Take Care of My Strawberries :: by Aif
"Tohru, you'll always look after my secret base, won't you? Even if I'm not here?" Yuki x Tohru /Yukiru
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Yuki pushed back another furrow of dirt and paused to yawn and wipe the beads of sweat trickling down his forehead.
Tohru saw him and smiled to herself. "Yuki-kun, you have dirt all over your face now," she told him. When Yuki flushed self-consciously, she asked him in a friendly voice if he wanted a towel; that he did, and she ran into the house to get one.
While she was gone, Yuki stared absently at the little patch of strawberries that had finally, finally started to grow a little after the unexpected hard frost the week before.
"March is here now," he said. "We're all well into it, and there should be no more cold weather for another year."
"Yuki-kun is talking to the plants?" Tohru asked, as she came back.
Yuki shrugged lazily. "Well… the sun is too hot, and I'm too tired to explain myself to Tohru-kun."
She nodded, and kneeled down beside him again. They opened the bag of fertilizer, laughing when the pungent bits of nitrogen flew into the hair and into their hair with their firm tugging from both sides. Yuki used his fingers to comb the dirt and dust out of Tohru's hair.
"Tohru-kun, this is nice, isn't it? The two of us gardening?"
"Eh?" Tohru looked startled at his sudden question. "Why… yes, of course, Yuki-kun! I like it very much."
"Oh." Yuki gazed at her with a little surprise. "I'm glad." He kissed her on top of her messy ponytail. "I'm glad that I can share my love of gardening with Tohru-kun. I hope that my… princess… will always have my love of green and growing things."
"Yuki-kun, not everything we grow is green. Strawberries are red."
Yuki smiled into her hair. "Yes… that's true, isn't it, Tohru-kun?"
"It's good to have a garden so very near to the house. I love having the fresh produce just a few steps away."
"It's useful to you, then, Tohru-kun?"
"Of course!"
"Good. Then… Tohru-kun. May I ask you a question?"
She laughed. "You've been doing just that all afternoon, Yuki-kun. So go right ahead!"
"Take care of them."
Tohru turned. "Yuki-kun?"
The fair-haired boy had a distant look in his eyes. "Tohru-kun. You're so gentle with things… and you've learned how to take care of plants so well. Can I ask you, then, to take care of my garden if I'm ever… away for a bit? On vacation or something, if you're still here?"
"Yuki-kun… what?"
"Tohru-kun, you'll always look after my secret base, won't you? Even if I'm not here?"
Tohru saw the faraway pleading look in Yuki's eyes, and there was no doubt in her mind. Whatever was troubling the gentle boy… "Yes, of course, Yuki-kun!"
"Good."
He looked like he always did, now. That strange look in his eyes was gone, and there was dear Yuki again. Tohru smiled gladly at him as she gathered up the day's harvest of spinach and spring onion greens into her little woven basket.
She shrugged apologetically at him. "Shigure-san will be asking for dinner soon."
"Dinner." Yuki blinked. "Say… that da- that cat will be coming home today, won't he? Kazuma-san is coming by soon to drop him off, right?"
"That's right!" said Tohru. "I'll hurry back to the house and start a special meal for everyone. Ok, Yuki-kun?"
Yuki nodded to her back and watched Tohru as she skipped back to Shigure's house. In the quiet forest, he could hear the sound of an old car pulling to a halt; slammed doors, and loud voices. Yuki thought of the orange-haired boy that was surely stomping his way onto Shigure's porch. He thought of him being greeted so enthusiastically by Tohru.
Yuki looked at his little, pitifully small garden patch. He sighed.
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End
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A/N: Review, please? I'll give you an orange frosting neko-cookie!