/ THANK YOU READERS!
As always, I do not own Fruits Basket. I just like to take them out of the basket for a little juggling. :)
Chapter 38: Chasm
/
The club is mostly empty in the main lounge, except for a few stragglers standing around the bar. I see that the stage is set up for an event. The dance floor is completely empty. Everything is white, modern, and sleek, with upbeat music to match. It isn't ear-splitting as I was expecting, but probably because the club isn't full yet. In full swing. Wonder what it'll be like? This is my first time. A little voice in the back of my head says, 'Yes, and you are here with a man who is not the one you sleep with. He's left you. He doesn't care about you. Never did. You were just an experiment.' There are little booths that are swathed in sheer white cloth to obscure outsiders' view, like beach cabanas. Around the circular room there are entrances to seven other lounges, what the club calls "chambers." That sounds pretty foreboding. It sends an enticing shiver down my spine.
"We're here early. Let's explore."
Shigure immediately drags me off to the Lust Chamber. It's totally dark inside except for a series of dimly lit panels of artistic blank-and-white depictions of the streamlined female body – voluptuous curves, flat planes, tantalizing dips. The pictures manage to straddle the balance between overt sexualization and artistic beauty. It's provocative and sensual and makes me blush despite how cool it is in here. Shigure's perfectly groomed eyebrow forms a perfect arc as he looks at me intently. He tilts his head, causing his dark locks to fall across his face playfully. It's almost as if he can see through me. See my wanton needs. Ah. I look away immediately. I know perceptive he is of the female mind. Can't-let-me-see-through-me.
One wall of the room is glass with a waterfall running over it to blur the view of the other side, probably another "chamber."
"Ooo, I should commission whoever took these pictures to do my book cover." Shigure says with a lascivious wink towards me. Suddenly a spotlight is cast on a girl dancing in a glass box hanging from the ceiling. I see more glass boxes but the rest are all empty. Shigure's eyes are instantly drawn to the pretty scantily-clad girl with her hair in sexy pigtails. She's wearing silky pink ruffled pajama shorts and a matching dainty balconette bra. And then Shigure leans close to me and whispers in my ear, "The theme in this lust room is wet dream." Oh. Oh. The hairs on my neck stand up. I need a fan. Or better yet, a bucket of ice cold water splashed on my face.
"I'll be in the gluttony room then." I respond, mortified. My voice comes out like a low, husky growl. Sex hungry. I feel my core grow damp. Too bad there is no fix anywhere. My eyes dart to the door.
He grabs a hold of my shoulder and drapes his arms around it. "Not so fast." He orders liltingly. The smirk of his face shows that he is quite delighted that he reduced me to such great embarrassment. The relentless, smug bastard. Only him.
"I don't belong here. Besides, do you want the publishing people to see you in here?"
"This is what they'd expect, since I'm a smut author. This is the unspoken meeting destination of course." An amused glint twinkles in his intense eyes. Enthralling. "And you belong here. Right with me."
There's no way out of this unless I make a miraculous escape out of here. Just then, there's a horde of very slim, very beautiful people who've just entered the room. It is early February, but the girls are all wearing short, sparkly miniskirts. I'm envious of their confidence.
"Let's check out the other rooms." I say quietly. He obliges with a quirk of his sinuous lips. My first time in a club… this one's definitely exceeded my expectations. I always thought they were just dank rooms where people gyrated against each other to loud music.
The "pride" chamber's ceiling is covered with mirrors. The walls are midnight black, accented with soft lights that cast petal-like shapes against the wall. There are the cages hanging from the ceiling, similar to the other room. I see peacock accents everywhere. There is a large picture of a peacock on the wall opposite the entrance. Its tail is fanned out to showcase its beautiful, iridescent feathers. In the center of the room there is a large-scale marble replica of Michaelangelo's David. There are two fierce lion statues beside him. Guarding him. Wow, this club is like an amusement park. There is so much… eye candy. There are two patrons who are taking pictures with David. One girl has her arm wrapped around David's thigh and her mouth close to his… it makes me blush ferociously. I only hope Shigure does see it. His attention is focused on the back wall. Beneath the peacock painting, there is a small rectangular pool of water of shimmering blue water.
"What do you think the water's for?" I ask Shigure. I've understood the symbolism of all the other decorations, but the water is confusing me.
"My guess is that is represents the Greek myth of Narcissus who fell in love with himself, when he saw his own reflection in the water."
/
"Shigure, come with me, the publishers are here!"
I see a frantic Mit-chan drag Shigure away with flicker of a smile toward me. "Come on, Tohru!" She exclaims headily.
Surprised, I follow them. But my feet start to stutter. And before I know it, they are lost in the crowd. In less than an hour, the club has become packed.
I'm not sure where to find them… so I start scanning the masses from the edge of the dance floors, row by row, or more like bunch by bunch since everyone is so scattered. It's almost impossible. The music has become dizzyingly loud. I can feel the beat. And my feet are starting to ache. Big time. It's only my second time wearing heels. The first time was to my high school graduation.
After a while, I decide to take a break near the entrance. Maybe that's where they'll be, waiting for the rest of the publishers. Yeah, hopefully.
I crouch down to massage the ache in my feet, and someone stumbles over my form. Luckily she doesn't stab me with her stiletto heels. She's wearing something more sensible, from my point-of-view, but I do see gold spikes coming off the sides of her shoes. Trends these days, I say in my head.
After thirty minutes of mindless wandering, Shigure finds me. "Where've you been? I've been looking all over for you."
"Me too."
"Well, come along, no more dilly-dallying!" He pulls me through the throngs of people freeing their inhibitions. A circle of well-dressed professionals greet us.
"This is my houseguest, Tohru Honda." He says, beaming.
"Have you read any of his books?" A pretty girl with cat-eye glasses asks me.
I blush before shaking my head.
"She's not allowed. To preserve her innocence." He places a reverent touch on my back.
OMG, he's teasing me in front of all these important people!
But the people look at me with interest. I've never been under the spotlight. It's weird.
"Is she your muse?" A thin guy wearing a tight suit and a flamboyant yellow tie asks Shigure.
"Yes."
I look back at him with a stunned expression. Uhhh. I can't form words. This is all too shocking. Like a brick came out of nowhere and smacked me right between the eyes. He must be joking. We've never been close. The most we've talked is during meals.
Yeah, he must be joking.
My brain dregs up the memory of drunken Shigure on the ground, mumbling incoherent words about settling down and committed relationships. Yikes! It couldn't be… could it?
No, Shigure Sohma does not harbor feelings for me.
I have too much on my plate.
I can't deal another emotionally damaged person.
/
After some more small chat and flattery, we step away to get drinks at the bar. "What would you like Tohru?"
I wave my hands. "No thanks."
"Fine. I'll pick for you. One Momoshu and one beer."
When a pretty orange drink appears in front of me, Shigure says, "It's made of peach juice, sugar, and sake. It barely has any alcohol. Try it. I promise you'll like it." My mouth closes before words even slip. He can read my every intention. The reason he is good with females. And is a successful author. While someone else… not so much.
I try not to dwell.
There is a small tag in the shape of a bow-tie fastened around the neck of the bottle. It looks familiar, but I can't quite place my finger on it. I'm not exactly toe most familiar with alcohol and labels, but I know this from somewhere…
There is a quote on it that reads: It is better to lose your pride with someone you love rather than to lose that someone you love with your useless pride. – John Ruskin
I take a hesitate taste, and to my surprise he's right. I can barely taste the bitterness of the alcohol. It even smells good. I want to bottle this scent. Hmm-mmm. Maybe I'll take this bottle away as a souvenir. No, the bodyguards will probably catch me with 'glass' and accuse me of trying to harm the patrons. On second thought, maybe not.
We take our respective drinks over to an open spot on the white couch. The guest DJ has just started, and people have moved to the dance floor. Soon, it's just us.
This is my first time 'out' with just Shigure. He's not as bad as Yuki and Kyo made him out to be. He's quite respectful and very funny. He likes to make jokes about himself which I find endearing.
/
I notice a familiar striking figure at the bar and my heart nearly leaps out of my throat. Shigure catches my line of vision and sees him too.
"Out resident hermit comes out for the evening. Hmm, very odd." He grumbles under his breath with a hint of amusement.
Oh Kami. My fun comes to a screeching halt. I look down at my damp palms. I can't believe he's here. I came here to get away from it all. I don't want to see him.
I want the illusion to continue. He's on a love sabbatical. He'll get over it. He'll come back to me.
But I know the chances are slim. The way he is looking at her with the deference. He's smiling. At her.
I don't think my weak heart can bear the sight of the handsome couple.
"Le-let's go dance."
Let me forget.
Shigure gives me a quizzical look, but gets up and offers me his extended hand. "M'lady."
Unable to get close to the stage, or even into the densely packed swarm, we linger on the edge, lost in our own world.
I can't dance, but whatever to focus my attention away from him. I try to lose myself in the tickling sensation of his long fingers curled around my waist. But all I can think is I can't do this. I can't pretend.
/
Over Kana's shoulder, he spots Tohru.
His blood runs cold. His fingers clench around the stem of his wine glass. He's seeing yellow spots in his suddenly blurred vision. Is it really her?
What is she doing here? There is the back of a man's shaggy head that seems to occasionally block his view. Argh!
No, it must be a look alike.
Must be.
"Hatori, careful, you look like you are about to snap the glass."
He barely hears her.
He decides to move closer for a better view.
/
"Hatori, why are we moving all over the dance floor? I've had about a dozen creepers rub against me." Her voice has a jovial inflection despite the pain in her feet from moving around so much. Darn, she shouldn't have worn these 5-inch heels! He barely registers Kana's words as he's too busy speculating what his little flower is doing in a debauched place like this! He grunts unthinkingly.
Fuck, she did not get over him this fast?!
"GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM HER!" Someone shrieks behind him. He hears the sound of shattered glass, which seems to start a fight. He can hear the sounds of fists pummeling flesh. No, he has to get them out of here before something happens.
Without a moment's hesitation, his feet are in motion away from Kana. He rushes toward Tohru purposefully. So far across the grounds. His woman. His only thought is to protect her, get her away from this chaos. She's isn't too far from the full-fledged brawl.
He seems the shaggy headed man is none other than Shigure. Why was that dog everywhere? What the hell is Shigure doing with her? Did he lure her out?
It wouldn't be unlike him to play the pity card. Tohru was always the obliging type.
/
He sees a lone man not keeping his hands to himself. They are awfully close to Tohru's waist, and he gyrating his lower half too close for comfort. That pushes him to the limit.
"Come!" He barks at her.
/
Shigure gapes after them with a wide-eyed expression of astonishment. What just happened?
And who was that?
/
A/N: Cliffy! Ooo, jealousy. Any ideas what's gonna happen next? I had a lot of fun coming up the club themes. What would you guys do for the seven deadly sins theme… hmmm? I'd love to hear your ideas!
ArabellaWhitlock: -gladly gives u a selection of weapons to 'harm' Hatori with-
Tsukiakage: Hey girl, thanks, as always!
Kouga's older woman: Luv u! Thanks!
Guest: Like your torture for Hatori. He'd better own up or get out! Otherwise he's gonna being singing Player's Baby Come Back!
Phenylephrine: -mends you're broken heart- yeah, kana's pushin' it a little, but she feels some deep connection with Hatori that she can't understand
Alwayskougacola: OMG, I loved Easy A. Hehe glad you liked that sentence. :) I'd love to see Tohru get all creative and start doing that. –shoves some red felt, scissors, and pins to Tohru- Thanks!
Mcangel1976: Phew, he has enough logic to not sleep with her, but accept her invite… just as bad, Mister! And yep, you guessed right: party time!
Kris11993: Ahhhhh, your reviews make me squee! Glad you enjoy our banter. :) Hatori hasn't really felt any competition thus far. Hmm-mmm, should I throw some him way… glad you like my little details! :) Wuv u!
Guest: Thanks! Awkward, most definitely. Did u guess right? :)
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