Hello, and welcome to the 3rd chapter! This chapter is actually a little longer then the rest, it verysa little. Like, the next chapter is actually kind of short. Anyway, Thanks for reading, and enjoy!
Again I say, I don't own fruits basket, blah blah blah.
Yuki walked through the door carrying grocery bags, Tohru by his side, talking lightly as they put the food away in the kitchen. It was around 3: 30 pm, and they had bought plenty of food for the next week or so.
"Thank you for going with me to shop Yuki, it was helpful and very kind of you!" Tohru thanked him as she put the salmon into the refrigerator.
"No problem Miss Honda. Besides, it's better then staying home with that stupid cat all day." His tone of voice changed at the end of his sentence.
Tohru gave a warm smile and told him she was heading up to Kyo's room to give him a check up, milk and meds. She was about half way to the stairs when the house shook a little, and the door flung open, jumping Tohru two feet in the air, almost spilling the milk all over the place..
"OH TOURU, TOHRU! IS IT TRUE?" It was Kagura Sohma, obviously referring to Kyo's health. "Is it true my Kyo is sick?"
Tohru smiled at her, holding a tray full of medicine. "Hello Kagura. Yes, I'm sad to say it is. But he'll be fine with some rest overnight. Would you like to take this up to him and say hello?"
In an instant Kagura's arms were around her neck. "Oh yes, thank you, thank you!" She zoomed upstairs, leaving Tohru in the dust of her movement. "Just be… careful" She sweat dropped, an awkward smile on her face, hearing a surprised and frustrated Kyo yelling at Kagura, asking what she was doing here.
Tohru was busy overcoming one visitor when she turned around to be yet again surprised with another. Ayame Sohma's laugh and Yuki's frustrated voice of argument filling the house.
"Oh brother, don't seem so angered! I know you must be just too engulfed in the matchless love of your older brother to show any emotion but frustration from not being able to over come it! Well I must say that's quite alright; I didn't exactly come to see you anyway. But I admit it was wonderful to know you enjoyed seeing me! Oh dear princess I didn't even see you there." He rushed over to Tohru's side, holding her hand with all his glory. "And how are you my flower, are you being watered and nurtured well in this house full of stuffy men? Oh my listen to me ramble about unimportant things when there are matters to attend to! Well, ta ta princess, oh and brother, treat her well or I shall have to take your place…" He was left in the background with bandages on his head laughing his famous laugh, still talking to himself.
"Wishful thinking brother." He was already taking Tohru by the hand, leading her out the door. "I'm going to my secret base; would you like to join me?"
Tohru was still standing in one spot, confused at everything that happened at once. "Everything's happening so fast!" She looked at Yuki, a determined look on her face. "Ah, yes, I would love to!"
Ayame was suddenly behind her, putting the hairs on her head on end. "Ahhh, the romance of the younger ages. So beautiful!" He laughed, bounding off to find Shigure, ignoring Yuki's threats and demands for him to stop his nonsense. Tohru grabbed her light jacket, laughing a little, joining the flustered Yuki for a walk to the garden.
In the mean time, Kyo was sitting quietly next to the window again, listening to Kagura reluctantly, rubbing his face where it was swollen from a punch in the cheek given to him gracefully from the over-caring lover that visited him.
"Oh Kyo, I hope you get better. I was so upset, I bought you a present!" She opened her small orange cat back pack, pulling out a small white ornament, placing it in front of him. Kyo turned his head to find a small porcelain rice ball, and Kagura at the door, her back to him, hand on the door frame.
"She really cares for you." She turned to go out the door, stopped by Kyo's demand to wait.
"You came all this way just to tell me that didn't you?" He stared at the ornament.
"I'll come see you again soon!" Kagura stated, smiling in the hall, walking away and downstairs, leaving Kyo to sit in silence.
He picked up the little rice ball, examining it and thinking about the person he knew he cared for, wishing he could only show it.
I can't.If that damn bastard Akito found out he would probably demand Tohru out house and not let her return, not to mention hurt her in some way. Why is everyone telling me this anyway? They know something I don't. DAMNIT! He punched the floor, so much less power deriving from it then normal.
He stood weakly, not sure what to make of himself. He thought of what Kagura said. It was clear he cared as well.
Kagura walked past Ayame and Shigure in the living room, sitting at the table on the floor under the light heater. She smiled at them, explaining her visit, and when she would be back.
"That's fine with me. We'll see you soon then." Shigure gave her a goodbye and turned back to Ayame, both of them being uncommonly serious for their personalities. revising
"So do you think we should call Haa-san over here? With Akito wanting to see her, don't you think we should get his advice?" Ayame leaned in, holding his warm tea in a clay cup in both hands, sitting across from Shigure. He on the other hand, leaned back and closed his eyes.
"I don't know; it might not be a good idea. Haa-san is a busy person, and he might not appreciate being called over for something like this. He was already over here today, you know; to check on Kyo."
"Ah yes, lucky Kyo, how's he doing?" He snapped out of his serious streak.
"Just fine, Tohru's taken fine care of him as usual. I think she's quiet fond of him; more then the others, if you know what I mean."
Ayame laughed a meaningful but quiet laugh. "Ah yes, I do. You and I more than anyone else, I would think. I think Akito suspects it, though. And personally I think that's the exact reason he's calling Tohru to him." He winked at Shigure, then sipped his tea, getting back to the subject. "So, should we call Haa-san?"
Shigure automatically came to the opposite conclusion then before. "Why of course my friend. He knows most about Akito then a lot of us. And, already being through a separation from a loved one, he knows what its like. If my theory is correct, Akito plans to make Tohru's emotions toward Kyo apparent to her, then say something around the lines of what he said to Kana, and forbid the relationship they would want to begin, after a while of it progressing. And all as a plan to have Tohru leave the Sohmas for good." Ayame looked at him with concern pure as crystal. He was quiet for a moment.
"Well being the bias big brother I am, I can't help but want the princess with my little brother, but lucky Kyo must live up to his name."
Shigure laughed a little, but decided to share his thoughts with his childhood friend and relative. "Honestly… I think that if Tohru gets Akito to open up to her, that may… lift the curse." He said the three last words in particular care and pronunciation. Ayame's eyes widened.
"Oh…oh my. You really think so?"
Shigure nodded. "Shall we call Haa-san and share this information? I'll ask him to accompany me to stand outside the hall tomorrow while she visits with Akito. Things may get rough..." He started his thinking as Ayame stood.
"Yes then. I'll have him come over immediately. Nothing hurts my little princess." He zoomed over to the phone, explaining the whole thing to his good friend, and setting plans for a visit to talk with Tohru.
"Where is she now?" Asked Hatori.
"Oh, she's on a fantasy date with Yuki at his secret base, whatever that is. When Shigure and I were young that was something like a "playhouse", but Yuki and I are much different as you know. Oh my, ahahaha, I can only imagine what he's up to!"
"I'll be there in 15 minutes, you should hope that she is there before or only soon after I get there." He hung up, with the note that Yuki was much different then Ayame, and the thought of having a house for all his play sessions with different girlfriends as secret base was not in his nature.
And it wasn't. For Yuki and Tohru were resting on the rocks sitting next to the garden, gloves on and bucket of weeds at their side. They had been there for almost an hour, picking weeds and planting some of the other vegetables Tohru had picked out at the grocery store.
"Do you think that any of the vegetables will be ready to eat by the end of this short break? I'd like to make a nice dinner with before we go back to school." Tohru glanced at him, wishing that they might.
"I think the miso might be ready, maybe even the leeks. But that would probably be it." He continued thinking, and decided school would be a good subject to bring up. "How are you doing in school? Now that you mention it, I have some student council work to do once we get back to the house. How are your grades?" He implied help if needed.
Tohru looked at the sky with a smile on her face. "I'm doing so much better this year, now that you're here to help me. I know that I can go to you if I need help, and you'll explain it to me even though you have your own work to do." She laughed and shut her eyes, basking her face in the sun. "I'm so grateful!"
Yuki studied her as the sun shone brilliantly onto her face, focusing on her light complexion. He had completely opened his heart and broken soul to her, without even trying to resist her call. He had placed it in her hands to calm when he was overworked, or stressed by the life he lead. He was forever grateful to her. This stupid curse. If it wasn't for it I would have swept her off her feet and taken her for myself a long time ago. And that bastard Akito…
"You know, it's funny. It's been all this time, and I still remember all the small things my mom used to tell me. It's hard to believe next month it will be two years since she died. She used to tell me that my outfits were cute, and then tell me later she said it to make me smile, because seeing my smile gave her confidence that I could go on if I ever had to be away from her. If only she knew how much I smile now, she would be so happy." Tohru glanced at Yuki, leaning back as she watched the sun go down.
Yuki watched her, his respect and love for her running genuinely deep. The next thing he knew, he was standing in front of her, had her chin in his hand, and was kissing the corner of her lips.
Tohru jumped in her clothes; face fiery red, making a breathy noise in shock of his actions, not sure in any means of what to do. She stood in one spot, as Yuki stood up straight, smiling. He offered a hand, to help her up, making her mind flash to Kyo, and how her heart had skipped its beats by a simple glance from his golden slit eyes. She shot back to where Yuki was standing in front of her, jumping up and stuttering as she covered her face with her hands, hiding the brick red color of her cheeks.
Yuki smiled and laughed, starting back to the house. "I'm hungry Miss Honda. We should head back for dinner." And with that he left her to think about what just happened.
When they arrived home, they were surprised to see Hatori, Ayame and Shigure all at the table, drinking tea and looking serious.
"Tohru, may we barrow you for a few moments?" Hatori looked at her with all seriousness, his usual professional expression spread across his face.
Tohru stopped, hanging up her jacket without really looking, still flushed from her moment at the garden. "Oh, yes, of course!" She walked over, taking a seat facing all three of them, all of them sitting at one side of the square table. Yuki glared at Shigure, as if to threaten him to be gentle. With that, he walked upstairs to his room to work on the student council work he mentioned.
Hatori calmly turned to face Tohru, who was in front of him. She was to Shigure's left and Ayame's right; Shigure being to Hatori's left, and Ayame being to his right, and so on. He sipped his tea, and then began. "Alright, straight to the point, shall we? Akito wishes to have a meeting with you on tomorrow at 1 o'clock sharp, on his own. I suppose he's interested in something he has heard, but it's none of my business so I don't know the details. Shigure and I are to accompany you and will stand in the hall outside the room."
Tohru was surprised and a little uneasy at the idea, but went along with it without protest. Shigure noticed her nervousness, and spoke up. "Now, now, there's nothing to worry about. Que' sahra sahra as I say!" He giggled. "If anything happens, we'll be there in a flash to prevent it. No need to worry, my flower." Though his words eased her a little, it didn't get rid of the anticipation of the visit. She was worried, but not that she would get hurt by the invitation, but that he wouldn't realize that she cared by the end of the talk they would have.
"There, there princess, I don't have much to do with Akito but I'm sure everything will be perfectly fine." Ayame leaned over and took her hand.
"Stop it Ayame. Tohru, Akito most likely wished to speak with you about something that is going on in this household. I suggest you are truthful, and don't speak unless you have to, or are asked a question. That's the way Akito likes it." Hatori finished his drink, standing. "Now, I'm going home for the last time today. I'll go check on Kyo, and I will leave. Ayame, you're coming with me."
He looked at Tohru, and even gave her an encouraging smile. "We will be there in case anything happens. Don't worry about it. Get some sleep, and continue living regularly until we see each other tomorrow." With that, he checked on Kyo, and a few minutes later, Ayame had said his dramatic goodbyes to everyone, including his brother, and they were gone.