Title: I'd Rather Eat Leeks...
Rating: G
Disclaimer: I don't own Fruit Baskets... at least not yet!!! ::Evil grin complete with evil laugh:: Just kidding. Suka, however, does belong to me, so don't use her without permission.
Beta'd By Kyoshi-kun
"Kyo! Kyo!" Momiji ran down the stairs into the living room. Through the twilight's shadows, the lump on the floor got just enough energy to throw a pillow at the rude awaking.
"Hey!" Momiji started to cry, tears splashing down his face.
"Err... Shut up! What was the point of waking me up if you're just gonna cry?" Kyo got in a why-didn't-you-let-me-sleep glare before he got comfortable on the floor again. The tears stopped and an innocent smile replaced the frown on Momiji's face.
"Oh, yeah! I forgot about the good news! We're sharing a room tonight while one of Tohru's out-of-town friend spends the night! Isn't that great, Kyo?"
Momiji had been staying at Shigure's home, because, lately, at the estate, Akito had been getting sicker and sicker. This had put a strain on Hatori's relationship with the young bunny, forcing him to past Momiji off to his cousin, Shigure. The cat, however, hadn't been please by this...
"Wha -?" The lump on the floor jumped up and ran out of the room, searching for someone to clarify the brat's words. What does he mean 'share a room'? Where the heck is Tohru? Kyo spotted Tohru in his room, cleaning.
"Hey, what are you doing!?! If there's one thing I hate besides leeks or the thought of sharing a room with Momiji, is a clean room!"
"Oh, well, but, Kyo, your room needs to be clean if Suka will be staying in it."
"Who is this Suka? Actually, never mind that, is it true I have to share a room with that annoying rabbit?"
"K...Kyo... that's not a very kind thing to say..." Tohru flustered at the idea of explaining her plans. " Kyo... uh, about Momiji...Well, it's the Christmas holiday, and, uh, well, I thought-"
"WELL, QUIT THINKING! THERE IS NO WAY I'M SHARING A ROOM WITH THAT BRAT!" The cat stormed out of the room mumbling,"What's next, leek soup?"
xoxox
KNOCK! KNOCK! The pounding on the door echoed thoroughout out the lazy house.
Shigure answered the door.
He came chest to face to a young, short brunnette wearing a sailor uniform. Slung over her right shoulder was a heavy, leather duffle bag. Her hazel eyes glimmered beneath a row of crisp-cut bangs. She smiled at the... ahem... unpure writer and his questionable thoughts.
"Why, hello... Who are you, my pretty?" Shigure asked in that oh-so-suave way.
"Oh, I'm a friend of Tohru's. Didn't she say I was coming?" She frowned at the thought of her old friend's ditzy manner. "Anyway, my name is Suka. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Ah, the pleasure is all mine. Do come in, won't you, Suka?" A pale, slim hand escorted the wary girl into the Sohma house. TOHRU, YOUR FRIEND IS HERE!" Shigure bellowed up the wooden stairs.
The riceball girl looked up from the mess she was cleaning. Suka... was here... already?! Scrambling to finish cleaning, she tripped over Kyo's karate magazines, sky-diving into the hallway. Rolling to the edge of the stairs, she stopped. Lying flat on her back she could see the Sohma and Suka with their eyes bulging. "Suka...?" Her words ruined her balance and she toppled down the stairs, landing on her head.
"Tohru...?" Suka muttered, before the other brunette bounced to her feet.
"SUKA!!!"
"TORU!!!" The two friends hugged, like nothing had happened, and walked towards the living room. They caught up on each other's lives along the way.
"I can't believe how long it's been! How are you?" Suka claimed, measuring Tohru's height with her soft eyes.
"Great, you?"
"Perfect. Thanks for inviting me over for the holidays."
"No problem, thanks for coming. I've missed you."
"Ahem... Tohru aren't you going to introduce me to your lovelyfriend?" Shigure interrupted, tapping on the girl's shoulder.
"Oh, this is Suka - she's one of my best friends. We've known each other since, well... forever," Tohru explained, gesturing to the beaming Suka.
Shigure nodded, pleased that he knew what was going on... finally. Then the Sohma dog let out a strong yawn.
"Well, I'd better be getting to bed. Show your friend to her room."
Tohru nodded. Slowly, Shigure dragged his heavy feet up the stairs towards where Momiji and Kyo sat fighting for no reason once again.
"Shh, you two...!" hushed the dog, narrowing his eyebrows at them in a playful manner."We have one of Toru's friends downstairs. I could hear you two fighting all the way down there," he lied. Of course, he was sure Suka wouldn't be going to bed anytime soon, since she hadn't seen Tohru in ages. He, on the other hand...
Kyo's dagger eyes fell upon Momiji then Shigure, not buying the lame 'Tohru's friend' excuse.
"We wouldn't be fighting if we didn't have to share the spare room." Kyo kept one evil eye on the dog and the other on the brat.
"Oh, hush now!" sighed Shigure. "Time for bed, and that's that."
"Where's Hatsuharu going to stay?" Momiji whined, finding interest in the new subject. And trying to distract Kyo from the problem at hand...
"For your information, Haru isn't spending the night. He is coming over tomorrow." And with that the sleepy-eyed Shigure left, off to dream of sugar-plums and high school girls.
That left Kyo and Momiji...
xoxox
"Kyo, turn off the light."
"Do it yourself."
"But, Kyo-Kyo!"
"Don't call me that!"
"But...!"
"SHUDDUP!"
Pause...
"Kyo," Momiji said in the high-pitched, irritating voice of his. Kyo threw his pillow at the whiney annoyance.
"HEY!!!" Momiji pouted, but then got up to turn off the light. On the way back to his spot on the floor he threw the original pillow back at the fuming kitty. The pillow hit the cat square in the forehead. Just when Kyo went to go get revenge two shadows appeared on the other side of the door. The shadows continued, walking past their room.
"Who's that?" Kyo crawled towards the door, abandoning his fight with the bunny. A creeping Momiji followed. The two heads peeked out from the room. The shadows turned into Kyo's room. The two Sohma heads crawled towards Kyo's room. Peeking inside, the two heads started to whisper to each other.
"Who is she?" murmured the blonde boy.
"I just said that, stupid. She must be the friend of Tohru's," reasoned the cat, sniffing the air. A heavy perfume hung in it that certainly didn't belong to Tohru.
"Hmmm..." was the last remark before, suddenly, Momiji disappeared.
"Hey, Momi -where'd he go now?" Kyo looked around, but by the time he found the boy he was too late. Momiji was in his room "introducing" himself.
"Hi, my name is Momiji and that guy outside peeking in is Kyo."
How dare that rabbit embarrass me in front of Tohru and the other girl! Kyo clamored in the room, his face bright red, snatched the Momiji-terror and left.
Suka edged over to Tohru and whispered, "Okay... that was odd."
xoxox
Meanwhile, back in the spare room...
"YOU MORON!!! Great, now she thinks I'm a weirdo." Kyo glared into Momiji's round eyes. And that chick was kinda cute too...
"But you are a weirdo." A smirk appeared on the rabbit's face, as he started to giggle.
"FORGET IT! I'M LEAVING! I HATE YOU! I'D RATHER EAT LEEKS THAN SHARE THIS ROOM WITH YOU!" The cat started for the door when the two shadows were back, right in front of the door. "Great. Someone must really hate me today." The cat sighed and laid back down on the floor. No sense in making a fool of himself around Suka and Tohru again... Silently, he waited for this horrible night to past.
Slowly, the cat drifted into Slumberland, while the shadows danced in the night, blocking his grand escape from the horror known as Momiji Sohma.
xoxox
Heavy eyelids blinked open...
What time is it?DidI fall asleep or something? Kyo sought for a clock. He wandered to the other side of the room. 2:17 AM! I should be sleeping! Sighing, the cat sat back down on the floor. He noticed a frail bundle curled up in the corner. Well, at least, one of us is sleeping...
But Kyo had failed to notice the slight shiver that was consuming the child, as the nightmares began to creep. Instead, he walked over the rabbit, never noticing the hoarse cry underneath the blonde's breath. Leaning up against the wall, the redhead started to drift away again...
xoxox
The cat woke up about a half hour later to someone crying.
"...mama ... please, no, don't forget me... I still love you..."
"Momiji...?" Kyo crawled over to the tossing boy. Out of the stormy sea of blankets, the cat fished his cousin out. With worn hands, he started to shake the boy gingerly, trying to wake him up from the nightmare. Kyo could guess what Momiji was thinking about... about when his mom abandoned him....
"...mama...no...!" Tears streamed down the sleeping boy's face, cascading into the hard floor.. It was like looking through a window; Kyo could see what Momiji was thinking, as if they were connected... As if they shared the same tragic past...
There was a lady with dark circles under her eyes. She was pushing Momiji away... just pushing him away...Her face looked horrific as Momiji tried to fight his way into the woman's arms... She pushed him away again... and again... and again...The watery gems were filling in Momiji's eyes... They started to run down his face.... like soft waterfalls...Just then a man came dashing towards Momiji... He picked him up and comfort the lost child... The forgotten child...
Kyo followed running after the invisible man's path in the dark.. The man turned into another room... He placed the shivering child down, placing a large hand on the boy's small shoulder.
"Momiji, you love your mama, right?"
And Momiji managed to say 'yes' without any tears, though Kyo knew his eyes had wanted to burst with sadness... Momiji bit his lip, restraining his tears but calling his blood.
"Good, I thought that's what you would say. If you truly love mama, then you need to leave."
"Leave?"
"Yes, after you leave her, her memory will be erased. Then, maybe, she'll be happy again."
"Yes, but I... "
"You want to make your mama happy, right?"
Golden eyes quivered. "No... I mean yes, but I can't leave. You're my family."
"I promise you'll get a new family."
"I DON'T WANT A NEW FAMILY!" Momiji could no longer restrain the tears. They rushed down his face. Momiji sprinted down the hall, trying to find an exit, not to leave the building, but an exit to leave his life... He wished he was normal, he wished for a family that loved him.
Kyo knew what the boy would be thinking. Why did he have to have this stupid curse? Why did it have to ruin his life?
The boy ran down the stairs falling only to get back up. He raced out into the rain only see the clouds crying. The rain was pouding, pounding, pounding on his back. He fell to his knees, crying as he looked up to the skies.
"IS THERE ANYONE THAT DOESN'T HATE ME?"
Kyo woke up breathless. When had he fallen... asleep? He wiped the sweat from his forehead. Where's Momiji? The cat looked at the rabbit's empty bed on the floor. It was light outside -the nightmare was over. Was it real? Kyo didn't know.Was that my dream - or...? Is that what really happened? A deep bond was forming between the two, but Kyo didn't realize it. All he knew was the he was feeling slightly different about the rabbit...
"KYO! KYO! IT'S CHRISTMAS! IT'S CHRISTMAS!" Momiji burst into the room. A huge smile was beaming on his face, but Kyo noticed the dark rings under the bright eyes. The rabbit pulled Kyo's arm, trying to drag him off the floor.
"Okay, I'm going." Kyo slowly rose to his feet balancing himself he walked with Momiji down the stairs. It was like nothing had happened... Like that dream was really...just a dream.
Everyone was at a table talking and eating together, Hatsu was there too! But before they walked into the room, Kyo pulled Momiji a side.
"Hey, Momiji?"
"Yeah?"
"I don't hate you."
"What?
"I don't hate you." A small smile appeared on the cat's face. "Let's go."
"MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE!" hollered the rabbit as he bounced in the room with new-found glee.
"Merry Christmas, Momiji and Kyo!" the others called back.
Kyo watched Momiji for a while... We're kinda the same in a way... Even though my mom didn't say it... she abanded me too. But he still gets up every day... With a smile on his face.
The End and Happy Holidays!