Thank you to reviewers. You rock my world.
And in case you didn't know, the big scary
words in this chapter's title - if you said the word parasitic
to half the kids in my classes, they'd just stare at you like 'WTF?'
- are about mistletoe. Think about that next Christmas when you're
about to kiss your sweetie (or whoever you've managed to push under
the doorway). Romantic, huh? Disclaimer: Don't own it.
Also, minor
NOTE:
Much less
Izi-chan in this chapter. I think everyone is getting more than a
little sick of her, including me. So just stay with me, okay? She's
strictly matchmaker/meddler in this one and fluff is promised. Here's
chapter 25 and the Christmas party.
Chapter
25 - Stupid Parasitic Plant (or, General Debauchery, Part 2)
"God dammit, Izi-chan! This is important!" Kyo whisper-yelled harshly. "Are you even fucking listening?"
She glared up at him. "No, I'm really not. Jesus. I'm trying to do something, actually."
"But I need your help! You know how hard it is to lower myself to your mercies."
From her cross-legged perch on his bed, Izi-chan gazed at the orange-haired boy over her milky English tea. Taking in his distress-wrinkled eyes and more-rumpled-than-usual hair, she decided to take pity on him and sighed loudly.
"Koko-chan..."
"What?"
"Look, I can see where you're coming from, but I really think you're over-analyzing this whole thing," she stated plainly. At his confused expression, she sighed again and added in a clear, slow voice, "Well, you know her probably the best of anyone from that ongoing game of Truth you two have."
She could practically see the light bulb go off above his big orange head.
"Oh."
"Yeah, oh."
"But...!" he sputtered. "I mean, yeah, I know pretty much everything about her and all that - "
"Jesus, would you listen to yourself?" Izi-chan interrupted angrily. "'And all that.' Do you know you can be a huge asshole?"
His pitiful form became possibly even more pitiful. His already-slumped shoulders slumped some more, his bone-weary eyes drooping, his forehead wrinkled from the hurt that splayed across his features. He lowered his eyes and whispered, "Yeah, I know."
Guilt guilt guilt! screamed Izi-chan's conscience. Aw, geez. He looks like someone kicked his puppy. Er, kitty?She rolled her eyes at herself, but stood up and patted his shoulder awkwardly. "Come on, Kyo," she said, averting her eyes. "You don't have to be so depressed. Just calm down and I'm sure you'll think of the perfect Christmas gift for Tohru."
He shrugged off her hand and turned around.
"Okay, now you're just acting like a little kid."
He pretended to be absorbed in shuffling through the books on his desk.
"You know what? Fine. Go ahead and be all moody." She snatched up her mug - now full of cold tea - and Mayuko's half-graded papers she'd been working on earlier and then marched out of the room with a dramatic door slam.
After waiting a full minute, Kyo turned around and flopped down on his bed. He knew he wasn't really upset with Izi-chan - honestly, she was only trying to help - but he needed some sort of outlet for this frustration at his own incompetence. Really: he'd known Tohru for, what, at least two years by now, right? He'd spent hours upon hours exchanging Truths with her, laughing with her, teasing her and falling in love with her. She was the one person besides Kazuma who really cared about him and who he cared about in return. She'd accepted his true form and all other uglies that came with his personality, including his personality.
So why the hell couldn't he think of a suitable Christmas present for her?
He already had his gift prepared for Kazuma: books, same as always. Kazuma was easy. Perhaps it was because Kyo had known him since childhood, or maybe because he was his shishou and father figure and therefore their relationship was devoid of any sexual tension.
But was that really all it boiled down to? He was a boy, she was a girl, simple as that? No, that couldn't be it. Their relationship was built off of friendship, after all, and that alone meant much more than lust. And besides, although her loved her and wanted her so much it hurt, he respected her far too much to ever take advantage of any situation that may or may not present itself.
A knock at his door made Kyo scowl, having been broken from his reverie. Well, no, reverie wasn't the right word, exactly, he mused while making his way to the door. Reverie suggested happy thoughts, daydreams. Pleasantly lost in one's thoughts was the dictionary definition, he knew. These thoughts were not exactly what he would categorize as pleasant.
Another knock, sounding impatient this time, and Kyo assumed it was Izi-chan back to "help" him some more (not fair, he knew, but these were his private thoughts and he was allowed some rude opinions). He wondered briefly why she didn't just burst in like always, but by then there was a third knock and he lost his temper.
"I'm opening the fucking door already," he snapped, practically ripping the door off it's hinges. "Jesus, what is your fucking prob - " Then he promptly wanted to punch himself in the face.
He really shouldn't have been surprised to see, not Izi-chan, but Tohru standing in front of him, with that seemingly-permanent blush staining her perfect porcelain cheeks and a shy, concerned frown furrowing her brows.
"Oh. Hey," he breathed lamely.
"Hi," she replied. Clearly embarrassed, she began babbling. "Um, is this a bad time? I-I can come back later if you'd rather be alone right now. Yeah, in fact I think I'll go do that. You obviously don't feel like talking, s-so I'll just leave you alone. Yeah. What was I thinking? Of course you'd already be doing something, yeah. Do you want some tea? I, uh, because I can go make you some tea right now, since I'm not doing anything. Or - or hot chocolate. Or eggnog! Um, not Izi-chan's alcoholic eggnog, though, because - well, you know why. Um..."
"Tohru," Kyo cut in before she could begin another thought.
"Um, yes?"
"You're not interrupting anything. Would you like to come in?"
Her eyes widened and she opened her mouth like she was about to object, but her features relaxed quickly and she snapped her jaw back up, opting to nod and trudge wordlessly into Kyo's Abyss. (A/N: Kyo's Abyss. New band name; I call dibs.)
Once she was situated awkwardly on the edge of his bed and he had sunk into his desk chair, he muttered some more lameness. "So, what did you, like, want to talk about?"
"Oh!" She stared at her knees. "Well, you see, I was just finished with the laundry when Izi-chan came in and said you needed a hug." She looked up at him, half-smiling wryly. "I'm pretty sure she was joking, because of... you know. But, I mean, I think I know what she meant. Are you feeling okay?" she asked now, peering at him with concern clouding her big cerulean eyes
Damn that Izi-chan, he thought, glaring inside. He flicked his eyes over to Tohru, sitting on his bed, then to his door, which he knew was firmly locked. Well, maybe not...
He had paused for longer than he realized, which of course set Tohru off again.
"Okay, well, obviously you're fine, so I guess I'll just go..."
He started to laugh.
"What - what's so funny?" she ventured timidly. He was laughing at her idiocy, wasn't he?
Whether he meant to or not - and she assumed not, for Kyo was greatly unaware of his own beauty - when the orange-haired boy flicked his piercing eyes up to her blushing face she could feel all the air leave her lungs and her heartbeat hit the roof. She was almost surprised to find herself still in one piece: her Jello-like legs were closerthanthis to breaking into a million pieces and staining Kyo's carpet (which she'd have to clean up).
His smiled a tiny but genuine smile and murmured silkily (silkily? Since when did she think in romance novel terminology?), "You really are cute when you're all flustered like that, you know?"
If her Jello-legs weren't unstable before, this comment sent her soaring to whatever heavens were up there and crashing down to Earth at the same time. Because she knew, deep down in that big ole heart of hers, that since she was so completely not cute, or pretty or beautiful or least of all sexy, Kyo was only saying this to be nice. And the thought made her feel even worse in his presence than she already did.
Oh, God, who did she think she was kidding? Kyo - so insanely handsome and sexy and kindhearted and smart and everything perfect in the world, except he wasn't perfect and that's what made him so lovable, his flaws. How could this godly creature ever reciprocate her feelings? Here she was, a little insignificant mouse of a girl, falling for a fucking Adonis. How dare she.
"Tohru?" Even his voice was attractive...
She needed a good smack in the face, that's what she needed. Yes. Kyo wouldn't do it, of course - he didn't hit girls, even ones that deserved it like Kagura - but Izi-chan probably would. Tohru most likely only needed to ask and then wham! Done and done.
It probably should have bothered her how deeply she was contemplating this. It did not.
"Tohru?"
Oh, she could listen to his voice all day. It was almost musical, it was so beautiful. Deep, loud most of the time, but when it was directed only at her during their rounds of Truth, the soft rumble of it made her shiver. A line in one of West Side Story's songs struck her: Say it loud and there's music playing; say it soft and it's almost like praying. Of course, it was sung by Tony about Maria's name, but still.
"Tohru!"
"Huh?" How long had he been calling her? She blinked, surprised to see Kyo staring curiously at her as if she might do something crazy like burst into song at any moment. (West Side Story came to mind.)
"Tohru," he said again, slower this time. "You..." He stopped and let a small smile curve his mouth. "Do you remember what you said to me when you first walked in here a couple minutes ago?"
"What? Oh, um... I don't know. What did I say?" She remembered a lot of gibberish and stuttering on her part, then... that's it. Oh, God, what did she say?!
Kyo's smile continued slowly inching up his face, almost devilishly so. "You said Izi-chan came up to you and told you I needed a hug."
"Oh." Tohru blushed. "Yeah, I'm sorry about her, she was just being playful again - "
"No, that's not what I meant," he interrupted. "I don't need a hug."
"Yes, well, I know, that's why I said - "
"No, Tohru." He let the smile take his mouth completely. "I don't need a hug. But I want one."
It didn't matter that Tohru was mid-blush when he swooped in and threw his arms around her. Working fast, he even managed to lift her off the ground and spin slightly, but as the expected POOF! poofed, he was made even more aware of his hatred for that damn Curse.
Tohru smiled sadly at the scowling orange Cat - she had long ago given up wondering how Kyo managed to make his Cat form scowl - before she scooped him up and nuzzled his head.
"I will never get over how cute you are," she murmured as she made herself comfortable on his bed.
"Neither will I," he replied, so softly it could have been a purr. Louder, he added, "Truth?"
"Always, Kyo-kun," she answered gently. "Always."
"Okay, so re: party playlist. Gotta have the classics - "
"Izi-chan!"
A sigh. Then, "Oh, God, what? I'm fucking busy."
"It's... the dress. Please, I need you help."
Another sigh. "Alright, but this is the last time I play fairy godmother to all you... people. Staying PG."
Choosing not to reply to that comment, Tohru waved Izi-chan in from the hallway.
So Izi-chan once again would slide into Tohru's room to help the girl into whatever death-trap-like frock she'd selected that time. Tohru had insisted on nothing similar to the ice blue corset nightmare for her real party attire. Since the event would be black-tie casual (whatever that meant), it was still an opportunity for Izi-chan to flaunt Tohru like a fashionably-dressed monkey. (Okay, so not fair, but even Tohru had less-than-pleasant thoughts.)
"De-robe," the older girl ordered after - at Tohru's request - she securely locked the door.
Tentatively, Tohru pulled at ties of the robe and let it fall to the floor, making Izi-chan swallow a gasp at what was underneath. She'd had a hunch the dress would look great on Tohru, but she hadn't expected fantastic. Sure, Tohru was a babe in sweats and a T-shirt; to see her all dolled up in something that wasn't mostly leather, though, was enough to almost make her envy Tohru.
"What shoes..." Izi-chan mumbled, walking up to the girl and examining the outfit from all angles. "Well, maybe you won't even have to wear any... What do you think?"
Tohru cocked her head to the side. "I don't know. I don't really have anything that would match."
"Well, of course we'd get you some. But should we?"
"Would they have to be stilettos?"
"Um, as opposed to what?" she questioned.
Tohru shot her a martyred look and sighed, which Izi-chan then imitated loudly.
"I'm kidding, love. Now turn around. Good. Is the waist too loose? Hmm. Tohru, honey, you're looking thin. Have you been eating? You work too hard, you don't take care of yourself. Have those guys been making sure you get enough nutrients? I'm worried, dear. Living with my three oafish cousins, you..." Izi-chan continued talking, mostly to herself it seemed, and Tohru let the noise wash over her.
She closed her eyes and replayed yesterday's game of Truth with Kyo. He'd sat in her lap the entire time, not seeming to mind Tohru's mindless stroking of his fur. She'd still been laughing at something--a Truth, a memory, she couldn't remember - when it was Kyo's turn. He'd ceased his purring - Tohru couldn't get over the fact that Kyo felt comfortable enough in her presence to purr--and mumbled something she couldn't quite hear.
"Pardon me, Kyo-kun?"
"I asked what do you want for Christmas," he'd repeated.
She'd given as much of a frown as she could muster. "Kyo-kun, you don't need to get me anything. I thought I told you I didn't want anything, anyway."
Rolling his eyes, he'd burrowed further into her sweater and said, "The name of the game is Truth."
To be honest, she did actually want something for Christmas. Very much. More than she ever wanted anything. But it wasn't something she could tell Kyo, even if she had told him the Truth, the whole Truth, and nothing but the Truth so far (well... for the most part. Like, 97 percent of the time). Although she knew Yuki would be a sweetheart and give her something again this year, and Uotani and Hanajima would present her with some sort of gift, bless them, and Izi-chan would probably try to give her something (Tohru suspected a gag gift, but still) - although she knew all these things, she also knew there was really only one thing she wanted for Christmas.
Kyo's love for her and his freedom.
(Although technically, that was two things.)
The orange cat had cleared his throat and Tohru blushed. "Kyo-kun..." she'd started. "I - I really just want to be with you and the rest of my friends and family. That's it." She'd even managed to convince herself it was mostly true.
After that Kyo had just stared at her for a little while. Tohru remembered feeling embarrassed to be so vulnerable. Of course, she'd been playing Truth with him for months by then, but nothing she's said before could have possibly been misconstrued the way her last statement could. The part about the rest of her friends and family had really only been for Kyo's benefit; she'd wanted nothing more than to tell her beloved how much she wanted to be with him.
But Kyo had ended up swallowing the lie without complaint or suspicion, and this had made Tohru want to cry. It was obvious he didn't even consider her wanting him, because he was so far from wanting her. Afraid she would start sobbing right there, Tohru had quickly mumbled something about vacuuming her rug and bolted from the room. As soon as she had slammed her door, she sunk to the floor and threw her head into her hands.
Why was it that one of the most beautiful feelings she'd ever experienced made her hurt so much? It was like Izi-chan had said that day at the onsen, when Tohru was still struggling to identify her feelings for Kyo. It's a great and terrible beauty, falling in love is. It's the most wonderful of dreams and worst of nightmares. It was Shakespeare, she had said.
Fuck Shakespeare.
(a/n: I don't mean it! I swear! It's all Tohru!)
"... but then, it is hanging a bit low, don't you think? Ayame will gladly do any alterations, of course, but I feel like we're cutting it a bit close. I mean, with the party two days away, and it would look so tacky for you to wear anything other than this. Have I already told you you look like a fucking movie star? Because you do. I'm positive Kyo will think so too. Oh, fuck, what should Kyo wear? I totally didn't even think about that. But of course, he's a guy and won't..."
Girl could talk, that was for sure. Tohru wasn't sure if she was grateful or annoyed that Izi-chan hadn't noticed she was wasn't listening anymore.
"Mariaaaaaaa, I've just kissed a girl named Mariaaaaaaaaaaaa, and suddenly I found, how wonderful a sound could beeeeeeeeeeee!"
Tohru jumped.
"Oh, sorry, that's my cell," Izi-chan said, digging into her pocket and producing the slim black phone. "Changed my ringer. Hello?"
Discreetly fanning herself, Tohru tuned out Izi-chan trilling voice ("Ohymgod! How are you?!") and turned around to her mirror. Unlike with the blue corset contraption, she didn't have to strive to find things she liked about this outfit. She smiled shyly at the beautiful blushing girl - no, woman - that stood before her. She really had to give Izi-chan props for this one: for once, she believed her when the older girl told her she looked gorgeous.
"What?!" Izi-chan squawked suddenly. "No, don't go anywhere! No, that's - I'll be there in a sec, okay? Don't - yeah, love you too. Don't move. See you soon. Ciao. Okay, bye." She snapped the phone shut and groaned. Stuffing the phone back in her pocket, she was already more than half-way out Tohru's room before Tohru could really process what was happening.
"Wait, Izi-chan!" Tohru called. "What's wrong?"
"Aaya. Outside. Snake."
Tohru quickly threw her robe back on and ran after Izi-chan, who by now was making her way down the stairs. Neither of them bothered putting their shoes on despite the dry, bitter coldness that had still not given way to snow. Tohru squinted and searched the ground for the silver Snake, but Izi-chan was quicker and already sprinting over to a pile of clothes and a large box.
"Aaya!" she shrieked, throwing herself on her knees and scooping up the clothes. Ayame poked his small, smooth head out from under what looked like an ascot, then cried out, "My phone!" and a piece of plastic hit the ground.
"Drama queen," Izi-chan mumbled, but she bent down and picked it up anyway. As she finally noticed the freezing air she hugged Ayame closer to her chest. Over her shoulder, she called, "Tohru, could you please get the box?"
As the two girls and the Snake scurried back to the warmth of Shigure's house, Ayame explained his predicament and the reason for his transformation without being prompted or prodded by either girl.
"Well of course I'm here to give my darling brother Yuki his Christmas gift early!" he announced lavishly.
"Aa-ya! You know how you get in this weather!" Izi-chan scolded.
"Yes, but how else am I supposed to to give Yuki his gift?"
As Izi-chan and Tohru stepped into the threshold, Snake and box in hand, Izi-chan mused, "I suppose I could kidnap Yuki in Rat form and deliver him to you at the Main House... but that would be a little cruel..."
Tohru shot her a shocked look.
"Or, you know, a lot cruel. What'd you get him, Aaya?"
"That's for me to know and for Yuki to find out!" Ayame replied gaily. "Now take me up to his room if you'd be so kind."
Seeing as Izi-chan clearly wasn't hesitating to do so, Tohru felt the need to object. "Um, I think Yuki-kun might want some advance warning..."
Ayame cawed, "Nonsense! This will be perfect! Now, onward!"
They arrived at Yuki's door, knocked twice quickly then burst in without waiting for him to answer. Yuki, sitting at his desk and working on something or another, glanced at Izi-chan contemptuously but smiled slightly at Tohr - Ayame was bundled so deeply in Izi-chan's arms that Yuki had not seen him yet.
"To what do I owe this visit, ladies?" he asked politely, if not a bit sarcastically.
Ayame jutted his head out and gave a vaguely frightening grin to his brother.
Yuki stared at him for a long moment before exhaling for another long moment. "What do you want, Nii-san?"
"Can't I bring you a Christmas present, brother to brother?" He pouted--as much as a snake can pout, anyway.
"That depends on what's in the box," he responded coldly.
Izi-chan and Tohru exchanged awkward looks, and quickly Izi-chan uttered, "We're just gonna go, then..."
"No! You don't have to!" Yuki exclaimed, but they were already placing Ayame's clothes and the box on the floor and running out, leaving the brothers alone. Yuki's face fell.
"Yuki, dear, won't you open you present? I would myself, but I'm a bit incapacitated at the moment."
POOF!
"Whoops, never mind!"
Yuki kept his gaze firmly on the piece of paper on is desk while Ayame babbled and redressed. He silently cursed Izi-chan and his brother.
"... and it was just so hard to find the suitable gift for you," Ayame prated, "but since I am me, Ayame Sohma, I figured something out! Ah ha ha ha!"
Slowly, Yuki turned around and gave his brother the expressionless mask he'd cultivated during the dressing period. "Nii-san," he said flatly.
"Yes, Yuki?"
He spoke carefully, considering every word. "I certainly... appreciate you going to the trouble of buying me something..."
"Oh it was my pleasure, Yuki! You are my only brother after all!"
"Nii-san. Please let me speak."
"Oh, of course! Go on, go on!"
Although it should have disturbed them how unsurprised they were to hear Izi-chan's groan from the hallway, it did not. The door was thrown open and there stood the auburn-haired girl with Tohru looking on worriedly.
"This is just fucking painful," Izi-chan declared. "Yuki, none of us want to hear your 'thanks-but-no-thanks-because-I'm-emotionally-crippled' speech. Aaya, cut the theatrics and tell him what you really want to tell him." Throwing her hands up and the air in exasperation, she turned to Tohru and bitched, "Is it so hard for men to get in touch with their emotions? Is that too much to ask?"
Tohru nodded sypathetically but blushed and kept her mouth shut.
With a glare censored for Tohru's benefit, Yuki said, through clenched teeth, "This is sort of a private matter, if you don't mind, Izi-chan."
"As if anything is private in this family," she scoffed.
Through the whole mini-drama, Ayame had somehow managed to stay quiet. Suddenly, though, he mumbled Yuki's name.
"What is it, Nii-san?" Yuki asked tiredly. The last couple minutes had totally drained him.
"Yuki..." It was the Snake's turn to choose his words with care, something rare for him anyway. "I... wasn't lying when I said I'd had a hard time finding you a gift. I mean, we both know I'm not the best at... understanding you. But, I hope you will except this gift, because we both also know that I really am trying." He slid the box over to Yuki cautiously.
Tohru felt awkward witnessing this moment, but a glance at Izi-chan told her she was alone. Izi-chan had a hand touching her collarbone and her eyes were wide and curious.
Yuki looked briefly at their female audience, but decided to open the present anyway. After ripping off the garish gold ribbon and equally garish red wrapping paper (he struggled to hide his rolling eyes), he lifted to lid of the box off and peered into it suspiciously.
A large straw sunhat sat on a bed of tissue paper.
The room was quiet. Yuki looked at the hat, then to Tohru, who gave him an encouraging smile, then to Izi-chan, who shot him a look that said, He is trying, okay? Finally, he looked at his brother, and it must have been the first time he'd even seen Ayame so nervous.
He laughed out loud.
Ayame widened his eyes, unsure if his brother's reaction was good or bad sign. Tohru and Izi-chan looked panicked, most likely in fear for his sanity.
"Nii-san," Yuki said after his attack passed. Ayame's posture straightened and the girls glanced at each other nervously; who knew if Yuki would do something else crazy, like tear off his clothes and run around the house (not an altogether unpleasant thought)? "Nii-san, I have to ask. What made you think of a hat?"
Izi-chan cringed.
"Well," Ayame started with self-conscious bravodo, "I figure, with your gardening, the heat might get a bit unmanageable. It was for me, but as the Rat you probably don't have it as bad. I know it's not exactly the season for it, but spring and summer will come soon enough. It's fine if you hate it, it was just an idea."
"I like it, Nii-san." He smiled hesitantly. "I really do."
Ayame gasped. "Oh, Yuki, that's wonderful! I'm so glad you like it! But you know, it's terribly drab right now, I could accessorize it if you like. Oh my goodness, I think we've finally reached a middle ground with your gardening and my fashion! I'm so happy right now! Oh, I must call Ha'ri. Izi-chan, where did you put my cell phone? Oh, wait, it's in my pocket! Ah ha ha, silly me!"
"Please leave," Yuki muttered.
Tohru looked at Izi-chan and smiled. "One day at a time, right?"
"Wait, Yuki gardens?"
(a/n: Because I can.)
"It's
the most, wonderful tiiiime, of the yeaaaaar..."
Kyo scowled at the stereo.
"You keep making that face and it'll stick like that."
"Fuck you, Izi-chan."
"Sca-ry."
He moved his glare to the Sugar Plum Fairy that was currently getting seriously anal about the Christmas Eve party that was going to go down in, oh, a matter of hours.
She blew a raspberry at him. "Are you still bent out of shape because of the whole present-for-Tohru thing?"
"Not so loud!" he hissed. His face screwed up like he was thinking deeply about something or taking a dump. "Izi-chan..."
"No. We're not doing this again. I'm not fallin' for puppy dog eyes this time. Figure the stupid thing out on your own."
"But...!"
"No," she repeated firmly. "The party starts in fucking four hours, Kyo. I have to turn this house into a fucking winter wonderland in that time, and I don't have time for your fucking gift-giving ineptness."
"Could you say 'fuck' a few more times?" Kyo asked her sarcastically. "I don't fucking think you got your fucking point across."
"You know what you need for Christmas? An attitude adjustment."
"Because I've never heard that one before."
Izi-chan gave a mini-scream of frustration, then took several deep breaths and glared at him in surrender. "Okay," she grumbled. "Tell me what you found out when I sent her up to your room the other day."
He considered this. "Well, it was kinda awkward, then she spaced out for a little bit, but then I hugged her - "
"Awwwww."
" - shuddup, and then we just sat on my bed for a while and played Truth."
Izi-chan raised an eyebrow. "And?"
"And I still have nothing!" he cried.
"God, you are pathetic," she sighed. "Kyo, maybe you should stop aiming for the perfect gift for Tohru that will show her you care without revealing more than you're willing to reveal, and just put yourself out there."
He stared blankly at her.
"You know," she began, "diamonds are a girl's best friend? Although it is Christmas Eve... shit."
"I don't have enough for diamonds anyway!" he said. "What's... what's with that look?"
Indeed, the expression his cousin had adopted was making him quite uncomfortable. Mischievous, wicked, amused, a flurry of emotions splayed across her face in record time before she uttered, "What about Kazuma-san?"
Instantly Kyo stiffened. "What about Shishou?"
"Well, if I remember correctly, doesn't he own that gorgeous locket that has been in the family for God knows how long?" she questioned coquettishly. "Tohru would go nuts for that. You could even put a widdle picture of the two of you in there to show her how much you care."
"No," he replied harshly, glaring his best. "No. I won't give her something of this family's."
"Kyo, that's not what it would be. Do you think Kazuma-san would keep it if it was?" At his 'yeah right' expression, she rolled her eyes. "It's been in his mother's family for years. His mother who wasn't a Sohma. Baka."
A giant question mark practically formed above his head.
"Jesus, I lived with you guys for six months. Were you still such a larva when he was telling me about it?" she asked him dryly.
He didn't hear her, though, because he was throwing on his jacket and shoes and running out to Kazuma's house.
"Cutting it a bit close, aren't you, baka neko?" Yuki hissed as Kyo slid through the door with a small box in his hands and a large glare on his face.
"Who the hell asked you, kuso nezumi?" he spat in reply before dashing upstairs to hide the box.
The party was set to start in a little more than ten minutes and Izi-chan had made a complete 180 from that afternoon. She flitted from room to room laughing and helped Tohru place little bowls of munchies and plates of Christmas cookies around the house.
Speaking of Tohru: how adorable did she look in her festive apron and holding another plate of surely delicious cookies? The answer was very, very adorable. The apron went from her neck to her knees, though, so Kyo couldn't see what she was wearing, but he saw that the sleeves - off the shoulder and fanning out at her elbows - were red. Red was a good color on her (better than ice blue, anyway).
Kyo smiled gently at her and opened his mouth to say something when he heard a screech of "Come back here you little shit!" and Shigure was pushing him out of the way.
"Noooo, Tohru-kun, save me!" he whined (Kyo would give him something to whine about). He hid behind the small girl like she could protect him from whatever monster was chasing him.
"Don't you use her as a shield!" Izi-chan yelled from behind Kyo. It seemed he and Tohru were separating the two "adults" like a chair in the middle of a game of tag, causing the two playing to move back and forth on either side while all the while ready to jump over said chair.
Someone clearing their throat roused all four of them from the petty game. As sixteen eyes flicked over to see Yuki sporting a smirk, the Rat pointed up and for the first time they noticed they were standing under a doorway.
A doorway with a green plant featuring little white berries and a red ribbon hanging from it.
Of course.
Izi-chan and Shigure immediately leaped back from the doorway, leaving the two teenagers wide-eyed and red-faced (what else is new?).
"Well, you know, it is tradition!"
"Go ahead, don't mind us!"
"Pucker up, kiddies!"
The catcalls went on and on. Kyo glared at them to avoid looking at Tohru, for he was sure he would make a fool out of himself if he did. Tohru, for her part, rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly and looked at the plate of cookies still in her hands.
"Bow chicka wow wow!"
"What was that supposed to be? Porn music?"
It was obvious the peanut gallery would not be letting either of them go until a kiss took place. This wasn't how Kyo had pictured them under the mistletoe, but he swallowed and decided it was better than nothing.
Tohru felt her chin being lifted up. Her heart pounded and her eyes went wider than they'd ever gone. Was Kyo really doing this? She closed her eyes and felt his lips...
...peck her cheek.
Disappointment was an ice-cold pina colada spilling down her heaving cleavage. It hit so hard she felt like crying.
While she reeled from the hit, Kyo blushed further and quickly excused himself. His cousins booed him but let him go.
Tohru gripped the plate harder, looked again at the cookies, then brought her head back up and smiled her hundred-watt smile like she wasn't feeling so awful.
At the moment, the doorbell rang and Izi-chan perked up. "Yes! Let the party begin!"
"I don't want a lot for Christmas, there is just one thing I need..."
As she and Tohru worked the room not even ten minutes later, offering snacks and chatting up their guests, Tohru listened to the song playing. Some cheery, bubble gum pop hit from America about love and Christmas. Funny how accurately it was describing Tohru's current situation.
"Arisa! Saki!" Izi-chan called, ushering in Tohru's two best friends. Uotani smiled widely and handed Izi-chan a bottle of champagne.
"I'm not gonna ask how you got this," Izi-chan said skeptically, "but thank you. It will go great with the spread." She glanced sideways at Tohru, and immediately groaned at the girl's rigid demeanor. "Tohru, loosen up a bit!" she said. "Here, let's test out this champagne."
Tohru stared at her. "Um, I don't think that's a very good idea..."
"Come on," she whined. "A little liquid courage to help you unwind?"
"Izi-chan, I just don't think..."
The older girl lowered her voiced in Tohru's ear and said, without any hint of mocking in her voice, whispered, "Sweetheart, I promise you I won't let that happen again. But you need to let go of your insecurities if you want to enjoy the party, this holiday, and fucking life. Please, it's not for me, or for anyone else here - even Kyo. It's for you."
Surprised by her friend's sincerity, Tohru smiled and grabbed an empty wine glass off the table. "Is that what you say to all the teenage girls you lead astray?" she joked.
Izi-chan grinned and poured the bubbly drink into the glass, filling it halfway. "Only to my favorites," she replied.
Tohru let herself be absorbed in the party after that. The champagne didn't inebriate her as promised, but it did take the top layer off her senses and left her feeling more confident than usual. She laughed and shot the breeze with the guests, offering them champagne and altogether letting herself have fun with someone other than Kyo.
Kyo... She was almost able to forget about the mistletoe earlier with the help of the champagne, but everything reminded her of him: the Zodiac members scattered about the room, Kazuma conversing with Hanajima, the adorable orange dress that Kisa wore. Tohru considered drinking as much as last time, just to forget for a little while, but knew that wasn't the answer.
She felt someone poke her side and saw Hatsuharu looking stonily at her.
"Do you want me to take that champagne to the kitchen for you?" he asked politely.
She must have been standing in one place just clutching the bottle. Durh.
"Oh!
Um, no thank you, I'm going there anyway," she answered, then
swerved hastily in the opposite direction towards the kitchen.
Well,
the party seems to be going well so far,
Tohru thought as she made her way to the kitchen, occasionally being
stopped by the Zodiac members wishing her a merry Christmas. No
one has announced we're playing a drinking game and I haven't kissed
Kyo-kun. This, though, made her cringe, as
she was reminded one again of that painful mistletoe moment earlier.
What exactly had I been expecting, anyway?
Of course he wouldn't sweep me into his arms
and... actually, is it even possible for a Zodiac member to do
that?"Tohru?"
She hadn't realized she'd finally gotten to the kitchen, nor had she realized someone was already hiding out in there: Kyo.
"Kyo-kun!" she exclaimed. "Hi! Wuh, why aren't you out there enjoying the party?"
He raised an eyebrow. "Not the type of company I enjoy the most," he mumbled dryly. He nodded at the bottle in her hand. "You gonna offer me a drink?"
"Oh! I didn't think you'd want one."
"I guess Izi-chan's boozy tendencies have rubbed off on he," he said with a shrug. "Besides, the only I'm gonna get through the rest of this holiday is if I'm piss drunk."
"Not me," Tohru disagreed. "I've only had half a glass so far, and I don't plan on drinking much more than that."
"Well, I suppose I'm just more mature when it comes to alcoholic habits," he teased. She laughed.
He joined in her laughter, but for the first time he took in her outfit. The red sleeves from earlier had not prepared him for the goddess that stood before him now: the neckline, far from vulgar, dipped into a V at her chest, barely showing any cleavage but still one of the sexiest things Kyo had ever see - then fanned out gracefully in the same way as the sleeves. It ended around four inches above the knee, and the blood red color against her pale skin made her practically glow.
"You..." he began, praying he wouldn't stutter. "You look fantastic."
She blushed, but smiled and didn't disagree as per usual. "Yeah, well, you clean up pretty well yourself." And he did, in his black slacks and gray dress shirt--the top buttons were undone, of course, but he looked flawless as always. Tohru wasn't aware Kyo owned clothes like these (she also wasn't aware that Izi-chan had forced them onto him as "an early Christmas present").
"Ya think?" he asked nervously, pulling at the already-loose collar. "It's not really what I usually..."
"No, you look great!" Tohru gushed. "I'm serious! Would I lie to you?"
He walked a few steps closer to her. Relaxing his face to reveal as little emotion as possible, he lowered his voice to a throaty whisper and said, "Would you?"
She felt her face warm up some more at his gaze, but she found she couldn't pull herself away. To distract herself from babbling, she considered his question. Would she lie to him? Technically she did every second of every day; it wasn't as if she could just waltz up to him and be all, "Hey, so I'm in love with you. What do you feel like eating tonight?" That was for confident - or crazy - people like Izi-chan or Uotani. But he knew everything else about her. That's what their games of Truth were all about, right?
"Not about anything important," she replied softly in a similar guttural sound.
By now, they were but a whisper apart. The party sounds - people laughing and talking, glasses clinking, that cheery Christmas music - had faded into a hum in both their ears. Kyo was leaning his head down, ever so slowly, and Tohru found the way the words dripped from his glorious lips the most seductive thing in the world.
"Is that so?" he whispered, his lips moving closer to hers in a way that was much too slow for her liking - he was teasing her, goddammit!
Well, she could tease him too - Tohru with a nice, warm buzz could, anyway. She felt her smile shape into the closest proximity to a smirk it had ever gotten to. Her left hand glided up to Kyo's collarbone and brushed lightly against his warm skin before dipping lower, down to those undone top buttons. She toyed briefly with the small charcoal studs, then let her hand fall the rest of the way down to rest back at her side.
Rather than try to one-up her, Kyo smiled widely and tugged on the hem of her sleeve. He watched as she stood on the tips of her toes - Izi-chan had decided her Barbie would go shoeless for tonight - to meet his head halfway.
That's when everything.
Tohru yelped in surprise and nearly fell back on her ass. Kyo caught her hand and sunk to the floor with wide eyes.
"Nobody panic!" they heard Izi-chan yell in the next room. "It's probably just a blown fuse! Nothing to worry about people! Shigure, where are your candles?"
"Jesus," Kyo breathed. "That scared the shit out of me."
"Hhyh," Tohru replied intelligently. "Wuh - huh huh huh. That... yeah. Me too."
Kyo chuckled at her and took her other hand, helping them both up. "You okay?" he asked.
"Yuh - um, yes."
"'Cause you seem flustered."
"What, me? No no no, I'm totally fine!" she lied. If she had been the type to curse, she'd be howling like a sailor in her head. Really, the damn blackout couldn't wait five minutes? Talk about a mood killer: she felt utterly un-sexy after almost falling on her butt.
"What do you mean, it's a citywide blackout?" This came from the living room: Izi-chan was on her cell phone. "Did I mention we're in a house full of Sohmas? This family is supposed to have fucking connections, goddammit! Oh, fuck you, I'll take the Lord's name in vain if I want to, lady. You - what did you call me? Fuck no, I will track you down and snap your fat ass like a rubberband, I swear I - Ha'ri, gimme the phone back!"
"Please excuse my friend, she's forgotten to take her medication. Yes, I'm sorry for what she said about your - when did she have time to insult your mother? Well, I'm sorry but it really is important..."
Kyo frowned and tuned out the rest of Hatori's attempt to salvage the situation. Tohru grinned at the family's antics but gasped when little Kisa ran in sniffling.
"Kisa-san! What's wrong!"
"She's scared of the dark," Hiro mumbled, trailing in after her. "I... don't know what to do."
But the two girls were already hugging - Kisa sobbing into the front of Tohru's dress - while Hiro and Kyo looked on helplessly.
Kyo shifted his weight awkwardly, then suggested Tohru take Kisa up to her room to lie down.
"Oh, that's a great idea, Kyo-kun!" she replied sincerely. She took Kisa's hand and gently towed the younger girl to the stairs. Kyo watched them disappear. Hiro watched him.
"Why don't you just tell her?" he asked quietly. His words did not bite, surprisingly, but they did shock and embarrass Kyo.
"That - that's none of your business, Hiro," he spat. "Jesus, like I need a middle schooler on my case about this too."
"So others have asked what I did?"
"I said, that's none of your business!"
Hiro smirked at him. "Fine. You're right. It isn't." Lowering his voice, he added, "But don't hurt her."
Kyo's orange head snapped in the Ram's direction, nearly giving him whiplash. "Since when do you care about Tohru's feelings?" he asked incredulously.
"I don't." He shrugged nonchalantly, but his face glowed pink in the darkness. "But if she's unhappy, then Kisa'a unhappy. And if Kisa's unhappy... then, I'm unhappy." He quickly glared at Kyo, daring the Cat to mock him.
But Kyo half-smiled and said, "It sucks, doesn't it?"
Hesitantly, Hiro nodded. "Yeah. It does. But, I... I wouldn't trade it for anything."
"That's the point, kid," Kyo replied softly. "That's the whole damn point."
With the power going out, a normal person would've thought a Christmas party would be a quite a bit ruined. But that person had obviously never been to a Sohma Christmas party.
Sure, it was a Western holiday that more often than not ended with no fewer than three Sohma's passed out under the tree, but the Heads of Family had always had an odd fixation with it. Perhaps because it was only a few steps away from New Year's, their biggest holiday by far, and with that they had an excuse to get the decorations out earlier and throw an extra party or two. Or perhaps their tired, battered old hearts warmed at the coldest time of year and they let themselves show care for their fellow Sohmas.
Or perhaps they just loved watching It's a Wonderful Life on TV.
Either way, even a citywide blackout on Christmas Eve couldn't sway a Sohma party. They lit a million candles and popped a CD into Shigure's battery-operated boom box, laid blankets and pillows on the floor and brought their glasses of wine and champagne and sake and whatever else down with them, munched on Tohru's Christmas feast like a little picnic. After more than a couple glasses of the bubbly, Ayame and Ritsu jumped up and danced drunkenly, inspiring the others to laugh out loud and join them.
And
still: that song.
"I just want you
for my oo-own, more than you could ever kno-ow..."
Unfortunately for Tohru, she barely made it out of her room for the rest of the night, save a few times. It seemed Kisa was more than just afraid of the dark: she had some sort of flu. Tohru rubbed the small girl's back while she laid in Tohru's bed and shivered and whimpered. Hiro held her hand the whole time, of course, only left her side to go to the bathroom once or twice. Kyo played the butler and got the trio food and drinks when needed; he would rather be doing errands for Tohru than hang out with his family (although he did chat with Kazuma while he was on snack runs). And he had to admit, though it was mostly Tohru keeping him in the room, Kisa was adorable and had not once given him crap for being the Cat, and with her influence Hiro wasn't as much of a little shit.
"I'm sorry, Kyo-kun," Tohru murmured after watching Hiro and Kisa conk out for the night. "You really don't have to stay here with me. I can take care of these two by myself now."
He rolled his eyes. "You know I'd rather be up here with you than downstairs. Last time I was getting you guys food I saw Haru talking to a plant and Shigure and Izi-chan were making eyes at each other. Scary stuff."
"Um...
okay." She smiled beautifully at him. "Thank you
anyway."
Come
on, Kyo, would you grow
a pair already? wailed
a voice in his head. Give her the present!
It's the perfect moment,
baka! Do it! Do it do
it do it! DO IT NOW!
Bitch!Jesus.
"Um, hey, Tohru," he said nervously in a quiet voice, "stay here for a second okay? I - I'll be right back."
Once he was gone, Tohru frowned and hastily wiped her foolish teary eyes. First, her mistletoe moment with Kyo was ruined because - DUH - he obviously didn't want to kiss her. Then, when she was actually feeling confident and for whatever reason Kyo was flirting with her - she hadn't hallucinated that, had she? - the power just had to blow and, in her stupid surprise, she practically fell right on her ass.
Was she going crazy or were they about to kiss for real right before the lights went out?
Not that it mattered now, anyway. She loved Kisa like the baby sister she never had, of course, but caring for a sick kid was not a huge turn-on for most guys. (If she had any sense at all, she would have realized that A) Kyo was not Most Guys, and that B) for Kyo, watching Tohru's maternal instincts kick in over her pseudo-sister was one of the most beautiful things to be seen.)
As she heard Kyo's re-approaching footsteps, she quickly wiped her eyes again and forced a smile back on her face.
"What have you got there?" she asked him when he produced a small box from behind his back.
He placed the box in front of her and said, "Go ahead. Open it."
"Kyo-kun," she protested, "I told you - "
"I know what you told me, but did you really think that was gonna stop me?" He grinned at her. "So, come on. Open it," he repeated.
Tohru threw him a pout but reached for the box and held it up in front of her face. It looked nice: deep green wrapping paper and a simple thin silver ribbon. She wondered absently if Izi-chan had helped him wrap it; Kyo seemed like the type to cutely wrap his gifts with the Funnies and duct tape. She smiled at this, then carefully pulled the silver bow free and removed the paper. She lifted the small lid off and gasped at what she saw: resting on a delicate gold chain was and equally delicate small oval locket.
"Oh, Kyo-kun," she breathed. "You shouldn't have. You really shouldn't have."
Being the guy he was, Kyo mistook her reaction as distaste and promptly his face fell. "You don't like it. Of course you don't. Why would you? I should've know you wouldn't - "
"No, Kyo-kun." She bit her lip to hide her blooming grin. "It's beautiful. I love it."
"Really?" he questioned shyly.
"Really. I love it," she repeated. I love you.
"I - " He touched her hand gently. "I'm glad. But, there's more. Open the locket."
Blushing at the contact, Tohru did as she was
told. She gasped again at the tiny picture that adorned her new
necklace. Wild orange hair, familiar devilish grin...
Oh,
Mom.
She felt her lip quiver and heard Kyo say he as an idiot again, the picture was a bad idea, he was so sorry for making her cry, please don't cry -
"No, no, Kyo-kun, it's perfect," she said shakily, willing her voice not to crack. "This - thank you. I really, really love it. Thank you."
"You already said that," he joked softly, bringing a hand to her cheek to wipe a stray tear. "Would you like me to help you put it on?"
She nodded. They both stood up and she moved her hair aside, shivering slightly when she felt his warm hands accidentally graze her collarbone and then her neck.
"Sorry, are my hands cold?"
"No, no, I'm fine."
A second later he finished with the clasp and she felt two soft lips brush her ear as he whispered, "Take a look."
Peering in the mirror, she couldn't help but love it more. So, before she could lose her nerve, she spun around and threw her arms around Kyo's neck, knocking them both over. The POOF! sounded when they were still falling, and suddenly Tohru was clutching nothing more than empty clothes, smoke, and a surprised orange Cat.
"I'm sorry," she mumbled a moment later as they both sat on the floor.
"Tohru, are you - "
"Onee-chan?" Kisa croaked, having been awoken by the Zodiac exlosion.
"Wass going on?" Hiro slurred with sleep.
"Nothing's wrong," Tohru responded quietly. "I tripped and Kyo transformed. Go back to sleep, you two."
They were out before their heads hit the pillow: a long day for them both, apparently.
Several gently knocks sounded out the door and Hatori poked his head in. As the door opened, Kyo took his clothes in his mouth and dashed across the hall to his own room. Hatori chose not to comment, merely saying, "It's time to take Kisa and Hiro home."
He carried Kisa out to his car (they woke up Hiro - boy was getting pretty big) and Tohru wished them a merry Christmas. The rest of the guests suddenly realized how late it was and said their own goodbyes, heading home to loved ones or empty houses. Tohru saw them all off with a glowing smile and a friendly wave.
The only ones left from the party were Izi-chan and Momiji - both only had cold, uninhabited houses at the Main House to return to anyway, so why bother leaving the comfortable haven they were already in? The two, along with Shigure and Yuki, lied on the blanketed floor as the last guests filtered out. They laughed and drank some more, at one point inviting Tohru into their pit, but she declined and wandered into the kitchen self-conciously.
She decided to get a start on the mass of dishes that would need to be cleaned. She hummed along to the voices that floated in from the living room.
"... but, I mean, if Mickey was a mouse, and Donald was a duck, and Pluto was a dog, then what was Goofy?"
"Of course Goofy was a dog. He looked like Pluto and everything!"
"But he wore clothes and talked..."
"You're a dog and you wear clothes and talk, Shigure."
"That's different."
"Heh, play dead Shigure!"
Tohru giggled at their inane conversation, induced by alcohol and Christmas and friends and fucking life, man. Everything seemed perfect at that moment: serene, still, peaceful.
"Hey, Tohru."
And it just got better.
"Tohru?" Kyo warm voice said again. Tohru snapped her eyes open - she hadn't realized they'd drifted closed - and turned around with a smile to match her calm mood. All too suddenly, though, a little shoulder devil hopped into her ear and whispered a wicked little plan, making that peaceful mood of hers turn sickly saccharine. She felt her smile grow the tiniest bit.
From the living room, the boom box sang, "Make my wish come tru-uuue..."
"So, some night, huh?" Kyo said, leanig against the hallway. Tohru's eyes quickly flicked up above his head and the shoulder devil cackled gleefully.
She abandoned the dishes and slowly dried her hands on a dish towel, never taking her eyes off Kyo. Casually, she replied, "Yes. The party turned out quite well, I think."
"Well, at least nobody threw up on the carpet - wh-what are you doing?"
She had walked over to him - practically danced, her movements were so graceful at that moment - and was standing in such close proximity to him that anyone to walk in right then would have no doubt they were lovers. Her fingertips were but feathers on his cheeks and her heavily-lidded eyes gleamed with something Kyo was at a loss to identify.
"I've decided I want a do-over," she whispered. She barely recognized it as her own, but she knew that it was the same voice she'd used with Kyo right before the blackout.
In the living room, Momiji gasped and pointed to the window. "Guys! It's snowing..."
But neither Tohru nor Kyo heard him, because Tohru stood on the tops of her toes and kissed him.
"All I want for Christmas is you."
Um, except for my flagrantly late update. Not so
cool. BUT: I And by the
way, I'm sick-ish right now with the head-cold-slash-throat-thingie
that's been going around. I might not have even gotten it if stupid
Jane the Giant hadn't PURPOSELY coughed on my sleeve when So,
enough babbling. Review and ye shall be rewarded. Merry
Christmas!! (Writing the chapter has got me in a very festive mood,
even though it's not even Halloween yet.) Jax PS) Gold
star to anyone who can guess which part of the chapter I took from
the awesome movie
Oh my God! I'm fucking finished with the
chapter! And at over nine thousand words! Gee golly gosh, I
sure do rock.