Aishuu Offers:
Secrets of the Sohma
Mbsilvana@yahoo.com
Disclaimers: Fruits Baskets is most assuredly not mine. It belongs to Takaya Natsuki.
Dedication: For those who email. For Serena B. and Jennifer of hatsuyume.net, for taking that extra moment to email me personally about this. It's so nice to hear from people. Also, thanks to Mona and Sarah-chan of the YukiruML. ^_^
Part Two: Cousins
My three older cousins stared at me in horror, and I knew I was on the right track. "My mother would never hurt a child..."
Haru seemed to grow even darker, and that explosive temper of his turned towards me. "Never say never," he lashed out. I stood my ground.
"I-" I started to say, but luckily I was interrupted. I really had no clue what to do.
"Leave her alone, jerk!" Kyou growled, and he leapt on Haru, leveling a sharp blow at the white-haired man's stomach. Haru managed to avoid most of it, but he still went stumbling back into a table from the glancing blow.
I watched them with only half my attention, trying to the spinning in my head under control. The Sohma family was...
"Kyou, Haru... You shouldn't be fighting," a light voice scolded playfully. It was like a fire getting water thrown on top of it. The violence ceased as all heads turned to the latest arrival. "This is Yuki and Tohru's engagement party, and it's not fair to disrupt it."
I studied the newcomer for a moment, trying to place him. I had seen him around, and I knew he was one of the cousins. His name came to me after a moment - Sohma Momiji. His soft blonde hair and gold eyes made him look as gaijin as I, though I knew he, too, was one of the inner circle. He always had a smile ready for any who crossed his path, though he never really talked to me. Yuki's acceptance had made a large difference, if Momiji had crawled out of the woodwork.
Kyou seemed properly chastised, but Haru's eyes glimmered with something dark and deadly as they swept over the four of us. There was a satisfaction as they settled on Momiji's slight form. Momiji met his eyes squarely, and for a second, a hardness came into the golden boy's face before it fled. "We were merely playing," Haru said, his voice a purr.
"Tohru wouldn't see it like that," Momiji said, and there was a tick in one of his eyes, even though his smile was sweet. "Yuki's looking this way," he added softly, and though the words were innocent, the threat was implied.
Haru laughed lightly at that, and I knew that the "Black" Kagura had spoken of was still in control. "Well, I'll just have to go somewhere Yuki isn't, then, won't I?" he mused. "Too bad... He's beautiful when he's angry." He turned to Momiji. "You'll need to watch over Momo, since I'm not quite sane enough to at the moment. And walk her home... You know where she lives. Ja ne!" Haru said casually, vanishing into the shadows,
Kagura's jaw dropped and I heard Kyou start to swear under his breath.
Momiji, though, seemed resigned. "He cornered us," he said. "He played us all like instruments." He turned and gave me the wonderful smile he was so well known for. "Well, it looks like we'll be spending some time together. How about we leave Kyou and Kagura so they can have some private time, and get something to eat?" he suggested to me.
I looked at him, wondering if he'd be able to answer some of my questions... Or even if he was my secret benefactor. He was tightly bound to the cousins who had shown up to my school, and he was one of the inner circle. Then I dismissed the thought, for there was no reason for Momiji not to join me, if he so desired. Momiji was like the wind, untamable and free. He went where he chose, and no one could cage him.
"I'd like that," I told him.
Kyou and Kagura watched like hawks as Momiji offered me a hand.
"Let's go, Momo-chan!" His hand was warmer than Haru's, and his fingers slenderer. He was slight, and though his features were delicate, the androgynous quality to him was lost when he tilted his head as he considered which way to go. Purposeful, and too self-assured to be a woman, I thought. Old stereotypes held fast in my mind. "The party will get louder in here before it gets quieter. We can go to Hari's house, for one of the quieter gatherings; the food will be just as good. I think Yuki will probably be quite cranky before it's all over. He doesn't like a lot of fuss."
"He shouldn't have accepted the clan head's position, then, should he?" I replied pertly.
Momiji laughed at me. "Yuki didn't have a choice. Believe me, if he did, he'd be as far away as he possibly could, probably buried in some botany course in a college. But he didn't."
He led me outside, and we started to move between buildings. The night sky overhead was full of stars, and I tilted my head back, trying to memorize the moment. "I don't get how the family works," I said softly. "Haru keeps dropping these hints about Mama doing-"
Momiji pulled up short, forcing me to stop beside him. No one was around, but I still felt safe besides this strange cousin of mine who was regarding me with a concerned stare. "Haru is doing what he thinks is best, but he doesn't understand. For him, things are black and white, right or wrong. Your mother may or may not have done something wrong a long time ago; that really doesn't matter. What matters is that no one else gets hurt. Haru's trying to help someone he loves, but he has forgotten that he'll hurt what that person cherishes most."
"Haru's not a bad person," I said.
"No. He's a wonderful one. So is your mother, but good people make mistakes." Momiji cupped my face between his hands, and I realized that he was another of my beautiful cousins, one that entranced as easily as he breathed. When he smiled down on me then, it felt like being bathed in warm sunlight. "Don't search for things which will hurt you, Momo-chan. Just be happy - that's the greatest gift anyone can have, and probably the rarest for a Sohma."
I wondered what all the sorrow was that everyone hinted at. It seemed odd that Momiji, too, was affected by this, for he seemed like a person full of laughter and light. But there was sadness in his eyes, and the loneliness that tinted his expression made me long to embrace him... but I did not. He was a stranger, for all that we were both named Sohma.
"I find happiness in truth," I told him. "Even though there may be sorrow there, ignorance is not bliss."
Momiji's hands shook a bit against the delicate skin of my cheeks. "Oh, Momo..."he said, and his voice trembled slightly, and it seemed as though he was on the verge of tears.
"Shall we go?" I asked, pressing my right hand against one of his as our eyes met.
He nodded, and I heard him take a deep breath to regain his composure. "Hari is having a small get together... you'll like it there a bit better. It'll be less overwhelming," he promised. I smiled at his concern.
"You're being very nice to me," I said.
He just laughed, and took my hand, tugging me along behind him playfully. Together we trotted off together, and soon we were in front of the doctor's house. I stared a bit, amazed that I was to be invited to this private celebration. "Come on," Momiji said. "You're among friends," he promised.
He kicked off his shoes with familiarity, but I followed more cautiously. The house was dark, and I could hear the low murmur of voices, spaced with the occasional ringing laughter of one, which echoed through the house. Entering the main room behind my guide, I saw two women and four men already there. One was Hatori, of course. The other two older men I had often with him, Sohma Ayame and Sohma Shigure. The youngest man, a boy still, really, was one I had only heard of by reputation, Sohma Hiro.
Hiro was a junior in high school, and I had always heard the whispers that followed him. He was frighteningly talented and intelligent, and didn't suffer fools and showed little mercy for those who were less than he was; the problem was, most people couldn't match his abilities. Many of my teachers had taught him, and they had been terrified that I would prove to be "his" kind of Sohma... When I turned out to be sweet, they made comments that I was kind as Sohma Kisa. Who happened to be sitting beside him.
I watched as Hiro handed her a drink, and the tenderness in his eyes made me re-evaluate what I had been told about him. He wasn't the one-dimensional terror that people had painted him.
The last woman I didn't recognize, but she was sitting on the edge of the group, near Ayame, watching them with fascination. I didn't blame her, for I felt like I could sit and stare at them for hours without being bored.
"Hey, Momiji!" Ayame said, bounding to his feet. "Wasn't my ototo just the-" he began, then abruptly stopped as he saw me. "Oh."
The others looked over to see what had made the notoriously unashamed Ayame stop dead in his tracks. I blushed, but forced myself not to shrink behind Momiji. "Konban wa," I said softly, bowing deeply with respect. "Momiji-niisan said that it'd be okay for me to join you here... I felt a little lost up at the main house." If anything, my words added a deeper chill.
The others paused, freezing, and I wondered if I had already offended them. "It's odd to think of Momiji as a niisan," Shigure said, breaking the silence. "We all call him chan or kun, regardless of age."
I looked over at the Momiji, who was regarding me sorrowfully. I had already made a misstep, hurting him unknowingly. Things were getting curiouser and curiouser, but not anything I had wanted to do to someone who was so kind. "I'm sorry..." I apologized.
"There was no way you could have known," Momiji told me, smiling with ready forgiveness. "I'm just not anyone's niisan."
Silence, then Ayame let loose a cackle that was fit to shatter glass. "Oh ho ho ho!" he roared. "Let's not dwell on grim matters!" He moved so quickly it was as though he teleported. "You're a beautiful girl, almost as beautiful as I am!"
"She is!" the woman I didn't know said, popping up next to Ayame. "She has such gorgeous hair, and her figure is perfect! And that face!"
I was used to compliments, but something about this pair made me feel distinctly as though I should be running for safety. "Um, thanks..."
"You should stop by our shop sometime! For a lovely jewel such as yourself, the proper setting will enhance your beauty!" Ayame pronounced. "I think... rose. And maybe a turquoise, to contrast your lovely eyes."
The woman was surveying me. "Soft shades for a young girl, anata?"
"Indeed! Pastels to enhance the fair flower of a young girl! You are indeed the match of my heart to read my thoughts so well, anata!" They laughed together, and I just smiled at them, half-wishing they'd back off, and half entertained.
"You're either very tactful or very stupid," a clear voice said, and I knew it was Hiro, finally adding his two cents.
"Hiro!" three people snapped.
The young man shrugged. "So? She's putting up with Ayame and Mine's mad plans. What am I supposed to think?"
"You're supposed to think that she has manners," Hatori said. Hatori leveled a look on Hiro, but the teenager was undaunted.
"She's a pushover."
I blushed brightly, but I knew not to take him to heart. "I'd rather be a pushover than someone who doesn't care for others feelings," I said serenely.
I glanced over at Momiji. "You said there was food? I haven't eaten today." Everyone gaped a bit at me before exploding into laughter.
Hiro stared at me for a moment, his eyes narrowed, but then I thought a glimpse of approval shone in them. Kisa studied me quietly as well, but the others just laughed. I found Momiji's laughter rising in musical counterpoint to Ayame's ringing sounds, and Shigure just howled. Even Hatori spared me a small smile.
"You had that coming for a while!" Shigure said, waving a finger at Hiro. "And that a middle school student puts you in your place... Oh, when I tell Kyou, he'll be so sorry he missed it!"
Hiro hmphed. "Well, least I don't get it daily from everyone! Unlike someone I can name," he retaliated, meeting Shigure's eyes and making the barb quite clearly directed.
"You're so cruel, Hiro!" Shigure wailed.
"Come on, let's get you that food you wanted," Momiji said, tapping me on the shoulder and leading me away. "This just will go on and on..." He led me away. We came back after finding the kitchen full of delicacies, and he seated me beside him. I noticed how a few of the others' eyes lingered on me for a moment. They were obviously close, and I was intruding.
Momiji had brought a stranger in.
Then Momiji touched my hand to get my attention. "How have you been doing at school? Haru told us about your conference, but I'd like to hear your side of it. I bet you just about died of embarrassment when Yuki and Kyou started arguing at lunch..."
Everyone turned curious eyes on me, and I suddenly realized that their interest in me was sincere. Whatever had been keeping me out... the child my mother had done something to... was not my fault. I resolved to find out about it later, but at that moment, I only wanted to enjoy the party.
The party was splendid. Ayame was wild and entertaining, though occasional pithy comments from Hatori kept him in check. Mine and Shigure encouraged him, while Hiro added to the chaos by insulting everyone except for Kisa with abandon. As the night wore on, more people dropped in. Stammering Ritsu and his mother, both of whom seemed to be competing in apologizing for whatever went wrong. Beautiful Rin, and silent Kureno, who seemed to be keeping her company. Kyou and Kagura showed up shortly after.
"We're almost all here," Shigure said in satisfaction. "Yuki will be late, of course... But where's Haru?"
"He went black," Kagura said. "He's probably picking a fight with someone."
"Ah," Shigure murmured, understanding.
I glanced around, wondering why this group was the core of the family's power. I knew that to be the case, for when Yuki arrived (as Shigure implied he would be) the inner circle of the Sohmas would be complete. They had little in common, and aside from Yuki and Ayame, were not from the same branches.
Momiji yawned. "I don't want to wait for Yuki," he said. "He's going to have to hold court most of the evening."
"It's polite," Hatori told him.
"I need to take Momo home," he said. His eyes seemed to be gaining stress lines. "Unless one of you wants to?"
They all stared him down, and he pulled into himself.
I decided to come to his rescue. "I can go by myself - I came here that way, and I don't need an escort home."
They all shifted their eyes over to me. "It's dangerous for a girl to go out alone," Rin snapped. "He's taking you - you're his responsibility!"
"Rin!" Kyou snapped.
"I-" Rin rose to her feet, clenching her fists as her sharp green eyes glared at Kyou with dislike.
"It would be best if Momiji took her home," a smooth voice said from the door, and all argument ceased.
"Is your party done, Yuki?" Shigure asked.
"No, but I had had just about enough," he said, and he walked into the room with Tohru at his side. Her cheeks were glowing with good cheer and health, but there was a tiredness to Yuki that seemed out of place. I could tell he was an introvert, and wanted nothing more than to snatch Tohru away for some quality time alone. Still, he was the clan head, and knew his duty.
"You knew you wanted to see your splendid brother, you mean!" Ayame said, coming to his feet and over to Yuki's side with the speed of a striking serpent. "You want some wedding night advice that only I can give! Let me tell you about what Mine and I-"
Yuki's sour expression spoke volumes. "Curl up and die," he ordered in a voice which wouldn't have melted butter.
"Oh ho ho! One of these days I might take you seriously!" Ayame said, laughing.
"One of these days, I hope you do," Yuki said, and the smile he gave turned my blood to ice water. Apparently, being clan head required a certain nasty streak that hadn't died with Akito.
Ayame apparently decided to turn his attention to Tohru, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Well, he's in a bit of a foul mood... But when he sees what I've designed for you to wear on your wedding night -"
POW!
We all watched Yuki deliver a smooth kick to his older brother's chin, sending him flying across the room. I stared in amazement.
Shigure rolled his eyes in exasperation, and I realized that this must have been a common occurrence. "You two are not poster children for sibling bonding," he said, watching as Ritsu stumbled over to Ayame, uttering sincere apologies. "Rit-chan, it's not your fault."
"Sohmas seem incapable of a normal sibling relationship," Yuki said bluntly. "Besides, would you want.. that... as your older brother?"
Momiji squirmed a bit. "You're lucky to have the chance."
Yuki's eyes, which had been icy, softened a bit. "I'm sorry. How about you take Momo home? Things are going to get crazier here..." he said, and I saw his eyes land on Ayame, who was starting to sit up, "so it's no place for anyone who wants to remain sane."
Momiji shut his eyes, but then his sunshine smile bloomed. "Sure thing. Come on, Momo. Let's go home."
Something about the way he said that struck me as decidedly significant, but when he took my hand again, it felt like I already was home, and protected. It felt like a piece I hadn't known was missing had clicked into place.
~*~*~*~*~*~
END CHAPTER THREE
Notes: Enter Momiji! A very cornered Momiji who gets manipulated into being EXACTLY where Haru thinks he should be. ^_~ Momo's starting to get a clue... next chapter will explain a bit why Momiji played along. And it'll be a bit darker.
Yes, I meant to imply that sometime over the past few years Ayame got the sense to marry Mine. "Anata" and such... which would mean she'd know about the curse.
For anime fans, Rin is the horse, and Kureno is the rooster - despite some reports, Akito is NOT one of the jyunishi. Darn it.
Thanks to Lyra for the edit.
Remember, feedback is something writers like, crave, and keeps them prioritized and moving!
Secrets of the Sohma
Mbsilvana@yahoo.com
Disclaimers: Fruits Baskets is most assuredly not mine. It belongs to Takaya Natsuki.
Dedication: For those who email. For Serena B. and Jennifer of hatsuyume.net, for taking that extra moment to email me personally about this. It's so nice to hear from people. Also, thanks to Mona and Sarah-chan of the YukiruML. ^_^
Part Two: Cousins
My three older cousins stared at me in horror, and I knew I was on the right track. "My mother would never hurt a child..."
Haru seemed to grow even darker, and that explosive temper of his turned towards me. "Never say never," he lashed out. I stood my ground.
"I-" I started to say, but luckily I was interrupted. I really had no clue what to do.
"Leave her alone, jerk!" Kyou growled, and he leapt on Haru, leveling a sharp blow at the white-haired man's stomach. Haru managed to avoid most of it, but he still went stumbling back into a table from the glancing blow.
I watched them with only half my attention, trying to the spinning in my head under control. The Sohma family was...
"Kyou, Haru... You shouldn't be fighting," a light voice scolded playfully. It was like a fire getting water thrown on top of it. The violence ceased as all heads turned to the latest arrival. "This is Yuki and Tohru's engagement party, and it's not fair to disrupt it."
I studied the newcomer for a moment, trying to place him. I had seen him around, and I knew he was one of the cousins. His name came to me after a moment - Sohma Momiji. His soft blonde hair and gold eyes made him look as gaijin as I, though I knew he, too, was one of the inner circle. He always had a smile ready for any who crossed his path, though he never really talked to me. Yuki's acceptance had made a large difference, if Momiji had crawled out of the woodwork.
Kyou seemed properly chastised, but Haru's eyes glimmered with something dark and deadly as they swept over the four of us. There was a satisfaction as they settled on Momiji's slight form. Momiji met his eyes squarely, and for a second, a hardness came into the golden boy's face before it fled. "We were merely playing," Haru said, his voice a purr.
"Tohru wouldn't see it like that," Momiji said, and there was a tick in one of his eyes, even though his smile was sweet. "Yuki's looking this way," he added softly, and though the words were innocent, the threat was implied.
Haru laughed lightly at that, and I knew that the "Black" Kagura had spoken of was still in control. "Well, I'll just have to go somewhere Yuki isn't, then, won't I?" he mused. "Too bad... He's beautiful when he's angry." He turned to Momiji. "You'll need to watch over Momo, since I'm not quite sane enough to at the moment. And walk her home... You know where she lives. Ja ne!" Haru said casually, vanishing into the shadows,
Kagura's jaw dropped and I heard Kyou start to swear under his breath.
Momiji, though, seemed resigned. "He cornered us," he said. "He played us all like instruments." He turned and gave me the wonderful smile he was so well known for. "Well, it looks like we'll be spending some time together. How about we leave Kyou and Kagura so they can have some private time, and get something to eat?" he suggested to me.
I looked at him, wondering if he'd be able to answer some of my questions... Or even if he was my secret benefactor. He was tightly bound to the cousins who had shown up to my school, and he was one of the inner circle. Then I dismissed the thought, for there was no reason for Momiji not to join me, if he so desired. Momiji was like the wind, untamable and free. He went where he chose, and no one could cage him.
"I'd like that," I told him.
Kyou and Kagura watched like hawks as Momiji offered me a hand.
"Let's go, Momo-chan!" His hand was warmer than Haru's, and his fingers slenderer. He was slight, and though his features were delicate, the androgynous quality to him was lost when he tilted his head as he considered which way to go. Purposeful, and too self-assured to be a woman, I thought. Old stereotypes held fast in my mind. "The party will get louder in here before it gets quieter. We can go to Hari's house, for one of the quieter gatherings; the food will be just as good. I think Yuki will probably be quite cranky before it's all over. He doesn't like a lot of fuss."
"He shouldn't have accepted the clan head's position, then, should he?" I replied pertly.
Momiji laughed at me. "Yuki didn't have a choice. Believe me, if he did, he'd be as far away as he possibly could, probably buried in some botany course in a college. But he didn't."
He led me outside, and we started to move between buildings. The night sky overhead was full of stars, and I tilted my head back, trying to memorize the moment. "I don't get how the family works," I said softly. "Haru keeps dropping these hints about Mama doing-"
Momiji pulled up short, forcing me to stop beside him. No one was around, but I still felt safe besides this strange cousin of mine who was regarding me with a concerned stare. "Haru is doing what he thinks is best, but he doesn't understand. For him, things are black and white, right or wrong. Your mother may or may not have done something wrong a long time ago; that really doesn't matter. What matters is that no one else gets hurt. Haru's trying to help someone he loves, but he has forgotten that he'll hurt what that person cherishes most."
"Haru's not a bad person," I said.
"No. He's a wonderful one. So is your mother, but good people make mistakes." Momiji cupped my face between his hands, and I realized that he was another of my beautiful cousins, one that entranced as easily as he breathed. When he smiled down on me then, it felt like being bathed in warm sunlight. "Don't search for things which will hurt you, Momo-chan. Just be happy - that's the greatest gift anyone can have, and probably the rarest for a Sohma."
I wondered what all the sorrow was that everyone hinted at. It seemed odd that Momiji, too, was affected by this, for he seemed like a person full of laughter and light. But there was sadness in his eyes, and the loneliness that tinted his expression made me long to embrace him... but I did not. He was a stranger, for all that we were both named Sohma.
"I find happiness in truth," I told him. "Even though there may be sorrow there, ignorance is not bliss."
Momiji's hands shook a bit against the delicate skin of my cheeks. "Oh, Momo..."he said, and his voice trembled slightly, and it seemed as though he was on the verge of tears.
"Shall we go?" I asked, pressing my right hand against one of his as our eyes met.
He nodded, and I heard him take a deep breath to regain his composure. "Hari is having a small get together... you'll like it there a bit better. It'll be less overwhelming," he promised. I smiled at his concern.
"You're being very nice to me," I said.
He just laughed, and took my hand, tugging me along behind him playfully. Together we trotted off together, and soon we were in front of the doctor's house. I stared a bit, amazed that I was to be invited to this private celebration. "Come on," Momiji said. "You're among friends," he promised.
He kicked off his shoes with familiarity, but I followed more cautiously. The house was dark, and I could hear the low murmur of voices, spaced with the occasional ringing laughter of one, which echoed through the house. Entering the main room behind my guide, I saw two women and four men already there. One was Hatori, of course. The other two older men I had often with him, Sohma Ayame and Sohma Shigure. The youngest man, a boy still, really, was one I had only heard of by reputation, Sohma Hiro.
Hiro was a junior in high school, and I had always heard the whispers that followed him. He was frighteningly talented and intelligent, and didn't suffer fools and showed little mercy for those who were less than he was; the problem was, most people couldn't match his abilities. Many of my teachers had taught him, and they had been terrified that I would prove to be "his" kind of Sohma... When I turned out to be sweet, they made comments that I was kind as Sohma Kisa. Who happened to be sitting beside him.
I watched as Hiro handed her a drink, and the tenderness in his eyes made me re-evaluate what I had been told about him. He wasn't the one-dimensional terror that people had painted him.
The last woman I didn't recognize, but she was sitting on the edge of the group, near Ayame, watching them with fascination. I didn't blame her, for I felt like I could sit and stare at them for hours without being bored.
"Hey, Momiji!" Ayame said, bounding to his feet. "Wasn't my ototo just the-" he began, then abruptly stopped as he saw me. "Oh."
The others looked over to see what had made the notoriously unashamed Ayame stop dead in his tracks. I blushed, but forced myself not to shrink behind Momiji. "Konban wa," I said softly, bowing deeply with respect. "Momiji-niisan said that it'd be okay for me to join you here... I felt a little lost up at the main house." If anything, my words added a deeper chill.
The others paused, freezing, and I wondered if I had already offended them. "It's odd to think of Momiji as a niisan," Shigure said, breaking the silence. "We all call him chan or kun, regardless of age."
I looked over at the Momiji, who was regarding me sorrowfully. I had already made a misstep, hurting him unknowingly. Things were getting curiouser and curiouser, but not anything I had wanted to do to someone who was so kind. "I'm sorry..." I apologized.
"There was no way you could have known," Momiji told me, smiling with ready forgiveness. "I'm just not anyone's niisan."
Silence, then Ayame let loose a cackle that was fit to shatter glass. "Oh ho ho ho!" he roared. "Let's not dwell on grim matters!" He moved so quickly it was as though he teleported. "You're a beautiful girl, almost as beautiful as I am!"
"She is!" the woman I didn't know said, popping up next to Ayame. "She has such gorgeous hair, and her figure is perfect! And that face!"
I was used to compliments, but something about this pair made me feel distinctly as though I should be running for safety. "Um, thanks..."
"You should stop by our shop sometime! For a lovely jewel such as yourself, the proper setting will enhance your beauty!" Ayame pronounced. "I think... rose. And maybe a turquoise, to contrast your lovely eyes."
The woman was surveying me. "Soft shades for a young girl, anata?"
"Indeed! Pastels to enhance the fair flower of a young girl! You are indeed the match of my heart to read my thoughts so well, anata!" They laughed together, and I just smiled at them, half-wishing they'd back off, and half entertained.
"You're either very tactful or very stupid," a clear voice said, and I knew it was Hiro, finally adding his two cents.
"Hiro!" three people snapped.
The young man shrugged. "So? She's putting up with Ayame and Mine's mad plans. What am I supposed to think?"
"You're supposed to think that she has manners," Hatori said. Hatori leveled a look on Hiro, but the teenager was undaunted.
"She's a pushover."
I blushed brightly, but I knew not to take him to heart. "I'd rather be a pushover than someone who doesn't care for others feelings," I said serenely.
I glanced over at Momiji. "You said there was food? I haven't eaten today." Everyone gaped a bit at me before exploding into laughter.
Hiro stared at me for a moment, his eyes narrowed, but then I thought a glimpse of approval shone in them. Kisa studied me quietly as well, but the others just laughed. I found Momiji's laughter rising in musical counterpoint to Ayame's ringing sounds, and Shigure just howled. Even Hatori spared me a small smile.
"You had that coming for a while!" Shigure said, waving a finger at Hiro. "And that a middle school student puts you in your place... Oh, when I tell Kyou, he'll be so sorry he missed it!"
Hiro hmphed. "Well, least I don't get it daily from everyone! Unlike someone I can name," he retaliated, meeting Shigure's eyes and making the barb quite clearly directed.
"You're so cruel, Hiro!" Shigure wailed.
"Come on, let's get you that food you wanted," Momiji said, tapping me on the shoulder and leading me away. "This just will go on and on..." He led me away. We came back after finding the kitchen full of delicacies, and he seated me beside him. I noticed how a few of the others' eyes lingered on me for a moment. They were obviously close, and I was intruding.
Momiji had brought a stranger in.
Then Momiji touched my hand to get my attention. "How have you been doing at school? Haru told us about your conference, but I'd like to hear your side of it. I bet you just about died of embarrassment when Yuki and Kyou started arguing at lunch..."
Everyone turned curious eyes on me, and I suddenly realized that their interest in me was sincere. Whatever had been keeping me out... the child my mother had done something to... was not my fault. I resolved to find out about it later, but at that moment, I only wanted to enjoy the party.
The party was splendid. Ayame was wild and entertaining, though occasional pithy comments from Hatori kept him in check. Mine and Shigure encouraged him, while Hiro added to the chaos by insulting everyone except for Kisa with abandon. As the night wore on, more people dropped in. Stammering Ritsu and his mother, both of whom seemed to be competing in apologizing for whatever went wrong. Beautiful Rin, and silent Kureno, who seemed to be keeping her company. Kyou and Kagura showed up shortly after.
"We're almost all here," Shigure said in satisfaction. "Yuki will be late, of course... But where's Haru?"
"He went black," Kagura said. "He's probably picking a fight with someone."
"Ah," Shigure murmured, understanding.
I glanced around, wondering why this group was the core of the family's power. I knew that to be the case, for when Yuki arrived (as Shigure implied he would be) the inner circle of the Sohmas would be complete. They had little in common, and aside from Yuki and Ayame, were not from the same branches.
Momiji yawned. "I don't want to wait for Yuki," he said. "He's going to have to hold court most of the evening."
"It's polite," Hatori told him.
"I need to take Momo home," he said. His eyes seemed to be gaining stress lines. "Unless one of you wants to?"
They all stared him down, and he pulled into himself.
I decided to come to his rescue. "I can go by myself - I came here that way, and I don't need an escort home."
They all shifted their eyes over to me. "It's dangerous for a girl to go out alone," Rin snapped. "He's taking you - you're his responsibility!"
"Rin!" Kyou snapped.
"I-" Rin rose to her feet, clenching her fists as her sharp green eyes glared at Kyou with dislike.
"It would be best if Momiji took her home," a smooth voice said from the door, and all argument ceased.
"Is your party done, Yuki?" Shigure asked.
"No, but I had had just about enough," he said, and he walked into the room with Tohru at his side. Her cheeks were glowing with good cheer and health, but there was a tiredness to Yuki that seemed out of place. I could tell he was an introvert, and wanted nothing more than to snatch Tohru away for some quality time alone. Still, he was the clan head, and knew his duty.
"You knew you wanted to see your splendid brother, you mean!" Ayame said, coming to his feet and over to Yuki's side with the speed of a striking serpent. "You want some wedding night advice that only I can give! Let me tell you about what Mine and I-"
Yuki's sour expression spoke volumes. "Curl up and die," he ordered in a voice which wouldn't have melted butter.
"Oh ho ho! One of these days I might take you seriously!" Ayame said, laughing.
"One of these days, I hope you do," Yuki said, and the smile he gave turned my blood to ice water. Apparently, being clan head required a certain nasty streak that hadn't died with Akito.
Ayame apparently decided to turn his attention to Tohru, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Well, he's in a bit of a foul mood... But when he sees what I've designed for you to wear on your wedding night -"
POW!
We all watched Yuki deliver a smooth kick to his older brother's chin, sending him flying across the room. I stared in amazement.
Shigure rolled his eyes in exasperation, and I realized that this must have been a common occurrence. "You two are not poster children for sibling bonding," he said, watching as Ritsu stumbled over to Ayame, uttering sincere apologies. "Rit-chan, it's not your fault."
"Sohmas seem incapable of a normal sibling relationship," Yuki said bluntly. "Besides, would you want.. that... as your older brother?"
Momiji squirmed a bit. "You're lucky to have the chance."
Yuki's eyes, which had been icy, softened a bit. "I'm sorry. How about you take Momo home? Things are going to get crazier here..." he said, and I saw his eyes land on Ayame, who was starting to sit up, "so it's no place for anyone who wants to remain sane."
Momiji shut his eyes, but then his sunshine smile bloomed. "Sure thing. Come on, Momo. Let's go home."
Something about the way he said that struck me as decidedly significant, but when he took my hand again, it felt like I already was home, and protected. It felt like a piece I hadn't known was missing had clicked into place.
~*~*~*~*~*~
END CHAPTER THREE
Notes: Enter Momiji! A very cornered Momiji who gets manipulated into being EXACTLY where Haru thinks he should be. ^_~ Momo's starting to get a clue... next chapter will explain a bit why Momiji played along. And it'll be a bit darker.
Yes, I meant to imply that sometime over the past few years Ayame got the sense to marry Mine. "Anata" and such... which would mean she'd know about the curse.
For anime fans, Rin is the horse, and Kureno is the rooster - despite some reports, Akito is NOT one of the jyunishi. Darn it.
Thanks to Lyra for the edit.
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