I DO NOT OWN FRUITS BASKET

I promise it won't be boring for too much longer... bear with me. I'm really into it, so hopefully i will be updating pretty often - that is until me three research papers are due next week! AH! - okay, well, please read. somebody... anybody?

Chapter 4 – The REAL Friday Night

Shigure was forced to booksign and mingle with fans of his book and other literary authors in the conference room. But he hated being around so many people. A woman could bump into him any minute, and then he'd really be in a mess. A whole hotel full of people that Hatori would have to erase memories from. He tried to keep to the back, behind a table full of his newest books for people to buy and get signed. Mii looked frazzled, and was constantly trying to keep everything under control, even his stupid pen.

She was checking the ink in his pen, shaking it. Shigure had a lapse in people, and it was now just the two of them in the crowded room. He looked over at her shaking the pen, trying to get it to write, testing it on her hand. "Work, dammit, why won't you work? I gotta find abother pen..." She frantically checked inside her pockets and purse. Shigure slipped one from his pocket and set it on the table. He continued to watch her frantically search her body for a pen.

Maybe it was just because he was so frustrated with his love life, or he was extremely bored, but he was looking at her with something other than amusement. She looked really cute to him all of a sudden. The way she worried, and panicked, her hair getting messed up, he brown eyes wide with anxiety. He wanted to wrap his arms around her to finally calm her down, but he could never do that... not ever. Nonetheless, she looked so damn cute...

She saw him staring at her and panicked again. "What is it? Do I have something on me? is it a spider? I hate spiders!" She ruffled her hair, and swatted at her clothes. Shigure started laughing at her, but it was a gentle laugh.

"Settle down Mii. It's not a spider."

"Then why were you looking at me?" She asked, but he turned away to sign a book someone brought up to him. He smiled at the fan, and then noticed Mii looking very confused. "P-pen." Was all she said.

"Yeah, as a true writer I always carry around a pen. Mii, you should know I am a true writer. The pen is mightier than the sword, and since I'm no samurai, there's no need for a sword right? Hehehe." He said, teasing her.

She had stopped listening to him a while ago, and now looked glossed over. That made absolutely no sense. Why was he doing this to her? Why?

"Mii, stop that, you look like the village idiot."

She again thought, why? She tilted her head angrily. "Just sign the books."

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They had all sat down at the table together to eat lunch, and the meal was long and quiet. It was lightly raining outside. Hatori was eating sparsely, eying Akito tentatively, who was picking at the food disapprovingly. Kyo was scarfing down, and Yuki wasn't eating anything, looking really nervous and scared. Tohru was trying to eat but her hand was shaking so badly she barely got a bite. She was so nervous! Akito was here... eating lunch with them.

Akito quicly excused himself though, and found a room upstairs and was not heard from the rest of the afternoon. Everyone seemed a bit relieved though. Yuki was pondering to himself, as was Hatori. But Hatori was hiding it by pretending he was reading a book on the couch of the living room. Kyo paced, and Tohru was trying to watch the weather channel.

"This is not good. Akito... here..." Kyo ranted, still pacing. He flopped himself down on the couch next to Tohru, making her shift slightly and lean closer to him. their shoulder's touched, and Kyo gulped. He looked over at Tohru, who didn't seem to notice as she watched the approaching storms headed their way.

"Looks like we can't see the eclipse afterall. That was the main reason I had invted Uo and Hana over tomorrow was to see the eclipse. But they're coming anyway, so..." She said, almost to herself. Kyo sighed.

"It'll be okay, don't worry. Maybe it'll clear up quick enough for you guys ta see. I'm sure you'll have plenty of fun even if you can't see the eclipse." He said softly, and Yuki looked up, startled at Kyo's kindness. Hatori noticed as well, and looked over at the two teenagers. Kyo was smiling kindly over at Tohru, who in turn was smileding as well.

"Thanks, Kyo." She replied, and put her head on his shoulder. It was bold of her, but she wanted to do it. She heard Yuki stand and walk out of the room. She turned and watched him go. What was his problem? Maybe she should go check on him. She patted Kyo's arm and walked out of the room after Yuki.

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Shigure was getting hungry. They had skipped lunch, and now it was in the afternoon. He was famished. He looked over at Mii, with big puppy dog eyes. "Mii... I'm hungry, can we take a break?" He pleaded like a little kid. She looked around the room, to see it was dying down a little, and finally nodded.

"Fine. We'll eat. What do you want?" She asked as he stood up. He took off his jacket and draped it on his chair, and loosened his tie. Mii couldn't help but remember the incident earlier that morning. He had pulled away from her touch. Was she really that scary? And she had almost killed him. But when he almost fell on her, all she could think about was his strong arms and the sweet smell of frangrant tea that Shigure always seemed to smell like. She had loved that smell from the first time she came to his house. But up close it was even more attractive... oh god!

She mentally slapped herself. This was Shigure, the same creep that always tricked her, the same knucklehead that always managed to avoid her at all costs, the same Shigure that... always smiled that sweet and innocent smile, even if it was a bit childish. He was still the same Shigure... and yet for the first time she saw him as not just her troublesome writer, but as a... dare she say it... a man.

"Mii? Are you okay?" He asked.

He looked so different in a suit. All she had ever seen him in was that gray kimono. He looked really good. His hair needed a bit trimming, but it still looked good and simple and carefree. His eyes were big and sweet, almost like the eyes of a loyal dog.

"Mii? Earth to Mii?"

She had always loved dogs. Especially black labs. They were her favorite. She had always wanted a dog, but her parents would never let her have one. Her older sisters were allergic anyway, but she wasn't.

"Mii, this can't go on forever." Still no response. Shigure was getting a little frustrated. What was wrong with her?

She always wanted to get a dog once she was older. Maybe she would get one. A cute little black puppy. Yeah, that would be so nice... except she was never home. She was always at the office at a computer, or trying to track down Shigure, or trying to arrange meetings with her other writers. She had no time for a dog.

"Okay, Mii, if you don't snap out of it, I'm gonna go home right now." Shigure said, and Mii shook her head, snapping out of it.

"Oh no you don't! We're going to go eat, and don't you try and run away from me." She dragged him by the arm to the small eatery inside the hotel. Her tight grip with her soft hands was making his heart flutter. She really did look extremely cute. He really wished he wasn't a Sohma at the moment.