Disclaimer- I do not own Fruits Basket, Natsuki Takaya does. Enjoy!

Chapter 2. Running Wild

"Are you sure he's capable of using chopsticks?" Ayame questioned as he watched Kyo pick up the pair of sticks awkwardly.

There was food spewed in every inch and cranny of Kyo's small plate. By some miracle, none of the food had escaped the borders of the smooth china. A noodle slipped off of Kyo's chopstick and landed soundly on the table- at least, until now.

"Eating," Ayame informed, as he propped his elbows elegantly on the table and flipped his silver hair. "Should be performed beautifully, Kyo." Kyo looked up from his plate at being addressed. "Food has its own aesthetic appeal and that is in the proper etiquette of wielding your weapons." Ayame clinked his chopsticks together.

"Are you sure you're not talking about your sewing, Ayaa?" Shigure teased as he took the chopsticks out of Kyo's hands.

Ayame giggled. "Oh, my, I probably got carried away."

Hatori stood up from his seat beside Ayame. "I'll get him a fork."

"No need, Hari!" Shigure nimbly picked up his own pair of chopsticks and proceeded to swiftly force the food into Kyo's unprepared mouth. "Cousin Shigure will feed Kyo-chan!"

Kyo's eyes widened in shock and gasped as another incoming amount of food was forcefully pushed into his mouth. He inhaled it, and found his throat slightly clogged.

"Shigure!" Hatori quickly crossed the short length before knocking the chopsticks out of Shigure's hold.

Shigure immediately noticed his blunder and quickly went to fix it. Obviously, he wasn't inspecting Kyo to choke on his food so easily. He picked Kyo up and quickly patted his back. It wasn't long before the issue was resolved.

"I'm so sorry, Kyo." Shigure practically wailed as he pushed a cup of milk into his hand. "You okay?"

Shigure looked down at him as Kyo took a sip of his milk.

Kyo scowled. "Cousin Shigure's stupid."

Even with the insulted words, Shigure looked relieved.

"I have no idea why Kazuma picked you to take care of him." Hatori still stood standing but now his arms were crossed in front of his chest. He held a front that spelled unimpressed and displeasure.

Shigure grinned up at Hatori.

"See, Kyo," Ayame said happily. "That's why you must learn how to wield your own weapons or somebody might kill you." There was an affronted objection from Shigure. Ayame stood up and twirled around as he held out the hem of his clothes to show off the elaborate design that was made solely by him. "My weapon is beautiful, isn't it?"

"Ayame," Hatori grinded. "You are not even talking about the same subject."

Strangely enough, Ayame ignored Hatori's words and leaned toward Kyo. Ayame was dying for a model, and he surely couldn't use himself. After all, Ayame Sohma looked beautiful in anything and everything so he couldn't possibly use himself. His radiant beauty was insuppressible, and thus he even made ugly attires look pretty. He, himself, knew that quite well. "So, what do you say Kyokinchi? How about you try out some of my weapons?"

If Ayame got Kyo to agree to try on his clothes then Hatori couldn't stop him.

Kyo's brows creased in confusion. Kyo wanted to go home. His cousins were so odd, well, maybe Hatori was an exception. "Shishou said it's not good to use weapons."

"Men need weapons," Ayame added cleverly. Kyo eyes brightened at the mention of being a man. He was quite the prideful man. Kyo's mouth opened, prepared to pass a syllable that Ayame desired.

Before Kyo could become Ayame's new doll, Hatori swept Kyo out of Shigure's arm and out of Ayame's line of vision.

Balancing Kyo on his hip, Hatori chastised, "Don't take advantage of him just because he's young, Ayame."

Ayame pouted. "Hari, you're no fun. I need somebody to try my new clothes!"

Shigure perked up. "How about Momiji?"

"Momiji?"

Before Hatori could break the tirade, he was interrupted.

"He likes to dress up!" Shigure nodded happily. Shigure then gestured toward Kyo. "Besides, Kyo needs some playmates."

Kyo grimaced at the thought of the loud-mouthed, and cry baby Momji.

Ayame beamed. His enthusiasm was enhanced by his gleeful clapping. "Oh, Momji would look just adorable."

"How about Yuki?"

Ayame looked slightly crestfallen at the mention of his younger brother. "Yuki is with mother and father. They're too busy."

Trying to lighten the mood again, Shigure supplied another source. "There's Haru too."

Shifting Kyo in a more comfortable position, Hatori couldn't help but think that this conversation was not going to end well in his favor. Once Shigure and Ayame got going, it was quite hard to deter them much less restrain and halt them all together.

"Haru! Oh, yes, I have a dress that would go nicely with his hair." Ayame babbled without skipping a beat. "Now, who's going to fetch my models?"

Shigure as an option was instantly shot down by Shigure himself. "I left the Main House for a reason."

"I can't go either." Ayame stated despairingly. "Their parents don't trust me."

"Then…" Shigure trailed off as he and Ayame met eyes simultaneously almost as if they were being pulled by the same string. In the same accord, both of their heads swiveled toward the only mature one in the room.

Hatori groaned.

Hatori deposited the two newly arrived youngsters in the living room.

"Cousin Hatori," Momiji questioned as he plopped himself down on the carpet. "Where's Kyo?"

Haru nodded his head. "I wanna fight Kyo."

Hatori was quick to correct the statement. "No fighting Haru."

Haru frowned but listened to the older cousin that he greatly respected.

"Oh!" Ayame sang as he pranced into the room. His arms were wide with a welcoming gesture. "My models are here!"

Shigure was not too far behind with a Kyo trailing in his shadow. Haru instantly brightened at the sight of Kyo. Haru waltzed over to Kyo while ignoring Ayame's statement about models.

"Cousin Hatori says we can't fight." Haru informed but his voice didn't sound as disappointed as Kyo would have expected. Haru scuffled his feet across the carpet for a few seconds before coming up with something. "Wanna play 'Thumb War'?"

"You're on!"Kyo grinned as he jutted his hand out.

"What are models?" Momiji giggled as he was squished by a thrilled Ayame.

"Models are people who get to try on pretty clothes, Momiji. Do you want to try on pretty clothes?"

Bobbing his head happily, Momiji replied, "I like to wear pretty things!"

Sighing, Hatori stood and wiped his hands clean on the slacks of his clothes. "I need to go to the Main House again. Akito needs my assistance for a while."

"Alright, alright," Ayame waved his hand at him absentmindedly. He was more occupied with deciding what clothes he should place Momji in.

"Come back soon, Hari!" Shigure trilled.

Hatori had yet to arrive back home. Shigure and Ayame had long ago retired back to one of the rooms to decide what clothes should be worn. They needed to choose wisely considering their limited time.

Thus the three toddlers were left to themselves. Haru and Kyo had gotten bored with their game a while back. They had all fallen into their own little corners of peace while they waited for their older cousins to return.

Momji rocked on the ball of his feet, but the movement was halted when he spotted the object that was in Kyo's hand.

"Kyo," Momiji started. His voiced sounded almost unbelievingly. "What are you drinking?"

Kyo's looked up briefly at Momiji before concentrating back on his cup.

"Milk." He went back to sipping.

"Milk?" Momiji sounded horrified and probably even scandalized.

Kyo didn't even bother to come up for breath this time and opted to nod his head. Momiji gasped before quickly running to Kyo and pulling the drink out of his hand.

"Hey!" Kyo stood up. "Get your own!" Kyo reached his hand forward, his brows ceasing in anger. "Give it back!"

"I can't!" Momiji protested in earnest as his pudgy fingers tightened across the cup's surface before his voice dropped down many levels. Momiji leaned in slightly and gave a quick glance at Haru before diverting his eyes back to Kyo. Momiji whispered, "Don't you know what you're doing?"

Kyo stomped his foot. "I was drinking my milk! Give it back before I tell Cousin Shigure!"

"You," Momiji whispered as he candidly pointed an accusing finger at Kyo. "Are drinking Haru!"

There was a slight pause, and Kyo was slightly impressed at the four year's prowess of deliverance or …spilling the horrible beans of truth. Haru, who was watching the two quietly beforehand, pointed a finger to himself in question. Since when did the subject matter at hand turn to him? A dumbstruck face had befallen on both the cow and cat in the room.

"What?" Kyo asked confused. How was he, of all people, drinking Haru?

"You don't know?" Momiji smiled almost as if he was happy that he was getting his chance to educate somebody older than him. "My dad read me a story."

"How does that have anything to do with anything?" Kyo asked slightly miffed. Haru was thinking the exact same thing.

"Let me tell it!" Momiji chided happily as he placed the cup of milk on a table. "There was this cow in this story and it went around delivering milk to the other farm animals."

As Momiji babbled on with inefficient technicalities, Kyo hoped in the back of his mind that the cow delivered milk to the cat too. His eyes glazed over slightly but Momiji was too busy sprouting to notice.

Haru was also listening with half an ear as well as he waddled over to the table and looked down at the milk. He took a good look at Kyo who looked like he was in his own world before he picked up the cup of milk and looked in.

Haru's face scrunched up in confusion. How is this me?

As Haru looked closer, he saw a mere image of himself in the circular cup. It shimmered with little ripples, but that was definitely him in that little cup of milk. Oh, now I get it.

"So you see," Momiji ended conclusively with a rise in his tone causing Kyo to be pulled out of his little cloud. "Milk comes from cows!"

Kyo nodded numbly – he had only heard the first and last line of the story, but he was sure he could pass it off that he was paying attention the whole time.

"Okay." Kyo stated bored-ly

Momiji frowned at the response. "Don't you get it? Haru's the cow!"

Haru nodded at the statement. "Indeed."

Kyo nodded as well. As far as he knew it, their whole family was composed of animals. As previously and repeatedly stated by others, Haru was the cow in their family.

"Cows make milk! You're drinking parts of Haru."

As epiphany sunk in, Kyo's eyed Haru. Kyo cocked his head, as he tried to spot any part of Haru 'missing'. He frowned when he didn't spot anything missing – Haru looked pretty whole to him. He still had two arms, two legs, a head. What could be missing then?

"I don't see anything missing though."

"I'm missing parts?" Haru asked. Haru looked into the cup and, true to Momiji's words, he couldn't see anything but his head. Haru gasped. "My hands are gone and so are my legs!"

"No they're not!" Kyo protested as he gestured toward Haru's legs; a gesture that Haru didn't see for he was too busy eyeing the cup of milk.

"They are?" Momiji squealed with fear. Obviously, the belief of his own thoughts had his eye going blind to the whole, standing figure of Haru. Momiji looked around furtively. "Where did they go?"

Kyo started to become uneasy and unhinged as well. Was he just seeing things then? But everything Momiji said so far was flawless, so if Momiji said Haru's legs were gone then it must be true. Maybe he could only see Haru's legs because he was the one to drink the milk.

"What do we do to get them back?" Kyo asked Momiji as he tried to keep calm. After all, Momiji and Haru were four, and Kyo was five, therefore, by default, he was the oldest and the oldest always had to be collected.

Momiji crouched down and wrapped his arms around his legs as if trying to protect them and make sure his were still there. Momiji shook his head as his eyes swept back and forth rapidly. "I don't know. That wasn't in the story."

"Should I pee it out?" though the idea was hopeless, he didn't have the urge to go yet. He really hoped none of them suggest he vomited the milk up. He vomited when he was sick and he didn't like it.

"I don't know." Momiji repeated. "Are you okay, Haru?"

Haru shook his head, his face slightly paler than usual. "I feel sick."

"Is Haru going to die?" Kyo asked, frightened. He regretted asking the question as soon as he said it.

Momiji's epped and cowered deeper into himself. His eyes watered with unshed tears. "I didn't think of that."

It seems the apprentice always got further than the master then.

"I don't want Haru to die!" Momiji wailed. Kyo was surprised when Haru followed suit in Momiji's action, but, then again, he would probably cry to if his legs were missing and he was about to die.

Kyo's eyes watered. This is all my fault. I want to save Haru. Balling his little fist, he made a decision that he was going to follow through even though he knew it wasn't going to be a pleasant experience. "I'm going to go throw up!"

Just when Kyo was about to run to the bathroom, he slammed right into Shigure who had come running from all the wailing. Kyo toppled over hard-that was the last straw- a thin strand of tears fell from his eyes. Shigure immediately bent down and hastily brushed a tear away. "I'm sorry, Kyo."

"Momiji, Haru, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" Before either could reply to him, Ayame came in, his hands settled between his ears. The horrendous noise was giving him a headache.

"Oh, my. What's this? Crying babies." Ayame bent down and tried to sooth Haru and Momiji. He patted their heads while admiring how soft it was. The action didn't do much to placate them. Not to later, the door jingled open and Hatori ran in. He had heard the crying from outside.

Hatori took a quick look at the situation and demanded to know what was going on. Taking note of the two guilty looks from the two older parties, Hatori already knew that they haven't been watching them.

Surprisingly, Haru launched himself at Hatori and wrapped his arm around his legs.

"Cousin Hatori!" Hatori quickly became worried, it wasn't often that he saw Haru cry. Something must be dreadfully wrong.

Hatori untangled Haru's arms from his legs and held his shoulder firmly. "Haru, what's wrong?"

"I-I'm dying!"

There was a suspended silence from the three teens.

"What did he just say?" It was Ayame. Clearly, all the ugly screaming was effecting his splendid hearing as well.

"I think he said that he was dying." Shigure said unsurely as he tried to hug Kyo distractedly who, for once, allowed it. Even the dog who was known for his sharp hearing was questioning his senses because of the absurdity of the statement. Shigure would have laughed if it wasn't for the gravity of the situation.

"What makes you say that?" Hatori started to pat Haru's back gently.

"Kyo ate me!" Haru cried as he buried his head in Hatori's chest.

"He ate you?" Hatori tried to spot any bite marks – there were none.

"No, he drank you!" Momiji was now clinging to Ayame and was vainly trying to hide his legs with Ayame's long hair.

"I didn't mean to!" Kyo shouted back. Finally understanding the situation was all some childish concoction as well as a misunderstanding, Shigure laughed.

"Haru," Hatori started, he felt a migraine coming on. "Kyo did not eat you."

Haru paused at that for a second. "He drank me then."

"Haru you're perfectly fine."

Haru gave him a skeptical look which caused Hatori to motion toward his body. Haru looked down and was surprised to see that his legs were still intact to his little body. Hatori sighed, as he questioned the child as calmly as possibly though Shigure's girlish laughter wasn't helping his temper in the least. Haru showed him the cup of milk.

By this time, Shigure and Ayame were on the floor howling in laughter.

Hatori spent the next thirty minutes, explaining to Haru, Momiji, and Kyo that drinking milk didn't mean Haru was going to die and what Haru saw was a reflection of himself. He spent the next ten trying to convince Kyo that he could continue drinking his milk. If only it was left at that. That dreaded question was asked by none other than the person who started the whole horrible fiasco. Momiji.

"How do we get milk out of the cow then?" Momiji looked up with curious eyes.

Finding a situation that he could turn perverted and make a certain said cousin of his uncomfortable, Shigure immediately jumped on the topic.

"Well, Momiji," Shigure started cheerfully, a gleam in his eyes. "You squeeze these things."

"What things?"

"Something beautifully shaped and magnificent to this world." Ayame glorified as his eyes looked past the trio dreamily. This, in effect, peaked the youngers' interest.

"Shigure." Hatori threatened. Ayame leaned on Hatori and teased him.

"Come now, Hatori. Shigure is trying to educate them. You don't want another situation like the ones only a few minutes ago. Now do we?"

"It's called an udder." Shigure informed happily. "And you squeeze them like this." Shigure made a clasping motion. Hatori looked sickened at the action. It looked downright sensual especially since Shigure was doing it. Shigure repeated the motion a couple of more times, all of his three 'pupils' trained at his hands motion. "Come on, you try too."

Momiji excitedly followed the clasping motion. Haru followed suit after seeing a few test tries from Momiji. Kyo remained still, something that Hatori was glad about – it didn't last.

"Come on, Kyo," Shigure coed. "You try too."

Kyo seemed reluctant but did what he was told.

Hatori feared what Kazuma was going to say when Kyo showed him what Shigure had taught him. The whole situation was watered with sensual connotation. Shigure caught the look on Hatori's face and immediately brought out a lecherous smile.

"What's wrong, Hari?"

"You." Hatori's tongue was feeling sharp today.

Shigure gave Hatori a knowing smile. "Oh, Hari, you're so dirty. Get your mind out of the gutter!"

Shigure leaned over and playfully slapped his leg, something that Hatori was quick to swat away. Ayame giggled at his side.

"Why is Cousin Hatori dirty?" Haru asked innocently as he continued the clasping and dragging motion that Shigure had taught him.

"Well, Haru-Chan, Hatori's at that age where his mind gets really dirty." Shigure pointed a finger toward his head for emphasis.

"Does that mean mine will get dirty too?"

Shigure grinned. "Most likely."

Hatori grinded his teeth together so hard that his jaw hurt. Hatori wasn't known as a profound curser but, oh, the vulgarity that would come out of his mouth if the younger ones weren't here right now.

Shigure leaned forward once again and flicked Momiji's and Kyo's nose gently. "And Momiji and Kyo's will be too."

Momiji smiled at the prospected future. "I can't wait!"

A/N: First off, I would like to thank those who reviewed, followed, and favorited. You don't know how happy each and every review makes me.

Now, I know that some of my followers are authors too, so I know that you know that slightly irked and disappointed feeling when people follow/favorite but don't review. Of course, I'm not going to be dramatic and ask for you to review for every single chapter, but one review every now and then would be nice.

Don't get me wrong though! I am absolutely thrilled that you followed my story and I hope I didn't discourage anybody from following/favoriting my story by stating this. I'm not angry or anything just slightly saddened. But that, my friends, can be quickly amended with a small review – doesn't have to be grand and lengthy or anything just something small is fine.

So, please review.

Putting that aside, the last part about the milk was actually something that I wrote about a month ago. The earlier portion, I wrote today. I didn't know how to introduce Momiji and Haru so I withheld it for some time. Also, some writer's block and the less reviews had me slightly discouraged.

I hope the milk thing wasn't too farfetched. I was slightly embarrassed with it. I took the idea of milk and ran with it. I didn't realize how 'weird' it was until I finished it. I wasn't sure if the idea was funny or just plain stupid. Or maybe it's so senseless that it's funny. Either way, I wasn't too sure, so please let me know what you think about this chapter.

Please R&R. Reviews inspire me, make me happy, and makes me update faster. No flames please. Critiques are always welcomed with open arms.

5/2/13