Disclaimer: Neither Fruits Basket not the Fruits Basket characters belong to me. I acknowledge that they are the property of Natusuki Takaya.
However...this is the part I like...the plot and all original characters do belong to me. I had a lot of fun with this chapter and thought it came out pretty good. I'll be interested in seeing what others think of it. There will be at least one more chapter covering the period of time our visitors are in Greece and the next couple of chapters have already taken shape in my mind. I just have to get them on paper and in the computer. I think updates will be more frequent...not quite as fast as the time between this chapter and the preceding one, but faster. I know...I've said that before...but this time I mean it...really. That having been said, Read and enjoy. Of course, if the spirit moves you, please review. I think I live for reviews...or flames. Alright, so I haven't had any flames; that doesn't mean it couldn't happen though. It at least tells me people are reading my stories.
Thank you.
Chapter 12 New Arrivals
After Tohru and Shigure greeted the new arrivals, Sofia stepped forward along with Kyri, Miki, and Petra. Shigure introduced them to the three new Sohma as the household staff. Sofia spoke with gracious hospitality. "If you will follow me, I'll show you to your rooms."
Tohru, come with me, I'm so excited to be here and after you see my room, you'll have to show me yours, okay?"
"Okay," Tohru agreed readily.
"Momiji…" Hatori's warning tone brought a grin to the young man's face. "Don't worry Ha'ri; I'm not planning on sleeping with Tohru. I think I'm past the stage of being able to get away with that."
Hatori chuckled and Tohru's embarrassed smile told Momiji that she recalled the hot springs trip when she had mistaken him for much younger than the fifteen years he was at the time.
"Akito, sir, we have set aside the final suite of rooms for you. I hope you other two gentlemen don't mind but we only have guest bedrooms remaining."
"I am sure that will be fine Miss Leontarakis," Hatori spoke for the three of them.
Tohru translated Sofia's and Hatori's words without even realizing what she was doing and Shigure's lips quirked in amusement. He knew Momiji would pick up on the fact and make a comment any moment now. Sure enough Momiji looked at Tohru in surprise.
"Tohru, you know Greek! That's wonderful. Will you teach me please? While I'm here it'll be good to know enough of the language that I can understand conversations, at least a little."
Tohru paused in the middle of the hallway and Momiji almost bumped into her but stopped just in time. "I…I can speak Greek?" Her eyes widened just a bit as she realized what she had been doing. She turned to look at Shigure. "Shigure-san, I really have learned Greek, haven't I? This is too wonderful!"
The other three Sohma looked at each other. Akito thought "So it's Shigure she turns to in order to share her happiness. This is good…it will make things very interesting when they return to Japan."
Momiji suffered a pang of regret as he realized "She is well and truly out of my reach now."
The attention of the three guests was drawn back to Sofia as she said "These will be your rooms Mr. Sohma. If you will point out your bags, I will have Stefanos bring them in for you. Will you need some assistance unpacking?"
"Yes, I will. Hatori, tell them which bags are mine. I believe I need to go lie down for a while."
"Yes Akito."
"I will send Nomiki in to unpack your bags in just a little while. She has wanted something to do to help out if that is okay. Please rest for a bit first."
"That will be acceptable Sofia-san. Your consideration is appreciated."
"Hatori, Momiji, sirs, these will be your rooms. You may choose the one you prefer."
"Thank you Sofia-san. Ha'ri, can I have this room? It looks toward the beach."
"Go ahead Momiji; I'll take the other one."
"All right! Tohru come see my room, you haven't seen this one yet, right?"
"No I haven't Momiji." Momiji tugged impatiently at Tohru's hand. She smiled, "Okay, I'm coming."
Hatori and Shigure were left standing in the hall as everyone else was attending to their other responsibilities.
"Ha-san, did you miss our beautiful flower so much you had to come all the way to Greece to see her…or, maybe…It was me that you missed? Which of us are you pining away for love of Ha-san?"
"Shut up Shigure. You haven't changed at all I see."
"Of course not, did you think I might?"
"One can hope Shigure." Stefanos arrived with the luggage and Shigure turned his attention in that direction.
"Ah, Stefanos…let's see if I can guess this right. The brown suitcases are Akito's, the black ones are yours, Hatori, and the red ones are Momiji's. Am I right Ha-san?"
"You are."
Shigure directed the distribution of the luggage and turned back to Hatori. "Ha-san, come join me on the verandah. It's been a while since we had our last face to face conversation."
"I'll join you shortly, Shigure. I wish to check on Akito first. He refused to stay home. There's something about this island that appeals to him."
"I picked up on that over the phone, but I truly didn't expect to see him here. How is he, really, Hatori?"
"He is doing much better than I would have expected six months ago. Excuse me for a moment now."
Hatori tapped gently on Akito's door and was told to enter. "Akito, are you okay?" he asked quietly.
"I am fine Hatori, just tired from the trip and the medication you used to keep me comfortable. Go visit with Shigure. That's why you are here isn't it…or are you here out of concern for Honda-san?"
Hatori's silence was answer enough. "If you don't need me I will check on you later Akito." He left Akito and joined Shigure outside. Akito smiled as Hatori left. Once again the dragon had avoided his mention of a special concern for Honda-san.
Sofia had brought out ashtrays and a pot of coffee for the two gentlemen and the two settled down for a nice long chat. Meanwhile, Tohru was giving Momiji the grand tour of the villa including her rooms. When she told him about the secret passage from her room to the beach, he was more that ready to explore it.
"I don't know Momiji, it might be better to wait until another day when we have more time, but if you really want to…"
"We'll wait. Let's go down to the beach instead."
"Okay, that sounds like a good idea. Let's find out if Shigure-san and Hatori-san would like to join us." Shigure and Hatori both declined the invitation and Tohru and Momiji started down the path to the beach.
"So Tohru, I met Kyri and Miki just now, when will I get a chance to meet Zoe and Nikos as well? You are always talking about the four of them. However, you've never mentioned Petra before, why not?"
"Petra-san isn't someone I know very well. She's become very good friends with Shigure-san though. As for Nikos and Zoe, they'll be here this evening. You'll meet them then. I know! You can go to the Red Fish with us tonight and that'll give you a good chance to get to know them. Besides, it will be fun!"
"Sounds great! Hey Tohru, how much further is it to the beach? It looked a lot closer than this and so inviting when we got here."
"Just a little more Momiji and we'll be there."
They arrived at the beach and Momiji pulled Tohru toward the water's edge. "Let's take off our shoes and wade," he suggested.
"Why not?" The two friends splashed about in the water for a while and a thought came to Momiji.
'Tohru, can you at least show me the cave where the secret passage ends. I know we aren't exploring it this afternoon, but I'd really like to see it."
"Sure Momiji, it's right over here." The two young people entered the cool interior of the cave. There was still enough light filtering through the opening to get an idea of the general appearance. Momiji was looking forward to exploring the cave later, but for now, he had another agenda. He turned to Tohru with a grin and she only had a moment to wonder what he was thinking. "Tohru, I'm so happy to see you!" He gave her a big hug right before he turned into his rabbit form.
"Momiji…" Tohru giggled. "I'm really happy to see you too." And she gave the bunny another hug. She had always found Momiji's Zodiac form to be especially huggable. The two sat down on the floor of the cave and chatted until another "POOF" heralded Momiji's return to his human form. Tohru quickly averted her eyes until Momiji gave her the all clear.
"Tohru," Momiji spoke as they both leaned back against the cave walls, "Something is wrong, do you wanna talk about it?"
"What…nothing is wrong. I am just fine. The island and its people are wonderful to me and Shigure-san is very kind. I've made so many wonderful friends here, I really can't ask for more."
"But Tohru…" and Momiji lifted her chin, "There is a 'but' in there Tohru I can tell." Momiji caught a tear on his fingertip.
"No really, I'm fine Momiji. I just got some dirt in my eyes. Yeah, that's all, just some dirt in my eyes. I'm not crying, not really."
"Tohru, this is me, Momiji. I've know you for six years now. I can tell when you are troubled."
"Oh Momiji, it's really nothing. It's just me being selfish."
"Let me judge that Tohru. Talk to me."
Tohru felt herself surrendering to the rabbit's sympathetic tone. "It's just that well…Shigure san…"
Tohru told Momiji about how wonderful everything had been with Shigure and how she had felt she was really coming to know him even better. She talked about the kisses, the teasing, the hand holding, the way he would start to say something and then change his mind. "I'm sure it was important Momiji. Why didn't he just tell me what was on his mind? He confuses me so much at times. Am I doing something wrong? Why did he…"
"No Tohru, you are doing everything just right. Just be yourself, you'll see. I promise." Momiji held up his pinky finger to seal the promise.
Tohru smiled through her tears and accepted that promise. For some reason, just talking with Momiji had totally cheered her up. The cave began to darken as the sun moved to the other side of the island to set. "We'd better go back Momiji or people will start to worry. I still have to introduce you to Zoe and Nikos and I'd like you to have a chance to get to know Miki and Kyri a little better before we go down to the village. I know you will like everyone and they'll like you too!"
"Okay, but just a few more minutes Tohru." Before she knew what he was about, he hugged her once more.
"Momiji…well, I guess we will have to wait a few minutes now, won't we?" The rabbit snuggled in her arms for a couple of minutes more and then hopped out. Shortly afterwards he was once more donning his clothing. "Okay Tohru, let's go! I can't wait to meet all of your friends."
While Momiji and Tohru were having a good time catching up on each other's lives, Hatori was patiently waiting for Shigure to tell him what was on his mind. The two men smoked while talking quietly and Hatori decided he would have to get the conversation rolling or he'd never hear anything from Shigure that he wanted to hear.
"So, tell me Shigure, how is everything progressing here on Kythira. Have you been treating Tohru-kun with consideration?"
"I have and then some, Ha-san. Unfortunately, I'm not sure she feels the same way. I think I have managed to thoroughly confuse her. I didn't mean to Ha-san, believe me when I tell you this. I never meant to confuse her in this fashion." Shigure's gray eyes shown with sincerity that Hatori rarely witnessed from his friend. He nodded his head in satisfaction. "Why don't you explain it from the top Shigure?" he suggested.
"It all started the day we left Japan. We were airborne over the ocean and I suddenly realized that for the first time in my life I was totally free from Sohma eyes. There was no need for pretending or so I thought. I felt like a new man, like it was okay to fall in love again and I was and I did."
"You were in love with her before you left Japan Shigure."
"Who's telling this story? You or me, Hatori?"
"You are."
"Thank you, so let me tell it my way."
Hatori smiled. Shigure always did prefer to do things his way.
"We arrived in Amsterdam and that was the beginning of some of the happiest moments in my life. I was really happy. For the first time since 'then' I was truly happy again."
Hatori nodded in understanding. He knew what Shigure meant by 'then'. He had cherished his own 'then' when he and Kana were so much in love.
"You know, she turned me into a dog in Amsterdam and then she used my favorite necktie as my leash. I'll have to show you the pictures." Shigure smiled fondly as he recalled the incident and decided where to take his story next. Hatori waited patiently for the tale to unfold. He realized that without hearing the full story he would have no idea what if anything he needed to do to help his best friend.
"Then we arrived in Athens. She was so cute Ha-san and she blushes so easily." Shigure relayed all the events that had taken place in Athens including the first kiss during the Attica sunset and those that followed. "I know a gentleman doesn't kiss and tell but then I never claimed to be a gentleman…Right now is a dream Hatori, different from my dream of so long ago, but this one is just as solid, and even more; I believe it does have a chance to become reality. Then we arrived here in Kythira and my feelings intensified to the point that I was beginning to act like a jealous lover. It is not the best role I have ever played, probably because it was the real me." Shigure laughed at himself but there wasn't much amusement in it.
Hatori glanced at Shigure in concern.
"It was shortly after that when I learned something new about myself. I learned that to me her happiness is more important than mine so I backed off. You see, Ha-san, her kisses are a drug in my veins. One was never enough; I kept wanting more and more each time our lips met. Eventually I would have destroyed both of us. I made a promise, the one you told me to be careful of Ha-san; I made that promise to myself and I was so certain I could keep it. I have but it has been more difficult than I ever imagined it could be. The only way I can keep it is to step back, to resist her kisses, to resist the invitation in her eyes, and it is there Ha-san. I know she doesn't know what she is offering, not really; but she wants to experience it just the same. I swore I would leave her innocence intact and I will."
"There is something more you haven't told me Shigure, what is it?"
"There is one more thing and it is the most important. I suppose it really is selfish of me, but when Tohru-kun tells me she loves me, I want it to be because I am her best experience, not because I am her only experience. That's the real reason I want to keep this promise."
Hatori's concern vanished. Shigure was okay and he believed Tohru was as well. "I understand now Shigure. You astound me with your confidence. As usual your ego is still intact and to think I was worried that you might be suffering. You are certain her heart will be yours, you just want to her to be certain and have no doubts when all is said and done."
Shigure's eyes took on a soft glow and he smiled. "She does love me, I don't doubt that. She just hasn't realized what it is she's feeling, yet. So for now…I am going to keep wearing the guise of her friend, confidante, and employer. Eventually I will be her lover Hatori, but only when the time is right."
"You be sure the role of husband is there as well Shigure…that's the only way I will accept you as her lover." Hatori's tone was totally serious and Shigure heeded the warning.
"But of course Ha-san. I wouldn't consider anything less when it comes to Tohru-kun. Of course if she should decide to seduce me, I wonder how strong my resistance will be. It would be such a sweet surrender…" He looked slyly at Hatori and noted the brief tightening of Hatori's lips just before his features resumed that customary stoic look that was purely Hatori. He grinned in delight at the effect of his teasing on the dragon sitting across from him.
Unbeknownst to Hatori and Shigure they had an audience. Akito had left his room to find Hatori as he had developed a headache and desired medication to combat the pain. The headache was momentarily forgotten as he approached the doorway and heard the two men talking. He sank down to the floor to listen. After all, they were his juunishi and should have no secrets from him. Shigure's unusually serious mien boded well for the conversation. He had begun listening intently when he was interrupted by a young woman with sun streaked brown hair.
"Sohma-san, are you okay do you need…" she began.
Akito put his finger to his lips and hissed "be quiet woman, I am trying to hear what they are saying!"
"Trying to hear what who…"
Nomiki felt herself being pulled down by the young Sohma and his hand covering her mouth. "Quiet, I said." His tone of command penetrated her surprise and she took a closer look. He was much stronger than his frail appearance would indicate. He had black hair that fell over slate blue eyes and he was beautiful to look at, just as a serpent is beautiful but deadly. His clothing was traditional Japanese and his hair looked like he had just arisen from bed. The conversation on the other side of the door caught her attention and her curiosity was kindled.
She moved his hand from her mouth and whispered, "Come with me, we'll be able to hear better from in here and we will be less likely to be caught." She led him into the empty sitting room and the open window was a good conduit for the voices of the two men who could now be clearly heard. Akito smiled at the young woman and she revised the serpent thought, perhaps he wasn't like that. They listened intently as Shigure talked to Hatori. When he heard Shigure's words "She does love me, I don't doubt that. She just hasn't realized what it is she's feeling, yet…" That was enough for the moment. He grabbed the young woman's hand and pulled her out into the hallway. "And you are…?"
"I'm Nomiki. My mother, Sofia, asked me to come unpack your luggage; that is if you are Akito-san."
"I am. My room is that way so why are you at this end of the hallway?"
"I saw someone disappear down this way and your room was empty. I didn't want to enter without your permission."
"I see Nomiki-san; that is very polite of you."
They entered Akito's room which was dark because the drapes had been left drawn so that he could sleep comfortably without too much light to keep him awake.
"Oh, this will never do! Sunlight and fresh air are very important." Nomiki set about opening the drapes and windows. "This is really the best time of the day."
"Nomiki-san, did it not occur to you that maybe I like it dark, maybe I prefer the windows closed. Did it ever occur to you that open windows might not be good for my health?"
She turned startled aquamarine eyes in his direction. "I never even considered that someone might prefer the dark and the stale inside air to sunlight and fresh air. Do you Akito-san? Do you like the dark I mean?"
"No, not really; not anymore. I used to prefer the dark. I thought it was my friend because darkness never changes in Sohma house. However, I learned that change can be good and my opinion started changing a few years ago."
"I don't like the dark at all. I never have liked the dark and I like it even less now. My hospital room was always dark and I often longed for some sunlight and fresh air while I was there. That is why I was really happy when they let me come home."
"Your Japanese is surprisingly good. I thought Stamatelos-san and his son were the only ones who speak our language here."
"That was true until Shigure and Tohru arrived. Since then Nikos has been giving lessons. They learn Greek and we learn Japanese. I'm still not that good, but after six weeks I have learned a little."
"You spoke of the hospital…?'
Nomiki had begun unpacking his suitcases and putting his clothing away but she answered his query. "Yes I spent some time in the hospital. Shall I put these robes on hangers?"
"Those are not robes, they are kimonos."
"Oh, they look like robes to me. Shall I hang them up?" The ingenuous expression she wore almost made him smile.
"Yes hang them up and then come talk to me," he peremptorily commanded.
"Akito-san, it wouldn't hurt for you to say please when asking a favor. I am only household help, I don't have to talk to you, you know."
Akito's eyes widened in surprise; he took a closer look at the young woman who dared to speak to him in such a fashion. She seemed quite pale in comparison to the other people he had seen on the island thus far, but her spirit was far from pale. He sank down onto his bed and indicated a nearby chair. "Please…sit down and talk to me."
The way he bit out the please and still made his request sound like an order made her smile. It seemed the word left a bad taste in his mouth but he had said it, so she complied with his wishes. "What do you want to talk about?"
"Shigure and Tohru Honda-san; how are things between them?"
"That is an interesting topic. Why do you want to know?"
"I am not in the habit of explaining my actions to people and I don't intend to start now Nomiki-san."
"In that case, I don't know anything. Have a good evening, Akito-san."
"Nomiki-san…" Akito's voice carried a warning. "I will take back my comment about you being polite. I do not find you polite at all."
"Good life is too short to be polite to rude people. Good-bye." Nomiki ignored Akito's tone and left the room with the forceful sound of the slamming door.
Akito grimaced as his headache came back in full force. He groaned in anguish and Nomiki flew back through the door. "Akito-san, what's wrong?"
"Hatori…get me Hatori." She took one look at his pain-wracked features and ran to find the doctor immediately.
"Hatori-san, something's wrong. Akito-san needs you now."
Hatori quickly headed down the hall with Shigure close on his heels. He stopped to grab his medical bag from his room. A worried Nomiki shadowed them.
"Akito, what has happened?" Hatori asked in concern as he entered the room.
"My head is splitting open Hatori! It hurts…" He saw Nomiki. "Get her out of here now! It's her fault this happened. Ger her out...of…here."
"Shigure, escort Nomiki-san out of here."
"Nomiki please come with me."
Nomiki was nearly in tears as she allowed Shigure to lead her out of the room. "Shigure-san is it my fault? All I did was refuse to talk to him because he was rude to me..."
"Ahhh…that explains it. Miki-chan, it's not your fault. Akito is always this way if people don't immediately comply with his wishes. He is this way and always has been."
"But why, can you explain why?"
"I can, but only in the vaguest fashion. From the time he was born Akito has known it was his destiny to die young. There are thirteen of us irrevocably connected to him and our lives are his to command. We have always indulged his every whim because since he is destined to die, we are allowed to live. That's all I can tell you Miki-chan. It's an ancient curse and so far we have failed in our attempts to overcome it. However…" Shigure's eyes took on a far-away look for a few seconds and then he returned to the present. "Don't fret Miki-chan. This generation of Sohma has a chance to succeed where others have failed."
Just then Tohru and Momiji returned.
"Miki, do you have some free time now. Do you want to come along with Momiji and me? We are going to see if we can find Kyri. I thought it would be nice for you two to get to know him better."
"Leontarakis-san, may I call you Miki too?"
"Of course, as long as I can call you Momiji."
Tohru looked closely at Miki. "Miki are you okay? Has something happened?"
"I'm fine but Akito-san suddenly became ill and I am worried about him."
"Akito-san…?" Tohru questioned.
Just as Shigure was about to reassure her; Hatori joined them.
"Is Akito-san okay Hatori-san?"
"Yes he is resting comfortably. Apparently he had a headache earlier and then allowed himself to become overwrought which only compounded the problem. He should be fine after a good night's sleep."
"Oh, I'm glad. I'll wait until tomorrow to visit with him. That will be okay won't it Hatori-san?"
"I am certain it will be okay. He does want to talk to you when he is feeling better. He told me so."
"Oh, I still can't help but think it was partly my fault. I didn't have to be rude to him just because he was rude to me."
"It is okay Miki-chan. Don't take it to heart. It is Akito's problem not yours."
"Oh yeah, Miki, let's go find Kyri. I want to tell her that Momiji is going to the Red Fish with us tonight. I'm sure she'll want to know."
"Yeah, and we'll have a good time," Momiji confirmed.
"Shigure-san, Hatori-san, would you like to come with us tonight?" Tohru turned to the two older juunishi as she issued the invitation.
"No thank you, Tohru-kun. Not tonight. I don't have Momiji's energy and then I'd like to be certain that Akito is okay"
"And I'll keep Ha-san company; after all he came all this way to see me. Ask me again next time Tohru-kun."
Tohru nodded her understanding and the three were off to find Kyri. Her household duties should be done by now, Tohru thought.
Hatori noted that Shigure's gaze followed Tohru as she left and he felt a sense of satisfaction. Maybe his best friend really would find happiness in the long run. He was certain there would be a few obstacles to overcome before it was achieved but that was what Shigure needed. Things generally came easily to Shigure and as a result the easy victories had very little value to the dog. However; Shigure was battling for his happiness this time, as well as Tohru's, and Hatori hoped the obstacles would not be too great for either Shigure or Tohru to overcome.
"Shigure, you could go with them. I will be fine here with Akito."
"No Ha-san, it's really better if I don't."
Hatori looked at Shigure, a hundred questions in his eyes.
"Don't ask Ha-san, I've said all I'm going to say on this subject."
"Very well; then why don't you tell me what you've been doing for six weeks and how your newest literary work is coming…or is it smut this time?"
"Ha-san, even my smut is the work of my extreme literary talent." The tone of injury lacing Shigure's voice made Hatori smile. As soon as Shigure saw the smile, he continued. "It begins during the Barabarosa raids and moves forward to modern times."
Hatori found he was truly interested as Shigure talked. This was going to be one of the novelist's best works yet.
The three young people found Kyri just as she was placing the last dish in the cupboard.
"Kyri, are you free right now? Momiji is going into the village with us tonight but I hoped you and Miki could get to know him better before we go."
"Yes, I'm done. This was my last duty today. Miki, let's go change and then we can join Tohru and Momiji while we wait for Nikos and Zoe to show."
A few minutes later the two girls returned from changing in Tohru's room and the four of them sat down to get acquainted and wait for the other two.
Tohru's enthusiasm was contagious as was Momiji's and Miki soon found herself feeling better. Tonight was going to be a lot of fun she was sure.
Momiji quickly charmed his way into the two girls' good graces and they were all chatting comfortably when Zoe and Nikos came up the walk.
Tohru jumped to her feet and hurried down the walk to meet Nikos and Zoe. "Nikos, Zoe, welcome! I was beginning to worry. I didn't think you were going to make it tonight after all and I was so looking forward to it. I have a very dear friend I want you to meet, but first let me introduce you to Shigure's best friend, Hatori-san."
Tohru led them to the verandah where Shigure and Hatori had resumed their conversation over a fresh pot of coffee. As she introduced the latest arrivals to Hatori, Momiji continued to chat with the other two girls. They had learned an amazing amount of Japanese in a short time. The conversation flowed pretty smoothly for the most part. After Tohru had completed the introductions she turned to go back down the steps. Nikos offered Tohru his hand as they descended the stairs and Tohru accepted easily. Hatori turned back to Shigure in time to note the momentary frown that marred his features at the tableau. It was gone in the flash.
"You young people enjoy yourselves and I'll see you later, "Shigure called as they rounded the corner of the house.
The next order of business was introducing Nikos and Zoe to Momiji. They quickly arrived on the back porch where Momiji was still talking to Kyri and Miki non-stop. Tohru paused as she waited for a lull in the conversation and Zoe used that time to look at the new Sohma that had come to Kythira. Her eyes widened in surprise as she noted Momiji's appearance. He did not look Japanese at all. The slender young man with blonde hair and brown eyes was probably one of the most beautiful people she had ever seen. That did make sense when she considered the appearance of Shigure and Hatori Sohma. The Sohma were definitely blessed with much better than average good looks. The lull came and Tohru stepped into the conversation. Momiji smiled at Zoe as the introductions were made and her heartbeat escalated rapidly. No one should be this good looking!
Momiji shook hands with Nikos and Zoe as his eyes noted their appearance. Zoe, along with Kyri and Miki were all very beautiful women, and Nikos was someone Shigure should watch out for. His dark good looks would definitely appeal to most women including Tohru. "Tohru, not only are you beautiful, you have beautiful friends! You should have told me about them and I would have come to Greece much sooner than this!"
Tohru grinned at the young rabbit. She ignored the part of his comment concerning her, but responded to the other part of it. "They are beautiful aren't they? Shall we go?"
"I really wasn't talking about just your Greek friends Tohru," Momiji said quietly, almost to himself. Tohru didn't hear him, but Nikos did. He gave the young man a quick glance.
Momiji saw Nikos look and shrugged his shoulders. "Don't worry Nikos; it's always been this way for me. I am happy as long as I can be one of her best friends. "
Nikos decided Momiji Sohma was another person he was going to enjoy becoming friends with; How many more of the Sohma were in love with Tohru...? he wondered.
Momiji was lagging behind with Nikos as the four girls walked together. He could easily guess Nikos' thoughts. "I bet you are wondering if all of us are in love with Tohru. The answer to that is no. Ha'ri has a great deal of respect and affection for her but he's not in love with her. It's just Yuki, Kyo, Shigure and me. Seems funny doesn't it? Four of us in love with the same girl."
"Normally I would say yes, but considering who we are talking about and what little I have learned of the Sohma family, it doesn't really seem so strange. She is a very special person to your family, right?"
"She is…I suppose you've talked a bit with Shigure-sensei…"
"I have…the dynamics of your family are quite…interesting."
Momiji grinned. "Interesting is a good word."
Zoe was actively participating in the conversation with Tohru and the others but she was supremely conscious of Momiji's presence as he and Nikos carried on their own private conversation. What was it about him, besides his exceptional appearance, which had made such an impact on her senses?
Light spilled from the brightly colored tavern as the six young people approached it. Tohru turned to Momiji and took his hand as they entered. "Momiji, would you like to join me in this first dance?"
"You bet!" he agreed blithely and Zoe felt the first pangs of discontent she had ever felt in Tohru's presence. What on earth was her problem?
Nikos invited Kyri to dance and she and Miki had plenty of willing partners to choose from so she shelved the question and joined everyone else on the dance floor. She could consider it later.
Momiji was enchanted with the atmosphere and a little surprised at not only Tohru's willingness to dance, but also her absolute joy in it. She was growing up quickly and it was in all the right ways. She had been extremely naïve and shy in social situations prior to leaving Japan but she had blossomed under the cerulean Greek sky it seemed. Allowing Shigure to take her with him had been a good thing. If only…Momiji quickly stopped that thought. Sometimes he wasn't as content as he led others to believe. He wasn't as content as he thought he was for that matter.
The next dance was a Greek folk dance in which everyone participated. It involved a lot of changing of partners and at the end Momiji found he was paired with Zoe while Nikos ended up with Tohru. Momiji suspected foul play when Zoe and Nikos shared a wink, but then again…he looked closely at the young woman by his side. Her eyes were wide and a clear hazel-brown in color. She had waist length black hair and a graceful figure. He decided he could do far worse for a partner.
"Zoe-chan isn't it?" His most charming smile flickered into play.
"Yes, I'm Zoe. Hopefully you are bright enough not to confuse me with the other girls here tonight."
"I think I just might be that intelligent. How can I confuse the most beautiful girl in the room with anyone else? Would you dance with me Zoe-chan?"
Zoe felt her cheeks grow hot even as she accepted his offer. She was very glad the room was dimly lit.
Momiji's sharp eyes noted the red blush on her cheeks but he was gentleman enough to hide that fact. A series of dances followed and Nikos split his time amongst Tohru, Miki, and Kyri while Momiji divided his time between Zoe and Tohru.
Zoe found herself dancing the majority of the time with Momiji and waiting impatiently for him to come back to her when he had the occasional dance with Tohru.
Whoa Zoe-girl, take it easy here. Since when did you let a pretty face so totally take over your every thought?
After that she made the effort to concentrate on other things happening in the room. She watched in amusement as Miki and Tohru kept steering Nikos into Kyri's orbit. Had they picked up on the same thing as she, Kyri's interest in Nikos? For Nikos' part, he didn't seem to mind the obvious maneuvering. It seemed to amuse him as much as it amused Zoe. She really did hope Tohru and Miki didn't think they were being subtle in their actions, but if they did, it would be typical of their personalities. Tohru was older than Miki, but neither one of them was very experienced when it came to relationships with men. They really were quite adorable. She giggled…she was only two years older than Miki and younger than Tohru and she was considering herself experienced…a wry smile curved her lips.
Momiji followed Zoe's gaze as she watched her brother and friends. He noted the amused smile on her face and decided he wanted to know what she was thinking. He nodded in Nikos' direction. "He's interested in Kyri I think. I can tell Kyri is in love with him."
Zoe's eyes held a hint of surprise at his observation. "You're very astute for having just met us. Yes, Kyri is definitely in love with Nikos…but as for Nikos…I'm not sure. I think he is half in love with Tohru although he is fairly certain there is no future there for him."
"Is that so…" Momiji looked at her in surprise and then observed Nikos more closely as he was now dancing with Tohru once again. "Perhaps…"
"Yeah, he's decided there's no future there because she is already in love with Shigure even though she may not have admitted it to herself just yet. You feel the same as he does I think. You both want Tohru to be happy. As for Shigure…it's been obvious from the beginning that he loves her although he does dally a bit with my sister. I'm not sure what game he is playing, but it could be a dangerous one if Petra catches on to it."
"Petra…oh yeah, she was the other girl there this afternoon when we arrived. She's very beautiful, but like a cobra is beautiful. I'm sure Shigure can handle her; he can be quite the snake charmer when he wants. I did hope things were moving in that direction for Shigure and Tohru but I wondered because Shigure-sensei is a little…"
"Distant? A bit of a fool? " Zoe supplied the words Momiji hesitated to use.
"Mmmhmmm…"
"Walk with me Momiji. Let me explain this distance to you. You didn't see him when they first arrived…" Zoe and Momiji let Nikos know they were going to be heading back to the villa. Nikos indicated he would follow shortly.
By the time Momiji and Zoe arrived at the villa they were on a comfortable footing with each other and Momiji was reassured as to Shigure's motivations. "Thank you Zoe-chan, your insight has been quite helpful. It confirms the way I felt earlier when talking with Tohru. I was a little concerned when I saw them together this afternoon though. But still, as much as he likes a challenge, I wish Shigure wouldn't take the chance of hurting Tohru. If she were to accidentally discover his dalliance with your sister I know it would shatter her confidence and that is one thing she's developed that she didn't really have before now."
"You know Momiji…I didn't realize it until today, but I think I am just a little bit jealous of Tohru's affect on all the men in her life and she doesn't even have to try."
"Well…there is a history there Zoe-chan. You'd understand if you'd known us before Tohru came into our lives. Her mother was a wonderful woman and she instilled a lot of positive qualities in Tohru and they were exactly what we needed in the Sohma world. She has taught us about happiness so it only stands to reason that we should want her to be happy."
"I suppose I can accept that. I love Tohru myself. Over the last six weeks I've discovered she is a very unique personality. I'm so glad I could help. Would you be interested in finding a cup of hot tea while we wait for them to come home?"
Half an hour later Nikos and Tohru returned and the four young people sat at the kitchen table and gradually became better acquainted. Momiji was curious as to why Kyri and Miki hadn't returned with Nikos and Tohru.
Tohru replied, "Miki was quite tired and Kyri wanted to tuck her into bed or at least try to convince her it was time to go to bed. Miki is really quite brave you know, and I think it's wonderful she has such a caring sister as Kyri."
"I know, you told me about it in one of your letters." Momiji assured her. Eventually Zoe and Nikos left to return home. With their exit; Momiji and Tohru called it a night.
Shigure heard Momiji head for his room and Tohru for hers. Tohru's tread stopped in front of his door and he waited a moment to see what would come next. She knocked at his door, "Shigure-san I'm home."
"Welcome home Tohru-kun. Please come in." Tohru stepped inside his room and watched him for a moment as he finished the sentence he was writing. "Can I get anything for you Shigure-san before I go to bed?"
"No thank you Tohru-kun, but I'd like to hear how your evening went." He invited. Shigure realized he had missed Tohru's presence today, she had been gone so much of the time.
Tohru's expression brightened with her smile and she came and knelt at his side.
"Tohru-kun, please take the chair over there, it will be much more comfortable." And you won't be so close that I feel I can reach out and pull you to me and taste your kisses once again...
"Oh, okay." She sat down and told him about the evening and how well Momiji fit in with her friends.
"And did you and Momiji have a good time today? You were gone for quite a while this afternoon." The questioned seemed to be just an idle way of making conversation, but Shigure really did want to know what they had been doing all that time.
"We did. We went down to the beach and I showed him the cave where the passage to my room ends. It was a little funny I thought. We stepped into the cave and Momiji gave me a big hug and of course he turned into a rabbit. He really is sweet and thoughtful you know. We had a nice chat while we were there. He always seems to know how to cheer me up when I'm a little sad."
Shigure cleared his throat. "Ah yes…I'm very glad of that. We'll probably be busy tomorrow so we should probably head to our beds. Good night Tohru-kun."
"Shigure-san…"
"Yes?" Tohru gave him a big hug. He only had a moment to be surprised before the room was filled with the sound of his transformation.
"Tohru-kun why…"
She hugged the black dog to her breast for a moment and then sat back. "You looked lonely Shigure-san. I just wanted to cheer you up. Good night Shigure-san."
"Good night Tohru-kun." And oddly enough he did feel less melancholy as she left. The door closed behind her and he smiled softly. "I do love you Tohru-kun" he whispered though there was no one to hear but the night outside his window.
A/N Don't you just love Shigure despite his faults. I know I do. As for Petra...she's engendered a lot interest, mostly negative. While it might be interesting to see Petra's reaction if she figures out Shigure's game and Tohru's hurt when she learns of his deception...I'm not going down that road. This plot is already complicated enough with all of the men in Tohru's life, I certainly don't need the woman scorned to make it even more complicated. Petra does make an exit next chapter. If you are wondering how and why well... sore wa himitsu desu.You didn't really expect me to give more of the story away than I already have did you? See you next chapter I hope.