The Same Shade of Yellow, by Raberba girl

Chapter 4 - Meet the Parents

"Momo! Where in the world have you been?!"

"I called you, Mama! I said I'd be eating dinner with Momiji-kun at Tohru and Kyo Sohma's house!"

"Momo, you gave me the impression it was just a quick, early meal and then you'd be straight back. Look, it's already past nine o'clock!"

Momo sighed. "Akito and Yuki Sohma were visiting, too, so Mrs. Sohma cooked a big fancy meal."

Momo's mother gasped. "Akito Sohma!"

"He's really very nice," Momiji put in. "I know he used to have a bad reputation, and he can be kind of impressive still when you meet him, but you moved out of the Estate in such a hurry that you never saw Akito after he got better."

Mama looked at Momiji. "Have I met you before?"

Momiji smiled so brilliantly that Momo could tell her mother was surprised and even a little pleased.

"We've run into each other a couple of times before," he said finally. "But I think it's a good thing you don't remember me."

Mama stared at him, trying to understand what he meant, but she kept getting distracted by that smile of his.

"What's going on? Is Momo home?" Momo's father came to the door and stood beside his wife, looking out at Momo and Momiji. When he saw Momiji, his eyes widened in surprise, then softened into a welcoming look. "Hello, Momiji...-kun. I heard you were back from Germany."

"Good evening, sir." Momiji's eyes were shining joyously, and he kept his hands behind his back as if to restrain himself. "Yes, I had a wonderful time in Germany. It's...it's very good to see you again-- Mr. Sohma."

"Yes."

Momo did not understand the way Momiji and her father were looking - no, smiling - at each other, as if they knew each other better than they were pretending to.

'But when would my father and Momiji-kun ever have had the chance to become close?' Momo wondered.

Mama, with some difficulty, caught her husband's eye and gave him a significant, questioning look.

"Oh! Sweetheart, surely you remember Momiji-kun? You know, Tomo-san's son? He used to hang around my old office building sometimes."

"I-- Oh!" A light dawned on Mama's face. "Oh!" she said again, "Momiji Sohma! Of course I remember you, darling. I am so sorry!" She moved as if to hug him, but Momiji, to Momo's surprise, deftly avoided the embrace and clasped Mama's hands instead.

"What do you think of me, now that I've grown up?" he asked with a charming smile.

"I think you used to be a lovely child, and I think that now you are a lovely young man," Mama said with a smile.

"Yay!" Momiji cheered, "Momo's mama likes me!"

They chatted for a few more minutes, and then Mama said, "Momiji-chan - I'm sorry, you're too old for '-chan' now, aren't you? - it's wonderful to see you again, but I'm afraid your parents will be worried about you. I know how you teenagers like to think you're so grown-up, but still--"

"I understand," Momiji said, saving her from having to say any more. "I'll go home straight away. Thank you for letting me see Momo." Mama seemed to have forgotten completely that she was upset with Momo for staying out late. "Momo," Momiji went on, "did you have fun?"

"Of course I did!" she exclaimed, without even having to think.

"Good! So did I. See you all later!" Momiji looked at Mama and kissed his fingers to her; then he waved a cheerful good-bye to Momo and turned to walk away.

"Come on in, Momo," Mama said encouragingly. Then she added, "What a charming, energetic young man! Even when he was a child, he always used to make me smile."

The door shut. Momo stood in the hallway and watched her parents drifting back to what they had been doing before she came home. Momo felt her hands clenching into fists at her sides. Then she came to a decision and whirled around to fling the door back open. She ran outside and pounded after the figure of Momiji down the street.

"Momiji-kun! Momiji-kun, wait!" He turned in surprise, then saw her. A smile lit up his face, and he waited for her to catch up. "Momiji-kun!" she gasped when she finally reached him. "Here." She fumbled for a pen out of her purse, then pulled out Momiji's hand and wrote her phone number on it. "There," she said, now hopelessly embarrassed but thinking she had better finish what she had started. "I like-- I liked meeting you today, Momiji-kun." Then she added hurriedly, "We're cousins, we should get to know each other better."

"I agree," he said happily, as he wrote Kagura's phone number on her hand. "That's a wonderful idea!"

"So," Momo continued, flustered, "So...um, call me, I guess, when you have time. And, I have school on Monday, but...um..." She trailed off.

"I still have stuff to take care of, what with moving in and getting settled at Kagura's and all, but how does Friday afternoon sound? Then you won't have to worry about school the next day!"

"Oh, yes. That's fine." 'Did we just arrange a date?' Momo thought in amazement.

She did not expect Momiji to laugh and kiss her cheek before he left. For several long seconds after he was gone, she stood and held her hand to her face, feeling silly but not bothering to hide her smile.

to be continued...

Author's Notes: I had to re-write the second half of this chapter. I didn't like writing about Momo and her parents; they always gave me a lot of trouble, and their chapters were the shortest. Momo's mother even switched personalities on me after I had finished writing the fic and before I started editing/revising it. I think the woman doesn't like me.

By the way, my use of the term "date" in this fic is modeled after the way it is used in Fruits Basket - it doesn't necessarily mean the two are dating, it just means they're going out somewhere together. Really, this fic is NOT a Momiji/Momo romance.