Authors Note: This chapter is so late. Lol, sorry about that! I had to hand
write the stupid thing due to lack of computer! I've read all my advice ,
and I pretty much used it all without even having had looked at it. To
Almighty Chrissy ( I hope that's right!) I didn't use the high school
musings this chapter, but I will use it (if you don't mind, you will be
credited.) I just hope I can do it justice when I do get around to it. This
chapter isn't as much humor, but a lot of fan girl moments meant to get
things going.
Someone mentioned Haru would've known the car was moving. True. But there
are things you can do while the car is moving . This is black Haru
we're talking about. Ok, im done!
Disclaimer: I don't, and will never own Fruits Basket or any of it's wonderful characters.
"Oh Ha-san! I forgot to mention ... My little flower invited you to dinner!" The writers annoying enthusiasm went right through Hatori's head. "Shigure, I'm pretty tired, I-" "Oh, pleeeeaaase?!?! You know how Tohru-kun can get. Such a wonderful wife...sigh She's already gone to so much trouble to make a big meal, and she was so excited about your coming over....Sensei." Hatori cringed. So he took it there again, huh? "Ok, fine. Don't come. She'll be so disappointed and think you don't like her anymore. Then I'll spend the rest of the evening consoling her... my precious little flower. Well. If you're not coming to dinner, would you at least come get Black-san?" This caught Hatori's attention. Haru hadn't gone black in a while. He worried that maybe the long period of suppression might have extremely adverse affects on his being around Tohru-kun. He knew Black-san, and he knew what Black-san always ended up trying to do with Tohru. He paled. "Shigure, you're keeping an eye on him, aren't you ?? Please say you know where Tohru is, and one of the boys are with her." Shigure grinned. "Ha-san.. You know I've got work to do ... I'm not a babysitter! If you're that worried, you can kill two birds with one stone and come to dinner. I'll tell Tohru-kun the good news! Bye" click. "Damn." Hatori muttered something about the useless mutt as he grabbed his jacket and made his way out the door.
Tohru was happily moving about the kitchen, setting place mats and getting ready for another routine dinner. Shigure leaned in and informed her that Hatori was coming to dinner. "Oh, ok Shigure-san!" She smiled brightly. She relished in any kind of approval, but there was something about Hatori saying she did something well that made her feel special. Sometimes, he didn't even have to say anything... which made her realize he treated her differently than he treated most people... she blushed and dismissed her train of thought. 'I'm just being a silly school-girl.' she thought and she hastened to move away from Shigure before he teased her about her blush. Shigure, being Shigure, hadn't missed anything in Tohru's inner musings. Normally, this would be fodder for all sorts of teasing, but knowing what he knew, thinking that Tohru and Hatori might be serious... I mean, he already taught her that. Sure, anything he could've advised her on was probably useful... but...this was Tohru. How often would she need that? This was really bothering him. He couldn't figure out why. Which only served to bother him more. "Tohru-kun, my wonderful wife, precious little flower...." Tohru froze and turned towards him. He normally chose one of the two, never both. "...Ayame will also be stopping by." Tohru paled a little at this. 'So she would have... Haru, Yuki, Kyo, Ayame, Hatori, and Shigure at one dinner table?'
"Tohru-kun....I was wondering..." came a low voice from behind her. "Eep!!" she jumped at the breath on the back of her neck. "Haru-kun! Y-you scared me.. I didn't hear you come in..." He grinned at this. Then decided to put his plan into action. "I..oh, this is so embarrassing.." He cut off, feigning a blush and a coy look. "Hmm??? Onegai, if there's something I can do to help Haru-kun..." She turned her big dark eyes up to him in a pleading manner. His mind started to wander to that fateful car ride. He immediately snapped himself out of it. "You're so kind, Tohru-kun... see.. The thing is, I promised Ha-san that I would help Momiji with his school project. But Momiji, he chose to do a desert based project. I can't cook, and I-" "Oh Haru-kun! I would love to teach you to cook something!" She brought her hands together in front of her. A sudden determination came over her features. Haru found it adorable. 'Finally, something I can really help with! Cooking and cleaning are two things I know im very good at! Now... what to make?' Haru smiled a bright smile, and wandered into the living room. The trap was set, now he needed to plan ahead for catching his prey. -
"Oi..." Tohru had just finished setting the table when she heard a soft scraping noise, and a gentle voice. She turned around, but couldn't find the source. "Oi." Came a more firm call. Finally, she caught a slight movement on the steps. She walked forward to find Kyo standing halfway up, moving his foot across the step he was standing on in a nervous manner. He didn't look up. "Are you...uh, do you have a few minutes?" Tohru glanced over at the stove, and decided that nothing would burn, catch fire, or explode if she left the kitchen for 5 minutes. "Hai." She started up the stairs only to realize Kyo had gone up ahead of her. She caught his shadow moving through his room. 'Why is the hallway so dark?' she wondered randomly. She peered into his room and saw him sitting on the railing of his balcony. The light of the moon reflected in his eyes, making them appear to exude light. He beckoned, and she, uncertain, followed. This wasn't like him.
She peeped over the roof top to see Kyo already sitting, waiting for her. She crawled up and started feeling a little nervous. This wasn't like him at all. "Ano... Kyo-kun.. Is something wrong? You don't normally 'invite' me to the roof. Did you want to talk about something?" "Nothing's wrong." he muttered, staring at his hands. He was swiftly losing his courage, and the battle with the blush threatening to consume his face. "Are you sure? Your face is so red! You look like you're running a fever! Do you feel bad?? Is that why you're acting so strange?!?" She went off on one of her tirades. She sounded so concerned.
Before he knew it, she was right on top of him, with her small, cool hand resting on his forehead. "Oi, stop that, I said I'm fine." he muttered quickly. He tried to pull away, but she didn't seem to want to let go. It was a moment before he noticed the intent look on her face. Her hand was no longer on his forehead, but resting through his thick hair. In secret, Tohru had always wanted to touch it. It was such a strange color... so pretty. Of course, she could never tell him that. His face was getting warmer and warmer until he was almost sure he was exuding more heat that the house. She was leaning closer and closer to him, apparently not noticing. She finally started when she went to look at his face, and noticed the extreme sudden decrease in distance between them.
She was only a little higher than he, and his scarlet eyes met hers for the first time since he'd asked to speak with her. There was an odd haze to them that she didn't recognize. She was leaning in closer and closer. She felt like she could fall into them. His cheeks were flushed, his eyes heavily lidded. Her heartbeat started to race as she felt his warm breath on her neck. He was completely out of control, almost a spectator in his mind watching this, hoping she would lean down just...a ... little.. More... "TOHRU-KUN! OH DARLING TOHRU-KUN!" The two flew apart. Kyo almost slipped and fell off the roof. Tohru had turned her back to him, and was already starting down the ladder. "Hai Shigure-san!?!" "Tohru-kun! I'm so glad I found you! One of the pots with your delicious meal in it boiled over! There's water all over the kitchen floor! Ha-san might be here any minute! I tried to clean it up, but..." "Oh, Gomen! Shigure-san, I'm coming. I'm so irresponsible!" And with that, she was gone.
She scrambled down stairs to find a terrible mess of water and towels all over the floor. She went into auto-pilot, and her mind wandered back to the roof. 'Did Kyo-kun try to...?' She flushed dark pink, and told herself she was an idiot, and that Kyo-kun would never look at her that way. 'Even though' her mind argued 'he had looked at her that way.' She told herself to shut up and rushed to start washing the towels.
"Chikusho!!!!" Kyo clenched his fists and grit his teeth. "I must've looked like such an Idiot...Staring at her like that... Stupid stupid STUPID!" 'I'm going to murder Shigure...Hentai hound! That [insert pointed choice words here ]!!!!
Tohru exited the washroom and almost tripped over Yuki. "Honda-san! Just who I was looking for!" Tohru couldn't help as the thought of 'great' came to mind, dripping with sarcasm. She was appalled with herself. She was glad she was so good at keeping her inner conflicts inner. "Honda-san? Are you alright? Your face is a little red... do you have a fever??" He reached towards her forehead, and she backed straight into the wall. "NO! No, I mean, I'm fine Yuki-kun." She giggled nervously. Her mind was on the roof again. He shrugged and proceeded. "well, I remembered you saying you needed some onion from the base. I wanted to check and see if you still did." "Hai! It would be great if I could have some for tonights dinner, Yuki- kun." Yuki grinned, and continued. "I'd be more than happy to get you some. And.. I found a black-berry bush right near the garden. I know you could do something with them, a desert maybe? 'A desert!' Her mind screamed a reminder of Haru's coy request for a desert cooking lesson, and her inability to think of something. "I wanted to show you..."Yuki said, looking down at his feet in a despondent sort of way. Tohru was torn. On one hand, she always loved going to the secret base with Yuki-kun. On the other hand, something weird was going on with Kyo-kun, and she wasn't entirely sure whatever it was wasn't in the water. 'Ha, I'm being stupid again. This is Yuki-kun, he definitely never does anything to make anyone uncomfortable.'
She sighed and thought about the kitchen, and what had happened last time. She went in and double checked everything, to be sure that nothing would boil over, get knocked down, burn, catch fire, or go off mid-cook. Everything was set fine, so off she went with Yuki-kun to the secret base. He lead her down the dark path telling her of all the things that they would be able to harvest soon.
On the roof, a pair of reflective eyes narrowed and followed their progress.
Shigure sighed. "First Kyo, now Yuki...I wonder where Haru is?" He made his way to the kitchen to knock something else over. After all.. The party couldn't start until all the guests were there, ne?
Tohru had started picking berries as Yuki collected the onion. They worked in companionable silence until Tohru squealed in surprise. "What happened??" Yuki ran over to find Tohru holding her hand close to her, little dots of blood on the ends of her fingers. "I didn't realize black- berry bushes had thorns..." she whimpered. "Gomen, Honda-san, I should've told you." She whimpered a bit more, and he found himself in front of her. He was kneeling, putting them at level with each other. He gently pried her damaged hand from her and brought it to him. [A/n: Yukiru fan girl moment warning. Lol] She felt stupid. First she couldn't take care of her own kitchen, (her domain!) and now she was so helpless. Tears leaked from her eyes. "Im ok, Yuki-kun... it just stings..." The light from the moon made his amethyst eyes seem to glow. He looked to her and brought her injured fingers to his lips. Tohru gasped and stared, but couldn't seem to muster to ability or desire to pull his hand back. Yuki lowered his gaze to one of her fingers. It was bleeding and covered in blackberry juice. She watched transfixed as Yuki pulled it gently into his mouth. She couldn't supress a gasp from sensation as his tongue circled the digit. Her face was burning as he removed it and repeated his actions with another. Then he brought her palm up and kissed it. She couldn't seem to move. He started a trail up her scratched arm.
Her heart was racing again, and Yuki had run out of injuries, but that didn't really seem to concern him. He was right in front of her now, onions and blackberries forgotten. He leaned in and his lips caressed her neck so feather-light, that she could have mistaken it for the brush of his fine hair.
A stick SNAPPED and sent them flying apart. Tohru into dirt, and an unfortunate Yuki into the blackberry bush.
Tohru looked around in alarm, Yuki in pain and frustration. Kyo stepped out of the shadow with an obvious look of smug amusement. "Oi, Shigure says a pot spilled off the counter, and has spilled all over the floor." Now, any of time, Tohru would've thought about the 5 minutes she spent checking everything to assure herself this wouldn't happen again, but after having her wounds tended to in such a way, she reacted much the same as she did with the first interruption, and took off running like a panicked rabbit back to the house.
Kyo glanced to the irate Nezumi. He wasn't going to attacked by anyone in that position. He smirked. Yuki looked up with a look that promised retribution. And. He was going to kill Shigure. He stood and did his best to remove the thorns from his pants. He grabbed the basket pf blackberries on his way up to the house, thoughts of new ways to use them the only thing that sustained him the painful walk there.
Tohru made quick work of yet another mess, and vowed to never leave her kitchen unattended while in use again. The doorbell rang and she bit her lip. Shigure-san could get it this time. He certainly went through to kitchen enough.
"Sensei!" squealed Shigure as he launched himself at the mild mannered Hassenchi/Sex instructor. He snorted at the thought and filed it mentally to use in one of his other novels. As a matter of fact, this whole scenario would fit a plot line pretty well. Hatori rolled his eyes and pushed in towards the wonderful smells in the kitchen. Just the day before he had mused over how lucky Shigure and the boys were to have Tohru-kun. Not only was she a determined fast learner, but she was eager to please, and brought a warm light to any house she inhabited. Including his own. Returning home from dropping her off had been a cold return to reality. Where only hours before, the kitchen had been alight with Tohru's talking, laughing, and the smell of good food, upon his return, it was spotless, but quiet, dark and empty.
Shigure had remained silent and gauged Hatori's face as he watched his thought processes chase each other in circles. He turned just in time to see a flash of white fly through the door.
"Hello! Hello! It is I, Ayame, come to cheer up the dreary house of my one and only love!" Hatori quickly made a beeline for the kitchen only to be cut off by the Hebi. "Ha-san!! Arent you happy to see me? You're always so busy, I take time out of my schedule to stop by your office, and you just tell me to , "go away". So, I come to you yet again , and you don't even have a kind word??" Hatori turned and narrowed his eyes. "Oh, Ha-san, you look stressed! Whats the matter?? You'll get wrinkles! And I always said you had the most handsome face! Stress is terrible on the mind and soul! I , Ayame, Shall relieve you of it! Gure! I need a robe. And a massage table, you have one lying around somewhere, don't you?"
Shigure decided it was time to show the hebi he was annoyed with Hatori, so he began his own little speech. "Ha-san is Meeeaaannnn!" came the exaggerated response, accompanied by tears and extreme chibi-fication. [A/n: A la Shuichi from Gravitation!] "First , he comes here and takes my little flower away for an afternoon, then teaches her all sorts of 'useful' things you can learn in our parking lot, then takes her home with him to cook him dinner! Brings her back late, and now he won't let me call him Sensei! They developed a pet name in one afternoon (mutters: Among other things) and I've known him my whole life! And he won't even let me use him to scare to children." long suffering sigh
Ayame stared from one to the other, and blinked. Haru chose just that moment to meander towards the kitchen in his usual fashion. Ayame grinned and went over to say hello, when Haru turned to reveal his true personality of choice. Ayame backed up a little shocked to see black Haru calmly making his way to the dinner table.
Swallowing hard, he knew there was something amiss, and he, AYAME, was going to find out what it was. "Tohru-kun! My darling! I hear my Ha-san took you to a parking lot to teach you the ways of the world! I so wished you'd have asked me. "I would have loved to teach you all I know... perhaps I still can?"
Tohru looked up and smiled. Ayame-san was always so friendly. Hatori walked in, and she was about to open her mouth in welcome , when he noticed her hand scratched and bleeding. "Honda-kun... You're a mess, what happened?" More thoughts unbidden, first of Yuki's face in the moonlight as he 'tended to her wounds', then of Kyo's shocking red hair and scarlet eyes with their confusing haze. Hatori took her hand and led her towards the bathroom. "We have to get these cleaned up or they could get infected. Honda-kun, are you alright? Your face is red. Are you running a fever?" He brought his hand up to her forehead and she flew towards the wall in retreat. POOF An intricate dark blue overcoat laid on the ground, and a tiny white head poked from beneath the collar.
"Woe as me! That I, AYAME, had to be born the snake... it's my fate I suppose to live life on the cold.. Cold... ever so cold floor! Ha-san! I'm INJURED! You must examine me! tiny pleading eyes Tohru-kun.. Could I, onegai, borrow some body warmth until I change back?
Shigure grinned and pat himself on the back. Well. It would seem operation enter the dragon has been completed. I wonder what Ayame will find out from hiding in Tohru-kuns clothing? Besides the obvious...
Tohru giggled and blushed as Ayame found a comfortable spot just over the curve of her breasts to lay. He flicked out his tongue and smiled his little snake smile at her smell. So warm and soft. Rather like her. She was the only female who had ever allowed him to stay in her clothing. Kagura scared him , and Rin.. Well, He and Rin were constantly at odds over who was the prettiest. He remembered the only time he had changed when he and Akito had been alone. (which was very rare indeed). He knew he hadn't been feeling quite up to par that day, but Akito wanted 'company.' He cringed. He could honestly say he preferred Tohru to almost anyone that he had to have this kind of contact with. He realized he was not here to dote on Tohru and her lovely breasts, but find out what was going on between she and Ha-san. Shigure had called sounding very upset (also very rare) telling him about what he'd over-heard Haru telling the others. He couldn't help the snakelike thought that if Tohru wanted to help out, he would sure take her up on it.
He tuned into the conversation when he felt Tohru's skin warm and heart beat speed up....
[A/n: That's all for now, but the next chapter should be out very soon, and will include: Ayame's high school reveries of his parking lot experiences. Dinner with the Sohma men. Haru's cooking lesson.
And far more humor than was here. This chapter is really here to string things along and get the characters in place. Please comment/crit/whatever you feel like I love feedback.
Disclaimer: I don't, and will never own Fruits Basket or any of it's wonderful characters.
"Oh Ha-san! I forgot to mention ... My little flower invited you to dinner!" The writers annoying enthusiasm went right through Hatori's head. "Shigure, I'm pretty tired, I-" "Oh, pleeeeaaase?!?! You know how Tohru-kun can get. Such a wonderful wife...sigh She's already gone to so much trouble to make a big meal, and she was so excited about your coming over....Sensei." Hatori cringed. So he took it there again, huh? "Ok, fine. Don't come. She'll be so disappointed and think you don't like her anymore. Then I'll spend the rest of the evening consoling her... my precious little flower. Well. If you're not coming to dinner, would you at least come get Black-san?" This caught Hatori's attention. Haru hadn't gone black in a while. He worried that maybe the long period of suppression might have extremely adverse affects on his being around Tohru-kun. He knew Black-san, and he knew what Black-san always ended up trying to do with Tohru. He paled. "Shigure, you're keeping an eye on him, aren't you ?? Please say you know where Tohru is, and one of the boys are with her." Shigure grinned. "Ha-san.. You know I've got work to do ... I'm not a babysitter! If you're that worried, you can kill two birds with one stone and come to dinner. I'll tell Tohru-kun the good news! Bye" click. "Damn." Hatori muttered something about the useless mutt as he grabbed his jacket and made his way out the door.
Tohru was happily moving about the kitchen, setting place mats and getting ready for another routine dinner. Shigure leaned in and informed her that Hatori was coming to dinner. "Oh, ok Shigure-san!" She smiled brightly. She relished in any kind of approval, but there was something about Hatori saying she did something well that made her feel special. Sometimes, he didn't even have to say anything... which made her realize he treated her differently than he treated most people... she blushed and dismissed her train of thought. 'I'm just being a silly school-girl.' she thought and she hastened to move away from Shigure before he teased her about her blush. Shigure, being Shigure, hadn't missed anything in Tohru's inner musings. Normally, this would be fodder for all sorts of teasing, but knowing what he knew, thinking that Tohru and Hatori might be serious... I mean, he already taught her that. Sure, anything he could've advised her on was probably useful... but...this was Tohru. How often would she need that? This was really bothering him. He couldn't figure out why. Which only served to bother him more. "Tohru-kun, my wonderful wife, precious little flower...." Tohru froze and turned towards him. He normally chose one of the two, never both. "...Ayame will also be stopping by." Tohru paled a little at this. 'So she would have... Haru, Yuki, Kyo, Ayame, Hatori, and Shigure at one dinner table?'
"Tohru-kun....I was wondering..." came a low voice from behind her. "Eep!!" she jumped at the breath on the back of her neck. "Haru-kun! Y-you scared me.. I didn't hear you come in..." He grinned at this. Then decided to put his plan into action. "I..oh, this is so embarrassing.." He cut off, feigning a blush and a coy look. "Hmm??? Onegai, if there's something I can do to help Haru-kun..." She turned her big dark eyes up to him in a pleading manner. His mind started to wander to that fateful car ride. He immediately snapped himself out of it. "You're so kind, Tohru-kun... see.. The thing is, I promised Ha-san that I would help Momiji with his school project. But Momiji, he chose to do a desert based project. I can't cook, and I-" "Oh Haru-kun! I would love to teach you to cook something!" She brought her hands together in front of her. A sudden determination came over her features. Haru found it adorable. 'Finally, something I can really help with! Cooking and cleaning are two things I know im very good at! Now... what to make?' Haru smiled a bright smile, and wandered into the living room. The trap was set, now he needed to plan ahead for catching his prey. -
"Oi..." Tohru had just finished setting the table when she heard a soft scraping noise, and a gentle voice. She turned around, but couldn't find the source. "Oi." Came a more firm call. Finally, she caught a slight movement on the steps. She walked forward to find Kyo standing halfway up, moving his foot across the step he was standing on in a nervous manner. He didn't look up. "Are you...uh, do you have a few minutes?" Tohru glanced over at the stove, and decided that nothing would burn, catch fire, or explode if she left the kitchen for 5 minutes. "Hai." She started up the stairs only to realize Kyo had gone up ahead of her. She caught his shadow moving through his room. 'Why is the hallway so dark?' she wondered randomly. She peered into his room and saw him sitting on the railing of his balcony. The light of the moon reflected in his eyes, making them appear to exude light. He beckoned, and she, uncertain, followed. This wasn't like him.
She peeped over the roof top to see Kyo already sitting, waiting for her. She crawled up and started feeling a little nervous. This wasn't like him at all. "Ano... Kyo-kun.. Is something wrong? You don't normally 'invite' me to the roof. Did you want to talk about something?" "Nothing's wrong." he muttered, staring at his hands. He was swiftly losing his courage, and the battle with the blush threatening to consume his face. "Are you sure? Your face is so red! You look like you're running a fever! Do you feel bad?? Is that why you're acting so strange?!?" She went off on one of her tirades. She sounded so concerned.
Before he knew it, she was right on top of him, with her small, cool hand resting on his forehead. "Oi, stop that, I said I'm fine." he muttered quickly. He tried to pull away, but she didn't seem to want to let go. It was a moment before he noticed the intent look on her face. Her hand was no longer on his forehead, but resting through his thick hair. In secret, Tohru had always wanted to touch it. It was such a strange color... so pretty. Of course, she could never tell him that. His face was getting warmer and warmer until he was almost sure he was exuding more heat that the house. She was leaning closer and closer to him, apparently not noticing. She finally started when she went to look at his face, and noticed the extreme sudden decrease in distance between them.
She was only a little higher than he, and his scarlet eyes met hers for the first time since he'd asked to speak with her. There was an odd haze to them that she didn't recognize. She was leaning in closer and closer. She felt like she could fall into them. His cheeks were flushed, his eyes heavily lidded. Her heartbeat started to race as she felt his warm breath on her neck. He was completely out of control, almost a spectator in his mind watching this, hoping she would lean down just...a ... little.. More... "TOHRU-KUN! OH DARLING TOHRU-KUN!" The two flew apart. Kyo almost slipped and fell off the roof. Tohru had turned her back to him, and was already starting down the ladder. "Hai Shigure-san!?!" "Tohru-kun! I'm so glad I found you! One of the pots with your delicious meal in it boiled over! There's water all over the kitchen floor! Ha-san might be here any minute! I tried to clean it up, but..." "Oh, Gomen! Shigure-san, I'm coming. I'm so irresponsible!" And with that, she was gone.
She scrambled down stairs to find a terrible mess of water and towels all over the floor. She went into auto-pilot, and her mind wandered back to the roof. 'Did Kyo-kun try to...?' She flushed dark pink, and told herself she was an idiot, and that Kyo-kun would never look at her that way. 'Even though' her mind argued 'he had looked at her that way.' She told herself to shut up and rushed to start washing the towels.
"Chikusho!!!!" Kyo clenched his fists and grit his teeth. "I must've looked like such an Idiot...Staring at her like that... Stupid stupid STUPID!" 'I'm going to murder Shigure...Hentai hound! That [insert pointed choice words here ]!!!!
Tohru exited the washroom and almost tripped over Yuki. "Honda-san! Just who I was looking for!" Tohru couldn't help as the thought of 'great' came to mind, dripping with sarcasm. She was appalled with herself. She was glad she was so good at keeping her inner conflicts inner. "Honda-san? Are you alright? Your face is a little red... do you have a fever??" He reached towards her forehead, and she backed straight into the wall. "NO! No, I mean, I'm fine Yuki-kun." She giggled nervously. Her mind was on the roof again. He shrugged and proceeded. "well, I remembered you saying you needed some onion from the base. I wanted to check and see if you still did." "Hai! It would be great if I could have some for tonights dinner, Yuki- kun." Yuki grinned, and continued. "I'd be more than happy to get you some. And.. I found a black-berry bush right near the garden. I know you could do something with them, a desert maybe? 'A desert!' Her mind screamed a reminder of Haru's coy request for a desert cooking lesson, and her inability to think of something. "I wanted to show you..."Yuki said, looking down at his feet in a despondent sort of way. Tohru was torn. On one hand, she always loved going to the secret base with Yuki-kun. On the other hand, something weird was going on with Kyo-kun, and she wasn't entirely sure whatever it was wasn't in the water. 'Ha, I'm being stupid again. This is Yuki-kun, he definitely never does anything to make anyone uncomfortable.'
She sighed and thought about the kitchen, and what had happened last time. She went in and double checked everything, to be sure that nothing would boil over, get knocked down, burn, catch fire, or go off mid-cook. Everything was set fine, so off she went with Yuki-kun to the secret base. He lead her down the dark path telling her of all the things that they would be able to harvest soon.
On the roof, a pair of reflective eyes narrowed and followed their progress.
Shigure sighed. "First Kyo, now Yuki...I wonder where Haru is?" He made his way to the kitchen to knock something else over. After all.. The party couldn't start until all the guests were there, ne?
Tohru had started picking berries as Yuki collected the onion. They worked in companionable silence until Tohru squealed in surprise. "What happened??" Yuki ran over to find Tohru holding her hand close to her, little dots of blood on the ends of her fingers. "I didn't realize black- berry bushes had thorns..." she whimpered. "Gomen, Honda-san, I should've told you." She whimpered a bit more, and he found himself in front of her. He was kneeling, putting them at level with each other. He gently pried her damaged hand from her and brought it to him. [A/n: Yukiru fan girl moment warning. Lol] She felt stupid. First she couldn't take care of her own kitchen, (her domain!) and now she was so helpless. Tears leaked from her eyes. "Im ok, Yuki-kun... it just stings..." The light from the moon made his amethyst eyes seem to glow. He looked to her and brought her injured fingers to his lips. Tohru gasped and stared, but couldn't seem to muster to ability or desire to pull his hand back. Yuki lowered his gaze to one of her fingers. It was bleeding and covered in blackberry juice. She watched transfixed as Yuki pulled it gently into his mouth. She couldn't supress a gasp from sensation as his tongue circled the digit. Her face was burning as he removed it and repeated his actions with another. Then he brought her palm up and kissed it. She couldn't seem to move. He started a trail up her scratched arm.
Her heart was racing again, and Yuki had run out of injuries, but that didn't really seem to concern him. He was right in front of her now, onions and blackberries forgotten. He leaned in and his lips caressed her neck so feather-light, that she could have mistaken it for the brush of his fine hair.
A stick SNAPPED and sent them flying apart. Tohru into dirt, and an unfortunate Yuki into the blackberry bush.
Tohru looked around in alarm, Yuki in pain and frustration. Kyo stepped out of the shadow with an obvious look of smug amusement. "Oi, Shigure says a pot spilled off the counter, and has spilled all over the floor." Now, any of time, Tohru would've thought about the 5 minutes she spent checking everything to assure herself this wouldn't happen again, but after having her wounds tended to in such a way, she reacted much the same as she did with the first interruption, and took off running like a panicked rabbit back to the house.
Kyo glanced to the irate Nezumi. He wasn't going to attacked by anyone in that position. He smirked. Yuki looked up with a look that promised retribution. And. He was going to kill Shigure. He stood and did his best to remove the thorns from his pants. He grabbed the basket pf blackberries on his way up to the house, thoughts of new ways to use them the only thing that sustained him the painful walk there.
Tohru made quick work of yet another mess, and vowed to never leave her kitchen unattended while in use again. The doorbell rang and she bit her lip. Shigure-san could get it this time. He certainly went through to kitchen enough.
"Sensei!" squealed Shigure as he launched himself at the mild mannered Hassenchi/Sex instructor. He snorted at the thought and filed it mentally to use in one of his other novels. As a matter of fact, this whole scenario would fit a plot line pretty well. Hatori rolled his eyes and pushed in towards the wonderful smells in the kitchen. Just the day before he had mused over how lucky Shigure and the boys were to have Tohru-kun. Not only was she a determined fast learner, but she was eager to please, and brought a warm light to any house she inhabited. Including his own. Returning home from dropping her off had been a cold return to reality. Where only hours before, the kitchen had been alight with Tohru's talking, laughing, and the smell of good food, upon his return, it was spotless, but quiet, dark and empty.
Shigure had remained silent and gauged Hatori's face as he watched his thought processes chase each other in circles. He turned just in time to see a flash of white fly through the door.
"Hello! Hello! It is I, Ayame, come to cheer up the dreary house of my one and only love!" Hatori quickly made a beeline for the kitchen only to be cut off by the Hebi. "Ha-san!! Arent you happy to see me? You're always so busy, I take time out of my schedule to stop by your office, and you just tell me to , "go away". So, I come to you yet again , and you don't even have a kind word??" Hatori turned and narrowed his eyes. "Oh, Ha-san, you look stressed! Whats the matter?? You'll get wrinkles! And I always said you had the most handsome face! Stress is terrible on the mind and soul! I , Ayame, Shall relieve you of it! Gure! I need a robe. And a massage table, you have one lying around somewhere, don't you?"
Shigure decided it was time to show the hebi he was annoyed with Hatori, so he began his own little speech. "Ha-san is Meeeaaannnn!" came the exaggerated response, accompanied by tears and extreme chibi-fication. [A/n: A la Shuichi from Gravitation!] "First , he comes here and takes my little flower away for an afternoon, then teaches her all sorts of 'useful' things you can learn in our parking lot, then takes her home with him to cook him dinner! Brings her back late, and now he won't let me call him Sensei! They developed a pet name in one afternoon (mutters: Among other things) and I've known him my whole life! And he won't even let me use him to scare to children." long suffering sigh
Ayame stared from one to the other, and blinked. Haru chose just that moment to meander towards the kitchen in his usual fashion. Ayame grinned and went over to say hello, when Haru turned to reveal his true personality of choice. Ayame backed up a little shocked to see black Haru calmly making his way to the dinner table.
Swallowing hard, he knew there was something amiss, and he, AYAME, was going to find out what it was. "Tohru-kun! My darling! I hear my Ha-san took you to a parking lot to teach you the ways of the world! I so wished you'd have asked me. "I would have loved to teach you all I know... perhaps I still can?"
Tohru looked up and smiled. Ayame-san was always so friendly. Hatori walked in, and she was about to open her mouth in welcome , when he noticed her hand scratched and bleeding. "Honda-kun... You're a mess, what happened?" More thoughts unbidden, first of Yuki's face in the moonlight as he 'tended to her wounds', then of Kyo's shocking red hair and scarlet eyes with their confusing haze. Hatori took her hand and led her towards the bathroom. "We have to get these cleaned up or they could get infected. Honda-kun, are you alright? Your face is red. Are you running a fever?" He brought his hand up to her forehead and she flew towards the wall in retreat. POOF An intricate dark blue overcoat laid on the ground, and a tiny white head poked from beneath the collar.
"Woe as me! That I, AYAME, had to be born the snake... it's my fate I suppose to live life on the cold.. Cold... ever so cold floor! Ha-san! I'm INJURED! You must examine me! tiny pleading eyes Tohru-kun.. Could I, onegai, borrow some body warmth until I change back?
Shigure grinned and pat himself on the back. Well. It would seem operation enter the dragon has been completed. I wonder what Ayame will find out from hiding in Tohru-kuns clothing? Besides the obvious...
Tohru giggled and blushed as Ayame found a comfortable spot just over the curve of her breasts to lay. He flicked out his tongue and smiled his little snake smile at her smell. So warm and soft. Rather like her. She was the only female who had ever allowed him to stay in her clothing. Kagura scared him , and Rin.. Well, He and Rin were constantly at odds over who was the prettiest. He remembered the only time he had changed when he and Akito had been alone. (which was very rare indeed). He knew he hadn't been feeling quite up to par that day, but Akito wanted 'company.' He cringed. He could honestly say he preferred Tohru to almost anyone that he had to have this kind of contact with. He realized he was not here to dote on Tohru and her lovely breasts, but find out what was going on between she and Ha-san. Shigure had called sounding very upset (also very rare) telling him about what he'd over-heard Haru telling the others. He couldn't help the snakelike thought that if Tohru wanted to help out, he would sure take her up on it.
He tuned into the conversation when he felt Tohru's skin warm and heart beat speed up....
[A/n: That's all for now, but the next chapter should be out very soon, and will include: Ayame's high school reveries of his parking lot experiences. Dinner with the Sohma men. Haru's cooking lesson.
And far more humor than was here. This chapter is really here to string things along and get the characters in place. Please comment/crit/whatever you feel like I love feedback.