Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket.
April 30th – during the evening
It was nearing midnight when everyone decided to rest in the beds provided with the boat. Tohru, of course, had already been knocked out long before midnight. Arisa and Saki had carried her into an empty room with three beds that the maids had set up while they were opening presents.
"Well… It certainly looks like Tohru-kun had a fun time…" the Gothic female murmured as she and Arisa pulled blankets over Tohru to cover her.
Arisa nodded in agreement. "Yeah, sure does…" she whispered, her words piercing the quiet atmosphere.
"Shall we get ready to sleep then?" Saki asked her friend, nudging her a bit on the elbow.
"Ah, sure," Arisa shrugged and answered. Saki only nodded before looking up.
"Actually, you go ahead Arisa… I'll be right back…" she whispered monotone, getting up from sitting on Tohru's bed and walking towards the door.
"Goodnight."
--
Sohma Yuki sighed and brought up a hand to run it through his hair. It was late and he couldn't sleep. His counterpart had already dozed off, but the three adults were nowhere to be seen. Though he swore he saw Shigure sneak off with some sake.
"Can you not sleep?" a voice awoken him from his thoughts. He jerked around to find Tohru's gothic friend.
"A-Ah…" he replied, licking his lips for it had gone dried for some time now and he had just remembered. His palms began to sweat, too… "A-Ah, Hanajima-san, what are you doing here?" he then asked.
Saki didn't answer, instead she walked over to his position (his arms were lying on the railing on the edge of the boat) and stood next to him. "I could not sleep either…" she said in her usual tone.
"Ah…" Yuki answered as he began wiping his palms on his pants. "Is something the matter?" he then asked.
Again, Saki didn't answer at first but in the quiet atmosphere, she spoke up, "Nothing…"
There was an awkward silence between the two of them before Yuki spoke up again. "Back then… When we met in the shop…" he started, catching the Goth's attention, "What did you mean by 'A rose'?" he asked uncertain.
"That is not the matter we should be discussing," Saki immediately answered without another moment's hesitation.
"A-Ah… Alright… Sorry," Yuki stammered, beginning to feel a bit weird.
"Do you know why I chose a sunflower when it could have been anything else?" Saki suddenly asked the male who had jumped at the first word. My, was he ever jumpy.
"No… I don't…" Yuki answered, waiting for her answer.
"She's bright, always smiling, but deep inside, there's a deep black hole where someone has to cover so she doesn't get sucked inside… Just like a sunflower, one the outside – the petals – they're bright, but in the inside – where it is black – it's just… black…" Saki explained, knowing fully well that the Sohma might not understand at first.
Yuki turned away from his gaze on her. His mind was racing, eyes glazing over deep in thought. He didn't even notice that the Goth had left. He didn't notice until there was a tap on his shoulder. He jolted out of his thoughts and turned around.
"Ah, Hatori!" he greeted, still shocked at the sudden tap. "W-What are you doing?" he asked.
"I should be the one asking you that…" the Sohma doctor replied with the same expression as always.
"Sorry, Hatori…" the younger Sohma apologized, bowing a little bit, "I guess you're here to tell me that I should be getting to sleep?" he guessed.
Hatori only nodded, confirming the younger Sohma's statement. "Then I'll go…" Yuki said as excused himself and left.
Hatori only watched his cousin as he wondered what the heck that Hanajima girl tell him.
--
"Ah… Haa-san shouldn't worry so much about his cousins or he'll grow old and wrinkly real fast!" a voice awoken from Hatori's pondering nearly shouted.
Hatori turned around to see the flushed face of his cousin – the one being very annoying, usually perverted and didn't act his own age – laughing and grinning like a buffoon.
"You had too much to drink," was Hatori's answer as he registered in the fact that Shigure had left with a couple bottles of sake and was now flushed.
Then that would mean…
"Ahhhh! TORI-SANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!"
Perfect, just perfect.
The long-haired Sohma suddenly appeared out of nowhere and in front of Hatori, holding out a half-filled bottle of sake and a small shot of it. "Tori-san! You simply must try this new brand! Gure-san was right! This is absolutely delicious and the flavor is to DIE FOR!"
Ayame rambled on and on, despite being a bit drunk and Hatori could only slap himself on the forehead as both his cousins blabbed nonsense.
And how old were they again?
--
It was dawning by the time Tohru had woken up. She had stretched and yawned and stretched some more before she realized that they were still on the boat. Then, she stood up with a jolt and rushed to the bathroom to wash her face and see if she was dreaming.
After rubbing her face thoroughly with a wet towel, she pinched herself and was almost glad it wasn't a dream.
It was then that Saki decided to wake. "Tohru-kun?" she asked in her sleepy-like tone. "Why are you up so early?"
Tohru smiled in reply. "I always wake up this early, Hana-chan!" she half-whispered.
"Ah, I should have remembered…" Saki murmured to herself thoughtfully as she fingered her chin. She then bowed to excuse herself and walked dreamily to the bathroom to wash up.
Soon the two of them walked out to where Saki and Yuki were previously that night.
"Tohru-kun…" Saki said her friend's name, catching her attention, "What do you think of your birthday this year?" she asked.
Tohru blinked once and then again, then smiled. "I love it! I think, this year is one of the best years ever…" she spoke, trailing off, remembering how her mom would celebrate it with her by a small cake and even Saki and Arisa were there…
She fought back tears as she remembered the years before. Truthfully, this would be the first year without her mother to celebrate her birthday. She supposed, it was pretty special.
"That Sohma Yuki-kun…is like a rose…" Saki suddenly veered off the subjects of birthday and straight into a boy. A boy…
"Eh? How so?" Tohru asked, eyes widening at her description.
"He's beautiful on the outside, luring people to come close, showing perfection on the outside yet never really letting anyone get to close or they'll get hurt by the thorns… Just like Sohma Yuki-kun…" she spoke almost inaudibly.
Tohru looked up surprised at her friend's words by another friend. Was Yuki-kun hiding something from them? She thought to herself as she began to wonder. Well, if he was, Tohru was sure that it was just that he was only trying to protect…
"Tohru-kun?"
Tohru looked up from her train of thoughts, "A-Ah! I'm here! What is it Hana-chan?" she asked, stammering a bit.
Saki's lips curved up into a smile. "We'll be leaving soon, so I suggest we get dressed."
"Ah! Right!" Tohru agreed and hurried off to change.
Saki watched her friend run off to change, smiling with one thought in her head.
Tohru was truly kind.
-End-
Author's Note: It's so short… Ah well, but I finally declare this fanfic finished! Though I might come back and revise it or add more to this… But as for now, it's finished. Thank you for the reviews for part 2! ((hands Yuki-rat, Kyo-cat, and Tohru-riceball cookies out for reviewers))
Special thanks to Pocky-Pocky-chan here for reviewing. 'Cause when I read her review, I couldn't help feel guilty about now updating, so I sat on my chair for a couple minutes and started to type out this chapter! So if you were waiting for this part, give Pocky-Pocky-chan a holler and tell her thanks! Thank you again Pocky-Pocky-chan!
Would you be kind as to leave a review or comment?
Chapter Start Date: August 15th, 2006
Chapter Finish Date: August 17th, 2006
Chapter Post Date: August 17th, 2006