Little Darlin', Stir It Up (Come On, Baby)
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Large green eyes watched the territory, it was his domain, his land, and therefore he would be vigilant for any threats.
He was going over his daily schedule, deciding what route he would take. Anything that was out of the ordinary, he would take care of. There was this one suspicious character that he would like to dig his claws-
"Babyyyyy. Whose my handsome boy?" A sweet sound interrupted the warrior's thoughts. Nails quickly found the sweet spot under the chin, and the fierce house cat was purring like a truck.
Oh, that's good stuff; this is why I do the early and late patrols. I gotta earn my keep and keep my home safe and get these magic claws.
She kept speaking, and while Gimli couldn't understand what she said, he was positive that it was praise.
The cat hopped down from his tower and followed the woman into the kitchen, rubbing himself on her sock-covered calves.
Have to make sure to leave my scent, make sure the other cats knew who she belonged to.
While he had been perfectly fine in the cardboard box out in the street. The large cat had to admit that living here certainly did have its comforts.
The only thing was the strangers that his girl kept letting in. There was something off about them; their scents and presence always made his fur stand on end. Especially the brightly orange-haired one, and it was a bit of relief that he hadn't been around for a bit.
"Alright, alright. Here you go." She again made noises that the cat didn't understand, but he heard the familiar sound of food, the strange container in her hand as she emptied it into his bowl.
They were the only two up as it was early, and Gimli loved it, knowing it was their time. Before anyone else could run around his house and direct his girl's attention to themselves.
An annoying chirp made him stop mid-bite
Tiny bastard...I should have eaten him when I had the chance.
Gimli growled up at the cage where his prey was hopping, chirping as it received attention. He had told her not to spoil the prey, but his warnings went unanswered.
Gimli warned the bird not to get too comfortable, but it just chirped and jumped onto the girl's finger, making a delightful sound come from her lips as she began making noises at the bird. Gimli growled more which made her look down and giggle at him.
She didn't even look ashamed at being caught being sweet with the prey!
"Aww, come on, Gimli, don't look at me like that. You know I love you." She closed the cage and pat Gimli's soft orange fur, asking if he wanted to be brushed.
Her long platinum fur flowed behind her as she hurried to a cabinet that held his belongings. She brought out the brush and sat down on the porch, and patted her lap. The early morning sun barely peaking into the Estate was shining on her. It was hard to resist.
He padded over and made himself comfortable as she gently groomed him.
Ahhh...bliss
At least it was until he heard her let out a large sigh as the brushing came to a slow stop.
"I wonder how...I wonder how Kyo and Kagura's date went last night." At the very mention of the boy, Gimli could feel his girl's energy seem to fade. He looked up at her face, and she seemed so...far away.
"I really have no one to blame but myself, right? Isuzu told me to stay away and not.." She let out another large sigh, and Gimli meowed, asking what was wrong.
"There was even a small part of me that maybe thought...that maybe Kyo could feel the same?" She seemed unsure, but her eyes filled with longing before going a little glassy.
Gimli meowed up before standing up and placing his front paws on her chest. Her eyes seemed sad, and her lips weren't in their usual smile. His cold nose reaching up to hers, attempting to get her attention.
I'm right here, tell me what you need. I can bring you gifts? Protect your territory? What do you need?
"Ah, sorry baby, just feeling a little..jealous, I guess. It was probably all in my head. Promise not to tell anyone." She asked as she scratched his ear, and he let out a big meow as he leaned up and rubbed his face against her, which made her giggle as he took in the light fruity scent.
His girl always smelt so lovely and gave the best pets. No matter who else came through his house, she was the best. And she would always give him the best food.
Can we have shrimp for dinner?
"Right, I should get going if I want to fit in some morning practice. Be good." She took his face in her hands and placed a gentle kiss on his head. His green eyes watched as she rushed around the room, grabbing a few things before slipping on some shoes and heading out. The house was quiet again, and Gimli figured he should head out as well.
I should check the fences to make sure no one bothers my girl on her walk.
He padded along after, keeping to the tall fences so he could better watch for danger. His girl was too lost in thought to notice him. She walked into an empty building and turned on all the lights. Gimli watched from the post out in the garden as she walked around the open space before playing some sort of music from a large black box in the corner.
Her long white-blonde fur swayed from side to side as she moved to the music. Her body did strange movements, but Gimli couldn't deny that while he wasn't sure why she moved like that, she still looked graceful.
Almost as graceful as a cat.
The girl then did a flip and landed a little wobbly before falling on her behind.
Almost.
But just like any other time he had seen the girl fall, she got back up and continued. Moving forward in her dance, bending and spinning with the soft tones of the music.
Gimli had found that she was doing this had become her new morning routine. Sometimes she would go for a run or simply stretch on the porch at home. Never the same song. Sometimes it was fast, sometimes it was slow.
But whenever she was done, she had had a clear look of satisfaction and peace in her large eyes.
Hopefully, she'll find her peace
Gimli heard the shaking of a treat bag and went off to investigate, leaving the girl to dance to beautiful sounds.
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Kyo stared out the window as his classmates all socialized before morning classed started. His mind felt like it was in turmoil. The day before with Kagura had been both a relief but also it hadn't felt good as he waited for Kagura to stop crying.
He never wanted to cause anyone pain, but it felt like that was all he was good for sometimes.
Born to cause misery...
Orange eyes spotted a storm of white-blonde hair rushing into the school gates, still looking graceful as she hurried across the courtyard while tying her hair up and grabbing the hair tie that she was holding in between her teeth. Marley seemed to be rushing around more and more. Like she always was on the move and had been almost late for school every day last week.
What has she been up to?
The girl stopped dead in her tracks, and a grey-haired student approached her, and the two talked before moving out of Kyo's eye line. Kyo, unfortunately, recognized that mop of grey hair anywhere. Marley soon entered the classroom, locked in conversation with the Rat. Marley laughed about something Yuki said as he blushed and tried to hide his face from Marley's light teasing.
"Good morning Kyo." Marley seemed almost nervous about talking to him, and it made him wonder what was on her mind.
Was the Rat talking shit about me?
Kyo narrowed his eyes at Yuki, who was glaring right back.
"What's got you in such a sour mood, Kyon-Kyon." A classmate teased, and Kyo's glare just seemed to deepen over the nickname.
"Ah, shut it. Just sick of seeing that damn face everywhere I go." Kyo complained as he pointed his thumb at Yuki as if anyone needed him to point out who he was talking about.
"Double goes for you. At least try to act civilized. It's too early for this." Yuki seemed to just brush Kyo off as he went to his desk and sat down.
Kyo let out a 'tch' but remained silent, just staring back out the window. Marley looked with concern before turning to Tohru. The two girls had a silent conversation, with Marley gesturing to the two boys and Tohru just shaking her head and shrugging.
Before Marley could push, the teacher entered the classroom, and everyone took their seats as they wished her good morning.
"Oh, I forgot. But since it's the new term, let's switch up the seating." The homeroom teacher yelled as she pulled a box out of her desk.
"Awww," The class whines and groans, not wanting to go to the trouble.
"Quit your whining and take a number from the box." Mayu-Sensei hushed the class as she had the class representative walk down the aisles so everyone could take a slip of paper that would have a piece of paper with their new desk number on it.
Mayu-sensei drew up a quick diagram of the class layout on the board, the squares with numbers representing the desks.
"Um, what number did you get, Kyo?" Marley looked back at him, already gathering her stuff together. Kyo took a look at his slip of paper and showed it to her. Kyo would only be moving to the desk behind him.
"You get to stay by the window! Lucky." Marley smiled, but Kyo shrugged and didn't really respond. He wasn't really talkative, clearly in a sour mood.
He hadn't rested well over the weekend; he was feeling overwhelmed, and while having the talk with Kagura had been helpful as it felt like he was able to give Kagura some closure. But now, his thoughts were flooded with the future and how he could move forward.
It was a weight off his shoulders to finally tell Kagura that he would never love her, and he felt that she could finally see that there was nothing between them. The Cat's heart was such a storm and full of questions about what he would do next. Due to his inner turmoil, he didn't notice the rejected look on Marley's face.
There were things he wanted to do, things he wished to try. Sights he wanted to see.
I want to do it all with her but-
Kyo shook his head, realizing that he was simply just falling into a void that had no hope, and this wasn't the place to be dwelling on such things.
Especially when this was one of the few places he got to spend with Marley.
"What about-eh?" When Kyo looked back, Marley was already gone, and another classmate was in her place. He hadn't realized how long Marley had stood there before she let out a sigh and walked off, her things in hand.
His orange eyes looked around rapidly and spotted her long hair swaying as she walked away. She placed her bag on the hook of the desk in the back row, right next to the classroom door. Marley sat down and set herself up; classmates that Kyo barely recognized sat around her.
It shouldn't have been that big of a deal they were still in the same class.
She was right there yet...
As the school day continued, and already missed the small things that came with having Marley sit right in front of him. It meant he wouldn't be able to lightly tug on her hair to wake her up from daydreaming as she stared out the window. She wouldn't turn around to ask him a question, whether it was about something in History or simply what the date was.
He would be missing all of that.
Usually, it wouldn't be that big of a deal, but he swore he could feel the sand moving in the hourglass. Kyo was running out of time, and he needed to make the most of his time on the outside.
He could just see Akito's dark eyes and the smirk on his lips. God was fully aware of his power over the Zodiac member's lives.
"I'll lock you up until your death."
He gave one last look at Marley, who seemed to be talking to the people around her desk before he just stared out the window. Tohru gave the orange-haired boy a worried look. She knew that Kyo had been in a mood since he returned last night. Tohru wondered what had happened during his time with Kagura but didn't want to pry.
The day continued, and Tohru would look back at Kyo now and then, and he still appeared to be distant. She would look over at Marley, and she would be looking at Kyo before letting out a small sigh and returning to her notes.
When they were dismissed for lunch, Kyo quickly disappeared from the class, and Marley suggested having lunch outside with Hatsuharu and Momiji since she got a text from them.
The teens sat outside, enjoying the shade from the tree they sat under while they ate.
"Tohru-chan! Are you working tonight?" Momiji asked, wondering if he could hang out at the building and help her, but she shook her head and mentioned she would be visiting her Grandfather, who had taken a fall a few days ago.
"What?! Your Grandpa hurt his back?" Momiji's eyes were filled with concern as he clutched his stuffed bunny.
"Is he okay?" Marley didn't know Tohru's Grandfather, but it was always a huge concern whenever anyone elderly took a fall.
"A man's back is his life..." Haru mentioned without lifting his gaze from his video game. Tohru began to panic as Yuki told her to ignore Haru's nonsensical words.
"Is he going to make it to the parent-teacher conference?" Hana asked Tohru, who explained that Shigure would take her instead.
"Oh, man! I was really looking forward to seeing Tohru's Grandpa at the conferences." Uo complained before biting into her convenience store sandwich. Marley asked Uo if she knew Tohru's Grandpa well, but she shook her head.
"Na, I just really wanted to see Tohru's grandpa standing next to Marley's grandpa." She explained, a large smirk on her face.
"That would have been quite the sight." Hana agreed, and Marley simply tilted her head, trying to understand what they meant by that.
"Why?" Marley was trying to imagine her Grandfather just standing there next to a non-descript old man, but she simply didn't get it.
"Tohru's grandpa is the most unthreatening looking old-man." Uo snickered before finishing off her food.
"And yours looks like he would skin a man while not getting himself dirty." Hana finished causing Marley's jaw to drop, unable to think of a response to the statement.
Why does everyone find Dadaji so scary?
Everyone seemed to paint him as this scary man, but Marley found him kind of funny. He was a little awkward when it came to anything that might be seen as 'mushy,' but Marley found it somewhat endearing.
The first time Marley hugged him, he seemed to freeze and hesitantly patted her head. Her parents had even watched, frozen in shock before they started giggling at the look on the old mans' face.
But he didn't push me away.
And even though she was sure he never planned on taking on another kid at his age, he had taken her under his wing, and she could see him trying his best to parent her.
"But your grandpa is coming, right Marley-Chan?" Tohru asked, not denying that two grandfathers really did give off different energy. Even though Tohru knew that Tetsuo was a good person, she was still intimidated by his presence.
"Yep. Dadaji's been asking all week to make sure I gave him the right day and time. He seems almost excited." Marley smiled, excited to have him there. It was also a little nerve-wracking as she was still uncertain of what her after graduation plans were.
"Anyway. I hope your Grandpa gets better soon, Tohru." Marley told her, and Tohru nodded smiled, thanking her for the thoughts.
"Oh, we were supposed to set up my email today!" Tohru had been looking forward to it, but Marley waved her hand.
"We can do it another day. I don't want to keep your Grandfather waiting. I'm sure you're eager to check in on him." Marley was about to ask if she wanted company for the visit but was interrupted.
"Where's Kyo? Haven't seen him in a while." Haru mentioned, mashing the buttons to defeat a monster in his game. Haru was used to seeing him at Marley's house when he dropped in to get some free food, but he hadn't been around the last few days, and even at school, he seemed to make himself scarce.
"Ah, Kyo-Kun..might be on the roof. He seems to be feeling down for some reason." Tohru let him know, and Marley looked up to see if maybe she could see his orange hair from where she was.
Maybe Kyo just needed some time alone... and it's a beautiful day for gazing at the clouds.
"He's havin' one of those manly 'blue days'?" Haru nodded as if he already knew what Kyo was going through as he raised his head to look at Yuki.
"Haru... don't look at me when you say that." Yuki sighed, not liking how he was somehow associated with 'blue days.'
Momiji wanted Tohru to cheer up, so he insisted they would go get some tasty drinks from the vending machine, Hana and Uo close behind.
"Hey, Marley. Have you seen Rin lately?" Haru asked, and Marley looked at Yuki before back at Haru, and he nodded, signalling her it was okay since Yuki knew about the situation.
"She came by last week...she doesn't seem to be doing that well." It was hard to forget how pale Isuzu had been and the traces of dark circles under her eyes. Marley mentioned it to her Grandfather and Hatori, and they promised to try and keep an eye out as well for her.
But Marley still worried since she was familiar with how stubborn Isuzu could be and wouldn't seek out help for herself.
I need to like…wrangle her or something...
Marley imagined herself as a cowboy and trying to lasso Isuzu into a visit to the doctor. Marley was wearing her hair in pigtails and was wearing a cute cowgirl outfit while she
Maybe…not my best idea….
"But she still has a sharp tongue. Which means she still got spirit...so that's a good thing, right?" Marley gave Haru and Yuki a small smile, hoping that I would work to settle some of their worries and even her own.
"So even you're having a tough time talking to her." Haru wasn't sure if that made him happy or sad. He always figured that if Rin didn't let him in, Marley would get the job done.
"Rin has a sharp tongue... she doesn't hesitate to say things that'll hurt." Haru wondered how much interaction Marley had had with Isuzu recently and how those had gone.
He didn't imagine they had gone well based on Marley's answers and the sad look on her face. Had Isuzu said hurtful things to her as well.
"But still... She doesn't say things just to protect herself either." Haru tried to comfort, and Marley nodded.
She knew that about Isuzu, but it still felt incredibly lonely.
Marley almost wished for the days when she was lying in the hospital bed while Isuzu would share stories about her and the boy she was in love with.
It seemed like the regular thing that two young girls would discuss and share.
Everything felt so uncomplicated back then...
"I'm just...worried about her." Marley's voice seemed so weak, as if her heart was hurting. There seemed to be so many things on her mind as her eyes seem to gaze out the window.
"Marley-Chan! Can I borrow some change!" Uo called for her, and Marley nodded, walking over to give her some change for the machine.
"She seems like she's got the blues too." Haru watched Marley talk with the girls, and Momiji offered her a sip of his drink. Marley was smiling, but something just seemed off; she seemed tired and weighed down.
"Marley and Rin are close, right?" Yuki had been told this but rarely saw the two together. The only interaction he could re-call was back at the beach house where they had found Isuzu transformed in the forest.
Marley had been trying to talk to her back then too, but Isuzu had slapped away Marley's hand when she reached out. Still, Isuzu was fighting against the hand that was being offered, and Yuki was sure that Marley was the kind of person that would weigh heavily on.
How much more could someone take before they break?
"They met when Marley was in the hospital and became a little inseparable. It was nice seeing her have a female friend who really seemed to love her. Marley's parents really took in Rin as well. They all spent a lot of time together." Haru explained. He had even been a little jealous since Isuzu was spending less time with him, but he brushed it off since it was good that Isuzu had made other connections.
And most importantly, they made her happy. Even if she had denied it.
"I remember how hard it was on her when they passed. She seemed to completely shut down..." It had scared Haru seeing the one he loved just shutting down, but it seemed Isuzu had picked herself to be there for Marley.
"I think she really only got through it because she wanted to be there for Marley. And the two supported each other."
And now Isuzu was pulling away, and Yuki was sure that Isuzu's attitude wasn't the only thing bringing the girl down.
"Marley came over for dinner last night." Yuki mentioned as the two stood back and watched the others.
"Oh?" Haru raised a brow very subtly as he was curious to hear more.
"I wanted to walk her home..." Yuki wasn't sure if this was even worth telling, but Haru certainly seemed interested.
"Hm?"
"but I couldn't even walk her into the Estate to her house." Yuki's shoulders dropped, and Haru simply nodded as if he expected that outcome.
"Hm."
"Your talkative." Yuki glared over at Haru, feeling slightly frustrated that he wasn't saying much.
"And your upset with yourself." The boy simply stated, calling Yuki out but not to be mean, just to point it out. Yuki let out a sigh as his shoulders dropped. He wanted to be someone people could lean on, he wanted to be strong enough to be someone people needed.
"I wanted to do it...I just."
Couldn't
"Just keep trying, I guess, till you make it. Till then, you can keep sneaking in through the bushes. Or they're the trees by Marley's house. That's how Kyo gets into the Estate." Haru suggested.
"I do need to go today." Yuki sighed, already exhausted, just thinking about going back to the Estate. He planned to sneak in, didn't want to risk coming across certain people if he blatantly walked through the front gate.
"What's the occasion?"
"I need to give my mother notice of the parent-teacher conference." The boy wished he could just hand off the slip to Haru so he could slip it under the door or something, but Yuki also knew he needed to do it himself.
Or else, how would he become stronger?
"Good luck." Haru grabbed his shoulder and giving it a squeeze as if that would help.
"Thanks. I'll need it."
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Marley didn't know much about Tohru's family, but she knew that they didn't bother to look after her properly when her mother died, and that was enough for Marley to not like them. But at this moment, how Marley felt didn't matter.
What mattered was how Tohru felt.
The kind-hearted Brunnett had looked so concerned about visiting, worried about her Grandfather clearly, but she seemed nervous about going in general.
Everyone seemed to be struggling with something.
And I can't seem to be any help...
Marley wanted to ask if Tohru wanted her to accompany her just for a bit of support, but she seemed to get interrupted at every opportunity, and Tohru now sat on the other side of the classroom instead of just a desk over.
And once the bell went, Tohru had left pretty quickly. Obviously in a hurry to make it to her Grandfather's house to see for her own eyes how he was doing.
Yuki had gone to student council, and he didn't have a cell phone, so she couldn't ask him about Tohru's address. Marley thought about asking Hana and Uo but worried that they might be a little zealous.
Uo would probably barge in and tell off Tohru's family...and Hana might curse them...
There was someone else she could ask, but she felt the most nervous about talking to him.
Kyo did look really distant. He was sitting right there, yet he felt miles away. Marley felt awkward as she stood at the classroom door with her school bag in hand. Torn between what she should do.
Maybe I could just send him a text?
It was a silly idea, childish even. But she was afraid of being brushed off. So sending a text seemed safe. Marley closed the classroom door and stood in the hallway as she typed out a text to Kyo.
+Hey, do you have Tohru's Grandfather's home address? +
She sent it off and leaned against the wall as she waited for a reply. The classroom door slid open so fast that Marley dropped her phone in surprise, but a hand grabbed it before the device could reach the ground.
"Ah, Kyo! Good catch!" Marley thanked him while praising Kyo's phone-catching abilities as he handed her phone back to her.
"Why do you need Tohru's address?" Kyo asked as he put his hand on his waist, his bright orange eyes burning holes in Marley's.
"I...I just. Thought I could bring them..fruit..or something" Marley fidgeted with her necklace as she tried to think of something to say.
"Fruit?" Kyo raised a brow, and Marley wished she had said anything else...but the truth was she wasn't sure why she felt the need to know where Tohru's family lived other than just make sure she was okay.
"You're worried about her, huh."
"Well, her family sounds like a bunch of a..a bunch of jerk-offs." Marley crossed her arms and pouted, and Kyo covered the lower part of his face to hide the smile he had.
It was a rare sight to see the ordinarily smiling girl with such a childish expression of distaste.
"Come on." Kyo swung his bag over his shoulder and began walking down the hallway with his hands stuffed in his pockets.
"Where are we going?" The girl hurried behind him, and Kyo slightly turned his head to give Marley a knowing look, and it clicked.
Kyo was going to accompany her to Tohru's house.
Marley's eyes filled with appreciation for the kindness that Kyo was showing her, even though he seemed to be working through his own things.
That's right...Kyo seemed to be going through his own stuff. Is it really okay for him to help me like this?
"Kyo, you don't have to walk with me. I just need an address, and I can find it."
"I don't have the address; I just remember where it was." He explained, and Marley realized that Kyo wasn't the type to write things like that down. His own contact list had about 3 numbers, so it would be weird to keep Tohru's Grandfather's address in it.
"That damn Rat had directions written down, but he just got us lost." Kyo remembered the one time he had been to the house to rescue Tohru from her nasty family. The memory of the time stuck with his rival made his face go sour, and Marley noticed.
"Sorry about the trouble." Marley slightly bit the inside of her mouth. She just felt awkward, and she hated it.
"I got nothing else going on anyway, and I don't feel like going home anyway." He shrugged, trying to assure her that it was nothing.
As the two walked along, Kyo noticed how she seemed to walk behind him rather than by his side. The silence was deafening. He began to panic about what he did wrong, thinking back to this morning when the seat change had happened. He had felt rude about being too in his own head to hear Marley that morning and wished he could do a do-over.
"Do you...like your new spot?" Marley was surprised that Kyo started a conversation and hurried to answer.
"It's okay. I kind of miss the window, but it's nice to be by the door too. Maybe if I'm late, I can sneak in." It was a little strange going from being surrounded by her friends to not really knowing any of her desk neighbours. Marley decided to be optimistic and thought of it as an opportunity to make some new friends.
The one boy who sat in front of her seemed somewhat familiar, but she couldn't place where she had seen him before. And he appeared to be incredibly shy. Marley swore she saw his soul leave his body when she tried to introduce herself.
"I think I scared the boy sitting in front of me, but tomorrow's another day! I will try again." Marley clapped her hands together before putting them in fists as if pumping herself up. It was adorable and goofy, and Kyo wanted to say so or at least maybe tease her.
But he just nodded and continued walking, deciding to keep his comments to himself, and the awkward silence continued. There was clearly something on both their minds, words they both wanted to say, words that they wanted to hear.
The silence surrounding them was stifling.
Marley hated it, this feeling like she couldn't speak with Kyo for some reason and be honest with him.
She wanted to know about Kagura and what the situation was. She had heard things from others, but she just wanted to know the truth.
Yet, she also was scared of what he would say.
These feelings of hers was becoming a headache. At first, Marley told herself she was happy for Kagura and Kyo, feeling like they made a cute couple and being Zodiac members made it easier to be together.
But as time went by, she felt this ugly feeling inside her chest whenever she saw Kagura, a jealousy that just seemed to grow.
It didn't help that just a small smile or comment from Kyo could send her heart into a small flurry and make her feel a little lighter.
Marley wasn't getting that light feeling today. Her body felt like bricks, and her chest felt like it was in a vice.
All because Kyo had been on a date with Kagura last night, and now he was barely talking to her.
It felt...
Suffocating.
"Hey.. what's wrong?" Kyo called to her, and she blinked and noticed he away ahead of her. Marley had not even realized she stopped walking.
"Was it something...I did?" Kyo asked, and Marley shook her head as she looked at him, her hands grasping the straps of her backpack.
"Did maybe.. something happen last night?" Marley wanted to try and be careful about how she asked this. She didn't want to try and seem like she was prying or poking too much, but she really wanted to know.
"Last night?" Kyo was fully facing her, trying to understand what was going through her head.
"I- well. Um, you see...Is everything okay with Kagura?" Marley decided to finally ask. She wanted to know from Kyo's own lips.
"That was your errand. Right." That's what Kyo had told her what he was up to. She wasn't sure why he called it an errand. Why not just tell her.
Did he feel like he couldn't tell me?
"It's none of your business." Kyo wished he could take it back as soon as it left his lips because Marley had taken a step back. It was slight, but it was hard to miss the look of rejection in her eyes.
Marley liked to think that she was close friends with Kyo. One she could share almost anything with and felt confident that he would be there for, and in turn, she could be there for him.
But he's right... it's none of my business. And I don't want to push him away...
The image of Isuzu walking away from her flashed before her eyes, and she clenched her teeth.
Marley dipped her head to Kyo.
"I'm sorry for..for prying. I didn't mean to...I didn't mean to..." Marley could feel the build-up of tears in her as she bowed, but she quickly shook it off and told herself to get it together. Marley worried that maybe she had pushed away Isuzu by prying too much, and she wouldn't be able to take it if she somehow pushed Kyo too far.
This is hard...I know it's not right, but I just find myself jealous that Kagura gets this strong bond while I feel...I feel like I'm just being pushed aside.
Maybe Kyo's just...putting up with me...
"I'm sorry for pushing you about your private life. It's none of my business. Now come on, let's go." Marley rose back up with a smile on her face as she moved to walk forward. She didn't get far as her wrist was quickly snatched up. She looked back, and Kyo was looking down at his hand around her wrist.
Kyo seemed to be struggling, his teeth clenched before he took a deep breath before he locked eyes with Marley.
She felt like her breath left her lungs with the intensity of his words.
"Aghhhhh. Look, I just... I needed to talk to her alright, and then she said she wouldn't listen to me unless I took her on a date, and so that's what I did. And we didn't do anything, just talked and I-" Kyo was struggling to find the words, but he needed Marley to know that his heart didn't belong to Kagura.
"I had to tell her how things were." He pushed out, but Marley felt more confused as she slightly tilted her head.
"How things were?" She repeated the words slowly, working it out in her head.
"That I didn't...that I never would be in love...with her." Marley felt a slight squeeze to her wrist.
A wave washed over Marley. Mixed emotions filling her chest as she took in Kyo's words. Sadness, relief, guilt and even a little excitement. A part of her felt terrible for Kagura and imagined she must just be so heartbroken. But she also felt a little excited as her heartbeat quickened.
I might be a terrible human being...Kagura must be so hurt but yet I can't help but feel... relieved.
"That's all there is to say, okay. It was just a lot, so I'm feeling a little exhausted by it. But I'm fine; everything's fine." Kyo let go of Marley's wrist and couldn't help but enjoy how close they were standing as he looked down into her large eyes.
He felt guilty that Marley had been so worried about him, but a small part of him felt cared for. That someone like her could care for someone like him.
I might not deserve it, but I'll enjoy this while I can.
"You were really worried about me, huh? Sorry about that." Kyo placed a gentle hand on top of Marley's head.
"Is Kagura's okay?" Marley asked, wondering how she had taken the talk.
"She'll be fine. She's stupidly strong." Kyo felt a slight shiver go down his spine as he remembered all the times he experienced Kagura's strength.
"Very true. Kind of scares me sometimes. She's still banned after breaking our T.V," Marley giggled, remembering the chaos that followed and her Grandfather literally trying not to shed a tear over his beloved large screen T.V. He had been in the middle of watching his favourite team play baseball, so Marley could understand a little why he had been so upset.
Bapu was just the same, overly attached to his teams.
Kyo laughed as the air around them seem to clear the two stepped in sync down the sidewalk. Kyo just had one question left to ask.
"Want me to show you how to throw a punch in case Tohru's aunt is home?" Kyo teased as he smirked at her, enjoying the idea of Marley throwing a punch at someone.
"I- wait, how bad are these people?!" She gasped, panicking on how to approach the situation and worried that Tohru was in genuine need of rescue. The awkwardness of before was gone as Kyo grabbed her hand, teasing her for her slender hands that looked incapable of hurting anyone.
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.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
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Yuki stood in front of the large gates leading into the Sohma estate. He didn't know how long he stood out there. The last time he had passed through those gates, he was leaving to live with Shigure. How long had it been?
That was before he entered high school. Before he met Tohru.
Yuki was different. Or at least he wanted to believe he was a little stronger than he was before.
He didn't want to be controlled like this anymore.
He took in a deep breath, calming his nerves and telling himself that it would be okay. Even though he wanted to be cemented to the spot and not have to move an inch.
He was scared.
Frozen.
Another cliff that he was afraid to jump off, unsure of what could happen once he took that step.
The boy forced himself to move forward, finally taking that step through the front gate.
He passed through, and the world didn't fall apart. So he continued moving forward, the ground steadily under his feet as he made his way to a place he once called 'home.'
"Welcome home, Yuki-San. If you had called in advance, I am certain Madam would have not gone out. We do not expect her back until later this evening." A maid of the house
I psyched myself up to come here, but as always, Mother isn't even home.
"Here. I'll call later but give this to her." Yuki handed over a piece of paper, giving the details about the parent-teacher conference.
"Are you not going to wait for her?" The maid asked, but he shook his head before asking if Akito was around.
Just in case
"The head of the family has not been feeling well. It seems his condition has seemed to worsen." Yuki hardly listened as his attention was caught on a familiar room that he had spent many hours in.
All those lonely times in the dark.
Haru would visit now and then, and sometimes Rin would come with him. Even then, she wouldn't say anything. She would just sit in the corner until she'd stand up and say...
"Enough of this. Let's go."
Yuki wondered why she'd come in the first place if she felt that way.
But...it was more than that. Wasn't it?
Yuki walked down the steps from his mother's home and was about to leave, but someone called out to him.
"Yun-chan! Wow! What's up? This is rare!" Kagura walked up to him, her eyes still wide with surprise, unsure if she was seeing what she was seeing. He didn't blame her since he hadn't been around the Estate since he started high school.
Except for that one time when he snuck in to check on Hatsuharu after having a 'Black Haru' episode at school.
"Kagura...Are you on your way home from college?" Yuki asked as the two talked in the middle of the pathway
"Nope, I ditched today. I was just out taking a walk." She said with a small smile, as if proud of the choice. He knew Kagura didn't seem all that serious about her schooling in the first place, and maybe that was a good thing. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to run into her.
"Good timing. Can I ask you something? Rin is staying at your house, right?" The high schooler asked, hoping that maybe if he could talk to his fellow Zodiac member, he could help his friend just a little bit.
Yeah."
"Would I be able to see her if I stuck around?" It wasn't how he wanted to spend an afternoon, nor did he ever imagine he would willingly go to Kagura's house, but this might be his only shot at catching Isuzu.
"Hmm...I don't know. She doesn't come home a lot of the time. And I hear she doesn't always go to school either... The girls a mystery." Kagura explained, and Yuki felt his shoulders drop, his half-baked idea already dead.
"You might have a better chance at Marley-Chan's house...but I hear the two aren't really talking, so maybe not." Kagura really had no idea what was going on with the Horse of the Zodiac these days, and she only seemed to be getting worse.
"Thanks, Kagura." She hadn't been that helpful, but Yuki wasn't sure what else he could say. And it wasn't Kagura's fault that Isuzu was hard to pin down.
"I'm surprised you're curious about Isuzu, Yun-Chan. You two aren't close." Kagura pointed out as she eyed Yuki, wondering what he was up to.
"I just wanted to talk to her. Oh yeah...did something happen between you and Kyo yesterday?" Yuki changed the subject as he took in the way Kagura looked. Her eyes were a little red, and the air around her just seemed. Depressed.
The very question seemed to make Kagura flinch a little, but she kept a smile on her face and tried to act aloof. She was particularly good at hiding it, but her eyes still gave it away.
"Why do you ask?"
"That guy..had been kind of depressed too. Distant, I guess." He tried to find the right words.
"Towards Marley-Chan too?" Kagura asked, and Yuki thought to today at school. How Marley seemed to barely get a word out of Kyo. He wanted to smack the CatCat for putting the disheartened look on the girl's face, but the classroom was not the place.
"Wait-sorry, scratch that, I'm just battling against a seriously broken heart. Ha-ha. It's been a rude awakening..." Kagura apologized before shaking her head, realizing how terrible that sounded saying out loud.
"But I'm fine. Really. Having feelings for someone... isn't based on logic. Even if you have things figured out in your head...once you realize you 'love' someone. It's all over."
That love is all you can think about...
"Constantly thinking about someone..." Yuki's words slipped past his lips without him even realizing it, wondering if that's something he could aspire to.
The warm memory of him being held by gentle hands accompanied by a soft smile despite the red painting the ground and the pain she must have been feeling.
Could you have been that someone, maybe?
"Sor-" Kagura turned to apologize but was stopped by the sad smile on Yuki's face. The two parted ways, and Yuki thought about Kagura's words during the walk home.
I'm totally jealous...because she knows exactly what her heart wants.
Unlike me, she has no hesitations, so even when she's heartbroken.
She still..single-mindedly...
Yuki's eyes caught long strands of black hair disappearing in the forest, and he rushed forward to catch up to the elusive Zodiac member.
"Rin!" Yuki had to be quick and was able to catch her by slight surprise.
"Rin..what are..you doing? Why are you near my house?" The grey-haired boy asked as he gripped Isuzu's wrist.
"Hold on! Listen to me!" Yuki struggled a bit as Isuzu ignored his question and tried to rip away from him.
"Rin, what are you doing out here alone? What are you trying to do?" Yuki asked as he fought to keep her there. Everyone seemed to have trouble getting in contact with her, which appeared to be his only chance. He just wanted to understand why she was being like this? Why was she hurting the people around her?
"Rin…did you really break up with Haru?" Yuki asked, and that question seemed to make her still. The mention of the Cow of the Zodiac hit something in Isuzu.
Yuki thought back on his time in that room and how Rin had stayed by the door. How moments after Rin had mentioned 'let's go,' someone would come to check on him.
She had been a lookout.
He had truly been blind to his surroundings.
So caught up in himself that he didn't see the others.
"After all this time, it finally hit me. Akito would never have allowed me to have visitors back then…but Haru still came to see me." Yuki would have been so lonely if it weren't for Haru, his suffering would have been so much worse.
There would have been no hint of the light that was beyond that room.
"And you were protecting him, weren't you?" Yuki asked, and she remained silent as she glared at the dirt.
"You sat there on watch the whole time so you would know right away if someone was approaching." All that time, when she could have done anything else, She sat there as Haru visited with Yuki.
"To make sure no one would yell at Haru," Yuki remembered Marley and Haru's conversation at school. They could see something more in Isuzu that Yuki couldn't. They worried for her because they both knew...
"Rin.. doesn't say things just to protect herself."
"At the time, I didn't understand…But even now, you're trying to protect Haru from something… aren't you, Rin? And perhaps even Marley as well-" That seemed to be the last straw as Isuzu's ice-cold glare turned to Yuki, and a sneer was on her lips.
"This is what you wanted to tell me? This stupidity? I don't remember what happened way back when. And I seriously couldn't care less about Haru or Marley."
"You're lying." Yuki surprised himself when he said that, but the thought of Marley or Haru hearing that from Isuzu's lips hurt, and he felt the need to call her out.
"Shut up! I told you before. That's my business."
"Even if I told you, you wouldn't be able to do anything about it anyway. You're a clueless dope."
"You…do you even know why you were allowed to live at Gure-Nii's house? Haru begged him. Him and Marley's Papa…" Isuzu stopped herself from revealing something she didn't want to to the boy she considered too weak and not important enough.
"Come on, Shii-Kun. It doesn't hurt to lend a hand. The poor boy needs to get out. And maybe it'll be good for you to have more life in this house." The large man put a hand on Shigure's shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze.
"And plus, how could you really say no to such a kind-hearted request from such a charming. Right Zuzu-Chan?" The man winked at Isuzu, who had been peeking around the corner. She had tagged along with Yuuto and now wished she had just hung out with Marley at the hospital instead.
"At the time...Gure-Nii just joked and said 'sure, as long as you call me 'sensei" from now on. And Haru, idiot that he is, took it to heart and still calls him that." Isuzu hated it, how much trouble kind people went for people who didn't deserve it.
"But.. you're the biggest Idiot of all!" She screamed at him, all her frustrations bubbling to the surface.
"So stay true to that and go back to your stupid school. Enjoy your happy-go-lucky life! Just don't bug me ever again, Shit-head!" She cursed, and a soft voice cut through the air.
"Hey, now…It ain't nice to call somebody a shit-head...Rin." Hatsuharu stepped into the forest clearing.
"Haru.." The breath seemed to leave the Horse of the Zodiac as she stared over at the newcomer.
"What are you doing here?" Yuki asked, curious how people seem to be popping up everywhere today.
"I was visiting Sensei's house. You dropped your bag." Haru tossed it to him, and Yuki thanked him as he caught it. Haru turned his sights on Isuzu and walked towards her, but Isuzu immediately got into a defensive pose. The boy tried to reach out, but Isuzu jumped back, away from his touch.
"Stay away from me. Don't touch me." She was seething, ready to run. She looked like a trapped animal, and Haru's eyes softened as he had never wanted her to feel trapped with him.
"You really don't want me…Got it then..it doesn't matter.." He sighed as his gentle brown eyes looked down at the ground, looking as if he had lost everything.
"it doesn't matter if I live or die…." He glanced up at her to see her reaction and saw her eyes widened with shock, and he took his chance.
He gently took her into his arms, cradling her body as his fingers traced her jaw, maneuvering it to be able to meet her in a kiss. The girl quickly melted into him, her hands grasping the front of his shirt. Yuki could only watch in slight shock, feeling a little awkward at the display but unable to turn away.
Lips parted, but Haru held Isuzu to his chest, and she found herself unable to step away. She wanted to stay in these, to be soothed by his cologne and his heartbeat as he caressed her long black hair.
"Of course, I ain't gonna die." He whispered softly as he closed his eyes, searching his mind for when it all went wrong.
"Rin…did I totally misunderstand? I thought I understood everything about you. Your voice is more precious to me than anyone's…but did I not hear what you were sayin'?" He needed to know because then maybe he could fix it.
"Rin, are you still like you were that day? Unable to stand…on your own?" He asked, remembering how the two first met. Her frail body laying on the cold concrete, alone.
The girl seemed to snap back to her senses as she pushed him away and slapped his face before running into the woods.
"Rin! Haru.. you're not going to go after her?" Yuki asked as he looked back and forth between Haru and the spot where Isuzu disappeared.
"Hmmm? I'd never catch up when she's in serious mode. She's a horse remember.."
"You're pretty laid-back about this. Not taken back at all."
"No, that's not true. This was a real wake-up call. Anyway, sorry you had to be on the receiving end of Rin's sharp tongue." Haru looked over at Yuki and rubbed the back of his neck, unhappy with how Yuki got involved and hoped that he wasn't hurt over the exchange.
"Sharp tongue? Oh, but I don't really mind." Yuki had barely been bothered; he almost wanted to praise Isuzu for being so direct. Even if it was a little mean, she certainly got her point across. Yuki wanted to bring up that he learned that Haru had bargained to get Yuki out of that dark room, but he felt that maybe Haru wanted to keep that a secret.
So Yuki decided to ask about something else.
"Say... Rin mentioned Marley's father. Did you ever meet him?"
"Only once at Sensei's house." Haru didn't mention why he was there. When he arrived, Yuuto Sohma and Isuzu were already there. Yuuto was wearing a kind pinkish frilly apron over his grey sweats and a black t-shirt. It was a funny sight as he was a very tall and burly man.
Isuzu had just hung out on the porch with a pile of books that were for Marley.
"I think he mentioned he was there to ask if he could borrow books or something but ended up cleaning since-"
"Since Shigure's not big on upkeep." Yuki finished, and Haru nodded. The house had been a mess before Tohru had come along.
"He was a cool dude, kind of built like a wrestler. I asked him how-to put-on muscle like he did… didn't work out too well for me." Haru flexed a little, looking a little frustrated. The truth was that he was a little jealous of the man as Isuzu seemed to really like him and worried about somehow losing her to the much older man. But he quickly saw how it was more a parent-child relationship and had been happy that Isuzu had someone to fill that role. She deserved it.
"Told me was I was admirable…even though I was the cow, I was used to hearing so much dumb shit from adults but he...He just seemed like what a good dad would be." Haru explained as they walked along the path. Yuki nodded, fully agreeing with both statements.
Hatsuharu was admirable and Yuki knew he was lucky to have him as a friend.
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.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
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"How do you feel, Grandpa?" Tohru asked as she knelt by his bedside. He smiled up at her, he looked so helpless as he lay there, but at least he seemed to be in good spirits.
"Not bad, really. Other than my lower back, I feel fine. But staying in bed all the time, I feel like I'm going to melt." He chuckled.
Tohru laughed at her Grandpa's joke; it was good to know he was feeling well enough to make silly comments like that.
The two caught up, Tohru shared a little about her life, and he nodded along, happy to hear that his granddaughter was doing well.
He then spoke about a dream he had about Tohru's parents and how he missed them. How he was thankful to Kyoko for bridging the gap between him and Katsuya.
"I want to..see them again. Even if they're ghosts...I want to see them again." Her Grandfather closed his eyes as he drifted away.
"I want to go see them..." These words brought Tohru back to a dark time, a moment that stayed with her still despite it happening when she was just a toddler.
"Don't!" Tohru called out, but he had only fallen asleep, his snores filling the room. Tohru calmed herself down, telling herself that everything was fine as she watched her Grandfather sleep peacefully.
But her mind was still on those words and the person she held most dear in her heart.
"I want to go see him."
Her mother's voice filled the space in her head, and Tohru clenched the end of her skirt in her hands in fear and frustration.
Tohru tip-toed out of the room, careful to not disturb her sleeping grandfather, who needed his rest. She bowed to her Aunt, who barely acknowledged and walked out the front door. Her mind still locked onto those words as she walked along the sidewalk on autopilot.
"I want to go see him."
Don't...say that.
Get better.
I'll do anything to help.
Anything you ask...so don't go.
Come back.
Don't take Mom with you.
"Wait, stop! What am I gonna give them?" A voice with an odd accent broke through, and Tohru stopped and raised her head and had to look down the street.
"They don't deserve these. You're the one who called them jerk-offs." Kyo's cheeks were full as he talked, some sort of half-eaten pastry in his hand and a bag in the other that he was keeping out of Marley's reach.
"I..well, I figured they wouldn't let me in unless I brought a gift..." Tohru wondered who they were talking about and why Marley needed to be let in somewhere.
"and then what?" Kyo asked as he held the bag out of Marley's reach still, and she paused in trying to get it as she stood there and thought.
"...judge them silently."
"Very intimidating." He teased, and Marley's cheeks went pink as she made herself stand up tall as if to prove something and jumped to swipe the bag before dashing out of his arm's reach.
"I can be very intimidating- Tohru!" Marley turned her head to see Tohru, and she rushed over, panic clearly written across her features.
"Hey.. what's wrong? Is your Grandpa not doing well?" Marley got down on her knees, gently placing her hand on Tohru's back and rubbing, soothing her.
The girl hadn't even realized she was on the ground.
"Tohru?" Marley asked again.
"I'm...alright. Grandpa seems to be doing well. It's just the past..." Tohru was hardly making any sense, so Marley looked up at Kyo, but he seemed to not know what was up either.
Even though I closed the lid.
"Did they do anything to you?" Marley asked, and it made Tohru blink owlishly as she wondered what the white-blonde could be insinuating. Kyo decided to clear the air a bit and explain Marley's plan.
"Marley's apparently gonna kill your family with baked goods." Kyo lazily gestured with his thumb to Marley, who glared up at Kyo.
"K-Ki-Kill?" Tohru stuttered as Marley threw a bun at Kyo, who caught it with ease before biting into it.
"I was not! I said I just wanted to...meet them and maybe ask why they were sucky family members." Her words went quiet at the last part as she found it silly saying it aloud as Marley honestly had no plan for what she would do if she had made it to Tohru's family's house. But Marley was certain she would say something or at least give them a good hard look.
Did..did they come here because they were worried about me?
Tohru's face broke out into a smile; just seeing her friends made her heart just expand.
With Marley's help, Tohru got back up on her feet, and the sun-kissed girl continued to ask if she was feeling alright.
"So, are we not going in to rough up the jerk-offs?" Kyo was having too much fun with this, and Marley was flat out embarrassed as her face went red.
"Oh my god, stop. Please." Marley begged as she grabbed Kyo's sleeve and tugged, and the boy just laughed.
"You know, no more buns for you. Tohru and I are gonna eat the rest." Marley held Tohru's hand as they walked off. Before they got too far, Marley's phone went off, and she rushed to pick it up.
"Hatori? Dadaji? Everything okay." Marley asked into the phone, and Kyo and Tohru waited as she had the conversation.
"Wait, no! The vet, I'm so late!" Marley panicked, and Tohru worried what kind of appointment she was talking about and hoped Marley hadn't missed it because of her.
"I'll be right there! Oh, Tohru, Kyo, You wanna come set Zazu free? We can have dinner after. I was gonna make pakora tonight! It'll be fun!" Marley asked the two as she hung up the phone.
It was hard for anyone to say no to that face, and Tohru didn't want to be alone at the moment, so she was happy for the distraction.
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.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
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"It's too damn hot." Akito groaned, already in a bad mood, but the heat wasn't helping. She felt awful and no one.
The Sohma estate was basking in the golden hour sun, a melody of oranges and pinks in the sky.
Akito leaned on the windowsill, eyes locking onto 4 figures walking across the main road of the Estate.
Marley was still in her school uniform, a birdcage in her arms, chatting with the Honda girl. Both of them smiling like idiots as they walked along.
The Snake and the Dragon walked behind them, Marley looked back to say something, and the Snake laughed obnoxiously while the Dragon shook his head, looking exhausted, but even Akito caught the small smile on his lips.
Akito thought back to when Marley first got the bird, its wing in bandages as it hopped around the table. When she was over, she had also asked if Kureno was around as she wanted to see how the bird would react around the Rooster.
Akito had told her that Kureno had gone somewhere for the day, and Marley shrugged and mentioned maybe next time before she got distracted by the little bird who started to chirp at her.
"He's so cute; look at his little face and little beak. And his little good morning chirps are so adorable." Marley gushed as she placed some bird feed in her hand and cooed at 'Zazu' to come over.
Of course, she named it after some Disney Character.
"You already seem pretty attached to it. Why not just keep it." Akito didn't really even see the point in trying to save it in the first place. Seemed like a lot of trouble.
"Cause he's wild. It'd be wrong for me to keep him just because I've grown attached to him." Marley's eyes softened as Zazu hopped into her hand.
"Just don't get all upset when you let him go." Akito rolled her eyes, already sure that Marley would most likely tear up when saying goodbye.
"Let's just make sure he has a pleasant stay with us. Despite the bad start." Marley held her hand out to Akito and let the bird hop onto her hand.
"You should come with me when we set him free. It'll be amazing to watch him fly off into the sky."
Akito waved her off, mentioning it was childish to try and rehabilitate the bird as it was just some animal, but Marley just smiled as she told Akito to stop being so negative.
"Zazu's gonna make a swift recovery and will be free to fly high into the skies soon. I'm sure of it."
"You really are setting it free..." Akito mumbled as she stared at Marley with the birdcage.
"What's got your attention?"
Akito glared at Kureno, who just looked out the window to see what was going on.
"Marley-San is looking well. Is that the bird she rescued?" Kureno asked as they stared at the two girls as they disappeared down the road, going to a park nearby to set the bird free.
"Tch. Rescued from her own devil cat, it hardly counts." Akito sneered, but Kureno could see the sad look on her face, eyes almost glassy with unshed tears.
"You miss her." Kureno stated, and Akito whipped her head to glare at him.
"Get out." Akito ordered through gritted teeth as she felt her skin go hot. Irritation coursing through her veins.
"It's okay-" Kureno wanted to try and comfort her but was met with a slap to his face.
"I SAID GET OUT!" She screamed at him, and he bowed his head, ignoring the pain in his face as he quietly left the room.
Akito stood at the window, her body slightly shaking as tears started to roll down.
"I don't miss her...I don't need her." Akito was sure of herself. There was no way that was possible because...
I am God
"I have my Zodiacs...I was born to be loved by them. And no one else." Akito slid the window closed, removing the golden light from her room, and let herself be bathed in the darkness.
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.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
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"Alright, Zazu. Try to be more careful. I don't want you to be someone else's breakfast." Marley told him, staring him right in his beady black eye.
"Be careful, Zazu-San. I hope you live a long life." Tohru wished
"And find a special bird!" Marley imagined the handsome bird would have many suitors to choose from.
"Oh, and have lots of children," Tohru added in, envisioning all the baby birds he would father.
"You two act like you sending off a kid to college or something." Kyo sighed while he held the cage as Tohru and Marley talked to the bird inside, who was chirping excitedly back at the girls.
Marley giggled and opened the cage, putting her hand in and letting the small sparrow hop onto her finger.
"Be sure not to hunt down this bird, Kyonkichi!" Ayame teased from the park bench he and Hatori were sitting. Hatori had been the one to accompany Tetsuo to the vet appointment while Ayame just tagged along.
"I don't hunt birds! I'm not an actual cat!" Kyo hissed at him and threw the cage which Ayame caught while calling Kyo a brute.
"Tohru, hold out your hand." Marley asked as the Cat and Snake zodiacs continued to bicker. Well, Kyo was bickering, and Ayame was teasing.
The brunette held out her hands, and Marley maneuvered the bird into Tohru's hands.
"Alright, Zazu, It's a perfect evening for flight. Make sure to find someplace safe before going to sleep."
He still wasn't leaving, just looking at her as he tilted his head now and then.
"Maybe he's scared?" Tohru didn't blame him since it could be scary out in the wide world all alone.
Some more chirps sounded off, and the girls looked up to a nearby tree where birds similar to Zazu were chirping and bouncing along the branches.
"There you go. Looks like you've got some friends." Marley pointed out, and the small bird chirped. Tohru lifted her hands a bit, hoping that she was okay as perch.
The bird hopped around her hands for a bit before finally taking off. The girls cheered as the bird flew around in the open space, and the other birds joined him, all chirping and making little flight patterns, almost like dancing.
"Good luck Zazu-San!" Tohru called out as she waved to the bird, and Marley called out for him to be safe.
"Stay away from Kyonichi!" Ayame cheered before getting yelled at again by Kyo.
Tohru watched the bird flying around before it flew so far that it wasn't even a speck in the sky. The gorgeous glow of orange was around, the same orange of her mother's hair that she missed so much.
Mom...did you find him...are you...are you happy?
"Come on, I'm starving." Kyo patted Marley's shoulder before picking up the old cage from the grassy floor and handing her a tissue for the tears she ended up shedding.
"Ah right. Let's go, Tohru!" Marley wiped away her tears and took Tohru by the hand, leading her back to her home.
Sitting in Marley's home felt so warm with a few Zodiac members and Marley's Grandfather. Ayame was helped Marley with some sewing tips, demonstrating how to easily sew a pleated skirt and fix the hem.
Marley's large Cat had made himself at home on Tohru's lap, enjoying the gentle pets he was receiving.
"She was really worried about you." Kyo broke Tohru's train of thought.
"Huh?"
"I think if you ever have to visit your family or something, she'd be happy to tag along." Kyo remembered a conversation with Marley when she first learned about Tohru's situation and was venting about Tohru being treated such away.
"How could they do that to her?!" Marley was folding laundry as she did so, and it looked like the clothes were receiving a bit of a beating as she was practically throwing the clothes in the basket with little care.
"Didn't they think to check on in her? Have they ever even been to Shigure's house to make sure?!"
"Na, they've never been by." Kyo admitted, and he was glad about that. He didn't want strangers coming by.
But this just made Marley more frustrated as she went off in an amazingly fast-paced rant in her first language, and Kyo could only let out a whistle, impressed at how fast she could talk. While he had no idea what she was saying...
It certainly didn't sound like it was anything nice...
Kyo liked seeing her getting fired up like that especially since it seemed to be on Tohru's behalf.
"I...would like to visit Grandpa again soon. And it would be nice to introduce him to Marley-Chan... if she's okay with that, of course!" Tohru smiled, looking forward to her Grandfather meeting the people dear to her heart.
"I'm pretty sure she has a few things to say to him anyway...Gotta teach her how to throw a punch just in case." Kyo teased as his eyes glanced over at Marley, whose eyes were concentrated on sewing at Ayame told her she was doing well.
Tetsuo was glaring at the two, telling them to make the skirt longer but Ayame made a dramatic claim about the old man wanting to hide Marley from the world.
"But Dadaji! It's gonna look so cute, and lots of the girls wear them. Look how cute Tohru looks in the mini-skirt version!" Marley pointed out, and Tohru began blushing from her spot and denying that she looked that good.
"Mom was actually the one who chose the mini-skirt..."
"Your Mom had great taste, Tohru!" Marley cheered and then mentioned she also needed to go to the store for thigh-high tights. Ayame shook his head and said she should just come by his store as they had a diverse selection, and she could pick up some 'on the house.' That seemed to be the final straw as poor Tetsuo Sohma looked like he wanted to cry and strangle the Snake at the same time.
"Old man's about to have a stroke." Kyo sighed, and Tohru panicked as that would be a terrible thing to happen to Marley's Grandfather.
"Yeah, cause he's worried about you jumping her with those teenage hormones you've got." Hatori sighed, and Kyo's jaw dropped as he denied he would ever do such a thing, his entire face the colour of a ripe tomato.
"HATORI!" Marley covered her face, clearly embarrassed over what the Doctor had said with a straight face, while Kyo's entire face was red as he denied he would ever do such a thing. Tohru couldn't help but giggle to herself. It was certainly fun watching what was happening between her two dear friends, and she was happy for both of them.
The seasons weren't the only thing that had begun to change.
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Chapter End
Hi!
It's been a while, I know. Life has been happening and I also have been very distracted by video games in my free time XD
Marley got an answer to one of the questions that have been floating around her mind for a while, now what's next for her and Kyo's relationship? Yuki's making some strides in growing up while Isuzu continues to run and isolate herself.
Next chapter we get the teacher-parent conferences and a look into what Marley wants for her future.
Thank you so much to those who leave reviews, it's really helpful and feels good to read them. Makes my heart go BOOM to know that some peeps are enjoying my little fruits basket fanfic.
I appreciate you!
I know updates have been slow but I don't plan to abandon this story. There is still so much more to come and I'm excited to share it with you.
And I thought I would give you guys an idea of what I thought an OP would like for the second half of this book based on the season 2 OP from fruits basket. The song would be same which is 'Toki Asako –Home' and all of the shots are the same with a few tweaks here and there.
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Music starts and we see the back of Marley as she does ballet pointe work in a dance studio alone. She is wearing gold satin ballet shoes and a simple black leotard.
Scene change to Yuki walking solo in his uniform and then Kyo doing some karate training at the Dojo.
Scene change Ayame, Dadaji and Hatori sitting on the porch. Ayame is telling a story of some sort while the other two nod along. And then changes Hatsuharu hanging out by the vending machines at school and looks up to see Momiji in a window.
Isuzu standing at a grave dropping off flowers as the wind whips around her. Hiro and Kisa in school uniforms and Kisa running to catch up to him so they can walk together, both have smiles on their faces.
Shots of Kagura and Ritsu solo. Kureno solo on a small staircase pathway. Akito solo in her room in the dark with light shining through the doors.
Miguel in a garage and rolling out from under a car to check his phone and switches to a shot of Tohru at a computer reading something with a soft look on her face and smile.
Quick shots of child Yuki and Kyo.
Shot of child Marley holding a lion plushie as she sits in front of a TV.
A flash of Marley's parents trapping her in a hug and them all laughing.
Then scene change to Marley in a hospital bed looking out the window as the seasons quickly change from autumn leaves, snow falling and the sakura blossoms. Representing all the time that passed while she was stuck in there.
A shot of the heart monitor going flat before bursting back to life and the lines begin to become the outline of a butterfly that flys away.
Scene change to Marley doing pirouettes. The camera quickly pans to her face, clearly exhausted and then she responds to something and looks over Momiji in the doorway who was peaking in along with Hiro and Kisa. Next we see all of them heading to Marley's house where Kyo and Dadaji are placing plates while arguing about something as they put out take-out food on the table.
They greet Marley and everyone gets ready for dinner, ending shot on everyone's backs as they sit on the porch admiring the twilight sky. Kyo and Marley sitting next to each other, their hands only inches away and we see a small twitch from Kyo's pinky.
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