Chapter 10
Roster and Rat
"Ritsu?"
"Yeah. Mainly it has to do a lot about how he thinks that Tohru is trying to steal all the family members away from him. His mother was very taken with her after they met at the hot springs."
"That's not true!"
"You know that, and I know that. But Ritsu doesn't see things the way we do. He sees all of the zodiac members talking about her all the time and about how sweet she is and everything like that. He doesn't have many friends in the first place, so now it feels like she's taking away all his friends within the family too."
"So then how do we break the curse?"
"Unfortunately the only way is if Ritsu comes to care for Tohru."
"We'll explain the truth to him and make him see that things will get so much better if he does!"
"It doesn't work that way. You can't make someone like someone else Yuki. You should know that. This is something that Tohru and Ritsu have to work out themselves."
"Okay. We'll explain things to Tohru and she'll try really hard to become Ritsu's friend and make him like her."
"No, Yuki. I don't think we can tell her. It might not work then. I don't want to take any chances with this. And our little flower would be so heartbroken if she couldn't become Ritsu's friend and save us all."
"All right. I won't tell her, but can I at least ask her to spend some time with Ritsu?"
"Of course!"
"Good. I've got to call Tohru now. We're supposed to go out for lunch."
"Ahh. Young love."
*~*~*~*~*~*
The phone rang at Tohru's apartment and Shinta answered it.
"Moshi-moshi?"
"Hello. Is this Shinta?"
"Hai. Who are you?"
"This is Yuki. May I please speak with Mommy?"
"Okay!" Shinta said into the phone then yelled for Tohru.
Yuki nearly giggled, it felt weird to be calling her 'mommy.'
"Hello?" Tohru asked.
"Hello Mommy. How are you?"
"Yuki! I'm fine. We're just watching cartoons."
"Yeah? Well, I was wondering if the two of you wanted to go out for lunch."
"Both of us? Shinta too?"
"Of course Shinta too. So? Do you want to go?"
"Of course Yuki! We'll get ready and meet you at the train station?"
"No, no. I'll pick you up."
"If you're sure."
"Of course. See you soon my love."
*~*~*~*~*
Yuki hung up the phone and smiled to himself. Thankfully none of the family members had been around so he was free to call Tohru cute names like Mommy.
He was happier than he had been in years and it was all because of Tohru and Shinta, his son.
Part of him couldn't get over the shock of it. He, Yuki, had a son. It was nearly prefect.
Yuki went outside and called for the driver then gave him directions to Tohru's apartment building.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Tohru looked out her window a few minutes later to see a car pull up. The driver got out and opened the backdoor, which Yuki stepped out of.
"Are you ready Shinta? Let's go." Tohru took Shinta's hand and they walked downstairs to meet Yuki.
After they all got into the car Yuki told the driver the name of a small restaurant and they left the apartment building.
"Did you sleep well?" Tohru asked Yuki.
"Yes," he said smiling, "However Shigure kept me up for a while after I got home. You know how he is."
Tohru giggled, "Yes, I remember."
Shinta stayed quiet, unsure of this new person his mother was so fond of.
When they arrived at the restaurant the trio went inside and got a small table near the back where they would go unnoticed. They made small talk until they ordered their food.
Yuki and Tohru talked about the family members and what had happened over the years that Tohru had been gone.
"Tohru, could I ask you a favor?"
"Of course. Anything Yuki."
"I'm not sure how to say this, but I was wondering if it would be too much to ask for you to spend some time with Ritsu. I think he's having a hard time adjusting to you coming back."
"Ritsu? Sure. I'll call him later tonight if you leave his phone number."
While they ate Yuki asked Shinta about school. Shinta kept his answers short mindful of what his mother said about his curse.
Tohru listened all the while and noticed how Shinta reacted to Yuki being near. He seemed so fearful of him that Tohru knew that she needed to do something to get Shinta to see that Yuki could be trusted.
After they finished eating they went back to Tohru's apartment and went inside to watch a movie.
"Before we do that I think we need to tell Shinta the truth, Yuki."
"What do you mean Mommy?"
Yuki nodded and took a deep breath. "There's only one way."
"Shinta, honey. Yuki isn't just Mommy's friend. Yuki is." She couldn't go on, instead she pulled Yuki into an embrace and a puff of smoke appeared.
Shinta gasped and went wide-eyed. "He's cursed too Mommy!"
Yuki looked up at the small boy in his rat form, "Yes Shinta. Just as you are cursed by the Year of the Roster, I am cursed by the Year of the Rat."
"Shinta. Yuki is your father."
"Ritsu?"
"Yeah. Mainly it has to do a lot about how he thinks that Tohru is trying to steal all the family members away from him. His mother was very taken with her after they met at the hot springs."
"That's not true!"
"You know that, and I know that. But Ritsu doesn't see things the way we do. He sees all of the zodiac members talking about her all the time and about how sweet she is and everything like that. He doesn't have many friends in the first place, so now it feels like she's taking away all his friends within the family too."
"So then how do we break the curse?"
"Unfortunately the only way is if Ritsu comes to care for Tohru."
"We'll explain the truth to him and make him see that things will get so much better if he does!"
"It doesn't work that way. You can't make someone like someone else Yuki. You should know that. This is something that Tohru and Ritsu have to work out themselves."
"Okay. We'll explain things to Tohru and she'll try really hard to become Ritsu's friend and make him like her."
"No, Yuki. I don't think we can tell her. It might not work then. I don't want to take any chances with this. And our little flower would be so heartbroken if she couldn't become Ritsu's friend and save us all."
"All right. I won't tell her, but can I at least ask her to spend some time with Ritsu?"
"Of course!"
"Good. I've got to call Tohru now. We're supposed to go out for lunch."
"Ahh. Young love."
*~*~*~*~*~*
The phone rang at Tohru's apartment and Shinta answered it.
"Moshi-moshi?"
"Hello. Is this Shinta?"
"Hai. Who are you?"
"This is Yuki. May I please speak with Mommy?"
"Okay!" Shinta said into the phone then yelled for Tohru.
Yuki nearly giggled, it felt weird to be calling her 'mommy.'
"Hello?" Tohru asked.
"Hello Mommy. How are you?"
"Yuki! I'm fine. We're just watching cartoons."
"Yeah? Well, I was wondering if the two of you wanted to go out for lunch."
"Both of us? Shinta too?"
"Of course Shinta too. So? Do you want to go?"
"Of course Yuki! We'll get ready and meet you at the train station?"
"No, no. I'll pick you up."
"If you're sure."
"Of course. See you soon my love."
*~*~*~*~*
Yuki hung up the phone and smiled to himself. Thankfully none of the family members had been around so he was free to call Tohru cute names like Mommy.
He was happier than he had been in years and it was all because of Tohru and Shinta, his son.
Part of him couldn't get over the shock of it. He, Yuki, had a son. It was nearly prefect.
Yuki went outside and called for the driver then gave him directions to Tohru's apartment building.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Tohru looked out her window a few minutes later to see a car pull up. The driver got out and opened the backdoor, which Yuki stepped out of.
"Are you ready Shinta? Let's go." Tohru took Shinta's hand and they walked downstairs to meet Yuki.
After they all got into the car Yuki told the driver the name of a small restaurant and they left the apartment building.
"Did you sleep well?" Tohru asked Yuki.
"Yes," he said smiling, "However Shigure kept me up for a while after I got home. You know how he is."
Tohru giggled, "Yes, I remember."
Shinta stayed quiet, unsure of this new person his mother was so fond of.
When they arrived at the restaurant the trio went inside and got a small table near the back where they would go unnoticed. They made small talk until they ordered their food.
Yuki and Tohru talked about the family members and what had happened over the years that Tohru had been gone.
"Tohru, could I ask you a favor?"
"Of course. Anything Yuki."
"I'm not sure how to say this, but I was wondering if it would be too much to ask for you to spend some time with Ritsu. I think he's having a hard time adjusting to you coming back."
"Ritsu? Sure. I'll call him later tonight if you leave his phone number."
While they ate Yuki asked Shinta about school. Shinta kept his answers short mindful of what his mother said about his curse.
Tohru listened all the while and noticed how Shinta reacted to Yuki being near. He seemed so fearful of him that Tohru knew that she needed to do something to get Shinta to see that Yuki could be trusted.
After they finished eating they went back to Tohru's apartment and went inside to watch a movie.
"Before we do that I think we need to tell Shinta the truth, Yuki."
"What do you mean Mommy?"
Yuki nodded and took a deep breath. "There's only one way."
"Shinta, honey. Yuki isn't just Mommy's friend. Yuki is." She couldn't go on, instead she pulled Yuki into an embrace and a puff of smoke appeared.
Shinta gasped and went wide-eyed. "He's cursed too Mommy!"
Yuki looked up at the small boy in his rat form, "Yes Shinta. Just as you are cursed by the Year of the Roster, I am cursed by the Year of the Rat."
"Shinta. Yuki is your father."
