Disclaimer: I must sorrowfully admit I have no ownership to Fruits Basket.
Kitsundemon- I'm flattered. It means a lot to me knowing that you like my fic. I thought a lot about how to write it.
HelloKat- Thank you for reviewing again. I always look forward to hearing from you again. Your writing skills are something I look up to.
luvHaru7- Thanks for pointing that out. I'll fix it when I get the time.
Miyu-chan- Thank you! I'm glad you liked my fic. Yeah, I agree, AUs are fun to read. YUKIRUs ROCK!!!!!!
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Within the Hidden Soul
Chapter 4: A Boy In A Garden
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Glares followed the oblivious figures of Tohru and Yuki. The two teenagers made their way to the back of the cafeteria, exiting to the school gardens.
They stood right outside the school building looking for a comfortable place to sit. The gardens were surprisingly empty, which was a shame because the well-trimmed hedges, red roses, and the fountain in the middle of a circular clearing gave a most calming effect. Tohru made a quick side-glance and saw Yuki's expression soften a bit.
Yuki offered to carry her tray ast hey wandered a bit through the various paths lined with hedges. Tohru had actually never stepped foot in the large expanses of the garden. She had vaguely known there was a garden, but most people at school were more concerned with the theatrical arts than the elegant beauty of nature. Tohru sighed contentedly. She would have to come here more often.
Now that she thought of it, this place was rather romantic. She stiffened at the thought. She began to feel a slight flush make its way to her cheeks. They were alone, about to eat lunch, in the privacy of a not-quite-abandoned garden. She really was a little slow...
Just as she was going to say something in hopes of returning to the cafeteria, Yuki pointed out a quaint little patch of soft grass underneath the shade of a graceful willow tree.
She followed him in nervous silence. Yuki inwardly grinned when he noticed her begin to blush at the realization that they were to be sitting alone in the garden. It was too perfect, really. He could easily kidnap her, but it was way to soon to take her. It would be a bit suspicious since half the school population had watched them leave together. But knowing it was this easy to lure her away from everyone eased his fears of being unable to complete his mission. Yet his guilty feelings were not calmed. Inside, he knew what he was doing was wrong, but he knew where his loyalties must lay in order for his survival. He knew failure led to an unpleasant, if not fatal, reward.
Yuki silently recounted the best and quickest method to kidnap her. He needed a method. Her trust in him would make thingsworlds easier. But how to gain that trust? Then he remembered a lesson he received at thirteen.
"Yuki. I have noticed that since reaching puberty- Stop blushing, we all go through it!" Kazuma chuckled at Yuki's face of utter embarrassment. He continued, "Since reaching puberty, many a female has turned their heads when you pass."
"Which is rather annoying. I never get nothing more than giggles from hormone driven girls when I go out." Yuki muttered. Again Kazuma chuckled.
"Well, this annoyance must be worked to your advantage!" Kazuma continued in an instructing tone, "You see, the best way to gain trust from an assignement of the opposite sex is to have them fall for you. Granted, they don't need to fall in love with you, just become extremely infatuated." He paused to make sure Yuki was paying attention. "But Yuki, in order to make your mission a success when using this particular method, you must make sure NOT to fall in love. Infatuations are easy to brush off, but love is a different story."
The master then proceeded to bend over to come eye level with Yuki. "Yet I need you to remember that being part of the circle of Juunishi agents does not mean that you are totally lost to love, and that here," he said pointing to Yuki's heart, "is where the humanity of all human beings lay."
Kazuma would be damned if he created another heartless monster. Another Akito. No, he would not make that mistake again.
Kazuma stood up and regained his "instructor's" expression.
"For tomorrow's lesson, we'll train you in the art of courtship. Yes, there is such a thing. Especially in the case of the Sohmas!" Kazuma grinned at Yuki's unwilling and disbelieving face. He continued,"Right now, we need to get you into today's lesson of defense and offense tactics. Today's weapon of choice....the sword!"
Yuki grinned, this time it actually reached his face, as a feeling of victory came to him. He found his method.
As they reached the tree, Yuki handed her the tray and sat next to her.
"It seems we're the only ones here Ms. Honda." Yuki observed casually.
"Hai." Tohru said, her face down in hopes of hiding the blush on her cheeks. However, these attempts actually drew attention to herself. Yuki smiled, she was very pretty indeed.
Yuki pulled out a rose he had picked from the bushes while she was looking away a few moments ago. He presented it to her and gave a dashing smile. He chuckled good naturedly as she became more flustered.
"You look cute when you blush," he stated, leaning in to brush a fallen leaf out of her hair. She looked away as she felt his warm breath caress her cheek. She felt nervous at the closeness of their faces.
"Thank you," she said softly, still looking away. Changing the topic she asked,"Do you like gardens, Sohma-kun?"
Yuki leaned back on his elbows and he serenely looked around. "Yes, very much. I used to have my own garden. I would stay there for hours. It was my version of a secret base, I suppose."
Tohru relaxed a bitat seeing him talk about something he seemed to genuinely like. "Used to? What happened to it?" As soon as those words came from her mouth, she regretted them.
He looked down a bit sadly before saying, "Some family members felt that the activity didn't have enough dignity to it," he paused, "What about you? What do you enjoy doing?"
"Well, I enjoy spending time with my friends. I'll have to introduce you to them sometime," she said, smiling. "I like spending quality time with people. It's nice knowing you can share your thoughts with others, you know?"
Yuki just smiled in response.
The bell suddenly rang. Yuki quickly stood up and helped Tohru. He took her tray, and offered his arm.
They parted ways in the hall, but not before Yuki took her hand and kissed it in front of a crowd of jealous girls.
Yuki left a partly confused Tohru behind as he headed toward his next class.
"Class, for this semester we will be focusing on Shakespeare. The first play we will study will be Romeo and Juliet," the teacher droned.
Yuki took up his pen, ready to take notes. He sighed in quiet contentment. Shakespeare, he liked Shakespeare. He relaxed in his chair and smiled for what seemed the tenth time that day. A couple seconds later, quiet giggles erupted from the giddy teenage girls in class, and Yuki forced himself to look more serious for the sake of the rest of the class.
It was going to be a long day.
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A/N
Sorry for the long delay. I was kind of busy with finals and Christmas. I re-read some of the manga and watched the anime again, and inspiration hit me! My Yukiru-lovingness (that's a word I made up) was rejuvenated. Thank you to Kiki for pointing that out! I fixed it.
Anyways, this chapter presents some new questions concerning Kazuma, but not to fear! All will be answered in time. Tohru has a rocky road ahead of her, too!
Once again please review. Comments and constructive criticisms are appreciated!
Ja!
S.B. Kisses