"Kyo, may I talk to you?" Yuki asked after dinner. "It's important."
"I guess." Kyo said, standing. "I was gonna help Tohru with the dishes."
"Oh, don't bother Kyo!" Said Ayame. "I have to talk to her about the show, so you go on, I'll help her!" So saying, he picked up half the dishes on the table and carried them into the kitchen.
Kyo sighed and followed the rat out into the woods. They eventually made it to the base, where they spread the tarp and sat on it. "Well?" he asked.
"First you have to promise you won't get mad." Said Yuki. He held up a hand before Kyo could say anything. "I promise I won't do anything to make you mad, but you have to do the same. I want to have a serious conversation, and we won't be able to do that if we're angry."
"Fine." Said Kyo.
"Good. How do you feel about Tohru?" Yuki asked.
"Why?" Kyo asked, frowning.
"Because I don't think we're going to break the curse. Which means she's going to be our wife for a very long time." Said Yuki.
"You make it sound like it's a bad thing." Said Kyo.
"If I made it sound like that, I didn't mean to. She's.special to me, too."
Kyo grinned lightly. "Just admit you're head over heels."
Yuki blushed and cleared his throat. "I will if you will." He said, raising an eyebrow. Kyo didn't reply. "So how are we going to handle this?"
"Whatta ya mean?" Kyo asked.
"Well, we've both admitted we're in love with her, but how are we going to handle this? It's not exactly normal to have a trio instead of a couple." Said Yuki. "And can the rat share with the cat?"
"Well, we're gonna have to deal with it somehow. We're stuck with each other." Said Kyo. "And be honest, isn't she worth it?"
Yuki's eyes softened. "Completely." He said.
"Now whatta we do? Take turns?" Kyo asked.
"I don't know if that's possible either. Remember? Part of the curse is that if anything.happens, all members of the bond have to be together." Said Yuki, blushing.
"Oh yeah." Said Kyo. "Damn, I forgot about that. I don't know if I'm willing to share THAT much."
"Me either." Said Yuki. "But I doubt we want to remain celibate for the rest of our lives."
Kyo groaned and fell back on the tarp, an arm over his eyes. "I can't BELIEVE I'm talking to you about this!" he said.
"Do you really think I want to be talking about my sex life with another man?" Yuki asked dryly. "And probably one who's going to be observing and participating in said life?"
"Good point. But like I said, she's worth it." Kyo said, sitting back up. "So, what, do we start dating her?" He snorted. "That sounds weird, dating our wife."
"And that sounded even weirder." Said Yuki. "But I think that would be an acceptable start. I also think we should agree on something else. Most of our time with her will be spent will all of us together, so both of us should get some private time as well."
"Whatta ya mean?" Kyo asked.
"For every two dates or things we all do together, we take her out individually once."
"I get it." Said Kyo. "And that's actually a good idea."
"Thank you." Said Yuki. "And I've got a good idea for the first date."
* * *
Tohru came out of her room the next morning, yawning. She was ready for the bath. It had been unusually hot last night, and a bath had never sounded so good. But a hand laid suddenly on her shoulder caused her to jump a foot in the air, clutching her pounding heart.
"Sorry." Said Kyo, grinning slightly. "I just had to tell you not to bother making breakfast. Shigure's left early this morning, and Yuki and I are taking you out for the day."
"You-You are?" she asked, eyes going white. "But I have things I have to do! The laundry needs to be done, and-"
"It's already been done." Said Kyo, looking smug. "The rat did the laundry, while I cleaned the downstairs. Upstairs can be cleaned tomorrow." He tossed her a dress. "Here, fresh off the line. Now, get ready. You've got ten minutes before I come up here and get ya." He said, smirking as he disappeared down the stairs. Tohru stood there for a minute, then rushed to the bathroom and slammed the door behind her.
* * *
"Oh! It's a fair!" said Tohru, eyes shining. The boys refused to tell her where they were going, and it had been driving her crazy. "I didn't know the fair was in town!" She was practically skipping. The boys had grins on their faces.
"It's only been here a day, Tohru." Said Yuki. "There really hasn't been that much advertisement either, so I'm not surprised you didn't know."
"So, are we gonna stand here talking all day, or are we gonna go have some fun?" Kyo asked, starting down the hill and into the fairgrounds. Tohru laughed and followed while Yuki shook his head and dashed after them both.
The first thing they encountered was the rides. A small roller coaster, a Ferris wheel, a tilt-a-whirl, and a few other typical thrill rides dotted an acre of ground. Tohru's eyes went huge when she saw the elaborate merry go round. She turned a pleading face to the two boys, and they both grinned and took her hands, leading her to the merry go round. She smiled and skipped over to the carved horses and jungle animals. She chose to ride a large lion, which was right in the middle of two zebras. The boys were going to sit the ride out, but Tohru's pleading eyes won them over, and they climbed on the two zebras. They just hoped they wouldn't be seen by anyone they knew.
When the ride ended, they helped Tohru climb off the lion, and tugged her towards the other rides. They managed to ride everything there at least once, except the roller coaster. Tohru had actually clung to a post to avoid being dragged onto the ride. When they finished with the rides, they decided to let their stomachs settle a bit before they went on to lunch, so they wandered around the game booths.
"Oh! Look!" said Tohru, pointing to a booth. It was an accuracy booth, where you had to throw darts at a target. The more darts in the bull's-eye, the bigger the prize you won. Get all ten in the bull's-eye, and you could have your choice of prizes. What had caught Tohru's eye was the gray mouse that dangled by its tail from the roof of the booth. It had to be almost as big as she was.
"Why on earth would you want that?" Kyo asked, smirking at Yuki.
"Because it's so cute! It reminds me of Yuki!" said Tohru, heading towards the booth.
Yuki blushed. He handed the man running the booth some money and took the ten darts. He unerringly sent all of them on a straight path to cluster on the bull's-eye. A round of applause rang out from the observers. Yuki pointed to the huge gray mouse and handed it to Tohru, who dropped it on the dusty ground and grabbed him around the neck, causing the audience to coo.
Kyo rolled his eyes at the blushing rat and picked up the toy. "Come on, I wanna go see the test your strength booth." He led the way, still carrying the giant mouse. "Oh yeah, that's what I'm talkin' about." Said Kyo. The strength test had to be over twenty-five feet tall. The bell at the top gleamed in the sun, seeming to dare its next victim. Kyo tossed the giant rat to Yuki and swaggered up to the man running the booth. He handed him some money, picked the hammer up off the ground and hefted it, feeling its weight, then swung it over his head and down, sending the marker sailing like a bird for the bell, where it hit with a clang. Tohru cheered. Kyo blushed and rubbed his nose with a clenched fist. The man at the booth looked at his hair, the girl cheering for him, and grinned, handing him an orange cat as his prize. It was about the length of his arm. Kyo blushed again and handed the cat to Tohru, who hugged it close, then him. The audience cooed again.
They went from booth to booth, winning prize after prize. After the cat, they got a little dog, a cow, a tiger, a little lamb, a bunny, and an adorable stuffed monkey about the size of her palm. The boys seemed to be having fun trying to win an animal for each member of the zodiac, and Tohru was having fun cheering them on. They came to a booth where dragons, unicorns, phoenix, and various other fanciful creatures were sold, and saw a seahorse with such exaggerated eyelashes it was comical. They couldn't help themselves. They had to buy it. But there just didn't seem to be a lot of call for stuffed roosters, or boars. They had to settle for a pig, and they just couldn't find a rooster. They did find a horse made with real fur, but they couldn't find a single snake.
"You have almost the entire zodiac." Yuki said, smiling. "Where are you going to put it?"
"I'll find somewhere!" Said Tohru, smiling happily. She was carrying the rat and the cat in one arm, the seahorse in the other. The boys were carrying the rest. They got a lot of smiles and winks, which invariably made them all blush. "Thank you so much for winning them for me!"
"It was fun, Tohru." Said Yuki. "But I have to ask again. Where are you going to put them all?"
"If you put them all on the bed, you'll have to sleep on the floor." Said Kyo.
"I guess I could put them in your rooms." She said, a finger to her chin and eyes twinkling.
The boys looked at each other. "No." they said in unison. They all laughed and decided to get some lunch before heading home.
* * *
"Where on earth have you been?" Shigure asked, watching them carry in a huge pile of stuffed animals. "The toy store?"
"No. The fair." Said Kyo, setting down his armful of toys. "Tohru decided she had to have her own Zodiac."
"Well, she did a good job." Said Shigure. He picked up the seahorse and laughed until tears ran down his face. "Are you going to let their counterparts see them?"
Tohru laughed. "Maybe." The phone rang. "Excuse me." Said Tohru, going to answer it. While she was gone, the boys looked over the various animals and compared them to their living counterparts. Their favorite was undoubtedly the seahorse. It was so cute and silly, it looked nothing like Hatori. "That was Ayame." Said Tohru. "I have to sign a contract, and get a schedule of the shows. He's on his way over. I think he said Hatori was driving him." She looked over at Yuki. "Something about Yuki missing his checkup."
Yuki looked shamefaced. "I didn't forget on purpose."
"This time." Said Kyo, smirking.
"Shut up." Said Yuki, frowning at him.
"Gonna make me, rat?" Kyo asked, tensing slightly.
Tohru's eyes went white. "Oh! They'll probably be hungry when they get here." She said. "Umm, Yuki, will you please run down to the garden and get some lettuce for sandwiches?" She turned to Kyo. "And can you help me in the kitchen? I have to cut the tomatoes, and get out the chicken, and the turkey, and I have to wash the." she was off and running. Yuki sighed and went to get the lettuce.
"You know she was just trying to get you to stop fighting, don't you?" Shigure asked, watching the flustered rice ball, who was fluttering back and forth from the dining room to the kitchen, carrying plates, glasses, and various foods out to cover the table like the good hostess she was.
"I know." Said Kyo. "But what can you do?" He asked, shrugging, before going in and helping Tohru prepare lunch. Yuki came in carrying a large head of lettuce, and disappeared in the kitchen.
Tohru came out moments later, looking even more flustered than before. "They told me they were going to finish lunch." She said, sitting down and looking a little frazzled. Shigure smiled.
* * *
"We're here!" Ayame sang, shutting the door behind himself and kicking off his shoes. "Where is everyone?"
"Can't you do anything quietly?" Hatori asked, taking his shoes off at the door as well.
"Aya! Hari!" Shigure said, sticking his head out of the dining room. "We're in here!"
"Hello!" Ayame said, coming in and planting himself next to Tohru. He looked around at the toys scattered on the floor. "My goodness. What happened here? Did someone buy out a toy store?" He picked up the gigantic rat. "I have to say though, I see the likeness. Where IS my darling little brother anyway? Apparently he was a naughty boy and didn't come for his checkup today."
"I'm right here." Said Yuki. "And that does not look like me!" he said scornfully. He was carrying a plate of lettuce, tomatoes, chicken, and various other sandwich fixings. Kyo carried fruit and a pitcher of juice. They set their burden on the table and sat on either side of Tohru, like an honor guard, Yuki shoving Ayame out of the way in the process.
He pouted for a minute, then started to sparkle. "Oh, such considerate men, helping their lovely bride prepare lunch!" Ayame said.
"Shut up." Said Kyo. He helped himself to a sandwich and started munching, still glaring at Ayame. Hatori went over and started running his stethoscope over a sighing Yuki's chest.
"Oh well, down to business." Said Ayame. He pulled out a sheaf of papers and set them before Tohru. "Now, princess, all you have to do is look over this contract and sign on the dotted line, and you're a contract model."
"Ok." Said Tohru, looking for a pen.
Before she could sign, Yuki pulled the contract to his seat and started reading. Hatori sighed and folded his instruments, realizing it was futile. "She gets paid this much?" Yuki asked, shocked.
"Well, it IS a high class show, Yuki." Ayame sniffed. "And that's just one show. She's doing at least three."
"And she makes that much for each show?"
"Of course not!" Ayame said scornfully. "That's just for the small shows. The big show, the one the VIP's come to see, she gets paid double."
"DOUBLE?" Yuki asked, completely dumfounded.
"I wasn't going to tell her, but since you're making SUCH a big fuss." Ayame turned to Tohru. "I'm sorry, Tohru, but my friend, the one who runs the shows, he wouldn't pay you as much as a professional model. I think that's about three quarters of what an actual model would make."
"Oh, that's fine, Ayame! I wouldn't have felt right making the same as everyone else, it's not my real job after all." She said, pulling the contract back to her place. Her eyes went white when she saw exactly how much she was making. "Umm, I think Yuki's right. There must be some sort of mistake."
"A mistake?" Ayame asked, pulling the papers over so he could see the supposed error. "Oh, no, that's not a mistake."
"But that's a lot of money." She said, hair starting to frizz. She was about a second away from a complete panic attack.
Yuki saw the signs. "It's hard work, Tohru, and you'll deserve it after it's done." He smiled. "Besides, I think this will take care of your first year in college."
"Really?" Tohru asked, looking back down at the contract. After a short hesitation, she signed.
Ayame beamed and rolled the contract, putting it in his pocket. "Excellent!" He said. Then he picked up the seahorse. "This is so cute! Hari, it looks just like you!"
"I do not look like that." Hatori said, chewing on the sandwich he had constructed for himself.
Ayame kept looking through the animals, picking up certain ones to coo over. "But where's me?" he asked, pouting. "You couldn't find a snake, but you could find a seahorse?"
"I guess there's just not a lot of call for stuffed snakes." Tohru said apologetically. "And we bought Ha-chan." She trailed off, looking embarrassed. Hatori actually blushed a little bit.
Ayame was delighted. "You've named it Ha-chan?" he asked, picking it up again. "I can't stand it! I have to have one! Tohru, were did you get it?"
"Yuki and Kyo took me to the fair on the other side of town. They won some of them for me, others we bought." She sighed. "We couldn't find a rooster, either."
"Well, I'm not surprised you couldn't find a stuffed chicken, but that you didn't find a snake! It's.shameful!" He shook his head. "Well, that's that." He said, "I suppose I shall just have to MAKE you one!" His eyes went dreamy. "You know, that's not a bad idea. Lets see, white silk of course, and I think I have gold plated buttons for the eyes." The others tuned him out after a while.
"May I finish the checkup now?" Hatori asked, finishing off his sandwich and brushing his hands off. He once more got out his instruments and started running them over Yuki, who sighed and endured it.
"So what do you think, Tohru?" Ayame asked, finishing his spiel. "Would that be acceptable?"
Tohru flushed guiltily. She hadn't been listening to a thing he said. "Oh! Yes, that would be fine!" she said, nodding fervently, wondering exactly what she was agreeing to.
"Wonderful!" He said, gathering up all the stuffed animals. "I'll return them to you as soon as I'm finished!" he said, piling them behind him. "Oh, you're going to love it!"
"What is he babbling about?" Kyo asked, looking at the stack of animals behind the beaming man.
"If you weren't listening, then I suppose you'll just have to wait and see!" Ayame said, winking. "Hari, are you finished?"
"Yes." Hatori said, packing his instruments up. "He's got a clean bill of health."
Ayame snapped his fingers, looking inspired. "You know, it might be a good idea to give Tohru and Lucky Kyo."
"I TOLD YOU, STOP CALLING ME THAT!"
"Hush! As I was saying, you should give Kyo and Tohru a checkup too. Just to make sure the trio is in perfect health." He clasped his hands together, sparkles flying around his head. "After all, I want perfect nieces and nephews!"
"Shut up!" Kyo and Yuki yelled, taking a swing at the snake. Shigure jerked him out of the way at the last second, causing the two boys to fall forward, right into Tohru's lap. They jerked upright, faces flaming, carefully not looking at Tohru, who was blushing worse than they were.
Shigure and Ayame started to coo, and Hatori rolled his eyes. "Stop making trouble." He told Ayame. "You know they're in perfect health."
"But they're so cute when they blush in unison!" Ayame said, grinning.
"Shut up!" Yuki and Kyo snapped again.
Hatori sighed again. "Come on, let's get you out of here while you're still able to walk." He said, standing.
Ayame pouted. "Alright." He said, standing as well. He gathered the animals in a big pile and pranced to the door with them, Hatori following behind.
* * *
"Five minutes Tohru!" Ayame said, coming backstage. A chorus of squeals and excited greetings heralded his entrance. One poor girl fainted. Ayame ignored them. "Are you ready, princess?"
"No." Tohru said, eyes spinning. "What if I fall off the stage? What if the audience throws things?"
"Then we'll throw them out." Ayame said. "And you won't fall off stage."
"But."
"Hush." Ayame said, putting a finger on her lips, causing her to blush. Another girl fainted behind them. "You're going to do fine." He pecked her on the forehead and left the backstage area, winking at the other models as he went. One more hit the floor.
"Are they ok?" Tohru asked a blond girl, watching a few of the girls try and revive the ones who were out for the count.
"Ah, they're fine." She said dismissively. "But I gotta say, DAMN. You got one HELL of a hot boyfriend, girl! You gotta love that long white hair."
Tohru's eyes started to spin. "Ayame?!" she said, voice cracking. "H- he's not my boyfriend!"
"Lover?" The girl asked, raising an eyebrow.
Tohru was about to join the others on the floor. "No! He's.my brother- in-law." She said.
"You should have seen if they'd go for a twofer." The girl said, wiggling her eyebrows and smirking.
"Twofer?" Tohru asked.
"Two for one special." The girl said. Tohru frizzed, causing the girl to laugh. "Sorry about that. I can always spot the innocents, and I gotta tease 'em. I'm Mariko."
"N-nice to meet you. I'm Tohru." Tohru said, still twitching slightly.
"So he's your brother in law. Is he available?"
"Umm, I don't know. I could ask him if you want." Tohru said.
"Nah. That's ok. He looks like he's a little high matenance for me." Mariko said. "How long does that man take in the bathroom?"
"About half an hour." Tohru said, finger to her chin. "But longer if he has rice in his hair."
"There has to be a story behind that." Said Mariko. "And I really wanna hear it, but not right now. You've gotta be on stage in.now." She said, pushing Tohru towards the curtain, where Ayame pushed her out on stage.
Instantly, cameras were flashing, and the crowd was clapping wildly. She froze, then remembered she was supposed to be walking. Taking slow, creaky steps, she headed down the runway, turned when she reached the end, and headed back. Just as she turned, she spotted Kyo and Yuki, watching from the back of the room. She blushed and gave a small wave. They smiled and waved back as she disappeared behind the curtain.
"You did real good, kid." Mariko said, slinging an arm around her shoulders. "Now, be a good girl and tell me to break a leg." She went onstage.
Ayame came dashing backstage, tears in his eyes. "Tohru, you were magnificent!" He said, clutching her hands to his chest. "Superb! Exquisite!" He jumped when Mariko came back, pushing her bangs out of her eyes.
"Damn! Girls, did you see those two guys in the back?" A few murmurs of agreement flowed through the dressing room. "Sorry ladies, I claim the redhead." She grinned and wiggled her eyebrows. "You know what they say about the redheads."
Ayame started laughing. "I'm sorry, my dear. He's taken." He said, putting an arm around Tohru. "He's my little Tohru's husband."
"I knew guys went for that innocent thing." Mariko said, shaking her head. "How about the silver blond? He's just as fine."
"Taken as well."
"Dammit! Do you have a sister?" Mariko asked, hands on her hips.
Ayame grinned. "No, he's Tohru's too."
For once, Mariko didn't have a single thing to say. Tohru stared at the floor, face burning. Mariko bowed down in front of Tohru. "Please. Teach me your ways." She intoned.
Ayame couldn't stand it. He laughed until tears ran down his face, while Tohru babbled about how Mariko should get up, she couldn't teach her anything, what the heck was she DOING!? He wiped his eyes and told a still babbling Tohru to get into her next dress. She went gladly, hair still frizzed.
"She's really innocent, isn't she?" Mariko asked.
"As a newborn babe." Ayame said, smiling fondly.
"Good. Not enough of 'em in the world. Try and keep her that way." Mariko said. She went back to the curtained off alcove where they changed to get into her next outfit.
"I guess." Kyo said, standing. "I was gonna help Tohru with the dishes."
"Oh, don't bother Kyo!" Said Ayame. "I have to talk to her about the show, so you go on, I'll help her!" So saying, he picked up half the dishes on the table and carried them into the kitchen.
Kyo sighed and followed the rat out into the woods. They eventually made it to the base, where they spread the tarp and sat on it. "Well?" he asked.
"First you have to promise you won't get mad." Said Yuki. He held up a hand before Kyo could say anything. "I promise I won't do anything to make you mad, but you have to do the same. I want to have a serious conversation, and we won't be able to do that if we're angry."
"Fine." Said Kyo.
"Good. How do you feel about Tohru?" Yuki asked.
"Why?" Kyo asked, frowning.
"Because I don't think we're going to break the curse. Which means she's going to be our wife for a very long time." Said Yuki.
"You make it sound like it's a bad thing." Said Kyo.
"If I made it sound like that, I didn't mean to. She's.special to me, too."
Kyo grinned lightly. "Just admit you're head over heels."
Yuki blushed and cleared his throat. "I will if you will." He said, raising an eyebrow. Kyo didn't reply. "So how are we going to handle this?"
"Whatta ya mean?" Kyo asked.
"Well, we've both admitted we're in love with her, but how are we going to handle this? It's not exactly normal to have a trio instead of a couple." Said Yuki. "And can the rat share with the cat?"
"Well, we're gonna have to deal with it somehow. We're stuck with each other." Said Kyo. "And be honest, isn't she worth it?"
Yuki's eyes softened. "Completely." He said.
"Now whatta we do? Take turns?" Kyo asked.
"I don't know if that's possible either. Remember? Part of the curse is that if anything.happens, all members of the bond have to be together." Said Yuki, blushing.
"Oh yeah." Said Kyo. "Damn, I forgot about that. I don't know if I'm willing to share THAT much."
"Me either." Said Yuki. "But I doubt we want to remain celibate for the rest of our lives."
Kyo groaned and fell back on the tarp, an arm over his eyes. "I can't BELIEVE I'm talking to you about this!" he said.
"Do you really think I want to be talking about my sex life with another man?" Yuki asked dryly. "And probably one who's going to be observing and participating in said life?"
"Good point. But like I said, she's worth it." Kyo said, sitting back up. "So, what, do we start dating her?" He snorted. "That sounds weird, dating our wife."
"And that sounded even weirder." Said Yuki. "But I think that would be an acceptable start. I also think we should agree on something else. Most of our time with her will be spent will all of us together, so both of us should get some private time as well."
"Whatta ya mean?" Kyo asked.
"For every two dates or things we all do together, we take her out individually once."
"I get it." Said Kyo. "And that's actually a good idea."
"Thank you." Said Yuki. "And I've got a good idea for the first date."
* * *
Tohru came out of her room the next morning, yawning. She was ready for the bath. It had been unusually hot last night, and a bath had never sounded so good. But a hand laid suddenly on her shoulder caused her to jump a foot in the air, clutching her pounding heart.
"Sorry." Said Kyo, grinning slightly. "I just had to tell you not to bother making breakfast. Shigure's left early this morning, and Yuki and I are taking you out for the day."
"You-You are?" she asked, eyes going white. "But I have things I have to do! The laundry needs to be done, and-"
"It's already been done." Said Kyo, looking smug. "The rat did the laundry, while I cleaned the downstairs. Upstairs can be cleaned tomorrow." He tossed her a dress. "Here, fresh off the line. Now, get ready. You've got ten minutes before I come up here and get ya." He said, smirking as he disappeared down the stairs. Tohru stood there for a minute, then rushed to the bathroom and slammed the door behind her.
* * *
"Oh! It's a fair!" said Tohru, eyes shining. The boys refused to tell her where they were going, and it had been driving her crazy. "I didn't know the fair was in town!" She was practically skipping. The boys had grins on their faces.
"It's only been here a day, Tohru." Said Yuki. "There really hasn't been that much advertisement either, so I'm not surprised you didn't know."
"So, are we gonna stand here talking all day, or are we gonna go have some fun?" Kyo asked, starting down the hill and into the fairgrounds. Tohru laughed and followed while Yuki shook his head and dashed after them both.
The first thing they encountered was the rides. A small roller coaster, a Ferris wheel, a tilt-a-whirl, and a few other typical thrill rides dotted an acre of ground. Tohru's eyes went huge when she saw the elaborate merry go round. She turned a pleading face to the two boys, and they both grinned and took her hands, leading her to the merry go round. She smiled and skipped over to the carved horses and jungle animals. She chose to ride a large lion, which was right in the middle of two zebras. The boys were going to sit the ride out, but Tohru's pleading eyes won them over, and they climbed on the two zebras. They just hoped they wouldn't be seen by anyone they knew.
When the ride ended, they helped Tohru climb off the lion, and tugged her towards the other rides. They managed to ride everything there at least once, except the roller coaster. Tohru had actually clung to a post to avoid being dragged onto the ride. When they finished with the rides, they decided to let their stomachs settle a bit before they went on to lunch, so they wandered around the game booths.
"Oh! Look!" said Tohru, pointing to a booth. It was an accuracy booth, where you had to throw darts at a target. The more darts in the bull's-eye, the bigger the prize you won. Get all ten in the bull's-eye, and you could have your choice of prizes. What had caught Tohru's eye was the gray mouse that dangled by its tail from the roof of the booth. It had to be almost as big as she was.
"Why on earth would you want that?" Kyo asked, smirking at Yuki.
"Because it's so cute! It reminds me of Yuki!" said Tohru, heading towards the booth.
Yuki blushed. He handed the man running the booth some money and took the ten darts. He unerringly sent all of them on a straight path to cluster on the bull's-eye. A round of applause rang out from the observers. Yuki pointed to the huge gray mouse and handed it to Tohru, who dropped it on the dusty ground and grabbed him around the neck, causing the audience to coo.
Kyo rolled his eyes at the blushing rat and picked up the toy. "Come on, I wanna go see the test your strength booth." He led the way, still carrying the giant mouse. "Oh yeah, that's what I'm talkin' about." Said Kyo. The strength test had to be over twenty-five feet tall. The bell at the top gleamed in the sun, seeming to dare its next victim. Kyo tossed the giant rat to Yuki and swaggered up to the man running the booth. He handed him some money, picked the hammer up off the ground and hefted it, feeling its weight, then swung it over his head and down, sending the marker sailing like a bird for the bell, where it hit with a clang. Tohru cheered. Kyo blushed and rubbed his nose with a clenched fist. The man at the booth looked at his hair, the girl cheering for him, and grinned, handing him an orange cat as his prize. It was about the length of his arm. Kyo blushed again and handed the cat to Tohru, who hugged it close, then him. The audience cooed again.
They went from booth to booth, winning prize after prize. After the cat, they got a little dog, a cow, a tiger, a little lamb, a bunny, and an adorable stuffed monkey about the size of her palm. The boys seemed to be having fun trying to win an animal for each member of the zodiac, and Tohru was having fun cheering them on. They came to a booth where dragons, unicorns, phoenix, and various other fanciful creatures were sold, and saw a seahorse with such exaggerated eyelashes it was comical. They couldn't help themselves. They had to buy it. But there just didn't seem to be a lot of call for stuffed roosters, or boars. They had to settle for a pig, and they just couldn't find a rooster. They did find a horse made with real fur, but they couldn't find a single snake.
"You have almost the entire zodiac." Yuki said, smiling. "Where are you going to put it?"
"I'll find somewhere!" Said Tohru, smiling happily. She was carrying the rat and the cat in one arm, the seahorse in the other. The boys were carrying the rest. They got a lot of smiles and winks, which invariably made them all blush. "Thank you so much for winning them for me!"
"It was fun, Tohru." Said Yuki. "But I have to ask again. Where are you going to put them all?"
"If you put them all on the bed, you'll have to sleep on the floor." Said Kyo.
"I guess I could put them in your rooms." She said, a finger to her chin and eyes twinkling.
The boys looked at each other. "No." they said in unison. They all laughed and decided to get some lunch before heading home.
* * *
"Where on earth have you been?" Shigure asked, watching them carry in a huge pile of stuffed animals. "The toy store?"
"No. The fair." Said Kyo, setting down his armful of toys. "Tohru decided she had to have her own Zodiac."
"Well, she did a good job." Said Shigure. He picked up the seahorse and laughed until tears ran down his face. "Are you going to let their counterparts see them?"
Tohru laughed. "Maybe." The phone rang. "Excuse me." Said Tohru, going to answer it. While she was gone, the boys looked over the various animals and compared them to their living counterparts. Their favorite was undoubtedly the seahorse. It was so cute and silly, it looked nothing like Hatori. "That was Ayame." Said Tohru. "I have to sign a contract, and get a schedule of the shows. He's on his way over. I think he said Hatori was driving him." She looked over at Yuki. "Something about Yuki missing his checkup."
Yuki looked shamefaced. "I didn't forget on purpose."
"This time." Said Kyo, smirking.
"Shut up." Said Yuki, frowning at him.
"Gonna make me, rat?" Kyo asked, tensing slightly.
Tohru's eyes went white. "Oh! They'll probably be hungry when they get here." She said. "Umm, Yuki, will you please run down to the garden and get some lettuce for sandwiches?" She turned to Kyo. "And can you help me in the kitchen? I have to cut the tomatoes, and get out the chicken, and the turkey, and I have to wash the." she was off and running. Yuki sighed and went to get the lettuce.
"You know she was just trying to get you to stop fighting, don't you?" Shigure asked, watching the flustered rice ball, who was fluttering back and forth from the dining room to the kitchen, carrying plates, glasses, and various foods out to cover the table like the good hostess she was.
"I know." Said Kyo. "But what can you do?" He asked, shrugging, before going in and helping Tohru prepare lunch. Yuki came in carrying a large head of lettuce, and disappeared in the kitchen.
Tohru came out moments later, looking even more flustered than before. "They told me they were going to finish lunch." She said, sitting down and looking a little frazzled. Shigure smiled.
* * *
"We're here!" Ayame sang, shutting the door behind himself and kicking off his shoes. "Where is everyone?"
"Can't you do anything quietly?" Hatori asked, taking his shoes off at the door as well.
"Aya! Hari!" Shigure said, sticking his head out of the dining room. "We're in here!"
"Hello!" Ayame said, coming in and planting himself next to Tohru. He looked around at the toys scattered on the floor. "My goodness. What happened here? Did someone buy out a toy store?" He picked up the gigantic rat. "I have to say though, I see the likeness. Where IS my darling little brother anyway? Apparently he was a naughty boy and didn't come for his checkup today."
"I'm right here." Said Yuki. "And that does not look like me!" he said scornfully. He was carrying a plate of lettuce, tomatoes, chicken, and various other sandwich fixings. Kyo carried fruit and a pitcher of juice. They set their burden on the table and sat on either side of Tohru, like an honor guard, Yuki shoving Ayame out of the way in the process.
He pouted for a minute, then started to sparkle. "Oh, such considerate men, helping their lovely bride prepare lunch!" Ayame said.
"Shut up." Said Kyo. He helped himself to a sandwich and started munching, still glaring at Ayame. Hatori went over and started running his stethoscope over a sighing Yuki's chest.
"Oh well, down to business." Said Ayame. He pulled out a sheaf of papers and set them before Tohru. "Now, princess, all you have to do is look over this contract and sign on the dotted line, and you're a contract model."
"Ok." Said Tohru, looking for a pen.
Before she could sign, Yuki pulled the contract to his seat and started reading. Hatori sighed and folded his instruments, realizing it was futile. "She gets paid this much?" Yuki asked, shocked.
"Well, it IS a high class show, Yuki." Ayame sniffed. "And that's just one show. She's doing at least three."
"And she makes that much for each show?"
"Of course not!" Ayame said scornfully. "That's just for the small shows. The big show, the one the VIP's come to see, she gets paid double."
"DOUBLE?" Yuki asked, completely dumfounded.
"I wasn't going to tell her, but since you're making SUCH a big fuss." Ayame turned to Tohru. "I'm sorry, Tohru, but my friend, the one who runs the shows, he wouldn't pay you as much as a professional model. I think that's about three quarters of what an actual model would make."
"Oh, that's fine, Ayame! I wouldn't have felt right making the same as everyone else, it's not my real job after all." She said, pulling the contract back to her place. Her eyes went white when she saw exactly how much she was making. "Umm, I think Yuki's right. There must be some sort of mistake."
"A mistake?" Ayame asked, pulling the papers over so he could see the supposed error. "Oh, no, that's not a mistake."
"But that's a lot of money." She said, hair starting to frizz. She was about a second away from a complete panic attack.
Yuki saw the signs. "It's hard work, Tohru, and you'll deserve it after it's done." He smiled. "Besides, I think this will take care of your first year in college."
"Really?" Tohru asked, looking back down at the contract. After a short hesitation, she signed.
Ayame beamed and rolled the contract, putting it in his pocket. "Excellent!" He said. Then he picked up the seahorse. "This is so cute! Hari, it looks just like you!"
"I do not look like that." Hatori said, chewing on the sandwich he had constructed for himself.
Ayame kept looking through the animals, picking up certain ones to coo over. "But where's me?" he asked, pouting. "You couldn't find a snake, but you could find a seahorse?"
"I guess there's just not a lot of call for stuffed snakes." Tohru said apologetically. "And we bought Ha-chan." She trailed off, looking embarrassed. Hatori actually blushed a little bit.
Ayame was delighted. "You've named it Ha-chan?" he asked, picking it up again. "I can't stand it! I have to have one! Tohru, were did you get it?"
"Yuki and Kyo took me to the fair on the other side of town. They won some of them for me, others we bought." She sighed. "We couldn't find a rooster, either."
"Well, I'm not surprised you couldn't find a stuffed chicken, but that you didn't find a snake! It's.shameful!" He shook his head. "Well, that's that." He said, "I suppose I shall just have to MAKE you one!" His eyes went dreamy. "You know, that's not a bad idea. Lets see, white silk of course, and I think I have gold plated buttons for the eyes." The others tuned him out after a while.
"May I finish the checkup now?" Hatori asked, finishing off his sandwich and brushing his hands off. He once more got out his instruments and started running them over Yuki, who sighed and endured it.
"So what do you think, Tohru?" Ayame asked, finishing his spiel. "Would that be acceptable?"
Tohru flushed guiltily. She hadn't been listening to a thing he said. "Oh! Yes, that would be fine!" she said, nodding fervently, wondering exactly what she was agreeing to.
"Wonderful!" He said, gathering up all the stuffed animals. "I'll return them to you as soon as I'm finished!" he said, piling them behind him. "Oh, you're going to love it!"
"What is he babbling about?" Kyo asked, looking at the stack of animals behind the beaming man.
"If you weren't listening, then I suppose you'll just have to wait and see!" Ayame said, winking. "Hari, are you finished?"
"Yes." Hatori said, packing his instruments up. "He's got a clean bill of health."
Ayame snapped his fingers, looking inspired. "You know, it might be a good idea to give Tohru and Lucky Kyo."
"I TOLD YOU, STOP CALLING ME THAT!"
"Hush! As I was saying, you should give Kyo and Tohru a checkup too. Just to make sure the trio is in perfect health." He clasped his hands together, sparkles flying around his head. "After all, I want perfect nieces and nephews!"
"Shut up!" Kyo and Yuki yelled, taking a swing at the snake. Shigure jerked him out of the way at the last second, causing the two boys to fall forward, right into Tohru's lap. They jerked upright, faces flaming, carefully not looking at Tohru, who was blushing worse than they were.
Shigure and Ayame started to coo, and Hatori rolled his eyes. "Stop making trouble." He told Ayame. "You know they're in perfect health."
"But they're so cute when they blush in unison!" Ayame said, grinning.
"Shut up!" Yuki and Kyo snapped again.
Hatori sighed again. "Come on, let's get you out of here while you're still able to walk." He said, standing.
Ayame pouted. "Alright." He said, standing as well. He gathered the animals in a big pile and pranced to the door with them, Hatori following behind.
* * *
"Five minutes Tohru!" Ayame said, coming backstage. A chorus of squeals and excited greetings heralded his entrance. One poor girl fainted. Ayame ignored them. "Are you ready, princess?"
"No." Tohru said, eyes spinning. "What if I fall off the stage? What if the audience throws things?"
"Then we'll throw them out." Ayame said. "And you won't fall off stage."
"But."
"Hush." Ayame said, putting a finger on her lips, causing her to blush. Another girl fainted behind them. "You're going to do fine." He pecked her on the forehead and left the backstage area, winking at the other models as he went. One more hit the floor.
"Are they ok?" Tohru asked a blond girl, watching a few of the girls try and revive the ones who were out for the count.
"Ah, they're fine." She said dismissively. "But I gotta say, DAMN. You got one HELL of a hot boyfriend, girl! You gotta love that long white hair."
Tohru's eyes started to spin. "Ayame?!" she said, voice cracking. "H- he's not my boyfriend!"
"Lover?" The girl asked, raising an eyebrow.
Tohru was about to join the others on the floor. "No! He's.my brother- in-law." She said.
"You should have seen if they'd go for a twofer." The girl said, wiggling her eyebrows and smirking.
"Twofer?" Tohru asked.
"Two for one special." The girl said. Tohru frizzed, causing the girl to laugh. "Sorry about that. I can always spot the innocents, and I gotta tease 'em. I'm Mariko."
"N-nice to meet you. I'm Tohru." Tohru said, still twitching slightly.
"So he's your brother in law. Is he available?"
"Umm, I don't know. I could ask him if you want." Tohru said.
"Nah. That's ok. He looks like he's a little high matenance for me." Mariko said. "How long does that man take in the bathroom?"
"About half an hour." Tohru said, finger to her chin. "But longer if he has rice in his hair."
"There has to be a story behind that." Said Mariko. "And I really wanna hear it, but not right now. You've gotta be on stage in.now." She said, pushing Tohru towards the curtain, where Ayame pushed her out on stage.
Instantly, cameras were flashing, and the crowd was clapping wildly. She froze, then remembered she was supposed to be walking. Taking slow, creaky steps, she headed down the runway, turned when she reached the end, and headed back. Just as she turned, she spotted Kyo and Yuki, watching from the back of the room. She blushed and gave a small wave. They smiled and waved back as she disappeared behind the curtain.
"You did real good, kid." Mariko said, slinging an arm around her shoulders. "Now, be a good girl and tell me to break a leg." She went onstage.
Ayame came dashing backstage, tears in his eyes. "Tohru, you were magnificent!" He said, clutching her hands to his chest. "Superb! Exquisite!" He jumped when Mariko came back, pushing her bangs out of her eyes.
"Damn! Girls, did you see those two guys in the back?" A few murmurs of agreement flowed through the dressing room. "Sorry ladies, I claim the redhead." She grinned and wiggled her eyebrows. "You know what they say about the redheads."
Ayame started laughing. "I'm sorry, my dear. He's taken." He said, putting an arm around Tohru. "He's my little Tohru's husband."
"I knew guys went for that innocent thing." Mariko said, shaking her head. "How about the silver blond? He's just as fine."
"Taken as well."
"Dammit! Do you have a sister?" Mariko asked, hands on her hips.
Ayame grinned. "No, he's Tohru's too."
For once, Mariko didn't have a single thing to say. Tohru stared at the floor, face burning. Mariko bowed down in front of Tohru. "Please. Teach me your ways." She intoned.
Ayame couldn't stand it. He laughed until tears ran down his face, while Tohru babbled about how Mariko should get up, she couldn't teach her anything, what the heck was she DOING!? He wiped his eyes and told a still babbling Tohru to get into her next dress. She went gladly, hair still frizzed.
"She's really innocent, isn't she?" Mariko asked.
"As a newborn babe." Ayame said, smiling fondly.
"Good. Not enough of 'em in the world. Try and keep her that way." Mariko said. She went back to the curtained off alcove where they changed to get into her next outfit.