This story takes place at the end of Season two of the 2019 Fruits Basket, when everything starts falling into place. This story is rated M because later there will be pornographic plots and lemons. I will warn you now that they will be part of the story, but I won't label where they are or interrupt the storyline to pause beforehand. Enjoy!
Momiji sat outside the main estate, taking in a gentle breeze in the fall air. Leaves were eagerly cascading from a nearby tree, the afternoon sun was glinting in the pond nearby. He could hear birds chirping, kids playing. Despite these happy surroundings, he lately found himself feeling.. Well, saddened. It felt like everything was changing. Entering his second year of high school, he had learned many things the previous year. So much had happened. The relationships in his family and friend group were changing- they had changed so much already. It.. Was a little terrifying.
"I.. Hope no one forgets about me, with everything going on lately, ha-ha.." He laughed halfheartedly to himself out loud, fiddling with his thumbs.
It wasn't just that, though. Recently, he could feel one of his friendships distancing considerably. He wasn't sure why, or what had changed, or if anything really had for sure, but it did feel like Tohru was being pulled from him. Maybe it was his own insecurity, or his lack of wanting to pry in her affairs, but it just felt like he was losing her in some way. .. Or maybe that someone else was gaining a meaningful relationship with her and he just hadn't really put his finger on whom. He was also feeling very hopeless that the curse would be lifted. He felt like his entire universe was dangling by a string and being played with by a cat.
By.. By a cat..
He couldn't put his finger on it, but he was close, he knew it.
"Momiji-san, what are you doing sitting out here?" A familiar voice shook him from his pondering.
He looked up to see Yuki, holding a basket with a cover.
"O-oh, I was just enjoying the day!" Momiji said, covering his surprise with masked joy and curiosity, "What have you here, Yuki-kun?"
Yuki looked down at the basket, slightly begrudgingly, "Some bread for Akito."
There was a brief pause and Momiji awaited further explanation.
".. It's an.. Apology of sorts. To appease him, I suppose." Yuki elaborated with a thick sigh.
"Ah! I'm sure Akito-sama will be very happy to see you. I actually haven't really seen Akito around the estate at all for the last couple of days, I was a little worried at first, but Hati-chan says he's just been a little fatigued." Momiji said cheerfully, "You know, I miss seeing you too sometimes."
Momiji moved a toe around in the sand beneath him, hoping he wasn't going to seem clingy by that sentiment. Really, he missed his friends. Lately he did feel like he was sensing distance, and he didn't want to just ignore it.
"You know you're always welcome to visit us at Shigure-san's house, Momiji-san. "Yuki said, furrowing his brow a bit, "I.. Just don't really like coming here. I'm sure you can understand why."
Momiji gave a small smile and nodded, because he's right. Momiji knew why Yuki never came around. It was because of Akito. It was because of the abuse he went through, and the complicated relationship between the members of the Zodiac and their God. He was a little relieved that it wasn't due to anything he did, and rather it was something else. Something about that was.. Comforting in a way.
They gave each other a wave as Yuki continued into the estate.
After that, things became mundane again, and Momiji drifted off into his self-involved world again. Yuki said he could go to Shigure's house.. But would it be odd to stop in and see how Tohru is doing? Would that be too much? He sighed to himself, propping his face on his hand.
He really just missed her, is all. It's that feeling like when you don't see family for awhile, and all you can think about is the next time you get to spend time with them, or laugh with them, or make memories with them. Whenever he saw Tohru, everything was just so simple, they always had fun. He was like the sister he never had- or at least never got to really spend time with. Well, kind of. In a way it was different, he thought, but she was his best friend. Tohru really was heaven-sent.
He stood from his spot, he had decided. With determination, he began his trip to Shigure's house. It was happening. He just couldn't let himself overthink it, that's all. As he made his way toward their home, he was wracked with thoughts of what they might do, or things he had to tell her about. In reality it had only been about two weeks, but it felt like a decade. He had so much he wanted to share with Tohru.
As he approached their home, the doors were open, allowing in the breeze, so someone must be home! He felt his heart fill with excitement and anticipation as he skipped his way up to the door, knocking lightly.
"Hello! Is anyone there? It is me!" He yelled cheerfully, peeking behind the frame of the door.
He looked around, but didn't see anyone in the main room, so he decided to allow himself entry and made his way into the house in a sneaky manner.
"Tohru-chan..?" He called lightly, making his way up the stairs, feeling a little uneasy and maybe even a bit disappointed that perhaps no one was there.
He turned the corner in the hall and walked down the corridor, passing rooms with light feet, until he saw a door cracked- steam bellowing through. He was sneaky, he thought, as he half-heartedly peeked through the door- just to see who it was, before he made himself known. It took some trying to get an angle, but he could see Tohru. At first thought, he nearly called out to her in excitement so he could speak to her through the door, but at second thought.. He realized he could see her in the bath, and something stopped him from speaking.
She looked so beautiful, he thought.
Like an angel.
She was sitting up, running water over her soaped-up body. He couldn't really see anything lewd, which he was relieved by. But.. For the first time, he felt something.. Different. Earlier he had been thinking about how Tohru was like a sister to him, but he realized in this moment that.. It isn't the same. He didn't truly know the difference. He had very little experience talking to women his own age outside of the Sohma family, really. He had been in an all-boys school until last school year, and the girls in high school more-or-less just viewed him as a child. But what was this feeling?
Momiji made himself look away from the sight, out of respect for Tohru's boundaries, and due to his own sudden discomfort and confusion. He decided to tip-toe his way downstairs and wait for her to come down when she was ready- and fully dressed. He sat himself in the dining room and looked out the open door, admiring the scenery as he drifted into his thoughts.
"I wonder how Tohru views me.." He said quietly to himself, coming to the realization that he had never really considered this before.
He furrowed his brow and lie his head on his arms, crossed in front of him on the table. Earlier he felt sadness, and now.. Well, still a hint of sadness, but mostly just confusion. He let our a sigh, but it caught in his chest when he heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Oddly, the pace of his heart seemed to bounce as the sound of her grew nearer. He lifted his head up swiftly, a sudden burst of happiness entering his chest.
"Momiki-kun?!" She exclaimed, eyes wide, "What are you doing here?"
She plopped next to him, sitting quite close, he could smell the scent of her freshly washed hair lingering in the air.
"I couldn't wait until the next time I saw you, so I decided to make a trip over here!" He said with a wide smile, "I hope I didn't take you by surprise, Tohru-chan."
"It's a happy surprise!" She said, ruffling a hand in his soft, blonde waves.
He felt himself blush a bit at this, which was unusual. He typically didn't feel this flustered, or this.. At a loss.
"What would you like to do today?" Tohru asked, tilting her head with a smile.
He really hadn't thought that far ahead, honestly, but he pulled something together as quickly as he possibly could.
"Let's go for a walk! It's such a beautiful day outside, it would be a shame not to enjoy it." He said, standing and waiting for her.
She happily followed, and they went on their way. She liked letting him lead the way, he was always so adventurous and full on ideas. They were deep in conversation as they continued on their travel. He told her all about his past couple of weeks, and even told her a little of his idle chat with Momo. After a little while, they slowed their stroll to enjoy some cherry blossoms falling from the trees nearby.
He found himself wanting to feel closer to her, somehow. He took her by the hand, an action he had done so many times before, but it held so much more meaning this time- and he felt frustrated that he couldn't quite understand why. He had never paid attention to the feeling of her skin on his before. He had never noticed the shape of her face in the sunlight, or memorized the exact shade of her skin. Her eyelashes, they batted at him as they continued talking. Her laugh, as he made a silly pun on words. Her hair was flowing in the breeze.
They held hands as they continued down by the lake nearby, and laughed as a flock of pigeons nearly flew into them, avoiding a bullfrog that had stumbled his way into their gathering. There were kids skipping rocks on the other side, everything felt so cheerful. Momiji realized that this was exactly where he wanted to be. This moment was what he had been missing. Her attention and affection was everything he had been craving.
He felt something- something new. Something was different.
"Tohru-chan..?" Momiji asked coyly, looking away from her.
"Yes?" She replied sweetly, halting and turning to him with concern.
"Tohru-chan.. How do you view Momiji?" He asked her, looking down at his feet with a blush.
She looked a little confused at first, but then confidently replied, "I think you're the sweetest person I have met, Momiji-kun."
She ruffled his hair and.. Patted his head.
Somehow, this didn't make him feel as good as it usually does. He couldn't tell why, but somehow this didn't feel like the desired response. He wasn't really that sure of what he hoped to hear to begin with, all he really knew was that this.. Felt.. Well, a little condescending in a way. Not that he blamed her, he mostly blamed himself, as this would usually not bother him at all. He found himself feeling exceptionally moody and uncomfortable with his own emotional response. He just smiled at her and tilted his head, attempting to hide his unsure disappointment.
Tohru, however, picked up on this.
"What's the matter, Momiji?" She asked, taking his other hand as well.
He felt safe with her in ways he couldn't express, and was assured he could confide in her, but the truth is.. He really wasn't sure what exactly was wrong, or if anything really was.
"I.. I'm not sure, really." He said simply, a slight laugh, "I just feel different lately, you know?"
She nodded, "I've been feeling the same. Things do feel different, don't they?"
He felt a sense of excitement at her words, as they made him feel like he wasn't so incredibly alone in the world. He felt like she understood him, like maybe these budding feelings he had for her-whatever they were- that maybe they were in this together. Maybe it didn't have to feel so scary anymore. He smiled at her, and they continued on. Things felt a little lighter from this point forward, he felt like he could really open up and be himself again. He hadn't realized his reservation before, but maybe it was because he just didn't know where he stood with Tohru until he had asked her. Now he felt that they were on the same page, and it felt nice.
Eventually, it began to get dark outside, and Momiji brought them both back to her house. Much too late to continue walking, after all. They sat down at the table, and Kyo returned from the kitchen back to his bowl of rice.
"Oh hey." He said casually, returning to the spot next to Tohru.
Momiji could feel the emotions in the room change entirely, something he had never noticed before. It was like an invisible aura between Tohru and Kyo, he didn't quite know what to make of it. The way he looked at her, the way she spoke to him, her blushing at his words. Something was different. They way she spoke to him was different. It made him feel.. Sad. But he wasn't sure why.
"Oh! I'm so sorry I didn't cook for us tonight!" She said, suddenly realizing that Kyo was eating a plain bowl of rice.
She immediately hopped to her feet and began toward the kitchen, but Kyo caught her by the hand and lightly pulled her back to him.
"No, it's okay. You don't have to cook for us every night, you know." He said, delicately letting her hand slip from his, but allowing it to linger there ever-so-slightly.
It was this type of interaction that Momiji became hyper-aware of, even to the point that he questioned whether or not he was really seeing it or if he was just being weird. He was starting to get these feelings of inadequacy next to Kyo, somehow. Before, he always viewed Kyo as a type of older sibling, but now it felt.. Different. Now Momiji found himself comparing his own abilities, personality, and flaws to Kyo, silently, as he watched them interact.
"Momiji-kun, would you like something to eat?" Tohru asked, standing up and putting a hand on his head in a sweet manner.
"Oh um.. That- um- that's okay, I actually had dinner before I stopped in!" Momiji reassured, waving his hands out in front of him nervously.
He suddenly wondered why he felt so on-edge and uncomfortable. After that, they sat and conversed for a bit, but Momiji became aware of the time long after he should have started his journey home. He let out a sigh and looked outside, Tohru's gaze followed.
"Momiji, it's nearly midnight, you really shouldn't be walking back to the main house this late at night! Gosh, I'm sorry, I really should have been more aware of the time.." She said, slightly panicked and very clearly feeling guilty over it.
"Ah- it's okay! Really, I don't mind walking at night!" Momiji attempted to put her mind at ease, "It's peaceful, in a way."
Tohru thought to herself for a moment, then lifted a finger excitedly, "I know, Momiji-kun can say in my room for the night!"
Momiji and Kyo both jumped in surprise, Kyo nearly spitting out his rice.
"What-?! Like.. In your BED? Are you crazy?!" Kyo jilted in shock.
Momiji felt a slight sense of victory at the notion Kyo may see him as some sort of competition, if even for just a moment. He looked over to Tohru to see her response and she just smiled and linked her hands together in front of her face.
"Oh Kyo-! But Momiji is so little and sweet! I swear it wouldn't be weird." Tohru stated, giving Momiji's cheek a soft pinch.
Any sense of victory Momiji had felt before evaporated, and he blushed in embarrassment, a frown forming on his face. He lifted a finger in objection at Tohru's remark.
"A-actually Tohru, I'm just two years younger than y-" He began to pipe up softly, rather unsure of himself.
Kyo interrupted with a scoff, "Ah, you know? You're right. Night, you guys."
He waved it off and turned back to his rice, not seeming bothered about it anymore. The light objection Momiji had felt moments before had turned entirely into opposition, and he huffed, furrowing his brow. Before he could argue with Kyo, or mention anything at all, Tohru squealed in excitement and began leading Momiji up the stairs without allowing them to bicker. They reached her room not long after, and she began going through her closet, leaving Momiji to sit on her bed.
There were a lot of thoughts going through his head about the words that had just been exchanged, so he was being rather quiet, which seemed to worry Tohru a little. She would look over at him every couple of minutes as she withdrew two blankets, an extra pillow and a shirt and blue pajama pants from her closet. She paused briefly and he could feel her eyes on him.
"Momiji, is something the matter?" She asked, setting the shirt and pajama pants next to him on the bed, "You've been really quiet tonight, and that just isn't like you.. It seemed like we were having so much fun earlier today! Is.. Is it something I said?"
He pondered for a moment, unsure of how to respond to her. It's true that what she said did have some effect on how he was feeling, but the true problem was more about his feelings and his confusion lately. It is no fault of hers that he suddenly feels differently about the way she's always treated him, to her it seems that nothing has changed- or at least that's how she puts off.
"No, Tohru. Everything is okay, it's just.." He felt safe with her, and he wanted to be honest, but he still didn't really understand the meaning of his own emotions, so he continued, "I just feel a little different lately is all. It isn't you, it's me- as cliché as that may sound. You see, I've been feeling a little.. Insecure, I guess. I want to always share with you how I am feeling, Tohru-chan, right now I'm just really unsure what exactly it is that I'm feeling."
Momiji smiled sadly, looking down at his hands that he had tightly clasped together in his lap. She knelt in front of him on the ground, taking his hands gently and looking up at him with a smile.
"Momiji-kun, you know I am always here for you if you're feeling sad, or unsure, or you don't know what you're feeling at all! You're never alone, you have me." She said happily, looking down at their hands together, "You know we're all here for you."
He smiled and looked into her eyes, and felt an ache in his chest. A happy ache, like there was a fluttering sensation, it brought tears to his eyes as he looked at her. She looked taken off-guard by his tears, and she jumped in a panic.
"Oh no! Momiji-kun, don't cry please! I'm very sorry if what I said hit a nerve with you!" She said frantically, "It wasn't my intention to make you sad.."
She reached up and wiped a tear from his eye, earning a blush.
"No, it's just that I'm so happy, you see.." He said, wiping a tear from his own eye, "You always know how to make me feel better."
She really was an angel, he knew that. The uneasy feeling he had before was just a pale memory now, as she handed him the clothes she had taken from her closet. They were around the same size in clothing, which was convenient at times like this. He began taking his scarf off and unbuttoning his shirt, and Tohru gasped a bit, covering her eyes and carrying her nightgown toward the door.
"O-oh! I'll go change into my nightshirt in the bathroom, but I'll be right back!" She said cheerfully.
He wondered to himself, was she just blushing as she left? He hadn't really considered that perhaps he should leave to change, it's just that.. Well, they had been in bathing suits together and even bathed together before, so why would it be different now so suddenly..?
Unless..
No, no, I'm sure it's just the notion of a boy unclothing in her bedroom. Really, it was kind of rude, Momiji thought to himself with a sigh. He should have at least asked first. After all, Tohru is easily shaken up and made uncomfortable as it is, even bumping into someone at the wrong moment can make her blush. He finished changing and set his clothes to the side, folded, for the morning. Laying back on her bed, the stares at the ceiling, fading into his thoughts for some time before he heard a light knock at the door.
"Are you done changing in there?" Tohru called from the hallway shyly.
"Yes! I am all ready for bed!" Momiji said cheerfully, sitting up and looking toward the door.
She walked in wearing a shirt and shorts, and Momiji's face reddened at the amount of skin she had showing, as the shorts were rather short. Then he shook it off, feeling that he was making things weird and entirely overthinking everything. Tohru sat next to him on the bed, throwing both blankets over them, and handing him a pillow to get comfortable with. They both lie down facing one another, and to his surprise, she took both of his hands in hers, nuzzling up to both of their hands clasped together.
"Goodnight Momiji!" She said happily and softly, her breathing slowing and becoming more gentle.
He paused, his surprised gaze softening into one of endearment, and appreciated her sleepy features. She was so soft, her hands were so silky, he could feel her leg gently pressed against his. He almost felt like even the slightest motion would disturb her, so he found himself holding so still. It sounded as though she was already sleeping. The soft coo of her breathing felt amplified in the silence. He couldn't stop looking at her. Watching her. The fluttering feeling in his chest had returned, and he felt so happy just to be laying there so close to her. Touching her hands. Feeling her energy so near to his.
He wanted this.
He wanted this every night, for as far as he could see ahead.
"Goodnight Tohru.." Momiji whispered, kissing her hand.
Let me know what you think! This is somewhat different for me, as I usually choose more outgoing male characters as my mains.
Thank you for reading! I'll be adding more chapters soon!
-H.H.