Note: YAY! Chapter four! This one's going to be slightly different from the rest of the chapters for a couple of reasons. One, the story will be told by Kyoko-chan. Two, the story will be a fantasy story (a fairy-tale-ish style :D). And the third reason is that this story might be done in two or three chapters, instead of one. Also, sorry it took so long to update! Even though school is out, I've been working everyday and with my brothers at home, it's been hard to get on the computer and finish. I'll be getting a laptop on Sunday so I should be able to update a lot faster then.
Replies: I won't be replying to every review, only certain ones. Please don't be upset if I didn't respond to yours, but these were reviews that I felt needed responding to.
PinkLikeCool: I didn't mean to have Kyo scare you, and I definitely didn't mean to make him sound abusive. I can see him being possessive (just a bit). I wanted it to seem like he really wanted to make up with her and find out why she was mad. I'm glad you think it's cute, and I hope you keep reading!
Disclaimer: Fruits Basket is not mine. :(
How I Met Your Mother
Chapter Four: Extremely Cinderella
"WAKE UP, MOMMY!" An energetic, little voice woke Tohru from her sweet dreams. Her eyes shot open. She sat up, gasping for breath. Kyoko was sitting on the edge of their bed, a smile plastered on her tiny face.
"Oh…Kyoko-chan you scared me!" She breathed. Tohru looked to her right and saw her husband had one eye open. He was glaring at the ceiling, obviously unhappy about being woken up. After a moment, Kyo sat up, his glare focusing on their daughter, "You better have a good reason for waking us up this early."
"I do!" The little girl beamed, scooting closer to her parents. She crawled into her father's lap and his face softened. He could never stay angry with her for long. She looked up at her parents, her eyes dancing with excitement, "You know how you've been telling me those stories? Well I came up with one I want to tell you! It's really good, I promise!"
"Really?" Tohru surmised. She was intrigued at what her daughter could have come up with. She guessed it would be something completely untrue and made up. Her daughter had an overactive imagination, but it was always fun to see what she could invent.
"Would you like to tell it to us?" Kyo asked, gently patting his daughter's head.
She beamed and nodded eagerly. Kyoko cleared her throat and before beginning she requested, "Promise you'll listen?"
Both her parents nodded. Kyoko took a deep breath and began her story…
((Kyoko's Story))
Once upon a time, there lived a girl named Tohru Honda. She was always cheerful and kind, despite being poor. She lived in a small house outside of town. She had made a living by cleaning up a mansion of couple that lived nearby. Tohru had to work there as much as possible to support herself because she no longer had her parents to help her. Her father had died, from an unknown disease, when she was very young and her mother was killed a year ago in an accident.
She was sixteen and lived on her own. Her friends, Arisa Uotani and Saki Hanajima, always told her that she didn't need to work. Uo was always suggesting that she get married and let her husband bring home the money. She could have married any man of her choosing and lived comfortably because Tohru was a cute girl. She had dark brown hair that flowed past her shoulders, and she had the biggest brown eyes. Tohru argued that she didn't think she was exceptionally pretty and that she wanted to get married when she fell in love. She had yet to fall in love. Uo would always tell her that she was crazy and laugh it off.
One morning, Tohru went to work, as usual. Just as she was about to knock on the door, it opened. The woman who lived there poked her head out. Tohru smiled at her and chirped, "Good morning!"
The woman frowned and ushered her inside. She closed the door behind her and solemnly turned to the younger girl, "We need to talk, dear…"
"About what?" Tohru asked, confused and curious.
"Well…I suppose it would be best if I just said it, so here it goes: Tohru, you've been so good to us and we feel terrible, but my husband and I have decided to buy a new house."
Tohru just stared at her, obviously not understanding how this concerned her. She could just go clean their new house, right?
The women just gave her a sympathetic smile, "This means you're out of a job, dear. I feel terrible…what with your situation and all…but we really need to get out of here. I'm afraid it'll be too far for you to commute to. I'm really sorry…"
Realization slowly etched its way onto Tohru's face. It took her a few moments to understand what the woman meant. Tohru may have been incredibly selfless but she was also very naïve and innocent. She shook off her shock and smiled at the woman, "T-that's alright. It's not your fault. I'll find someplace else to work."
The woman grimaced as Tohru bowed goodbye and scurried out the door. She could barely feel her feet pounding against the pavement. Her entire body felt numb as she racked her brain, trying to figure out what to do. Mom would know what to do…
Her feet slowed to a stop as she approached her tiny shack. Tohru opened the door and walked inside, plopping down on the first chair she saw. She decided that she just needed to think really hard and something would come to her. Just as she was about to get started, a small rap on the door startled her.
Tohru pulled herself up out of the chair and opened the door a crack. One eye peered up at whoever was knocking on her door, and she let out a surprised yelp, "Oh. Hi Uo!"
"Cut it out, Tohru. What happened?"
"Huh? What do you mean?" Tohru asked, opening the door all the way. Uo stood in her doorway with her hands on her hips, "Well…let's see: you're supposed to be working right now and you never miss a day of work. You ran into your house like you were possessed. You look like a wre-"
"I l-lost my job." Tohru stuttered, her head bowing. Uo's face softened and she frowned, feeling sorry for ranting like that. She was surprised when Tohru lifted her head up and smiled, "But it's okay! I'll think of something."
"Yeah…" Uo said, trying to think of something that could help her friend out. "Oh, sorry about all that ranting before. I guess I got a little carried away, but you worry me you know?"
"I know." Tohru smiled bashfully. She was lucky to have such a good friend. "Would you like to come inside?"
Uo nodded and followed her friend inside the tiny house. They both sat down on Tohru's old, beaten up couch and tried to think of a solution to her problem. Finally, after about twenty minutes of silence, Uo spoke.
"The Sohma's!"
"Huh?" Tohru muttered, somewhat startled by her friend's sudden exclamation.
"You can go work on the Sohma estate." Uo explained, turning to Tohru.
Tohru's eyes widened. The Sohma family was the richest family in the area. They were the closest thing to royalty that you could get to out here. Not only were they rich and famous, Tohru heard that they were all incredibly good-looking. All those things combined made Tohru a little apprehensive of Uo's plan, "I…I don't know about that, Uo-chan."
Uo raised an eyebrow at her friend, "Why not? The pay is probably better then what you were getting from those other people. You don't think you'll get the job?"
"Maybe. It's just that…they're all…perfect." Tohru confessed quietly, twiddling her thumbs. The idea of being surrounded by perfection caused a huge lump to form in her throat. "I mean…they're like kings, queens, princes, princesses…how can someone like me go work there?"
Uo blinked and shook her head in disbelief, "Um…is Tohru still in there? I can't believe what I'm hearing! You never give up at anything, and you always at least try! We're going up there right now!"
"O-okay." Tohru agreed shakily and yelped when Uo yanked her off the couch. Tohru stumbled to regain her footing and shouted, "W-wait! Uo-chan I can't go up there like this!"
"Why the hell not?" Uo turned around and grimaced when she saw what Tohru was talking about. Tohru was dressed in a frumpy, floor length, brown dress that looked more like a rag then anything else. Her hair had been pulled back into a sloppy ponytail. A dark blue handkerchief was wrapped around her head, keeping her hair out of her eyes.
"I guess you're right." Uo agreed, letting go of her friend. "Come on. Let's go get you ready for your interview."
--
((At The Sohma Estate))
"I still don't know about this Uo…" Tohru mumbled, holding up the hem of her ruffled, baby blue colored dress. She stared at her reflection in a nearby window and sighed. The dress had belonged to her mother and fit her quite well. Her once messy brown hair, now hung perfectly straight and smooth. "Are you sure I look okay?"
"Of course. I picked it out didn't I?" Uo grinned and gave her friend a gentle shove through the large double doors, "Now knock em' dead!"
Tohru staggered as she struggled not to fall over. She heard the large doors slam shut behind her and Uo was gone. Tohru took a deep breath and took in her surroundings. She was in a lobby of some sort. A few feet from her was a grand set of wooden stairs, covered with a red carpet. On both sides of the stairs was a door. She noticed that the floor was covered with some kind of expensive tile and the walls matched the color of the carpet on the stairs. All in all, it was very western and expensive looking.
I don't even know where to go…She frowned and called out, "Um…Hello?"
"Hello?" A bright, upbeat voice called from behind the door on the right, "Who's there?"
"Oh…um I'm looking for work and I wa-" Tohru was cut off by the sound of the door opening. She saw an older man come out and she guessed he was in his twenties. He was dressed in an expensive looking robe and wore a pair of glasses. His black hair was short in the back, and his bangs hung over and nearly covered his brown eyes.
"Nice to meet you," He beamed, smiling brightly at her.
Tohru smiled back, still a bit uneasy. This man was incredibly good-looking. I guess the rumors are true…but maybe he's not a member of the Sohma family.
"My name's Shigure Sohma. Can I help you with something?" He asked, still smiling at her. Tohru thought there was something almost devious about his smile, but she decided to ignore it.
Okay…So I was wrong. He's a member of the family. Deep breath…
"Um…yes. I was wondering if I could have a job here? Please? I really need one…" Tohru knew she sounded pathetic, but she didn't know what else to do.
Shigure's smile faded and he looked thoughtful for a moment. He found it quite strange that this girl thought she could just show up, beg, and then get a job. He stared at her out of the corner of his eye. She looked like she was going to pass out. Shigure couldn't bring himself to turn her away. She was pretty cute and she had to be good at something.
"I suppose I can find something for you to do around here. We just fired out last chef. Can you cook?"
"Yes! And I can clean too! Does this mean you'll hire me?"
"Shigure? What are you up to now?" A smooth voice asked. Tohru and Shigure turned to the other door in the room and saw a boy standing in the doorway. He appeared to be around Tohru's age, had messy silver hair, and deep purple eyes. Like Shigure, he was very good looking.
Tohru guessed that this had to be the infamous Yuki Sohma. She often heard some of the neighborhood girls talking about him and how good looking he was. Tohru had to admit, they were right. Yuki looked like a real prince, just like they had said.
"Yuki! Come meet our new maid…um what was your name again?" Shigure whispered to Tohru.
"Tohru Honda." She smiled shyly at the prince as he walked up to them.
Yuki took her hand, causing her cheeks to turn pink and he smiled at her, "Nice to meet you, Honda-san."
So polite…Tohru's cheeks burned even brighter. She was surprised at how formal he was being towards his maid. She had expected them to act …well, more like the rich people she'd read about in stories. She thought that they would only be into their good looks and act…perfect. She couldn't find the words to describe it accurately, so she decided that "perfect" would do just fine.
"Y-you too…" She stuttered back.
"Can I show you around?" Yuki asked.
"S-sure," Was all she could manage to say.
"And I guess I'll have to show you your room while I'm at it." Yuki surmised.
That caught Tohru off guard and she looked up at him, confused. "My room? I get to stay here?"
"Of course. All of our staff lives with us." Yuki answered, looking surprised that she would ask such a thing. Where did she think she was going to stay? "Well actually, we only have a gardener. Not too many of our maids stick around because of…well, you'll see."
Tohru wondered what could have scared away the maids. They got a place to stay and the Sohma family seemed so hospitable. What could possibly be wrong with this place? "O-okay."
"I hope you can handle it better than the rest of them. I would hate to see another maid leave because of that-…I'm babbling. Sorry, Honda-san. I should be showing you around, not muttering to myself." Yuki shook his head.
"That's okay…" Tohru paused, unsure of what to call him. She finally settled on something and continued, "Sohma-kun, could you please tell me what scared everyone away? I'm really curious…n-now that you've mentioned it…"
He smiled at her, "You'll find out. Anyway, this is your room."
Yuki motioned to the door beside him. Tohru had been so distracted that she didn't even notice that he had led her upstairs. She stared at the door for a minute before asking, "Can I go in?"
"Sure you can. It is your room after all," Yuki laughed and she felt embarrassed by her silly question.
She pushed the door open and stepped inside her new living space. The room was small and had pale, yellow walls. The floor was covered with a white carpet. In one corner of the room was a small bed. Next to the bed was a tiny nightstand with a lamp. The only other piece of furniture was a dresser.
"It's very…cozy." Tohru whispered, trying to think of an appropriate word to describe the space. She sat down on the edge of the bed. The mattress was very comfortable.
"Would you like to see the rest of the house?" Yuki asked, when she appeared to be done checking out the room.
She nodded eagerly, hopped off the bed, and followed him. Yuki showed her where all the bedrooms were, where the kitchen was and where anything else she might need would be. Tohru thought that he was a very good host. When he was all done, she thanked him and he said that he would see her later.
Tohru decided that it would be best to get started right away. From what she had seen on the tour, the house looked like it hadn't been cleaned in awhile. She chose to start with the laundry and headed back upstairs. She quickly collected all the heaps of dirty clothes that were strewn about, piling them into a basket. She scurried back downstairs to the laundry room. When she opened the lid to the washing machine, she saw that it was filled to the brim with wet clothes. Tohru gathered the wet clothes and loaded the machine with a new set of dirty clothing.
She remembered Yuki saying something about a laundry line out back. Tohru made her way towards where Yuki said the yard was. She stepped outside and set the basket of wet clothes down so she could marvel at their yard for a moment. The lawn was lush and green. There were a few round stones scattered throughout the yard, all-leading up to a tiny pond. The pond, which was surrounded by trees and flowers, had a small bridge that stretched across it. Tohru smiled to herself, thinking that the yard was very lovely and that the gardener was doing a wonderful job. She was about to pick up her basket and get back to work, when something caught her eye.
Standing a few feet away from the pond was a boy. His back was to her but she could make out that he was doing some sort of fighting practice. From what she could tell, he looked like he was about Yuki's age. She watched him for a minute, his tan arms pushing outward, punching an invisible foe. As she gazed at his arms, she could tell that he was well muscled and had a very lean figure. She was curious to see what his face looked like.
Tohru was so enamored with watching him that she didn't even notice him turn around. She could see a pair of deep crimson eyes that were burning behind his long, auburn bangs. His eyes were intense and angry…and they were focused right on her. She gulped and tried to move, but her feet were frozen in place. He wasn't moving either, simply glaring at her. His lips curled back slightly, revealing his abnormally sharp teeth. Tohru's fingers went numb and the basket slipped from her hands. She began to get the feeling back in her legs and scampered back into the house, slamming the door behind her.
She slid down the door, gasping for breath. She wasn't even sure of what she had just seen anymore. It couldn't have been a person. He had been too surreal, too beautiful and too…scary. He was definitely scary looking. Tohru thought he was more like a tiger, what with the way he moved and acted, than a person.
But why was he so mad at her? She hadn't said one word to him. All she did was watch him practice his martial arts. Maybe he doesn't like being interrupted…or maybe he prefers to be alone? Or maybe this job isn't right for me after all…
"See what I mean?" A voice above her asked with a chuckle.
Tohru looked up, startled but breathed a sigh of relief when she saw who it was, "Oh…Sohma-kun. You scared me…what did you mean?"
"Sorry. I guess I should explain. Remember when I said that it was hard for us to keep a maid for more then a few days?" Any trace of humor had disappeared from his face and voice. Tohru nodded, biting her lip. Yuki sighed and helped Tohru up, "Well you just met the reason why."
He motioned to the door and Tohru turned. She whipped back around when she realized what Yuki meant. Yuki nodded gravely, running a hand through his silver hair, "His name is Kyo, and he's chased off more staff members than I can count."
"Kyo…" Tohru whispered his name. She looked back to Yuki, her eyes questioning. "But…why? Why does he want to scare everyone away?"
Yuki frowned, shaking his head. "That's what I want to know. My guess would be that he doesn't want to let anyone in. He's shy and has a hard time opening up. So instead of trying to get close to people…he gets angry and scares them away. If you want to leave, I'll understand…"
"No!" Tohru interjected, waving her arms. "I don't want to leave. I really need the job and well…now that you told me about him…well, I kind of feel sorry for him. It sounds like he really doesn't know how to be close to anyone. Please, don't worry about me. I'll be fine."
Yuki smiled at her. "If you say so, Honda-san."
He walked away, shaking his head. He had always thought that hiring another maid was a bad idea, that it would just end up like usual. He didn't want to see anyone else get hurt by Kyo's selfishness. But this girl seemed different. Maybe she was just what Kyo needed.
Tohru watched Yuki disappear around the corner, and she sighed. I should probably wait until later to finish that laundry. I don't want him to get any angrier with me. I guess I'll go get dinner started.
Tohru hurried off to the kitchen and began pulling things out for dinner. She put a huge pot on the stove and started loading it with ingredients for soup. Next, she pulled out a fish from the refrigerator and started seasoning it. While the fish was marinating and the soup was cooking, she loaded the rice cooker with tiny, white rice grains.
Tohru was just about to add some more vegetables to her soup, when she heard a voice from behind the door. The kitchen door slammed open and someone walked in, "Hey, when the hell are we going to eat? I'm starving!"
Tohru froze, her spoon nearly falling into the pot. This wasn't a familiar voice; she had never heard it before. She was too nervous to turn around and see who it was, but when she felt a pair of eyes on the back of her head, she couldn't help but sneak a peak. Tohru turned around ever so slightly and gasped when she saw the red head that had been in the backyard. She quickly whipped back around and tried to concentrate on her soup. She didn't want to make him any angrier, so maybe if she just ignored him he'd go away.
However, he simply made his way to the fridge and started rummaging around. Tohru, without thinking, warned him, "We're going to eat soon so please-"
Kyo's head shot up from behind the refrigerator door, "So please what?"
"Um…"
He ignored her and returned to his search. Tohru cleared her throat and decided to take a chance. She turned the burner on the stove down. She walked over to the fridge and leaned on the door, "I don't think I got the chance to introduce myself before. My name's Tohru Honda."
When he didn't answer her, she frowned. "Why are you mad at me?"
Kyo slammed the door shut, nearly causing her to fall over. He straightened up, glaring down at her, "You don't get it do you? If I wanted to talk to you, I would. Stop asking me so many questions!"
"But-"
"You shouldn't even be here! That's-" Kyo cut himself off and rushed out of the room. He had nearly said too much. He could never afford to say that much to anyone, especially an outsider.
Tohru just stood there, staring at the door. What had she done now?
I guess I was prying too much. I just wish he would tell me what was bothering him…
Just then, the door reopened. Tohru got excited for a moment, thinking that Kyo might have changed his mind. However, her face fell when she saw that it was Shigure.
"There you are," Shigure said while walking over to her, "I needed to talk to you about something."
"What?"
"Well, since you're going to be living with us, I figured I'd ask if there was anything you needed to get from your house."
Tohru's eyes widened, "Oh! Yes, I completely forgot about that. Can I go now? And while I'm at it, I'll probably need to tell my two friends where I'm staying…"
"Of course, of course." Shigure replied, waving her off. "But I think I'll send someone along with you. After all, it is pretty late and probably not too safe for a young girl to be walking around by herself."
"Okay…"
"You just go wait by the front door. I'll send someone to meet you there." Shigure added with a wink. Tohru simply nodded and went to wait by the door.
--
Oh no…Tohru thought when she saw her escort. A tiny lump formed in her throat when she saw familiar fiery hair coming through the doors. Kyo didn't look too happy about having to walk her back to her house. Tohru placed a hand on her chest, trying to calm her beating heart. She could feel herself beginning to break out in a sweat, and she teetered back and forth on her heels. I probably look like a wreck!
"Lets go." He said bluntly and pushed through the doors. Tohru nodded numbly and followed at his heels. They walked in silence; the only time someone spoke was when Tohru had to give directions.
Kyo stole a glance as they walked. He thought she looked like she was going to pass out. He let out a deep sigh, rubbing his temples.
"Hey um…girl? Sorry," He mumbled under his breath. "I didn't mean to get angry like that before."
"Huh?" Tohru had barely heard his apology. She was focusing on not passing out. She looked up at him with big, confused eyes. When his eyes locked with hers, he blushed and looked away.
And it's 'Tohru', not 'girl'. She mentally scolded him. But I guess it's not his fault. He probably doesn't remember my name. He was kind of busy being angry when I told it to him.
Kyo took a deep breath and tried to explain, "About before. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that."
"Then why did you?"
"Because…I wanted you to quite," He admitted sheepishly. He couldn't look her in the eyes after he told the truth. She would probably be really upset.
"Oh…" was all she could say, and she tried her best to focus on the road in front of them.
My guess would be that he doesn't want to let anyone in. He's shy and has a hard time opening up …Yuki's smooth voice rang in the back of her head, causing her to look up at her companion. She cleared her throat and then asked, "Why do you want so many people to quit?"
Kyo stared at her for a moment, before closing his eyes. He really didn't want to tell her anymore then he already had. However, when she looked at him, it made him want to tell her. Normally he would have gotten angry with her. That's how it had been with all the other maids. But she was different. He couldn't get angry with her because it made him feel guilty. Maybe it was because all the other maids had been older so he didn't connect with them like he had with her. She was close to his age and seemed like a genuinely kind person. He couldn't get mad at her when she treated him like that.
"Are we almost there?" Kyo sighed, obviously avoiding her question. He wasn't ready to tell her yet.
"Mhm," Tohru replied with a bright smile. She continued to lead the way towards her former house. She kept quiet for the rest of the way, not wanting to pressure him into telling her something.
"We're here!" Tohru chirped when the house came into view. She rushed ahead to open the door for him, and he couldn't help but chuckle.
This girl can be really amusing. He thought with a tiny smirk. Kyo followed her inside and looked around. Any idea of him chasing her off vanished when he got a look at her house. She's definitely better off living with us then in this dump.
Kyo could feel his heart pounding in his chest at the thought of her staying. I guess it doesn't take much for me to change my mind…But why the hell am I okay with this?! This is happening way too fast for me to control…
Tohru was still standing in the doorway, watching his flickering expressions. He looked like he was arguing with himself. "Um…Sohma-kun? Are you okay?"
"Y-yeah," He muttered under his breath, his cheeks turning pink. "Just get your stuff so we can get out of here."
"Okay!" Tohru rushed into her room and grabbed a bag. She stuffed all of clothes inside and a few pictures of her parents. She heaved the bag over her shoulder and went back to meet Kyo. He stared at her skeptically, "Is that it?"
"Yeah. That's it. Ready to go then?" Tohru asked, flashing him another brilliant smile.
Kyo's cheeks turned even redder, and he had to look away to conceal his blushing face. Stop doing that! I can't keep blushing everytime she looks at me! What's happening?!
Tohru was standing outside, waiting for him, so he silently cursed and rushed out. He lagged behind, not even daring to look at her. Tohru was more confused then ever. She wondered what she could have done to upset him.
He stayed behind for the majority of the trip and the silence was beginning to eat at her. Tohru chewed on her bottom lip, trying to think of something to say. Finally she just blurted out, "I'm sorry!"
"Huh?" Kyo lifted his head up at the sound of her voice.
She stopped walking, wheeled around, and bowed. Kyo just stood there and stared at her. Tohru murmured another apology. Kyo sighed, "What the hell are you apologizing for? You didn't do anything."
"I didn't? B-but you were so quiet and-"
"Listen. I…I don't normally get this close to someone. I'm just having a hard time adjusting to it. People usually last about an hour as one of our maids because of me. I get them to quit so they can't get closer to us…" Kyo admitted, his voice laced with shame and embarrassment.
Tohru just stood there and listened to his entire confession. She was both baffled and happy that he was opening up to her this quickly. She was still curious as to why he didn't want to be close to anyone, but she decided not to press her luck.
"Well…I'm really glad that I lasted more then an hour." She replied with an awkward smile. "But it's okay to let people in. W-what I mean is… if you ever need to talk to me, I'm here."
Kyo watched her cheeks turn the slightest shade of pink and his heart sped up. He rubbed the back of his neck and said the only thing he could think of, "Thanks."
"You're welcome!" She smiled and he fell into step with her.
Maybe it wouldn't be so bad having someone to talk to. Especially someone who seemed this kind and understanding and he knew that he didn't have to worry about her running off to tell his secrets. She didn't seem like that type of girl. No, this was going to work out just fine. He just had to make sure that he didn't get too close. Close enough that he might end up getting hurt in the end. That was his worst fear.
Tohru meanwhile, was trying so hard not to steal glances of her new friend. A little, nagging voice in her head was reminding her over and over how attractive he was. That scene from earlier today, where he was out training in the backyard, didn't help much either. It kept flashing in her head, reminding her of how awestruck she was.
We JUST became friends. There's no way I could-…anyway, he's like a prince and I'm…well I'm not a princess…It just wouldn't work! She tried to convince herself over and over again how it wouldn't work out that way. Finally, she solemnly persuaded herself and tried to forget about the idea all together.
Tohru was so caught up in her debate, that she didn't even realize how much she had fallen behind him. He was waiting a few feet ahead of her, half turned towards her with a smile on his face.
"Hurry up, Tohru."
He remembered!
Tohru's cheeks flushed. The way he said her name sent tingles up her spine and made her legs feel wobbly. She took a deep breath before she hobbled after him and started the argument with herself all over again.
--
A few days later, Tohru was making breakfast in the kitchen. These past few days felt like a blur to her. Every morning she came down and made breakfast for Shigure, Yuki and Kyo. After that came the best part of the day. Kyo would tell her to quite working and go take a break. That meant that she could go watch Kyo train. She felt her cheeks burn at the thought of him. Tohru had grown to really like Kyo because she had seen another side of him. When they first met, he had come off as this brash, angry person, but behind that, he was just really awkward and sweet.
Tohru finished molding the last rice ball and stuck it on a plate. As she turned around, Yuki came through the door. He was holding a big basket piled high with dirty laundry.
"Sohma-kun! Let me get that for you!" Tohru rushed over and took the basket from his hands.
Yuki scratched the back of his head, "Thanks. I'm sorry but do you mind washing those? We're expecting guests later and Shigure couldn't decide what to wear, so he wants you to wash it all."
"No problem!" Tohru flashed him a tenacious smile.
She immediately made her way to the laundry room and started loading the wash. She grabbed all the wet clothes and put them in the basket. Then she went to the backyard to hang up the wet laundry. She was about half way through when she heard of voice from the doorway.
"Tohru! There you are!"
Tohru glanced back to see Kyo leaning against the doorframe. He walked over to her and stood beside her. She looked up at him and smiled, "Hello Sohma-kun-"
"I thought I told you to just call me 'Kyo'" He sighed.
Tohru looked confused, "But I work for you. That would be rude."
"I don't care." He replied with a frown.
Tohru shrugged it off and went back to hanging up the clothes. She would have felt weird calling him by his first name, even though she really wanted to. She just thought that it wasn't right. After all, she worked for the Sohma family, so wouldn't that be considered impolite? I'll just keep calling them 'Sohma-kun'.
Tohru gasped when she felt something graze the side of her head. She looked up to see Kyo's arms outstretched over her as he pinned a clean shirt to the laundry line. She grabbed his arm and tugged on it as hard as she could, "What are you doing?"
Kyo stared down at her, "What does it look like I'm doing?"
Tohru still held onto his arm, "This is my job…you don't have to help me…"
He pulled his arm away and ruffled her hair, "I know. I want to help you. This way you'll get done faster."
Tohru's face brightened when she realized that this meant he wanted to hang out. She figured it was useless to argue with him anyway because he usually won. So, she turned around and resumed her work without uttering another word. After a couple minutes of silence, Tohru let out a small yawn.
"Tired?" Kyo asked, flashing her an amused look. He was always looking for ways to get her to stop working because she always worked so hard. He thought she should take it a little easier.
Tohru pouted, sensing his scam immediately. "N-no. I'm fine, Sohma-kun…"
She really was tired, but she couldn't let him know that. If he knew that, he would send her inside to take a nap and she wouldn't be able to get anything done around the house. She couldn't afford that; there was too much to do.
It would help if I got more sleep at night…She thought with a small sigh.
Tohru hadn't slept very well ever since she came back from her old house with Kyo. Every night, she would have the same dream. There would be nothing but darkness until a huge house appeared. She would always go into the house and would be met by a pair of angry, red eyes. However, instead of running away in fear, Tohru would reach out into the darkness. The anger would subside and a gentle face would appear. It was Kyo's face. She would try to say his name but no words would come out of her mouth. Then he would turn and start to walk away. Tohru would try and try to call out to him, but he would always just disappear.
Why am I dreaming about him? What does it mean? Tohru pinned another clean shirt to the laundry line. And why does he always disappear? She absentmindedly let out another yawn.
"I can finish this." Kyo's gruff voice tore her from her thoughts.
"It's okay, I'll be-"
"Tohru," He turned to face her and Tohru desperately tried to keep her focus on the clothesline.
He said her name a second time, only more gently and she couldn't help but look at him. That was a big mistake. When his eyes locked with hers, she couldn't keep up the charade any longer.
"Maybe I am a little tired…" She confessed while yawning again. "I'll go lay down…"
Kyo smirked, victorious. He really wished that she would take time to relax more often. She was always working and taking care of everyone else, but she never took time to take care of herself. He watched her amble off to the big tree in the yard. She settled down underneath it, and he went back to finishing the laundry.
Minutes later, Kyo finished hanging up the rest of the clothes. He picked up the now empty basket and headed over to where Tohru was resting. When he reached the big tree, he couldn't help but crack a smile.
Tohru's lashes brushed against her cheek as she slept silently under the shade of the huge tree. Her cheeks were tinged and her mouth hung open slightly. Kyo blushed when he realized he was watching her sleep. Stop staring, pervert!
He quickly settled down beside her, opting to not look at her face and stare at the pond instead. However, he couldn't keep his focus and had to steal glances of her every couple of minutes. He couldn't help it that she looked cute when she was sleeping.
Jeez…now I really feel disgusting. This isn't working out the way I planned. I'm becoming too attached to her. I just wanted to be her friend…enough so that she wouldn't be upset…so that I wouldn't have to keep pushing her away. It was too hard to push her away but now…
"I think I might love her," Kyo muttered under his breath. Tohru mumbled something in her sleep and he quickly looked to make sure she hadn't heard him. When he was confident she was still sleeping, he sunk back into his thoughts.
I know it's only been a few days but she's different then anyone else I've ever met. No matter how hard I try I can't keep my distance.
He peeked at her sleeping form once more and sighed. She certainly was making things complicated for him, wasn't she?
I'll just have to keep my feelings to myself. She can't ever find out.
Kyo took a deep breath and gently shook Tohru's shoulder. She didn't wake up so he shook her a little harder. She kept on sleeping so he gave up, and she slumped back down against his shoulder.
"Great." He muttered, his cheeks burning.
"Kyo…"
Kyo turned at what he thought was the sound of his name. Tohru had whispered something under her breath while she was sleeping, and he was almost certain it had been his name.
She fidgeted in her sleep, her eyebrows creasing slightly, "Kyo-kun…don't…"
"Don't what?" Kyo asked loudly, hoping to wake her up. He wished he could have let her sleep more, she was obviously exhausted, but it would have been rude to listen in on her and their guests would be arriving soon anyway.
Tohru sat up, her eyes shooting open. She blinked once and then looked around, trying to find the source of the noise that woke her up. She calmed down when her eyes fell on Kyo.
"Oh…it's just you, Sohma-kun…" She breathed, one hand resting on her heart.
So she can call me by my name in her sleep but not when she's awake? Kyo's thoughts had a sarcastic ring to them, but he decided not to ask her about the dream she had. She would have known he was listening to her sleep talking, and he didn't want to sound like a creep.
His cheeks flushed so he quickly stood up, hoping she wouldn't notice. He held out one hand for her. Tohru looked at his hand and then smiled. She placed her hand in his, and he helped her to her feet.
"Where are we going, Sohma-kun?" She asked, tilting her head to the side.
"The guests will probably be here soon. We should head back inside."
"The guests!" Tohru shouted, letting go of his hand and smacking her forehead. "I completely forgot! I have too many things to do still!"
She went into full on panic mode. She uttered a tiny apology and darted back into the house to finish getting ready. Kyo was left standing in the yard, a small smile on his lips. She was cute when she panicked
Stop thinking like that! He mentally scolded himself, blushed, and followed Tohru inside the house.
Tohru spent the next hour getting ready for the Sohma's special guests. She finished the laundry, cleaned the bathrooms, prepared the guest rooms and started cooking dinner. Kyo and Yuki were getting dizzy just watching her work. When she was all done she met them in the kitchen, "Are they almost here?"
Like magic, there was a knock on the front door.
"Creepy." Kyo muttered as Yuki left to go answer the door.
"I can't wait to meet whoever's coming." Tohru smiled at Kyo earnestly.
He smiled down at her, "You'll regret that. Our family's pretty crazy."
Yuki came back through the door, followed by a small boy with blonde hair. He was dressed in a frilly pink shirt and green shorts. His socks reached his knees and he had a huge, striped lollipop in his right hand.
"This is Momiji." Yuki motioned to the smaller boy, who was now grinning from ear-to-ear.
Momiji bounded over to Tohru and hugged her, "Nice to meet you!"
Tohru felt a little dizzy but managed a friendly smile, "You too…I'm Tohru Honda."
While Momiji began to babble on about himself and ask Tohru a million questions about her, there was another tap on the door. Yuki went to go see who it was. By the time he returned Tohru had learned the Momiji was a year younger then her, even though he looked like a child, and that he lived with his father nearby.
Behind Yuki was a tall boy wearing black pants, a black t-shirt and a white jacket that was covered with all sorts of complicated looking straps and pockets. Tohru noticed that his outfit matched his hair, which was white on top and black on the bottom. Tohru also noticed that he wore a lot of flashy jewelry, like multiple earrings, rings, and necklaces.
"This is Hatsuharu," Yuki introduced him and Tohru repeated her name.
"Nice to meet you, Hatsuharu-san." Tohru smiled and shook his hand. He nodded and smiled back.
"So you're the new maid, Honda-san?" Haru asked nonchalantly.
Tohru nodded enthusiastically and he continued talking, "It's nice to see that Kyo doesn't want to chase everyone away."
"Shut up," Kyo hissed.
Haru laughed at his reaction and then turned back to Tohru. Before he could ask another question, Momiji interrupted. "Do you like working here? I mean, I know Kyo can get cranky sometimes, but they're nice to you right?"
"HEY!" Kyo shouted and made a grab for the small boy, who danced out of the way.
"I love it," Tohru answered honestly, and stretched out her arms to try and break up the fight between Kyo and Momiji. Once he felt Tohru grab his arm, Kyo calmed down immediately. She then continued her answer. "I really like working here. This is going to sound silly but…I feel sort of like Cinderella."
"Cinderella?" The four boys asked in unison.
"Yes. Well without the evil stepsisters of course! But I had nothing left at my old house and now I get to live here and everyone is so nice to me…I can't thank you enough…"
"We should be the ones thanking you," Yuki replied. "You've done so much more then what we've asked." He flashed Kyo a quick glance when he said that.
"Well…then your welcome." Tohru said, a bit confused. She had only been doing her job. She had no clue what else Yuki was talking about.
"Yeah…thanks," Kyo muttered, thinking that Yuki was looking at him so he would thank Tohru as well. Yuki sighed, shaking his head.
There was a third knock on the door and Yuki went to answer it, "There's our last guest."
Tohru smiled at him and then turned back to watch the other guests, who were all on the other side of the room filling their plates, and Kyo. She felt sort of embarrassed for confessing she felt like a princess, but it was true. It still sounded stupid, even in her head, but that was probably because she left out the most important detail. She peeked at Kyo, who was on the other side of the room, and blushed.
The real reason she felt like Cinderella was because she felt like she was being swept away by a handsome prince.
Now THAT sounds really silly. She thought with a tiny giggle. She shouldn't be thinking like this when she knew Kyo didn't feel the same way. He probably barely wanted to be friends with her.
He DID want me gone… She frowned. Now he's probably just trying to be nice. And besides he's rich and I'm not. Plus I work for him. I'll just keep it to myself. Nobody has to know. She tried to convince herself, like she did everyday, and smiled awkwardly. That was the answer. She would just keep her feelings locked away. They would go away eventually.
"Honda-san?"
She looked up at the sound of Yuki's voice. Standing beside him was a petite girl with shoulder length, dark brown hair. She was wearing a sea green dress.
"Hi…" She smiled shyly at Tohru, who returned the look.
What an adorable little girl! Tohru thought.
"SHIT!" everyone turned around when Kyo shouted. He dropped his plate of food and made a break for the door.
"Sohma-ku-"
"Kyo-kun!" Tohru watched as the girl bounded from Yuki's side over to Kyo, who was desperately looking for an escape route. Kyo was too slow and she managed to catch him. She grabbed his arm and buried her face in his chest.
"Why haven't you come to visit me?" She pouted.
Kyo rolled his eyes and tried to push her away, "Get off of me!"
Tohru was very confused now. Not only was there a small sinking feeling in her chest from watching this girl hang all over Kyo, but she was curious about who this girl was. She walked over and tapped on the girl's shoulder, ignoring the throbbing feeling in her chest when she looked at them.
"Excuse me…hello I'm Tohru Honda! Who are you?" Tohru asked as politely as she could. The girl turned around at the sound of Tohru's question, without releasing her grip on Kyo.
"Me? I'm Kagura, Kyo-kun's fiancé."
((To Be Continued…))
Cliffhanger! I'm thinking that the fairytale will get wrapped up in the next chapter. Please review (I'd like to get 10) and please let me know what you think of this chapter and the story! :D
