Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket. Otherwise we'd be alternating between Hatsuharu and Hatori on the front covers.
Chapter One – Making PlansSummer! The sun's heavy rays had been weighing down upon Kaibara High for long enough, and finally, after enduring week after week of the humid air, yawn inducing lectures and many less than air-conditioned class rooms, the students were free for the next two months. Although many of them had complained about the heat and it's effect on their working habits, evidently, it had no affect on how quick their reflexes were when it came to scrambling from the classroom at the first chime of the school bell. Tohru Honda, in particular, was even more enthusiastic than usual.
"Summer!" she exclaimed, leaning forward and stretching her arms out over her desk. "Two whole months! Maybe we can get together and celebrate tonight, Uo, Hana?" she enquired, looking back and forth from her two friends whom she thought were seated at the desks on either side of her. However, after not receiving any form of response, Tohru looked up, only to see that the classroom had already been evacuated. She let out a tiny "Eep!", stumbled to her feet, grabbed her bag, and ran out the door.
Ten minutes later, Tohru walked out of the school's front doors with Yuki, Kyo, Uo and Hana. After some quick chatter in the hall, they decided that they were to go back to Shigure's house and decide how to celebrate there. Tohru couldn't help but keep a smile from creeping up on her. Not that it was unusual to smile, but this time, she had something to be even more grateful for – four great friends who actually got along! Well, to some extent – but we won't go into details about Kyo and Uo here.
For some reason, the walk back to Shigure's house ended up being a relatively quiet one. When they got back to Shigure's house, it took them all of maybe thirty seconds to be promptly told that they were to have their bags packed and be ready to leave tomorrow morning for the ride to the lake house.
"Really!" Tohru asked, delighted. "Oh, another trip with you, Shigure! I'm so privileged!" She was tempted to grab the sensei and pull him into a tight hug, but she quickly reminded herself of the company she was in.
"Yes, I thought you'd say something along those lines," Shigure grinned, rubbing his chin.
Yuki and Kyo had long since decided that as much as they hated the lake house, every time Shigure tried to drag them there, it was probably safer if they went. If they went, they could at least protect Tohru from his (and Ayame's, as it usually happened) lecherous ways, plus, if they stayed, they had a sneaking suspicion that most of the week would be spent by Mit trying to break into the house. Besides, what was there to do if they did stay home? Keep each other company for the whole week?
"As an added bonus, my lovely Tohru," Shigure continued, placing a hand on each Uo and Hana's shoulders, "I was wondering if maybe your two beautiful friends would like to accompany us, maybe?"
Tohru smiled, while Kyo and Yuki looked stunned. A whole week having to share the same house as those two! Was he serious? Well, Shigure, might as well just tell them the secret right now.
Shigure's grin widened. "Mmhmm…" he hummed, leaning in slightly closer to the girls. Oh, while you're at it, better tell them about the different legends that exist as well.
Unfortunately, Kyo, who hadn't been having a good day to begin with, was just about at his breaking point. "And why the hell would we want them to come!" he nearly yelled at Shigure. Tohru and Shigure just stared at him, while Yuki just looked plain annoyed. 'Well, now they won't want to come,' he thought. Uo seemed to realize this as well. She almost burst out into laughter on the spot.
"So, you don't want us to come? Oh, well, that's it, Orange Top. We'll have to come just because of that."
Yuki put his head in his hands. Sometimes, you just couldn't trust Kyo and his mouth.
"Well, it's settled then!" Shigure decided to put a word in before Kyo and Uo decided to start fighting. It wouldn't be very good on his house. "We'll leave tomorrow. Now, you two sweet girls, would you mind to go home and pack? If you'd like, we can make accommodations for you here tonight, so we can get an early head start in the morning."
"Right, who's driving?" asked Yuki, finally able to have a word in the conversation.
"Well, since including Hatori-" Yuki breathed a sigh of relief. Shigure continued. "Yes, with Hatori there'll be seven of us, so we're going to end up having to double up in the back seats.
"Double up?"
"Yes, Yuki, it's a term commonly used when referring to two people sitting on one seat with a seat belt over them both. It can be a bit squishy, but I'm sure we'll make it."
Yuki didn't even bother asking if it was legal, because that didn't really matter… how the hell were they going to be able to pull this 'double up' stunt off without him or Kyo transforming? "Shigure-" he started, but was cut off.
"Oh yes, and we're going for two weeks. Don't worry, it'll leave you plenty of time to do your homework when you get back." He turned to Hana and Uo, who were getting surprisingly little speech time considering this whole conversation was about them. "Do you think you can put up with the insanity that goes on in this household for two weeks?"
Hana nodded. "But, it makes me wonder… who is this "Hatori"?"
"Oh," Tohru chimed in, getting a little wary of everything which was spewing from Shigure's mouth, "Hatori's the Sohma family doctor, but he can't really take that much time away from Akito, can he…?" She trailed off, turning to Shigure.
"Well," Shigure paused. "I think he'll probably be back and forth between Sohma house and the lake house, depending on who calls him. I don't believe he has the intentions of bringing Akito anywhere he doesn't need to be. It wouldn't be that good on Yuki, especially not during his vacation…"
Hana and Uo were now thoroughly lost. "So, this Akito-" Uo began, only to be quickly cut off by Tohru.
"Well, better get home and pack!" Tohru said, a tad too cheerily. "Don't forget pajama's, toothbrushes, bathing suits-"
"We are not swimming!" Three guesses whom this came from.
"Oh, Orange Top, speak for yourself, otherwise just shut up. I don't mind lakes. I like swimming, especially during the summer. Hey, Hana, you up to wearing something other than a long black dress for the whole summer?" Hana nodded, and they both started heading for the door. "Right, we'll be back by eleven tonight, all packed, see you then."
"Bye bye!" Shigure said, trying to leave the conversation on a happy note.
Shigure turned to look at Kyo, who huffed and stormed upstairs, and they heard the sliding door to his room shut with a snap. Shigure then turned to look at Yuki. "What do you think?"
"I'm still trying to figure out how you managed to get two girls to accompany you to the lake house, being the lecherous old geyser you are." Yuki stated simply, ignoring the protests from Shigure that he was only twenty-eight. "Also, there's just a little problem… tiny, really, not worth mentioning…" Yuki turned to walk out of the room, but was stopped by Shigure's voice.
"And what might this teensy weensy problem be?"
"Oh, nothing, just the fact that while doubling up, we have TWO extra girls and only ONE of Tohru! How the hell are you going to pull this off, you know that me or that stupid cat will transform-" he was cut off mid speech by the glint in Shigure's eyes. He took a minute to interpret the glint, and then realization dawned on him like a brisk being thrown at him. "No way in hell am I sitting on top of that stupid cat!" he stated, walking into the kitchen and slamming the door with enough force that it… sort of broke.
Tohru stared dumbstruck at the folded kitchen door. She had rarely seen Yuki act so much… like Kyo. Did they really hate each other that much? She heard the phone ring, but it stopped, so she assumed that it was picked up elsewhere in the house. Shigure just smiled and sighed. "It's alright, I'm sure they'll come around. Especially when they realize who they'll have to put up with if they stay here…"
Tohru gave him a funny look. She knew there were many people who were constantly randomly showing up at Shigure's house that the boys didn't like to put p with… including Ayame, Kagura, oh, and-
"I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if Mit found them here and started bugging them to write my novel for her. Now that I think about it, it's not such a bad idea, maybe, if they stay here."
"We're coming," said two voices from either side of Tohru and Shigure, who were now sitting by their table. Shigure opened up his newspaper.
"See, what did I tell you. What made you come around?"
Kyo spoke first. "Kagura just called, she told me that her and Ayame were coming over tomorrow afternoon whether we like it or not, they both want to do some sort of bonding thing with us."
"Ah, so you're afraid of them. Now I have blackmail material."
Shit.
"So, Miss Honda… will you be doubling up with Miss Uo-tani or Miss Hanajima?"
"Oh, I'll probably end up sitting on top of Uo… I think Hana's a little bit fragile, and she doesn't like getting too close to people. How about you two, who's going to sit on who?"
"I'll probably end up sitting on top of that stupid cat… I think I weight about ten pounds less," Tohru wasn't going to bother to ask how he knew this.
Shigure looked up from his newspaper. "Funny, Kyo always stuck me as someone who would like to be on top and in control," he said, barely being able to contain his snickers.
Kyo's fist collided with his head.
"Shall I go make dinner?" Tohru stood up and asked, completely oblivious to what Shigure had just implied. When Yuki nodded, she stood and walked into the kitchen, which was still lacking a proper door. It wasn't until a few minutes later, when she turned to see someone handing her the rice that she realized that Yuki had followed her in.
"Oh, Yuki!" She said, jumping a little bit.
"Miss Honda, I'd like you to know…" he glanced down at the ground before looking back up. He almost forced himself to look her in the eye. "I'd like you to know, I'm going to try my best to behave well these next two weeks, even if it means have to put up with that stupid - …with Kyo," he swore that last word left a disgusting taste in his mouth. "Miss Honda… I'd like to be on my best behaviour… so you can enjoy your vacation with not only your two friends, and not me and Kyo as individuals, but with all of us, all your friends, as a whole."
At these last words, Tohru almost had tears in her eyes. She couldn't help herself; Yuki was just so sweet sometimes. She launched herself on him and wrapped her arms around, almost forgetting what was coming next.
Poof.
So… tell me what you think. Please? This is my first time attempting to write something that I actually have an idea of where it's going…
Please review, negative or positive ; D
