Tohru slipped her shoes off and sighed as she slid her feet into a pair of soft slippers. 'They were Mama's', she thought. Turning, she found her guest shifting her weight and fidgeting with her hands. The young girl's head was bowed in a submissive way and her shoulders trembled.
"Aya-kun? Is something wrong?"
Midori looked up and bit her full, pink bottom lip. "I-I shouldn't be here. I'm sorry, I have to-"
Tohru interrupted. "No, no! The Souma's aren't here tonight." Her smile was warm. "I hate to eat alone, I'm so happy I made a new friend!"
In spite of herself, Midori returned Tohru's contagious grin. "I can't stay long. I'm not allowed out too long."
'What strict parents,' Tohru thought. But she was relieved to have the company, at least for a little while. Even though Yuki had to see Akito by himself, the others had gone to visit their family. Kyou had disappeared after school so Tohru assumed he had also gone to the main house.
Yet...was that the television? Midori seemed to hear the sound at the same time as Tohru for her body suddenly went very stiff. Tohru ran into the living room and jumped with joy.
"Everyone's home!" The Dog, the Cat, the Mouse, and the Seahorse all looked up. At her cry, the Rabbit had immediately raced toward her, only to find his shirt in the firm grip of the Cat.
"Don't do that," Kyou snarled.
"Oh," Tohru suddenly remembered, "but if you are all home then..."
Yuki sat in the corner, his knees at his chest, his forehead resting on his knees. He glanced at Tohru and attempted a grin. His bangs fell lightly over a tiny band aide at his temple. Shigure cleared his throat and held a finger up, as if to begin a lecture.
"We got done early and thought how lonely and frightened you would be without all of us in this giant house where bad people might come and do-", his eyes narrowed further and he whispered, "…unspeakable things."
Yuki and Kyou both elbowed Shigure hard on the head. "SHUT UP!" Shigure only laughed and rubbed his head.
Hatori was the only one who looked over Tohru's shoulder and saw. Midori had crept up, her face pale as she glanced around the room.
"Come in," he said.
Everyone was silent, Yuki and Kyou's elbows frozen on top of Shigure's head.
"Eh?" Shigure said.
Tohru smiled. "Everyone, I'd like you to meet Aya Midori! I met her at the market and she said she'd have dinner with me and keep me company but now that..." Tohru trailed off. She had never seen the Souma men so stunned before nor had she seen anyone as tan as Midori become so white. Before anyone could speak, Midori was on her knees, her face low to the ground and her hands clasped tightly together.
"Please forgive my curiosity! I only wanted to meet Honda-kun. I did not mean to intrude." She stopped. She had not waited to be spoken to before speaking! She was in even MORE trouble now!
No one moved. No one spoke. No one breathed. No one blinked. And then someone reached down and pressed her shaking shoulder.
"Midori-chan," Shigure's voice was soft and warm, "welcome to my refuge from the head of the Souma family." Midori chanced a look up and then Shigure pulled her into his lap, wrapping his thin arms around her torso. She sighed as he wiped away a tear that was slowly traveling along her jawbone.
Tohru blinked twice when Shigure did not become the black dog she was used to. "But...are you part of the Souma family?"
"Something like that," Hatori murmured.
*****
Midori could not pick up her mug. The rest of the family and Tohru was sipping their tea, watching her. Tohru's face was the very picture of confusion. Getting everyone a cup of tea had been the only thing she could think to do and now there was only silence between her and an explanation.
Each man's natural scent wafted to Midori, familiar separately but mixed together somehow... different: Kyou's spicy smell, the smell of sweat and raw energy; Yuki's musky, cool, quiet scent tinged with a hint of the blood that had dried on his forehead; Shigure was earthy and full, air after the rain; Hatori, salty and dark; and little Momiji, sweet and warm like fresh cookies.
Her green eyes flashed and their color deepened, a tremor went through her body. She clutched her hands into fists and rested them on her knees.
Hatori lifted his eyes from the table. "Someone should explain." No one spoke up so he turned his eye to Tohru. "There are more secrets in the Souma family, very few to be proud of."
Now that the explanation was coming, that someone was going to say it aloud, Midori began to shake again. 'Please don't say it,' she thought, gripping the ragged edges of her shorts. 'Just say I'm an old friend of the family!'
"Aya-kun? Is something wrong?"
Midori looked up and bit her full, pink bottom lip. "I-I shouldn't be here. I'm sorry, I have to-"
Tohru interrupted. "No, no! The Souma's aren't here tonight." Her smile was warm. "I hate to eat alone, I'm so happy I made a new friend!"
In spite of herself, Midori returned Tohru's contagious grin. "I can't stay long. I'm not allowed out too long."
'What strict parents,' Tohru thought. But she was relieved to have the company, at least for a little while. Even though Yuki had to see Akito by himself, the others had gone to visit their family. Kyou had disappeared after school so Tohru assumed he had also gone to the main house.
Yet...was that the television? Midori seemed to hear the sound at the same time as Tohru for her body suddenly went very stiff. Tohru ran into the living room and jumped with joy.
"Everyone's home!" The Dog, the Cat, the Mouse, and the Seahorse all looked up. At her cry, the Rabbit had immediately raced toward her, only to find his shirt in the firm grip of the Cat.
"Don't do that," Kyou snarled.
"Oh," Tohru suddenly remembered, "but if you are all home then..."
Yuki sat in the corner, his knees at his chest, his forehead resting on his knees. He glanced at Tohru and attempted a grin. His bangs fell lightly over a tiny band aide at his temple. Shigure cleared his throat and held a finger up, as if to begin a lecture.
"We got done early and thought how lonely and frightened you would be without all of us in this giant house where bad people might come and do-", his eyes narrowed further and he whispered, "…unspeakable things."
Yuki and Kyou both elbowed Shigure hard on the head. "SHUT UP!" Shigure only laughed and rubbed his head.
Hatori was the only one who looked over Tohru's shoulder and saw. Midori had crept up, her face pale as she glanced around the room.
"Come in," he said.
Everyone was silent, Yuki and Kyou's elbows frozen on top of Shigure's head.
"Eh?" Shigure said.
Tohru smiled. "Everyone, I'd like you to meet Aya Midori! I met her at the market and she said she'd have dinner with me and keep me company but now that..." Tohru trailed off. She had never seen the Souma men so stunned before nor had she seen anyone as tan as Midori become so white. Before anyone could speak, Midori was on her knees, her face low to the ground and her hands clasped tightly together.
"Please forgive my curiosity! I only wanted to meet Honda-kun. I did not mean to intrude." She stopped. She had not waited to be spoken to before speaking! She was in even MORE trouble now!
No one moved. No one spoke. No one breathed. No one blinked. And then someone reached down and pressed her shaking shoulder.
"Midori-chan," Shigure's voice was soft and warm, "welcome to my refuge from the head of the Souma family." Midori chanced a look up and then Shigure pulled her into his lap, wrapping his thin arms around her torso. She sighed as he wiped away a tear that was slowly traveling along her jawbone.
Tohru blinked twice when Shigure did not become the black dog she was used to. "But...are you part of the Souma family?"
"Something like that," Hatori murmured.
*****
Midori could not pick up her mug. The rest of the family and Tohru was sipping their tea, watching her. Tohru's face was the very picture of confusion. Getting everyone a cup of tea had been the only thing she could think to do and now there was only silence between her and an explanation.
Each man's natural scent wafted to Midori, familiar separately but mixed together somehow... different: Kyou's spicy smell, the smell of sweat and raw energy; Yuki's musky, cool, quiet scent tinged with a hint of the blood that had dried on his forehead; Shigure was earthy and full, air after the rain; Hatori, salty and dark; and little Momiji, sweet and warm like fresh cookies.
Her green eyes flashed and their color deepened, a tremor went through her body. She clutched her hands into fists and rested them on her knees.
Hatori lifted his eyes from the table. "Someone should explain." No one spoke up so he turned his eye to Tohru. "There are more secrets in the Souma family, very few to be proud of."
Now that the explanation was coming, that someone was going to say it aloud, Midori began to shake again. 'Please don't say it,' she thought, gripping the ragged edges of her shorts. 'Just say I'm an old friend of the family!'