Disclaimer: I know it's sad but I don't own Fruits Basket :(
Mystery at the Sohmas
Chapter One: The Storm
The clouds were deepening in their shade of depressing gray singling for oncoming relentless thunderstorm. A flash of lightning struck soon followed by the soft plunking noise of the raindrops hitting the windowpane. The sky grew even darker as the rain continued to fall, becoming heavier with each passing second. Yuki sat silently watching the storm with what seemed like little interest.
Again a bolt of lightning came crashing down from the sky, lightening up the whole area brightly. For that brief moment, Yuki swore he saw a figure standing just beyond their home. Despite himself, chills ran down his spin as an unpleasant feeling began to burrow itself in the back of his mind. He leaned closer to the window searching for something, anything, but it had become too dark outside to see very far. Leaning back in his chair, Yuki took a few calming breaths and ordering himself to stop thinking about mysterious men he thought he saw outside his window. Just as he began to settle down there came a soft knock at the door causing him to jump slightly.
"Yuki-kun?" Came a tentative voice from the other side of the door. "May I come in?"
"Of course Honda-san," he replied unable to contain a smile that was spreading across his face. Even on such a depressing day like this, Tohru brought sunshine.
Slowly the door opened revealing young Tohru Honda. The light outside the hallway illuminated all of her soft features that held a look of surprise.
"Yuki-kun! Are you all right? Sitting alone in the dark, I mean…"she said trailing off on her last sentence, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to sound so prying!"
"Honda-san it's alright," Yuki replied as went to turn on his lamp, "I was just watching the storm and its…well better to watch it in the dark."
Tohru nodded, "I see…"
Yuki pulled out his desk chair and sat it next to the one he was sitting in earlier. "Would you like a seat?"
"I'm not bothering you?"
"No," Yuki answered truthfully.
"Oh good," Tohru sighed. "It's just I was getting bored, since Shigure and Kyo are gone."
"Oh," replied Yuki, "well, it's always nice to have someone to talk to."
Tohru nodded in agreement with a look of relief as she gazed out the window. "The storms pretty bad isn't it? I haven't seen such a horrible thunderstorm in awhile, I mean I have but this one is giving me a…well, a creepy feeling that I just can't shake off. "
Yuki looked at her. "I know what you mean," he said quietly just as loud rumble of thunder went off.
For awhile the sat there in silence. Not uncomfortable silence, mind you, but the sort of silence where you just enjoy the others presence.
Suddenly they could hear the door open from downstairs and Shigure and Kyo's voices arguing about something or another. Immediately Tohru sat up clasping her hands together in delight. "Kyo and Shigure must finally be home!" she said happily turning quickly and rushing out the door to greet them. All the while trying to hide a rosy blush that was creeping across her delicate face. Yuki also got up and followed her closely behind.
Tohru ran downstairs happily greeting Kyo and Shigure who had both entered in the living room dripping from their heads to their toes. "Phew! Quite a storm," Shigure exclaimed as he began to pry off his wet shoes. Kyo merrily grunted, obviously in a bad mood, probably because of the rain. Which always seemed to put him in a weaker more pissed off mood.
"Hello Shigure, Kyo!" smiled Tohru as she warmly greeted them, " How was you visit?"
Shigure opened his mouth to respond but Kyo exploded before he could utter a sound.
"VISIT! Ha! What a waste of my time! Three hours we waited, three hours! That Akito I swear one day he'll be sorry! When a get a hold of his scrawny little neck I'll…" Kyo said as he began to twist his hands together, but immediately stopped when he noticed the horrified expression on Tohru's face,"…umm what I mean is that…uh…I got to go." With thathe sheepishly made his way slowly up the stairs leaving puddles of water behind him. A cloud of guilt hanging over his head.
Both Yuki and Tohru gave Shigure questioning looks. "What was that about?" Yuki asked.
"Hmm… yes well," Shigure began rubbing his chin in gesture of 'deep thought', "it would seem Kyo is angry."
"We know that, but why is he so angry? What happened?" Yukiaskedsighing at the dogs stupidity.
"Nothing." Shigure replied simply.
"Nothing?" This time it was Tohru who asked, who obviously looked worried.
"Ah my flower Tohru! What is for dinner?" said Shigure dramatically as he smiled a goofy grin.
"Eh?" Tohru said taken aback, "Chicken…(ha I don't know how to spell any Japanese foods so they are having chicken.)
"Shigure don't change the subject." Said Yuki firmly cutting Tohru off in mid sentence, "What-happened-at-Akito's?"
Shigure whined, "Yuki-kun you're so pushy!" he said giving puppy dog eyes. Yuki, who was already seriously annoyed, shot Shigure a death glare.
"Okay, okay," Shigure said looking extremely delighted with himself since he had successfully annoyed his little cousin.
"It's just as I said. We got there and Akito simply wouldn't see us. See? Nothing. Now there was no need to be all mean." Shigure huffed as he pushed passed Tohru and Yuki.
Suddenly the image a man standing in the rain outside flashed through Yuki's mind. "Wait!" He cried out uncharacteristically. Shigure stopped. Yuki continued trying to control the sudden uneasy feeling that was creeping inside of him, "You mean Akito just didn't want to see you or that he wasn't there?"
"Who knows," replied Shigure seriously as he looked back at the two teens before walking into his office.
The living room became disturbingly silent except for the roars of the storm outside. Yuki stood in his spot wondering about what he saw earlier. There couldn't possibly be a connection to the missing Akito and the mysterious figure standing outside, right? 'Of course not,' Yuki said to himself, 'I swear I am getting paranoid. I'm not even sure that I saw anything outside. It must be the storm, this weather is making me crazy.'
Tohru looked over at the silver hair boy who was standing still in his spot with a confused expression.
"Yuki-kun"she said quietly, "is something wrong?"
Yuki looked up at Tohru quickly, "No nothing's the matter. Don't worry Honda-san," he said smiling in an attempt to ease any of Tohru's worries, " I was just thinking."
"Okay then," replied Tohru not thoroughly convinced but she didn't want to press the issue, "I'll start dinner." With that she turned towards the kitchen. Yuki headed back upstairs to his bedroom.
Kyo sat sulking on his bed. He had removed his sopping clothes and replaced them with a comfortable pair of baggy jeans and a sweatshirt. Though the change of clothes didn't seem to improve his mood much. 'Darn it I hate this weather, stupid Akito, stupid Shigure, stupid RAT!'
Sure there was no good reason to blame Yuki, or really Shigure for that matter, but it felt good to Kyo. He was in a really horrible mood. Like he said, three hours he and Shigure had to wait to meet the Head of the family, Akito, under his request. Kyo wasn't even sure what Akito had wanted and frankly he didn't care. But Akito was the Head and nobody could disobey him. When they got there, Akito didn't even bother to meet them, it was like he wasn't even there.
'Darn him!' Kyo thought. Frustrated, he looked out the window, where the storm was still booming. The sky was completely dark now, and even though it was around 5:30 it looked as though it were midnight. 'I hate this weather.' He sighed to himself.
"Dinner!" Tohru yelled as she set down the last plate on the table. Immediately Shigure ran out of his office and sat himself down at the head of table as he normally did. A few moments later Yuki came down closely followed by Kyo.
"Stupid cat."
"Darn rat."
"Oh Tohru-kun this meal looks absolutely delicious! How do you do it!" Shigure said jovially as he waved his chopsticks in the air.
Tohru blushed deeply and smiled." Thank you Shigure-san," she said as she sat down as well.
And that was the beginning of the end of their conversation. The group sat strangely silent as they ate, even Shigure. At first the silence was okay but after awhile it started to worry Tohru.
'This isn't right!' she said to herself, 'why is everyone so silent.' She kept glancing around from Yuki to Kyo to Shigure and back to Yuki. Tohru suddenly gasped, 'They must be mad at me for something I did! Oh no how could I have upset them without even knowing, they probably hate me!' At this Tohru felt a wave of guilt, 'I must set this straight!' she thought to herself determinedly. Without even thinking Tohru slammed her fist on the table and stood up. "I'M SORRY!"
Yuki, Kyo, and Shigure all looked up from their food, each holding the same baffled expression on their face. Yuki was the first to speak. "Honda-san?" he asked.
"I'm sorry," Tohru repeated, "I'm not sure what I did but I must have done something wrong for all of you to be so quite. I am so sorry!" With that she bowed her head in shame, waiting for lecturing and scolding. Instead she heard muffled giggles. Tohru looked up to see Shigure trying, but failing miserably, to suppress his laughter. Even Yuki and Kyo had slight smiles of amusement on their face.
Shigure laughed a little more then wiped fake tears from his eyes and asked, "Tohru what made you think we were mad at you?"
"You were all so quiet, I assumed it was my fault you weren't talking." Tohru said feeling the wave of guilt come on again.
"Honda-san," Yuki said in all seriousness, "we could never be mad at you. You haven't done anything to upset me, really. It's just the weather, it's making me feel a bit more withdrawn."
"Yeah, me too, the rain you know just makes me more edgy." Kyo also replied grudgingly. Shigure merrily nodded, "See Tohru there was nothing to worry about."
Tohru nodded then smiled a smile that grew from ear to ear. "Thank you all!" she said truly happy. They all smiled back at her. And soon everyone began to engage themselves in conversation.
'I was being so silly,' Tohru thought to herself as she watched Yuki and Kyo argue while Shigure was in the background trying to referee the verbal fight.
'Mom, I am so glad that I was given the chance to be with the Sohmas. Even this horrible thunderstorm can't bring down our spirits anymore!'
Perhaps spoken too soon. A tremendous flash of lightning shot through the sky followed soon by the loudest growl of thunder yet. Suddenly the power went out and the animated conversations everyone was having with each other just seconds earlier stopped abruptly. Tohru and the three Sohmas sat silent in there spots for a moment in the pitch black until at last Shigure spoke, "Uh Tohru-kun I think we should go look for some candles and flashlights I am sure there is some in the kitchen."
"Right!" Tohru replied, grateful that Shigure had broken the silence. She stood up quickly but bumped her knees on the table in the process. "Ouch!"
"Honda-san are you all right?" Yuki asked with concern as he tried to see where she was.
"Fine, fine." Tohru said through clenched teeth ignoring the slight pain she had just experienced. Everything was so dark so she held her hands out in front of her and began to feel around for the kitchen door.
"Tohru-kun let me help you." Shigure said as he too got up and bumped his knees on the table. "Ow!"
"Stupid dog." Kyo grumbled.
"Hey where's the sympathy! That hurt Kyo!" Shigure said as he marched over in the direction he thought Kyo was sitting at.
"Ouch Shigure what are you doing!?" Yuki practically yelled as Shigure tripped over him.
"Oops sorry Yuki."
Kyo couldn't help himself he started laughing. "What's so funny Kyo!?" Yuki shouted at him, slowly pulling himself up to his feet.
"Hehe nothing, just laughing at how stupid you…OW! What the heck, who did that!" Kyo yelled, flailing his arms around like a lunatic in an attempt to grab the perpetrator. He did. "Shigure why the heck did you hit me!"
"Eep," Shigure cried covering his face with his arms (of course Kyo can't see this but hey), "don't hurt me Kyo!"
"Argh this is stupid!" Kyo yelled as he let go of Shigure, who tripped over his own feet and fell over. Kyo, who didn't notice, decided to go to the kitchen to help Tohru but tripped over the fallen Shigure. "Stupid Dog!"
"Are you guys okay?" Yuki asked as he tried to find his way over to Shigure and Kyo, but tripped over the table. "Ouch." He groaned as he lied there flat on his face.
At last Tohru found the candles, flashlights, and a lighter. She lit up one candle so she could see and grabbed everything else. She then opened the door to find three Sohmas who were all lying sprawled out on the floor. "Are you all right?" Tohru asked between giggles.
"Fine," Yuki replied as got up from the floor rubbing his sore head. Kyo and Shigure also got up. "Finally Tohru what took you so long!" Kyo yelled out of frustration.
"Sorry Kyo!" Tohru said as she set the other candles on the table and began to light each one. Then she handed a flashlight to each of the Sohmas and sat back down. "Much better I can actually see!"
Tohru nodded. 'Everything will be fine, because Yuki, Kyo, and Shigure are here with me. I don't need to worry.' "Thank you," she said softly.
A/N: But will it be fine Tohru? MUHAHAHA! Okay on a serious note, thanks for reading hope you review. If you didn't know already I am hoping to make this a suspense/thriller story so be prepared. XD
Notes about my other story The Lost Akito...my cousin and I decided to write a humoristic view on the story I have above so if you have read that you will find a lot of stuff is really simialar. But this fic will NOT end like it does in the comedy and it will be a lot more serious. In fact after this chapter I doubt the stories will have any similarities at all.