile, "It's a secret."
I stand up and move next to Tohru. "Cool."
"I know this place is dirty," Yuki starts.
We blink in confusion, "Huh?"
"And I realise the idea of living with two strange boys might seem a little awkward, but there is an extra room upstairs. You two are welcome to stay there if you'd like." He keeps the smile through his talking.
I raise an eyebrow, "So you're offering to let two girls stay in your home without any compensation?"
Tohru looks at me with confusion written on all over her face, "Compensation?"
I make a thinking face, "Oh, does that word not work there?"
"No, you're right, it won't be free." Shigure says from behind us. I almost fall off the porch and onto the ground in surprise.
"DUDE! SCARE LIKE THAT ONE MORE TIME AND I'LL MAKE YOU A FEMALE!" I threaten loudly, but he ignores me and continues speaking.
"I do intend to pay you both for your services." He grins.
"For our… services…?" Tohru asks and seems afraid of his answer.
"As our brand new housekeeper!" He sings happily, and him and Yuki start to take our bags up to the room upstairs.
"I'm assuming your refrences are in check?" Shigure says as they go.
I snort, "I barely even know the definition of 'reference'."
Tohru argues, "Oh no, we can't! Not when you've done so much!"
"Don't worry, we're not doing this because we have to; we're doing this because we want to." Yuki reassures her with one of his calming, or so I've been told, smiles. "It's not causing us any trouble. And besides, where else can you go?" Yuki says that last sentence with a darker edge to it.
I grumble and rub my temples. "Thanks for the reminder."
"Well if we're staying, we'll only work for room and board. No extra money. And I want to know all the rules of the house." Tohru presses on and I roll my eyes.
'Great, now we can't get money out of this. Thanks Tohru, you just ruined it!'
Yuki reassures her again, "Relax, it's alright. You can do things your own way here. The only thing you have to do, is be yourself. Sound fair enough?"
I'm so surprised that I'm thrown back into a memory with Mom telling us the same thing: 'Just be yourselves, you'll be fine.'
I'm sort of happy one second, now... Wait a fricking minute! I look down at what I'm wearing. I'm wearing different clothes from what I was yesterday. "WHO THE HELL DRESSED ME?!" I shout but the guys keep on walking.
We reach the room upstairs and Yuki sets our bags down near a small bed, "It's a little dirty, but it hasn't been used for a while. Just keep the window open to let some air in." He walks over to the wall on the oppsoite side of the bed and opens the window.
Suddenly, a cracking noise comes from the ceiling and a boy Tohru's and Yuki's age comes crashing through.
"Yo. Time to pay the piper, rat boy. I'm here to collect." The boy says all badass-like with his left hand gripping his right shoulder.
I make a face behind him, 'Pay the piper? Who the hell says that anymore?'
Yuki smirks after a few seconds and leans against the window frame. "Funny. I would've thought he'd send someone bigger." The boy makes an aggitated noise.
"That's right," The boy holds up a fist, "you'd better get all of that tough talk out of the way cause I'm about to wipe that stupid little smirk off your face!" He goes in to attack, but of course Tohru has to intervene. I swear, she got all the girl out of the two of us.
She steps toward him, "Wait, stop, don't fight!" She steps on a broken piece of wood and ends up falling on him.
Yuki and the boy gasp, and then the boy disappears and Tohru's on the ground. "What the hell?" I look at the floor in shock.
Shigure pops his head in the doorway, "Yuki, what was all those crashing sounds I heard? Kyo's not here, is he?"
"I'm so sorry are you okay?!" Tohru yells and picks up an orange cat. "Oh no, I turned him into a cat! I'm so sorry!"
I burst out laughing in the middle of this rather then be shocked that the kid turned into a cat.
"Hurry, we need to get him to a doctor!" She shouts before a piece of wood falls smack dab on her head and she falls on Yuki and Shigure.
"Miss Honda!"
"Tohru!"
Two poofs happen and then there is a dog and a rat where the two guys used to be standing. "Wow. Never seen that before." I chuckle.
Okay, now I'm in shock and Tohru is obiviously already there.
'What have we gotten ourselves into?!'

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Hope you guys liked this chapter too! It might be a little bit until my next chapter again 'cause I need to work on some of my other stories too. Sorry!