Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket. The character Ozaki Amaya is of my own machinations, but I do not claim credit for the characters of Furuba.
Chapter 3: Discovery
Tohru and Amaya soon arrived at Shigure's house in the woods. There weren't many places in Japan one could enjoy such seclusion and serenity. The only life outside of the library that Amaya had known was life in the city, or life on a college campus. The beauty of this house in the woods astounded her. She had only seen places like this in pictures in books at the library where she worked. The pictures didn't do justice to the peacefulness such places must have possessed. She now had a new appreciation of the country.
They entered the front door, Tohru calling, "Tadaima!" as she entered.
Shigure came rushing to the foyer to happily say, "Okaeri!"
Tohru smiled in return as she slipped off her shoes.
Shigure's eyes shifted over to Amaya, who was also removing her shoes. He, of course, being the pervert he was, looked quite pleased. "Haaaa? Who is this?"
"Ozaki Amaya desu. Yoroshiku," she introduced herself.
"Ah! Yoroshiku!" he said, beaming. He began approaching her. "Ne, you wouldn't mind going for me, would----"
SMACK
Kyou had come down from the roof, having noticed Tohru returning with Amaya.
"Kyou-kuuun, why must you and Yuki-kun always spoil my fun?" Shigure drawled dejectedly.
"'Cuz you're an old pervert! That's why!" Kyou shouted avidly.
The four of them shuffled into the common room. "Please have a seat, Amaya-san," Tohru said inviting her guest with a wave of her hand. "I'm going to go make lunch!" She bounced cheerfully into the kitchen, leaving Amaya alone with the two males.
"Ne, Amaya-kun. What brings you here?" Shigure asked curiously.
"Lunch," she replied curtly. That, of course, wasn't the only reason she was there, but she wasn't really sure just how much she should tell this man. Although he seemed very laid-back, there was something suspicious about him. Maybe it was the smirk that presented itself on his face after she said this.
Indeed, Shigure could tell by the look in her eyes that lunch wasn't her only reason for following Tohru home. Shigure may have been a jokester, but he was extremely perceptive and more intelligent than people gave him credit for being. "Well you came to the right place! No one makes food better than Tohru-kun!" he said cheerfully. If the visitor did not wish to disclose her real reasons for coming, he certainly wasn't going to push her.
Kyou was sitting with his back to Amaya and Shigure, staring at the closed sliding doors. He was studying the repaired woodwork. It was almost all tape by now. Those doors had seen a lot of wear and tear... He listened to the silence occupying the room until Shigure's voice filled the void.
"Do you go to school?"
"Yes, but I wish I didn't. I could learn more on my own, but I need school so I have proof of my knowledge. No one will employ me in the future otherwise."
"What school do you attend?"
"Tokyo University. I'm a sophomore."
"A sophomore? How old are you?" A hint of surprise was evident in his voice. She couldn't be very old, not any older than Tohru, Yuki, or Kyou, and Yuki was only a freshman in college.
"Eighteen."
"You're young for a sophomore!" He smiled happily to himself. [And I like 'em young!]
Amaya shrugged. It didn't matter to her how old or young she was. She felt unchallenged by school.
Tohru entered the room and set up an eating-place for everyone present. "Shigure-san?" she asked. "Will Yuki-kun be home in time for lunch?"
Shigure looked up at her through his glasses. "He should be."
Tohru smiled happily and set a place for him. The look on her face would have been enough to disgust Kyou had he been looking. She turned to go back to the kitchen.
"Ah, Tohru-kun," Shigure said, causing her to pause and turn back around. "Ha-san will be stopping by for lunch, too, so please set a place for him."
"Hatori-san is? Is it time for Yuki's check up again?"
Shigure smiled at the evident concern in her voice. He wished she and Yuki would finally admit the feelings they had for each other. [It'll happen in its own due course,] he thought. "No, there is something important he and I must discuss."
Amaya looked down at the table. She supposed Shigure knew about the Juunishi, too, and maybe he was even a part of the curse. She knew he was talking about her. There was no doubt in her mind that Kyou had informed him of her existence.
Tohru nodded dutifully. If she questioned it any more, it would have been rude. She returned to the kitchen and reappeared bearing platters full of lunch food. As she set the last plate down, the doorbell rang.
"Ah! That must be Hatori-san!" She nearly dropped the platters carelessly, but managed to stop herself and placed them in the center of the table. She rushed out of the common room and to the foyer. She opened the door. Hatori stood to the left, dressed in his usual attire, but her attention was not on him.
Akito stood before her, dressed in close-fitting, black clothes, the same as when she had first met him.
"Akito-san?" she muttered softly with the surprise in her eyes betraying her thoughts.
He smiled bitterly. "Aren't you going to invite me in, Tohru-san? Or are you just going to stare at me?" [...Going to stare at me like the idiot you are?] His voice caused a chill to run down her spine.
"Ahhh!!! Gomen nasai!! I'm so rude! Akito-san! Please come in!"
He entered casually, as if the house belonged to him, and as if he were reveling in his ownership of it. [Ahh,] he thought gratifyingly. [Another place I have influence...]
Hatori, his presence merely a shadow of Akito's, entered afterwards, a book under his arm. He glanced at Tohru apologetically. She simply remained in awe.
After they took off their shoes, Tohru led them into the common room. Shigure stood up, hearing their approach. "Ha-sa---!" he began to shout enthusiastically as he spun to face the newcomers, but his eyes fell on Akito, as did Amaya's eyes, and Kyou's. Akito commanded the attention of the entire room simply with his presence of authority.
Akito's face twisted into a cold, crooked smile. "Am I not welcome in your house, Shigure?"
"Of course that is untrue! I just didn't expect you." Shigure hoped that was enough to curb Akito's easily provoked anger. He was sure the look of shock on his face was evident to anyone who as much as glanced at him. He could hardly be blamed for it, since it, after all, was Akito's first actual visit to his home.
Akito's interest, however, was not on Shigure. He couldn't care less whether Shigure wanted him there or not. Instead, his eyes were on Amaya. She sat uncomfortably on her mat, evading his gaze and feeling his eyes pierce through her. She got the feeling that he knew who she was even before the introduction.
Tohru, standing helpless in the doorway behind Hatori, felt much tension in the room. She walked past Hatori and Akito and into the center of the room. "Akito-san, Hatori-san, I've just made lunch. Please join us!" She motioned towards the two empty places she had set, as she sat down at her own place. [Well, if Yuki comes in time, I'll just excuse myself and get him another plate. There's no use in delaying lunch any further. Oh, I hope there is food left for him! I wasn't expecting so many people for lunch! Especially not Akito-san! Oh, I hope he likes my cooking!!]
Hatori sat at his designated place and Akito sat himself down where Yuki would have sat had he been there. He kept his eyes on Amaya while Tohru served the food. His expression was indiscernible, but whatever it was, it probably wasn't anything kind. Tohru was afraid to distract his focus in order to ask him how much food he wanted.
Amaya looked down at her plate as Tohru filled it with delicious-looking food, uneasy under Akito's gaze. She was afraid to move.
Finally, once everyone was served, Tohru enthusiastically exclaimed, "Itadakimasu!" Everyone began to eat.
Amaya felt more relaxed by the warm, savory meal. Akito's eyes were still fixed upon her, but her eating was a welcome distraction.
"How do you like it, Akito-san?" Tohru asked politely. She was nervous to hear the answer, but she was curious all the same.
"It's bland," he said flatly, his eyes flashing momentarily with malice, as his comment was made with caustic intentions. Indeed, he enjoyed a much more sophisticated cuisine at the main house. Tohru's cooking was actually quite palatable, but he was in a foul mood.
Tohru, however, wouldn't let Akito's comment ruin her spirit. She laughed self-consciously, hoping her own smile would cheer her up.
Kyou scowled at Akito's insult to Tohru's cooking, but he was looking at his food. He didn't dare lift his eyes and direct his disapproval at the family head. He didn't want Akito to create a scene. Although Akito was usually much more controlled in public, he was still very unpredictable.
"I like it," Amaya said. No one who knew Akito would openly admit to a differing opinion in his presence, but Amaya did not know him. It was the first time she had spoken since he arrived, and the first time she met his gaze. Her eyes were filled with defiance. [How dare he make me, a perfect stranger to him, uncomfortable with his eerie glare? How dare he insult this wonderful meal and the kind, innocent girl who prepared it?] As far as Amaya knew, he didn't live in that house, and he had showed up spontaneously without an invitation. [What gives him the right to create such tension?]
Akito glowered at her with authoritative enmity. He admired her honesty, since he was always so annoyed when members of the Sohma family tiptoed around him, but he could not allow for such disrespect from the girl. He was the Sohma family head, after all, and even if she wasn't a Sohma member, she should at least acknowledge and respect his position. When he was sure the appropriate impact had been made, he turned to Tohru and callously said, "Tohru-san, it was incredibly rude of you to not introduce me to your other guest."
Tohru's eyes widened with embarrassment. [Ahh! How could I be so stupid?!] she thought. "Ahhhh! Akito-san! Gomen nasai!! I'm so sorry for being so rude!"
[Stupid girl,] he thought to himself while she was hysterically apologizing. He laughed, satisfied, to himself. [It was because my presence frightened her, distracted her. I have an impact on everyone in this room. They are at my mercy.] A menacing smile spread momentarily across his features. At his own home, he would have reveled in his power and influence over everyone, but he knew he should at least show a little decency while at someone else's home, even if it was his money that paid Shigure's bills.
"Akito-san, please meet Ozaki Amaya!" Tohru said, flustered.
Hatori dropped his chopsticks. "Ozaki?"
"Ozaki??" Kyou echoed, looking up from the table and to the female guest.
Kyou had thought she was a Sohma; Hatori had heard the name before. Shigure sat with a rare, concentrated look upon his face, putting the pieces of the puzzle together. Tohru smiled nervously at the apparent shock of Hatori and Kyou.
[Tohru thought I was a Sohma. Kyou probably thought so, too... but the others... Have they heard my family name before? Do they know about my family?]
Hatori glanced over at Akito, finding a smirk of twisted pleasure upon his face. "Akito... Did you know?"
"It was obvious. She possesses the same characteristics of her errant family."
Amaya was insulted that this mysterious stranger would use such words about her. No, she was not errant. Never would she lock up an innocent child in a library for his entire life. She stared at him contemptuously. "How dare you go off saying such things about me?"
Akito's bone-chilling laughter echoed throughout the room. "I know more about you than you do about yourself."
Author's Note:
I hope you like the new chapter! I think I kinda wandered from the point a bit... Hope you don't mind. But anyway, please review!! I typed this up pretty quickly, so if you notice any typos, don't hesitate to inform me! Any ideas and constructive criticism are welcome!
Glossary:
Tadaima = I'm home
Okaeri = Welcome back