To Win

Chapter 10

Substitute Affection

Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Baskets.

Hello! Chapter 10 is now up! I can't believe I have ten chapters of a story! (I can't believe it's taken me this long to put up ten chapters of a story…) This is Ayame's arrival! I hope I've gotten him right! As always, please read and PLEASE REVIEW!!!

hyourin-kusabana: Thankyou for the review! I know what you mean about reading a story and then accidently loosing track of it! I'm glad you found it again! And I'm glad you enjoy it! This is the chapter with Ayame! I hope you like it! I hope I portrayed him right!! *crosses fingers*

The Fuzy Llama: As always I LOVE reading your reviews!! They are so detailed! And they give me such great input! I really like incorporating Shigure into my chapters so I'm kinda gradually using him. I really appreciate your opinion and love hearing your thoughts about my stories! Thankyou for always reviewing!

Alright! Let's start the chapter!!! : )

A shop of some sort…

That was where Ayame would be. In town, in his shop of some sort. Akito never spoke of the Snake much. Off handed and dismissively if at all. His name would come up at the end of a sentence, but it would be like a filler word, almost unnecessary. "Hatori stopped by today, and that Ayame."

Mitani really had no idea where to find this shop of some sort.

The only memories she had of Ayame were when he was much younger… and that could not be useful now.

Finally she asked a maid for any contact information there was to Ayame. Mitani waited patiently as the woman hurried to an office.

Several minutes later she returned with a business card. "We have extras. He gave us a box." She said, handing Mitani the small paper.

"Thank you very much." Mitani said gratefully. The woman nodded and walked away.

Mitani smiled at the card and set off outside into the sunny day. She was glad to outside the estate again after such a long time inside the walls. Once she was deep in town, she glanced at the card again, looking at the address.

She stopped on the corner of the road and looked up at the street sign, and turned. She knew the streets well enough. She often had a bird's eye view.

"Mitani-kun!"

The girl stopped and turned towards her name. A car pulled up on the curb, Kureno leaning out the window. "Hello, Mitani-kun. What are you doing?"

Mitani glanced down the road "Going to see someone. Aren't you supposed to be at the dinner with him?"

"I drove with him. Are you going to see Ayame?"

Icy eyes shot over at him. The Rooster's gaze traveled to the card in her hand. Mitani gave a small smile and nodded.

"Do you want a ride?"

The girl remained silent for a long moment. Kureno smiled softly and opened the door, coming out of the car "It's a far walk from here; they might close by the time you find it."

Mitani gave him an exhausted look but entered the car with a muttered thanks.

Kureno followed her in and closed the door behind her. "Can I have the card?" He asked quietly.

She handed it to him and he then passed it to the driver in the front seat "We need to go here, please." He said politely.

The car began to drive away from the curb and Kureno leaned back into his seat. The driver closed the window between the front and the back as they turned down the street.

"You're much braver then I am. When Ayame-nii told me what kind of shop this was, I wouldn't visit. I still haven't. I feel bad, but I'm just a little intimidated I guess. "

Mitani blink, her brows furrowered, confused. "Wha-"

"Not at all that there is anything wrong with the shop. I'm sure it's fine." Kureno said, looking out the window.

Mitani looked over at him, puzzled. He turned back to her, slightly surprised by her confusion "Do you… not know what kind of shop this is?"

Mitani briefly shook her head and he looked almost pained as his voice dropped to a whisper and his eyes left hers for modesty's sake "It's a store for… fantasy… like… maids, and nurses costumes… he makes them…"

The girl paled. "No it's not."

Kureno nodded slowly. A silence passed for some time. Then Kureno changed the subject the best he could "Are you excited to visit Ayame?"

Mitani ran her hand through her hair. "He'll probably not recognize me." She confessed. Kureno looked over at her. "Really, Yuki has more of a chance of remembering who I am then Ayame does."

"No, I don't think that's right. Ayame is sure to remember you. You were always around Akito."

"Akito isn't fond of Ayame."

"We were in high school… I remember. Shigure, Hatori, Ayame, and I. You were around. We didn't know who you were, really. You were just a little girl back then. But… you weren't like us. You weren't at New Years and you weren't at any gatherings. You were only around if we weren't all together. You… came around the time I was freed."

Mitani stared out the window. "You should have left."

Kureno glanced up at her and down at his hands. They stayed quiet for some time. "If you don't know Ayame… Why are you going there?"

She looked over at him "You have some idea, don't you…?" she asked

"The same reason you took Kana-san's picture? Something from everyone…?" He questioned softly.

"An item from each of the Juunishi."

"The Juunishi" He repeated slowly. "And me to? I am not cursed any more. Am I included?"

Mitani sighed "He didn't get specific…" She said "but… I would think so."

Kureno nodded. "I wonder what it will be. I don't know what I keep prized." He thought.

Mitani looked down at her hands for a long moment "… You should have left." She said again. She glanced up to see Kureno looking at her.

He smiled a tired, wishful smile, the kind of smile adults give when a child gives hope with impossible reasoning. The kind of smile Mitani gives. She hated being at the receiving end of that smile.

The car pulled over and the driver came over to let her out.

"You and I are a lot alike Mitani-kun." Kureno said as she got out of the car and thanked the driver. She turned back to him slowly as he continued. "We both made a promise to help the unchangeable, and now we find it impossible to leave."

Mitani frowned slightly "if I had known this was how life being bound to him was like, I would have never had stayed."

Kureno glanced out the open window. "If I had experienced anything outside of him, I might have been more wary to give it up." He sighed "I should have left, but I couldn't. You shouldn't have stayed away, but you did. And now here we are. We can't take it back. We can make the best of it."

Another tired smile and Mitani was stunned, her cheeks pink. "I hope you do well. Be safe."

And the car drove off.

She was left standing across the street from a shop with a sign that matched the card she let Kureno give his driver.

"Here you are. Thank you for your patronage!" a young woman said brightly from behind the counter, holding out a bag to a man standing on the opposite side uneasily.

He lifted his head, face flushed, eye down cast, taking the bag from the pretty girl in high, heavy braids, and opened his mouth to mumble an embarrassed word of gratitude to her, but was interrupted as the door opened with the sound of bells.

The young woman looked at the door "Welcome" She beamed at girl standing in the doorway. The man ducked his head and hurried shoved passed the girl with alarmingly icy blue eyes into the street, the bag clutched to his chest nervously.

"Ah- Don't mind him. That was his first time in the shop, and sometimes first timers don't do so well." The brown haired girl reassured, coming out from behind the register to the newest customer.

The guest in the doorway turned back to her with a small smile "It's my first time here too, hopefully I'll do better. But it seems like such an ordinary little shop." Her icy eyes looked over the baskets of colorful yarn and thread. "I don't see why anyone-"Mitani stopped as her eyes landed back on the girl she had been speaking to, now fully out from behind the counter.

The girl dressed in an elaborate and skillfully made maid's uniform and large, thin framed, circular glasses studied Mitani curiously, her head tipped slightly to the side as she stared back at her in a state of shock some level.

Finally it was the young woman with thickly braided hair to speak again "Are you related to Ayame??" She asked enthusiastically.

Mitani blinked and looked at her "Oh… ah-"she hesitated but was interrupted by the woman.

"I mean, you really don't look anything like him at all. Not like that resemblance Yuki and he share, but that hair." She came forward and gently lifted a lock of Mitani's long white hair from her shoulder. "Is it natural?"

Mitani blinked again, staring at her, "Yes. It's white naturally."

The young woman beamed, letting the lock fall and adjusted her glasses "Ah, Ha! I knew it! I could tell from the moment you walked in that the color of your hair was your own and not in any way chemically altered! JUST like Ayame! You know when I first met him I was convinced his hair was dyed. So how are you two related?"

Mitani stared at her "Ah… I'm not related to any Ayame… " She said softly.

"No? Really? Huh. It's just… It isn't often you see such young people with white hair." She said, as if she were slightly disappointed. The woman sighed "Oh well, no worries, my name is Mine. What can I help you with?" Her eyes flashed as she looked Mitani up and down.

Mitani smiled softly "Oh, I just saw you're sign from outside. I've never been in here before and I thought I'd look around, if that would be okay. "She glanced down at the nearest display table of sewing instructional books, and flipped one open casually "You know, browsing…"

Mine smiled as if she hadn't heard a thing Mitani had said and took a step forward closer, placing her hand on the girl's shoulder "Say, would you care to try something on?" she asked, a hard glint in her eye reflected under her glasses "I have just the dress for you. Don't be shy; it would be so cute on you."

Mitani looked back up at her. "Well, I mean, I don't really have a lot of-"

"This is a dress store… and we make some of the most beautiful dresses around. People kill to put them on. Don't you just want to try it on? Replace those dull, plain, over used clothes you're sporting in favor of something with a little flare?"

Mitani glanced down at her jeans and blouse. She had left the main house if what she had thought was a relatively fashionable outfit. But, aside from glancing at discarded magazines the maids left around and the occasional outing, she didn't get to go out as much as she would have liked. Was this really what people were wearing? Of course, they couldn't possibly be wearing what this woman was dressed in, but what was fashionable… she had never really stopped to take notice when she out on her task, she had been too focused on her mission.

"Come on Sweetie, let's play dress up." Mine said with a grin

The door's bell rang again and both girls looked over at door.

"Mine, they're out of Raspberry tea at market." A man signed, pulling off a hat as he entered the shop. Amber eyes landed on the two in the center of the room.

There was a silence for a long moment as he and Mitani locked eyes. She wondered if maybe he did remember her after all.

That was before he laughed jollily "Well, I see Mine has found her latest victim." He said, sweeping across the room magnificently, commanding attention as if it were his stage. "And look, dear," He said, leaning elegantly toward Mine, his eyes on Mitani, hand covering the side of his face as if keeping a secret but his booming voice echoing in the shop made any chance of that impossible "My hair style is catching on." He said.

The Snake laughed again and turned to Mitani "I'm sorry I was out. I had a craving for Raspberry tea and my dearest assistant Mine-kun was already… well… assisting a customer so I could send her on an errand. But if there is anything I can help you with I am chief designer at this shop so just let me know… I can draw up anything you're heart might desire…"

He leaned in close and put a finger under her chin "Or your boyfriends heart…" he winked, "After all I'm sure that's what you came here for. Usually young ladies like you don't usually wander in here without purpose. .. Not all the time at least." He smiled Mine who gave him a thumbs up.

"Well, I-"

"OH!" He cried. "Oh! If you prefer, we have PLENTY of predawn sketches. I just have to see what you might like and we can work from there. What colors do you usually wear? Please don't tell me that it's that ghastly pale blue and white?" He frowned looking at her outfits colors. "Well, just because someone is born with natural color palette DOES NOT means they must exclusively wear those colors. Try me. White and Orange? All the time?! Who could survive on two colors? Gah! What a nightmare, don't you agree, Mine?"

"Certainly, Boss." Mine chirped.

"…I don't wear them all the time." Mitani said in a half-hearted defense.

Ayame raised an eyebrow with a smirk "Admittance would be the first step to a solution. The second step would be letting us help you through you're obviously difficult times. You're lucky you're such a pretty girl because now Mine's mind is positively reeling with dress up ideas." He pointed at the young woman who stared at Mitani anxiously, her hands twitching. "Or… if you want something more custom, like I mentioned before, I'm a fabulous designer, we can discuss some of my previous work and we can change what you want on the sketches."

Mitani's eyes lit up. She turned and looked over at him "I'd really appreciate it if we could look at some sketches… I want to make sure that whatever I get for my boyfriend, it'll be tasteful and-"

A finger was pressed against her lips "Shush. Say no more. I understand entirely, even the words that which will forever remain unspoken speak clearly to me. He must be very special to you to come to me, as I do only the best work." Ayame put his hands on her shoulders and spun her around to Mine "I'll get my sketches, but in the mean time, so you won't burst and I won't be helpless, you my dress her."

Mine grinned and grabbed Mitani's wrist, towing her to the back of the shop.

The back dressing room area was quite. Mitani looked over the dresses as Mine searched through the hangers "I swear it was just back here! I know it was! I finished hemming it last week!"

"That's alright, Mine-san, I can just look at the sketches… its fine." Mitani said.

"AH-HA!" Mine exclaimed pulling out a hanger with a garment hung over its shoulders. Mitani's eyes widened slightly as Mine turned toward her "Told you I had it. Ayame helped me fix the hem. That's why it was fresh on my mind." She said taking it of the hanger affectionately. "All of these dresses… Ayame is a genius. It's a treat to be this close to such art." She ran her hand across the various fabrics of the many different dresses.

Mitani took the dress from her, watching the girl in glasses memorized by the dresses she'd helped to create. "You and Ayame must be very close." She said.

Mine froze and blushed. "We're… very close friends. Like, almost best friends." She said softly. She turned to the girl with icy blue eyes slowly with a smile "You can change behind the screen there." She pointed to a changing screen behind Mitani "When you're done, come let me see you! I'm sure Ayame will have found his sketches by then and we can figure out what you want to get." She winked at Mitani.

Mitani smiled and turned, heading back toward the changing screen. She glanced once over her shoulder and caught a glimpse of Mine staring at the dresses, her fist pressed against her lips as if in deep thought.

"Mine, would you be a dear and pick up a new binder later on this evening? I've gone through another, and I haven't had the time to go out lately." Ayame pouted, setting a stack of binders on the table.

"That isn't at all true; you were out earlier today to buy Raspberry tea on a whim!" Mine pointed out with a laugh.

"Well the necessities in life are important. Tea is, but of course, a necessity, and now that I think of it, I could really go for some tea right about now. "Ayame said brightly.

"I'll make us some! Since we don't have raspberry, how about peppermint?" Mine suggested.

"Hmmm, not an idle substitute, but it will do. Oh and might as well come out from behind the curtain now, little one, we can hear it rustle." He said the last part in a sing song voice.

From behind the curtain Mitani winced and flinched away from fabric separating the back room from the waiting room. Ayame and Mitani laughed.

"You're not the first person to model one of my dresses. Mine wears one from my exclusive collection every day, so let's be brave and show us what you look like in proper attire, hmm?"

Proper attire? Mitani thought with an inward scoff. Her cloths may not have been quite as… colorful… as Mine's but they were tasteful. And… she had previously had thought them to be cute.

"Come, now, chop chop!" Ayame called.

Mitani took a deep breath and pulled back the curtain all at once with begrudging endurance and stepped out in to the room.

They stared at her.

She stared back.

They turned to each other. She slumped forward briefly as they seemed to have a silent conversation. They looked back. She straightened up. They turned to each other. "Oh, I agree, Mine."

And Ayame was on his feet in front of her. "Put the kettle on, dear!" He called as Mine hurried out of the room "We'll look at sketches later. Thank you for modeling, little one, by the way, red is your color. White washes you out, and too much blue won't help your eyes, they'll just make them seem plain. Hmmm."

He tapped his chin, looking at her in the deep red knee length dress, the skirt layered and layered until it was full yet still loose so it swayed elegantly, trimmed with lace and tied in the back with a bow. Hand embroidered with black and darker red thread around the neck line, it had detail everywhere, but not in a gaudy way, this off the shoulder dress that fit like it was made for her.

"Wait… we're still looking at sketches right?" Mitani asked, glancing at the pile of binders. The bottom binder said Mine.

"Oh, we can, my dear, but why would you, when you look so absolutely fabulous in this dress. Why waste your time? My Mine is so great with this. She was a blessing ever since she wandered in here one afternoon. Now, hold still, little one! Needles hurt if you move!" He whipped a needle off the table and some thread.

"Wait!" Mitani held up her hands.

Ayame froze, hand holding needle in air "…wait?"

"I just… want to see other options first."

"But my dear child, there are no other options. When creative inspiration hits an artist, it hits hard and nothing can be done to stop it." He lowered his hand. "Look at those binders." He picked up the topmost and flipped it open to faceless figures wearing beautiful dresses. "Everyone was a magical moment of creative inspiration! Do you think I stopped to… wait?" he laughed "Not at all. You should feel blessed to be in the presence of such talent! And not only that, but to be witnessing such a master at work!"

He set the binder down and looked over at her "So now… well now my dear that I'm got this dress in my head, anything you ask me to draw for you or alter a sketch for you will come out looking a lot like this. If you want anything different you'll have to let me work from where I'm at right now… with that. So hold still, little one! Needles are sharp!" He lifted his arm, needle in hand.

"Why is the bottom one labeled 'Mine'?" She asked quickly, taking a step back from the approaching designer.

Ayame froze once more, staring down at her. "You're quite chatty, aren't you?"

"You and Mine… are you…?"

"We are terribly close." He said "We're best friends, even."

"Then the binder…" Mitani said, moving towards it. Ayame watched her with an eyebrow raised as she lifted it up. The girl opened it and flipped through the sketches. "Is for her…?" She looked at the sketches of beautiful dresses, but not so faceless figures… they were different. They weren't still. They were… lively. With brilliant smiles.

And thick braids and large glasses.

Besides these features they were just ordinary sketches of dresses.

Mitani stopped at one page. At the drawing of the dress Mine was wearing that day.

Ayame watched her. "Well, I don't know. I made them with her in mind. Inspiration has to come from somewhere. "

Mitani looked up and met his gaze "You love her."

He looked at her and gave a sad smile "Hmm. I wonder. But enough about this, little one, come and-"The tea kettle went off. He sighed. "Mine! Can you get that?" He sang.

"I can't! I'm looking for the lace!"

"But I'm trying to force this child to endure my fittings!!" Ayame pouted.

"Boss!"

"Mine…" Ayame gave an exaggerated sigh as the kettle screamed. "I'll be back. Don't you dare move anywhere little one." He said with a wink and bowed out of the room.

Mitani stood alone in the room, clutching the binder to her chest. She opened it again and looked at the smiling figures and opened up the steal rings holding the papers together, carefully removing the sketches. She folded them over carefully and set the binder back on the coffee table.

"Found it!" Mine called.

Mitani looked up and hurried behind the curtain. She grabbed her cloths and searched through her pockets for money and set it down on the small table before turning to the back exit.

"Where are you going, we haven't finished with the dress…" Mine said, entering the room.

Mitani glanced at her.

"Are those Ayame's sketch's?" Mine asked, setting the lace down next to the money. "What are you doing with those?" She demanded, coming forward.

"I'm just taking them to look at…" Mitani said, looking away.

"No… you can't… they're important. Please." Mine said, grabbing at the corner of one. Mitani bumped against the wall, trying to keep her away.

Ayame walked into the room "What on earth is going on."

"Ayame, you don't have to keep your love for her secrete from everyone else in drawings. It's painful to you. It's painful to her. I know you can't show everyone. And you two can't go around announcing it but if you love her don't hide it in a book."

Ayame dropped his tea cup on the ground and it shattered. "Who are you?"

Mitani gave a small smile "I'm sorry… I've paid for the dress."

She pulled hard and ripped the sketches from Mine's hand. Mine had a small fistful of paper clutched in her hand as she stumbled back and the girl with icy blue eyes darted out the back exit.

Ayame ran to the door and pulled it open. The alley way was empty. From behind him he heard soft cries. The Snake glanced over his shoulder at Mine who sunk to the ground.

"Mine, dear?" He asked, concerned, kneeling down next to her. He wiped away the tears from away from her cheeks. "Mine, hush now, don't cry."

"I'm sorry Boss!" She sobbed.

He laughed softly and she glanced up at him "Don't ever be sorry Mine. You never have anything to be sorry for." He said pressing his forehead against hers.

Mitani wandered down the street, ignoring odd looks from the people she passed because of the outfit. She heard a horn honking and she sighed, lowering her head.

There was another honk. She turned around and saw the Sohma car Kureno had dropped her off in. It pulled up on the side of the road and the door opened. "Would you like a ride, Mitani-kun? Dressed like that, you could get hurt." Kureno said.

Mitani gave him a confused look but got in, and was instantly greeted by Akito's smirk.

He chuckled as she closed the door and he began to loosen his tie as the car pulled away. She glared out the window, cheeks flushed. "Nice outfit." The head of the family said.

Mitani didn't respond, only tossed the sketches on the seat across from him. Kureno glanced at them and looked sidelong at the girl sitting next to him. Akito lifted his head, black hair falling back into dark eyes as he glanced distastefully down at the collection of papers and looked out his own window. "I want to go home. I'm tired." He said.

The phone rang several miles away. "Will somebody answer the damn phone!?" The orange haired boy yelled from the second floor.

"You could have easily walked down the stairs and picked it up yourself, stupid Cat." A young boy with delicate features said, walking out of the kitchen to the hallway where the phone sat on the table, ringing loudly.

There was loud pound of footsteps until Kyo appeared on the top of the stairs "Wanna say that again, you god damn Rat?" He challenged, fist clenched in front of him.

Yuki lightly lifted the phone off the receiver and shot Kyo a glare before turning away "Hello, Sohma residence, Yuki speaking." He said politely, smiling.

"YUKI!" Ayame cried into the phone.

The Rat slammed the phone down on the receiver. "Ah. Who was it?" Tohru asked.

"Telemarketer, Honda-san." Yuki said reassuringly, rolling up his sleeves to help her with the dishes.

The phone rang again. Yuki sighed "Would you mind answering the phone, Honda-san? My hands are wet…" He held up his hands for proof.

"Oh! Absolutely! Leave it to me!" She beamed determinedly as the phone continued to ring.

"SOMEONE ANSWER THE PHONE!" Kyo shouted.

"Ah! I'm on my way!" Tohru cried and hurried to the hallway.

The girl answered the phone "Hello! Sohma Residence! Tohru here!" she cried into the phone in a rushed voice.

"Ah! Tohru-kun! It's so refreshing to hear your voice but I simply must speak to Gure-san immediately…"

The phone was gently tugged from her grip. "Ayaa?" Shigure said into the phone, his hand on Tohru's shoulder. "It's you isn't it? I could tell by the look in Yuki's eye." Tohru smiled up at him and walked back to the kitchen, passing the second man in the hallway with a quite "pardon me."

Shigure listened to Ayame talk for awhile. "Eh? So this girl stole your drawing, but she paid for the dress?" He walked toward the entrance to the kitchen pulling the cord as far as it could go so he leaned against the doorway. "One wonders what she plans to do with them." He watched the Rat help Tohru with the dishes.

"It's funny, though, Gure-san, she seemed almost familiar. As if I'd seen her once before, but I can't place it… I really am upset Gure-san. Restless, I keep opening the binder and hoping l'll see them but it hurts each time I find them missing…Mine even tried to stop her. Who would do this?"

"You say you recognized her… What did she look like?"

"She had white hair and brilliant blues eyes…"

"White hair and blue eyes?" The dog repeated. Yuki dropped the dish he was holding into the soapy water. His hand automatically went to his pocket and pulled his wallet where a satin blue ribbon was safely tucked in the folds. He glances over at the Dog, who met his eyes with a slight smile and an intense, challenging gaze. Yuki dropped his eyes and set his wallet on the counter, going back to the dishes.

"Well, this girl sounds quite unique, Aaya, if I see her, I'll be sure to rescue your sketches or report her to the authorities on your behalf."

He waited for the man on the other line to hang up before he returned to the hallway and hung up himself. The Dog looked at the man leaning against the wall in the hallway. "Well Haa-san, seems our dear friend Mitani-kun has struck again."

The man looked at him through narrowed eyes and lifted the cigarette to his mouth again "We should have warned him."

"That's breaking the rules."

"What rules, when have you ever played fair?"

Shigure smiled.

Torhu hurried into the hallway "Hatori-san, would you care to stay for dinner?" She asked with a smile.

The doctor glanced at her. "Yeah, Haa-san, why don't you stay?" Shigure asked, passing the girl to move into the kitchen "What are we having?" He asked the Rat.

The Dragon sighed and nodded "Sure. Thank you." He said, putting out his cigarette in the ash tray. He stopped before he entered the kitchen and pulled out another from the pack and placed it in his mouth, lighting it.

Well! There it is! It's quite a long chapter again!!!!! Sorry!! Next Chapter is… (a secrete) : )

It'll be soon!

Please Review!!!!!

I hope you liked it!!!

Sachi-chan

See you soon!