GOOD OLD FASHION SCHOOL OF LOVERBOYS
Shakes All Over Like A Jellyfish
"Tohru! How we missed you! It's like my first breath all over again," said Shigure, pushing past his younger cousins and taking Tohru's hand. He kissed it and Tohru blushed from magenta to coral to red.
"Let go of her!" Kyo yelled, balling his hands into fists.
"You're such a pervert," said Yuki. Tohru chuckled with exasperation. Shigure let go of her hand and made to sit at the table. Tohru immediately set him a place.
"Don't tell me we're staying," said Kyo.
"But Tohru made pancakes!" Shigure sounded like a whiny boy complaining to his mother. Kyo hit Shigure on the head. "Ha'ri, Kyo hit me!"
"Grow up, Shigure." Hatori had entered the room holding the day's newspaper in his hands. He was dressed in a suit and tie, and lab coat. "Are you two going to stand there all morning?" said Hatori as he took the seat next to Shigure.
"Yes!" Kyo shouted.
"No. We won't be here all morning," Yuki said, rolling his eyes (somehow still elegantly) at the compulsiveness of his cousin. Kyo growled. Tohru, who had gone back into the kitchen, came back out with two more plates of stacked-high pancakes.
"Did you two eat yet? I made some blueberry pancakes you like Kyo. And a few of the chocolate chip ones for you Yuki." Tohru's face was so bright and cheery, that after one moment of exchanged looks of defeat, Yuki and Kyo sat down; glad to keep her happy.
Momiji, Haru and Ritsu were all completely focused on those three that they failed to see both Hatori and Shigure exchange looks and nods.
--
When breakfast was all eaten, washed and put away, Tohru went into the guest bedroom to gather her things (after profusely offering to wash the sheets for Hatori). Yuki and Kyo opted to wait outside next to the car.
"Tonight will be our third meeting," said Shigure to the three young men. "We will meet here once again at 7:30."
The three boys looked up as Tohru entered the kitchen to say goodbye. There should have been hugs passed around, but of course only strained words were exchanged.
"We'll see you Monday, Tohru," said Momiji. She smiled at him and Haru.
"I will write my first letter to you today, Ritsu!" she said before she, Hatori and Shigure left. Ritsu's chest began to physically swell with the joy it held.
--
The rest of Saturday stayed grey and blended almost unnoticeably into the velvet night. Kyo had spent the day training right outside Shigure's house while Yuki spent the day indoors, studying. Shigure shut himself away inside his office to presumably work on his latest novel about fallen angels and cursed human beings. Tohru scrubbed and cleaned until the house looked like it was out of a fairy tale. Once she had finished preparing dinner, Tohru cleaned herself up and got ready for work.
"Miss Honda, you're not going to work tonight are you?" asked Yuki on the steps of the stairs as Tohru was just about to put on her sweater.
"Oh yes! I picked up an extra shift today. I was very fortunate." She smiled that smile that pained Yuki. He wanted her to never have to work again, but that wasn't Tohru's way.
"Please allow me to walk you," Yuki said already putting on his own light jacket and shoes.
"Ah, you don't have to Yuki. I mean, I would love your company, but I wouldn't want your dinner to get cold." She bowed low, and Yuki was tempted to raise her upright and tell her it would be the most wonderful thing he could think of to do; walk her to work.
"I don't want you to walk alone, Miss Honda," was all he could say instead, keeping his distance. She looked up and inside her big blue green eyes was all the gratitude in the world. And Yuki wondered how it was possible to have ever lived without those beautiful eyes staring back at him. He blushed and held the door open for her.
And so they went into the darkness with nothing but the light of his blush and her eyes to guide them.
They walked silently and comfortably through the Wood. The air was chilly and Yuki eyed the heavy clouds ready to fall at any moment over them.
"I would also like to walk you home. What time should I come get you?" Yuki asked.
"Oh please Yuki! I couldn't ask you to do that. This weather can't be good for your condition."
"I am fine Miss Honda. I promise. And I worry about you walking at night alone. And that umbrella is too flimsy to properly protect you."
"But I haven't even walked alone in months! You and Kyo have been taking such good care of me! And this umbrella protects me well. It just needs me to fix it sometimes." She was so happy as she said this that Yuki couldn't help but feel happiness in his own caged chest. He smiled and took her hand in his and they walked the rest of the way with smiles, laughter and conversation.
--
At about twenty minutes past seven, all those attending the Mabudachi Trio's School Of Loverboys were sitting inside the rearranged living room. All the furniture had been pushed out of the way leaving a clearing in the middle of the room.
They all waited patiently for Hatori, Shigure and Ayame. At exactly 7:30, the three best friends entered from the back with a dramatic gust of wind following them in. The young, distant cousins found themselves on the edges of their seats.
"Well, you all look exasperated. How about something to lighten the mood, Aaya?" said Shigure, his eyes up turned in bright cheerfulness.
"Yes! I think I know what you're thinking! But let's not get ahead of ourselves here!" It was as if baskets filled with white cotton-tailed bunnies appeared in the room. Shigure and Ayame laughed, putting everyone at ease.
"Of course! How foolish of me! I am glad you are here to make sure I do no foul."
"That's what I am here for. For you." Before they could really get into it, Hatori cleared his throat, landing his friends back to Earth.
"First things first. Let's get on with our updates. I'd like to know what everyone has achieved over the last week."
"Let's start with you Ritsu. You can fill us all in on your date with Tohru last night," said Shigure. Ritsu nodded and tried to swallow his nerves. He picked up his notebook.
"It went quite well, I think," Ritsu began in a small voice.
"Lack of confidence isn't the kind of charm you want to go for, Ritsu," said Ayame. "You would do well with a quiet confidence. But this small voice does not do you well. Soft but firm, that's what you should aim for." There was no harshness in his voice, but a kind guiding sense. Ritsu nodded. He continued, with a clearer voice, though it still shook.
"We walked and got caught in the rain. We talked a lot. We decided to become pen pals during the week while I am away at school."
"That's very good Ritsu," said Shigure, impressed. "Since you are at a disadvantage by not being able to see Tohru during the week, you still manage to keep a piece of that time reserved for you especially. Well played."
Agreement was had. A round of applause made Ritsu both feel awkward and right at the same time.
"We talked about our childhood and I shard stories with her," said Ritsu, his voice more steady than before.
"About any of us?" asked Haru.
"A little," said Ritsu, now wondering if he should have steered the conversation to only himself, and not the other 'contenders.'
"You did well," said Hatori as if reading his mind. "After all, this is for the family. And Tohru truly loves the Sohmas. You did well and weren't selfish." Ritsu breathed a little easier. He sat down and Hatori nodded to Haru to go next.
"There's not much to really say. Not since last time."
"Me either," said Momiji. Shigure looked to his left and right and they agreed wordlessly to move on.
"All right then, since there isn't much to catch up on, we'll head into some fun." Shigure said the last part with such a quiet joy that Hiro was almost scared.
"Fun for who? Us or you three?" Hiro asked, his eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"Fun for all of us!" said Ayame. Hiro did not believe him.
"Let's see, I will need you to pair up. Momiji you can go with Kisa, Hatsuharu, you pair up with Kagura please. And Hiro why don't you pair up with Ritsu," said Shigure. Once the three pairs were established and assembled, a soft piece of music began to play.
With a sweep of gold and red, the clearing in the middle of the room became a dance floor with Shigure and Ayame gliding through. It was actually quite beautiful. Shigure and Ayame both knew how to be elegant when they wanted to be.
Kisa was reminded of the old fairy tales she used to love so much. Of course, she stopped loving them when she understood what having a curse really meant. It was not romantic to have curses and villains, but no princes and princesses.
The dance continued, and Hatori stepped forward.
"Tonight we will be teaching you to dance."
--
"One, two, three. One, two, three—very good Haru," said Ayame as he kept calling time with his hands over the music. Haru was dancing very well. He was light on his feet and so was the ever-emotional Kagura. However, the other couples had more difficulties. Momiji, who was still very awkward with his long limbs, kept overstepping and almost tripping. He also had too much energy, which caused him to push ahead of the rhythm, and trip up Kisa. After fifteen minutes, Hatori had Momiji switch partners with Hiro so that he was dancing with Ritsu (who was much taller). Of course both tried to lead, but Aaya told them to take turns leading. Ritsu, it turned out, had two left feet made of lead. He was a soft person, but a heavy dancer. He was always behind the music and took too long to lift his feet. He stepped on Hiro's feet at least twenty times. And they were not light, butterfly brushes with his toes. Nor were his apologies light or quick. Once he began to dance with Momiji, they became a tornado of off-rhythm, awkward heavy steps and unyielding apologies. With Momiji rushing through the steps and Ritsu too slow, they began to tumble and knock into the other couples as well.
Shigure switched the pairs so that Kagura and Ritsu were dancing, Momiji with Hiro, and Haru with Kisa. Haru and Kisa did fine, and Kisa even stood on his toes and allowed Haru to lead completely. Kagura managed to dodge Ritsu's feet, which helped a little, but they were still off time. Momiji and Hiro were a disaster. Hiro kept complaining loudly about how terrible this all was, and Momiji kept trying harder with each mistake. Unfortunately, Momiji was trying too hard. It was his over-thought that stiffened his movement. He used to be a very nice dancer, but the pressure of this 'war' and the extra inches of himself made him a bad dancer now.
"I think we can call it an evening," said an unsure Shigure after an hour and a half.
"Finally. I was afraid I was going to lose my feet in this stampede you call a dance lesson," said Hiro.
"Thank you for your constructive input, Hiro," said Shigure with a smile. Hatori left with Kisa and Hiro while the rest of them put Hatori's furniture back.
"It's best we practice more, I think," said Shigure.
"Perhaps you all can go to either myself, Shigure or Hatori everyday or every other day," said Ayame.
"Wonderful idea, Aaya!"
"What about Yuki?" asked Kagura.
"That is a good question. I was thinking however, that Yuki and Kyo are the best fighters, and perhaps the most naturally elegant," said Shigure.
"But it does put them at a disadvantage," said Ayame. "What if we made them come to the lessons?"
"H-How?" asked Momiji as he and Haru put the couch exactly where it should be.
"Tohru," said Ayame.
"We just need to figure out a way to make Tohru want dance lessons," said Shigure. They all thought hard. A cool breeze somehow managed to get inside the house and caressed the hot, sweaty brows of the Sohmas.
"I think a bit of faith in fate to find a way," said Ayame. "I'm sure the solution will find us."
Shigure smiled at the impenetrable confidence Ayame held. It was comforting and Shigure allowed himself to take this leap with his friend.
A/N: WOW! An update?! Well, I am writing NEW notes and I found a couple of scraps of the old notes, but lost them again. And I remember for the most part my outline anyways.
Don't ya' love ongoing metaphors? (And just metaphors, really.)
YUKI
POSSIBLY YUKI, AYAME, KAGURA
XOiHeartMiloOX
L-chan
PurpleHime
RandomObsessivePsychoFangirl
c00l-cat101
chescagirl
Kikyo10
realixweatherfairy
b l a c kxc u l l e n
falling flower89
lovesyuki3
KaidaThorn
XbringXmeXtheXhorizonX
Jynx
MaerCedici
BB
Rock Head
fredcantdiecozhebelongstoangelina
Orangy Jello
Flowersfall
vampiress014
TwilightAmethyst
KYO
POSSIBLY KYO, HIRO
Kasaki Kihoya
Eonia-pink-powah
Kyo'sGirlllll
Inner Dragon
Otaku-Rehab
Takagouzawa Hikari-san
Essitjuh
Daemon Koneko
Otaku-Rehab
KyokoHonda49
Katiesquilts
ShippoIsCute18
Wishfull
Shelby
Veronica
Inkspell12
Daphne Tomorrow
Neko in a Parka
Eonia-pink-powah
Heyyhay
Thura Huodae
MOMIJI
MOMIJI
Daisukeismyboyfriend
Sporkish Dork
sheepsama13
LinaStar
ALCH
Hpnai
Krystelvampire
kinichi
izadora15
Vikertee
HARU
HARU, KISA
lovelycurse4912
Sakaure Savo
band geeks are hot
a thousand cranes
Under-Cover-Panda
MichealandMail4ever
HATORI
Aya-chan
FLiPguRL219
loretta537
BlobBl0b
Jaffa-Cake-Queen
AAYA
Sweetdeath04
Kaida-Wolfe
avidlydreaming
SHIGURE
Truestoftrueloves(yup, it's me…well I couldn't just let this be empty space)
RITSU
RITSU
Kunai Queen The Strange
no-name
FriendlyFangirl88
dishrag-chan
Rya Kinotsu
ladykind
RaiderTKD
AKITO
Pottersgal15
A/N: Hi! I think I am missing some people, please PM me or let me know if I did. And thanks a bundle to Tifa Tyndal for the help on updating teams!
P.S. Can I just say I think a majority of why I don't update is because of people that think telling me spoilers or talking about the manga when I explicitly ask that you don't. And one more thing: this is a FANFIC, so please realize that it isn't the manga.
As in it's BASED on Fruits Basket; I am not retelling the story in my own words, or (worse) in the exact same words. And Rin, and Kureno and all those people NOT in the anime, will (here it comes) NOT be here, okay?
Though I do pull one thing from the manga that isn't mentioned in the anime, that is it.
Now, please stop talking to me about it. Review about the fic, not what happens in canon. And that includes just casually mentioning it.
"Oh well, I know you haven't read the manga, but…"
Yeah…please stop.
Sorry if I sound a little hot tempered, but honestly now.
Oh, and join the forum Tyfa Tyndal set up for Fruits Basket! It should be on her page…