"...Just Be Yourself..."
Chapter One: Memories
Tohru Honda stared down at her toes as she rocked gently back and forth, waiting to cross the busy intersection. One soft snowflake fell on her nose, surprising her all of a sudden.
"That time of year I guess, isn't it?" Tohru smiled up at the light gray sky as the soft white flakes began to multiply. Every time she saw snow it reminded her of the Soma doctor, Hatori.
"Miss Honda." Tohru looked up, startled, to find Yuki Soma standing behind her.
"Yuki!" she exclaimed, happy for some company, "what brings you here?"
The rat smiled at Tohru and said nothing for a moment, "I just finished up helping at the school, and I saw you, so I thought we could walk home together."
The corners of Tohru's mouth broadened and she gazed up at Yuki. Her face fell, something seemed to be troubling him, she was sure.
I guess the Soma's never really openly express themselves, Tohru thought, her eyes returning to her feet. I wish I could help...
"Miss Honda," Yuki interrupted her thoughts, it's safe to go now."
Tohru quietly followed Yuki across the crosswalk. Before she knew it they had arrived in the thick woods that surrounded Shigure's house. The snow was about four inches deep now, and it still fell like salt from the endless clouds above.
Tohru stopped all of a sudden and looked up at the boy she had been following.
"Yuki?" she asked.
Yuki stopped and turned around with a hint of curiosity, "yes, Miss Honda?"
"When the snow melts..." Tohru paused and glanced quickly at the sky, "what does it become?"
Yuki's eyes widened, as if he was surprised at the question, "what do you mean Miss Honda?"
Tohru smiled, "come on, it's not that much farther to the house."
The pale boy stared after Tohru in surprise. For a moment his feet didn't move until he heard Tohru calling him from the house. The snow silently fell around his feet, almost blending in with his light skin as he ran in the direction of the voice.
"I'm coming." he called.
Tohru began to pick of the dishes from the Soma's dinner. Placing them in the sink something struck her all of a sudden.
Is Yuki acting strange because of New Years?
Tohru doubted her conclusion, but she couldn't help but wonder, were Yuki and Kyo staying with her again for New Years? She didn't want to get in the way of their family activities, but still...
Shigure strolled into the kitchen, as Tohru was in mid-thought. All of a sudden she began to giggle almost uncontrollably.
"What is it?' Kyo asked from behind the dog's back.
Tohru shook her head and continued to dry off the plate she had been working on, "nothing, really. It's just that..." Tohru made a little laugh again, "I can't really picture Hatori doing a Zodiac dance..." her voice trailed off as she began to scrub another plate.
Shigure smiled at her, "you'd be surprised how graceful Hatori can be, waving his arms, and twirling around, it really is a site to see. Of course, he hadn't done it since he was about fifteen, but I remember it as beautifully as I remember Yuki's heroic dance from a few years back..."
Shigure looked sharply behind his back as an arm gripped his shoulder.
"That's enough." Hatori starred forward imperatively at Shigure.
"I was only telling Tohru what a beautiful dancer you are, Hari. No need to get violent." Shigure seemed like he was about to cry.
"Oh Hatori!" Tohru exclaimed, running over to Shigure's side. "What a nice surprise! Are you staying long? I'll go put some water on the boil for tea."
Hatori and Shigure exchanged smiles as the naïve girl ran off to put a kettle on the stove.
"She really does over do herself, doesn't she?"
Hatori nodded and let go of the dog's shoulder, "I do worry about her. Getting so involved with the Soma's is dangerous." The dragon's eyes narrowed, "hopefully the full effects of the curse won't ever be something she has to suffer through."
Shigure turned to enter the living room, "let's not worry about that right now, Que Sera Sera." Shigure waved his finger in front of Hatori's face and went to sit down for tea.
About half an hour later Tohru was waving goodbye to Hatori as he drove away in the snow covered streets. She stood outside for a minute, quietly pondering the day's events. Her breath fogged up in warm clouds about her face. A soft clattering came from the roof above her and she looked up in wonder.
"I guess I'll go take Kyo some tea. He's been up there for a while now, and it's cold."
Tohru awkwardly carried the teakettle and cup in one hand, while trying to climb up the ladder that led up to the roof. She was afraid she would spill a couple of times, but she managed to make it up to the peek okay.
"What are you doing up here?" Kyo glanced at the girl without actually moving his head.
Tohru scooted over to where Kyo was lying and placed the tray in front of her, "it's getting cold, and I figured you wouldn't be down for a while so..."
"You didn't have to do that." Kyo interrupted her, sitting up and holding his ankles.
"I wanted to." Tohru placed the tray between them and got to work on pouring the warn liquid, "besides, I like being out in the snow, it's so white, and pure and pretty. Like a giant diamond covering the whole earth."
Kyo shook his head and smiled a little, "thanks." he forcefully managed, taking the cup from her outstretched hand, "tea sounds really nice right now."
Tohru grinned at the orange-haired boy and looked up at the sky. Every now and then the clouds would move ever so slightly, allowing the moon and stars to be seen for a second or two. Small, white pieces of powder danced down to earth as gracefully as a swan falling upon a lake.
"Beautiful, huh?" Tohru remarked to no one in particular.
Kyo raised an eyebrow in confusion at the girl, "I guess," he muttered as he resumed his laying position.
Tohru rested her arms and head upon her knees, gazing up at the wintry night sky, "mom used to say that every snowflake is different. It's kind of hard to believe, over time millions and millions of snowflakes have fallen, yet none are quite exactly the same." Tohru brushed her hair back with one hand and continued, "but when you think of it, it really is possible to have millions of different snowflakes, just like you have so many different, wonderful people in the world."
Kyo turned his head in the girl's direction and laughed a little.
"What?" Tohru asked, her attention diverted to him for the moment.
Kyo shook his head and rolled onto his side, "nothing," he paused, "nothing at all."
Tohru began to move toward the edge of roof, where the ladder was located. "I'm going inside now, don't stay out too long, it's starting to get cold."
Kyo turned onto his back to show his acknowledgment.
Once Tohru was down the latter she began to stare at the white snow again; so beautiful, but cold and distant also. In a way, it reminded her of the head of the Soma's, Akito. Tohru leaned against the railing and sighed. "Yuki!" Tohru exclaimed, noticing the rat standing behind her, "that's the second time you've done that today!"
Yuki smiled and looked down at Tohru, "spring." he said simply.
Tohru starred blankly at him for a moment.
"When snow melts, it becomes spring."
Tohru grinned with pleasure as she began to laugh again, "that's right." she began to enter the house, "spring."
Author's Note: Alas, Fruits Basket doesn't belong to me, though I terribly wish I could think of an idea so great. So there, that's really all I have to say...