Disclaimer: All titles, characters, and anything else Fruits Basket related are owned by Natsuki Takaya. I do not own Fruits Basket. All the following characters are her's, not mine. However, all ideas and story and everything else are mine and not her's. I didn't copy offa anybody!

Summary: Tohru has a crush on Yuki, and we can't tell yet if Yuki likes Tohru. Kyo definitely likes Tohru, but we don't know if Tohru likes Kyo like she loves Yuki. And then it seems Yuki is getting the hots for Tohru. What a mess! Then, Yuki is forced to go out with a fan club member, if he wants Tohru's safe return! Will Yuki and Tohru become a couple? Will the fan club girls and Kyo let them? Sort of a short story and fast paced. Hope you enjoy!

AN: The first chapter is, sorry to say, almost exactly like the manga book. Um…yeah. Enjoy. R&R. No flames, please. And no reviews that go on and on and on and on… I don't really want to change my story, y'know? Anyway, I'll stop babbling and let you read…

Chapter 1- DefaultTohru Honda pulled a strand of long brown hair out of her face. She had her school uniform on, and she was happy. Today was a Friday, and the sun was shining brightly. It was the end of summer, beginning of August, and she was in year 1 at the local high-school. She was living in a tent, but she didn't care. Her mom's picture was beautiful, and she loved looking at it at night when she couldn't sleep.

"Wow! It looks like today's going to be another hot one. I'm not forgetting anything, am I? Okay, mom, your in charge while I'm gone. I'm off!"

As she was walking from her tent along a trail in the woods, exploring the area before school started; she noticed a big house.

Wow, just look at this place! I didn't know there was a house here. It's so peaceful. Thought Tohru to herself. She walked closer to the house and noticed some pretty rocks, in the form of the Chinese zodiac animals.

"Oh! How cute." Commented Tohru. They were drying out, and Tohru couldn't resist running over to them and picking one up. It was the rat rock.

"Hello, what's this? I must be seeing things." Asked a man of about 20 years, holding a newspaper.

"A girl here? My, my…"

"Oh! I'm sorry! How rude of me!" Blushed Tohru, putting the rock down quickly. "I'm sorry for trespassing! I just saw these and-" Tohru pointed to the rocks.

"It's okay." Laughed the man, adding, "My name is Shigure. Shigure Sohma. Please continue. I was merely setting the rocks out to dry."

Tohru looked odd when Shigure said his last name.

"What?"
"Oh, nothing. I'm just thinking that your last name is like the one of a boy in my class. However you two couldn't be related: you guys look and seem like total opposites."

"Oh really?" Asked Shigure, smiling. "Is his name Yuki by any chance?"

"Yeah! You know him?" Asked Tohru.

"I live with him." Shigure responded.

"Oh!" Said Tohru, blushing. Just thinking of the "prince" made Tohru blush! Yuki was easily the most gorgeous t guy at her school.

"What's your name?" Asked Shigure, surprised. Usually nobody walked in the woods by his house.

"Tohru Honda."

"Why are you here?"

"I live here, sorta." Said Tohru.

"Really?" Shigure asked. Nobody could live around here, the Sohmas owned all the land ten miles from the house.

"I thought you young people were bored by old-fashioned superstitions like the Chinese Zodiac."

Oh! What a beautiful person! Thought Tohru to herself. Then she answered, "No! I think the zodiac animals are adorable!"

"Hmm…aren't they? I like them, too." Replied Shigure.

"But I guess you wouldn't have the cat." Said Tohru.

"Cat? Oh, you mean…the cat from the zodiac legend?"Shigure asked, thinking she was well-informed.

"That's right! My mother told me that story all the time!" Said Tohru, smiling.

Once upon a time… before she died.

FLASHBACK

Tohru was snuggled under her blanket, and her mother was laying next to her, telling her the zodiac story.

"God told all the animals… 'I'm inviting you all to my banquet tomorrow. Don't be late!' However, hearing that, the mischievous rat lied to his neighbor, the cat. He told him that the banquet would be the day after tomorrow.

The next day, the rat rode on the back of the ox and nimbly landed before the banquet hall. After him followed the ox, the tiger, and all the rest, and together they feasted until morning.

All except for the poor cat who had been tricked."

"Poor, poor thing! Poor cat…" Cried little Tohru, tears rolling down her face.

"Why are you crying, Tohru?"

"I know! I'll stop being the dog and be the cat!" Exclaimed tiny Tohru.

"Whatever, I'm going to bed." Replied her mom.

END FLASHBACK

"Well, that's an interesting story." Replied Shigure.

"Huh? Oh! I was saying that out loud?" Blushed Tohru.

"Yeah." Replied Shigure.
"Well, that's how much I like the cat." Said Tohru, smiling.

"Is that so? I wish I could see the expression on his face if he heard you say that."

"What?" Asked Tohru, confused.

"Oh, nothing. So you're the year of the dog? I knew I felt an connection with you. Can't you feel it? I'm a dog, too, y'know."

"Yes. Well, I better get going." Said Tohru, smiling politely.

"Okay. See you later, Tory."
"It's Tohru." Said the cute girl, and then bowed her head and walked away.

Shigure wondered if this 'Tohru' character was one of Yuki's many fan-club members. She blushed when he mentioned Yuki, and surely she was lying about walking this way. Nobody could live in a house close to here, Shigure, well the Sohma's, owned all the land!
"Who was that?" Asked a stunningly good-looking boy with silver blonde hair.
"Oh, just a girl named Tohru." Shigure responded.
"Tohru Honda?" Asked Yuki. Although he only vaguely knew who she was.

"Yes. I believe so. You know her?" Asked Shigure.

"She's in my class." Responded Yuki.

"Why don't you walk her to school then?" Asked Shigure.

"Okay." Said Yuki, and started walked after her.

It was almost fall, and even though it was sunny, the air was chilly. Gusts of wind ruffled his coat and hair. And Yuki couldn't help noticing that whenever it blew wind in Tohru's direction, her mini skirt for her school uniform flew up, exposing her underwear. Yuki blushed.

"Tohru!" Yelled Yuki.

Tohru Honda turned around. It was the prince!

"Wait up!" He yelled.

She waited and he caught up.

"H-hi Yuki." Stuttered Tohru.

"Are you all right? My cousin didn't bother you, did he?"

"O-0h no! He didn't."

"That's a relief." Said Yuki, smiling.

"Y-yes." Stuttered Tohru. She couldn't talk straight around Yuki, he was too gorgeous. They were silent the rest of the way to school.

"HONDA SAN! EXPLAIN YOURSELF!" Yelled one of Yuki's top fan club members. She was short and wore her hair in short ponytails. Her face was flushed red, and she was angry.

"WELL?"

"Why do you and Yuki come to school together? Give us a full and complete explanation!" Shouted three other girls behind her. They were imagining Yuki and Tohru flirting together, and they were furious!

"It was just a coincidence! D-don't you t-think you're overreacting?" Tohru managed to say.

"OVERREACTING? IF COINCIDENCES LIKE THAT WERE LEGAL, WE WOULDN'T NEED THE POLICE!" Yelped the crazy girl, and a kid with glasses in the hallway yelled 'quiet in the halls!'.

That's right. The charming Yuki Sohma-kun. He may just be a first-year student, like me, but he's already reigning prince at our school.

The crazy girl interrupted Tohru's thoughts…

"Look, you! Just because Sohma-kun was so kind enough as to hang out with you…it's no reason to get a swelled head!!!" Exclaimed the girl.

"Hey!" The fan-club leader turned around.

"Tohru told you it was a coincidence, didn't she? Stop fantasizing and get a life." Said a tall, scary looking bully girl. Of course she wasn't really a bully, but she sure looked like one, and she was menacing.

The girl's ponytails flew up, and her hair pricked on end. She was freaked out! However, this girl didn't stop her.

"W-what is this? Threatening us with your gangster buddy, huh? Don't think we're through with you just because of this Yankee!"

"Uo-chan, Hanna-Chan…" Tohru said meekly, turning to her friends.

Hana said, "I could BLEEP them with electro-poison waves…"

"You saved me!" Exclaimed Tohru as Uo hugged her.

"Oh, you poor thing. HanaJima, don't zap anyone." Replied Uo to Hana.

"I was really nervous. Sohma-kun is so handsome, I just froze up." Said Tohru, sadly. "We didn't even talk."

Tohru and Hana and Uo were with the other girls of their home economics class, making lunch for their grade.

"Hmmm… I detect strange waves emanating from him." Responded Hana, slicing a fish, "I really don't know how else to explain." Said Hana after Tohru said "Strange?"

"Time for Hana Jima's weather report." Sighed Uo, not bothering to help cook. "Besides, what's to explain? The guy's a walking enigma. Never talks about himself. I heard a second year girl confessed her love for him once…and when she tried to hug him, he flung her away. Totally freaked her out."

"I didn't know that. I wonder why." Said Tohru, pondering that.

"Exactly." Said Hana.

"It's the mystery that makes him intriguing," Said Uo, and she flipped some hair out of her face.

"You three! Move your hands, not your mouths!" Shouted the home ec. teacher. "Oh…oh my." She responded, seeing the fish done neatly on the three plates. It looked perfect. "Who do you think you're fooling? Honda-san made those for you!" Exclaimed the teacher, and Tohru blushed. Busted!

"The rice is done, too." Said Hana, surprised.

"Anyway," Said Uo, as the teacher huffed away, "I'm going shopping with Hana after school. Why don't you come? Oh, wait, you're working, aren't you?"

"Yes, I don't want to be late." Said Tohru, sadly. She wished she didn't have to work late after school, to return home to her tent with loads of homework to do. However, she knew she had to do the job to pay for the expenses of school and everything else. Plus she was saving the money for the future, like college.

"That sucks, having to pay all the school expenses yourself." Replied Uo.

"But you shouldn't have to work everyday to pay your tuition." Said Hana, adding: "This is public school."

"After I graduate, I want to be able to pay my own way!" Said Tohru, pumped. "That's why I have to start saving now!"

"God damnit, Tohru! You're making me cry! So selfless…snif Eat up. You need your strength!"

The Yankee has a soft spot for her friends.

"Anyway," Said Hana, ignoring the Yankee, "You're still living with your dad's family, right?"
"YES!" Exclaimed Tohru, blushing. I can't tell them the truth. If she knew I was living in a tent, Uo-Chan would be outraged. She'd burst into Grandpa's house on her motorcycle! Thought Tohru nervously.

RRIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

"That's the late bell for after school." Thought Tohru to herself. I better get going if I'm going to make it to work on time.

"Ah?" Tohru said, seeing Yuki.

"Sohma-kun! I'm sorry about this morning!" Said Tohru.

"It's I who should be apologizing. Please forgive my cousin's rudeness." Said Yuki, smiling, as he slammed his locker door closed.

"Oh, no! He was wonderful. We were just looking at his Chinese zodiac animals."

"Did I hear correctly that you wish you were born in the year of the cat?" Asked Yuki, remembering hearing something like that as he got ready for school.

"Er, I was eccentric when I was little." Said Tohru, blushing.

"I see…Well, the cat is a fool. He has a bad nature." Yuki said as he walked away from the school. Tohru followed.

"Did you know that…the Chinese zodiac is actually a timekeeping system of tens and twelves?" Asked Yuki.

"It was used for calendars and clocks." Said Yuki, not waiting for Tohru to answer. "Later, astrologers combined with the principals of yin-yang, the five elements symbolize to tell fortunes."

"Animals had nothing to do with it?" Asked Tohru.

"Nope."

"When and why they added animals nobody knows. But there was never enough room for the cat. And it's better that way. The cat would throw off everything. The cat really is a fool."

I was following his story just fine, but now I'm lost! Thought Tohru to herself.
"Sohma-kun, do you—hate cats?"

Yuki turned, and then smiled. Tohru's eyes got big. Tohru looked at her watch.

"Oh no! Is it really that late? I'm sorry, Sohma-kuh! I have to go to work!" I'm going to be late!

"Honda-san…I noticed this morning…" Yuki walked over to Tohru, and got real close to her, as if he were to kiss her, saying "…you didn't look that well. It's been quite hot lately. You shouldn't overexert yourself." His hand got real close to her face, then he pulled it away, saying "Well…I'll see you tomorrow."

"It's the mystery that makes him so intriguing." I think I know what she meant now. Once I think I understand him, bam! He does something I'd never expect him to do. And then I'm off to square one.

Tohru sighed.

"Don't…get a swelled head…" The fan club girls murmured together, hiding behind trees. "Don't take advantages of Prince Yuki's kindness!" Exclaimed the girls.

"I won't!" Said Tohru, still blushing.

Tohru rushed to work. She could still remember what happened after her beloved mom's death…

FLASHBACK

There was a huge argument over who'd take me in. I'm sure they all had their reasons. Eventually, the family decided I should stay with grandpa. Grandpa lives on a pension, so I promised to pay my expenses myself. That was in May. But four moths later he kicked me out saying, "My daughters' family is coming to live with us. I thought it would be nice to remodel the house before they arrive. During the remodeling, I'll be staying at their place. I'm sorry, but could you stay with a friend during the time?" I didn't want to bother grandpa. I said I'd stay with somebody. However, Uo lives in a small apartment, and Hana lives in a family of nine. I couldn't bear to trouble them for however many months it took to remodel. Then it hit me, I'd stay in a tent by myself. I'll live by myself someday, anyway. Why don't I just start now? Even if it does mean having no money and living in a tent you bought on sale.

END FLASHBACK