Chapter two.
"Urgh, ouch!" Suzu spat as she opened her eyes. "Fuck, my back is KILLING me! Who slept on it!" Suzu rubbed her head, trying to remember why the hell she wasn't in her bed, and why they were all together, asleep in the car.
Then she did. "Ah, that's why. Did we get to the camp site yet?" with all the commotion, everyone else in the car was forcedly woken up (Yoko after Suzu shook her), and Kano yawned loudly. He stretched his long arms up until they were only restricted by the car roof, and rubbed the sleep from his eyes.
"Not yet I'm afraid. After I stopped for fuel I didn't feel to well and decided to stop somewhere on the way."
"Wha? But the camp site is like an hour from the petrol station, tops. But you were driving for like five hours or something." A loud grumble roared through the car. "And I'm hungry!"
"Me too. I haven't eaten anything but a sandwich since yesterday lunch time." Yoko rubbed her eyes childishly, and sat up groggily.
"Hay Takara, wake up will ya?" A firm jab in her side, and Takara jerked awake. "Rise and shine, sunshine." Takara blinked her emerald eyes around the car a few times, and yawned elegantly into her palm. She then started to smooth her white summer dress out and yellow cardigan. "You know, I don't see anywhere remotely near the campsite Kano."
"That isn't important Suzu."
"But-"
"Suzu." Kano turned round in the chair, and looked at her with a brow raised.
Then at last it hit her, like a slap back to reality.
"OOooooh." She then blushed at only just getting it, and folded her arms. She reverted back to her moody pout, looked purposely away from Yoko.
"Look guys." And they all did. "I think I know we aren't quite going to the campsite anymore."She smiled bravely, and fixed her cinnamon blonde hair up into the neatest high ponytail she could manage. She then saw that Takara had been smoothing herself off. "Heh heh, at least I don't have to worry about that sort of thing. Big baggy clothes aren't meant to look neat." She chuckled, and looked like she had never been happier. Her amber eyes shone a lost shine, and looked truly beautiful, despite her brown combat trousers with many pockets, strips of material coming off her pockets, and her huge olive green baggy jumper, with sleeves that covered her hands and came down to her knees. She blew her fringe from her face, and heard Suzu snicker at her.
"Where I beat you both. Because I just look ruffled no matter what I do." She stated smugly, her tight black hip hugging jeans give no room for creases, her material flat shin boots, and her tight black t shirt, which amplified her breasts desirably with the words 'stay back, I bite' sprayed in silver over her bust, also no room for creases, and her short leather jacket with her beloved green snake on the back didn't wrinkle either. Her midnight hair was always windswept, but her lipstick had come off. She reached into her jacket breast pocket, and took out a black lipstick tube, to apply more scarlet colour to her lips. The same scarlet, as her dog collar with small silver spikes around it, and her belt with the similar fashion.
"HA! You win that one Suzu." Yoko chuckled at her behind her baggy sleeved hand, and looked to her brother. He actually looked quite good to say he had been under the most stress (other than her). His sport tracksuit trousers with a white stripe down the outside of each leg, and his tracksuit zip up jacket, with nothing underneath, were looking quite good actually. The top of his jacket was zipped down below his pecks to show a sneak peek of his toned chest, and his ear length head of midnight black curtains were only a little ruffled. And like his sister, he suited the ruffled look. Although his dark magenta eyes were looking rather tired, but he smiled along his defined jaw nevertheless.
"She certainly does. Now, why don't we get going Hmmm?" he turned back to the front with a smile, and everyone seemed eager to get going. But he frowned. "The shack's gone."
"Huh! Excuse me, shack?" Suzu blinked at him, her arms still folded over her chest.
"The shack across the road, it was right there." Kano pointed across the road, the dirt road. "And the road was cement." He scratched his head.
"Yeah, because in the few hours we actually were asleep, someone scooped up a shack, magically hacked the cement off the road and made it look like neither the road, or the shack had ever been there with fresh dirt and weedy grass." Suzu said sarcastically. "How many beers did you have before we left the house again?"
"What is think Suzu means." Yoko came to her rescue. "Is it was quite late last night and dark, and we were all tired and spent. Perhaps in the poor light it looked like it was a real road, and you might have seen the shack further down the road or something." Yoko reasoned. Or not at all. But she kept that to herself.
"What?" Takara was shaking her head at her vigorously. She too started to point to the other side of the road desperately. "No, you saw it too! A shack?" she nodded. "And a real road!" she gave a firm affirmative nod, and Suzu blinked at her brother.
"See, I told you there was a shack and a real road. I saw it, and so did Takara."
"Again, it was late, we were all tired." Yoko tried to reason again.
"Like fuck we were. He was pissed angry and piss drunk, and Takara was tired."
"And if I was drunk, and Takara was deliriously tired, then how did we see the exact same things?" Kano asked calmly, a confident smile on his face.
"…damn you." Suzu sulked back into the seat, and looked out the side window. "Well, so we are seeing things, and lost. Are we lost? We betta not be!"
"No, we are not lost. I'll just go back the way I came. To the right." Kano put the keys into the ignition and pulled away from the shrine. "At least the damn Shrine didn't move." He muttered to himself, as he pulled onto the dirt road. "I can't remember the bushes being this close to the road." He grumbled again.
"You don't remember much of last night, do you?"
"I was not drunk Suzu."
"Yeah, right." Kano just laughed at her. It was easy to forget the event of last night when he was just Kano, just the goofy big brother going the scenic route with his 'sisters'. "Hmmm, it looks like we will be driving next to a field for a few miles…"
"And let me guess." Suzu smirked with a raised eyebrow "Don't remember the field either, right?"
"Right."
"You are such a floop."
"I love you to." He chuckled at her response of a huff, and drove on.
An hour later, Takara tapped on her window loudly. Suzu looked over, and beamed.
"At last! A town! That way Kano, towards civilisation and waffles." Her stomach growled again. "And lots and lots of chocolate sauce."
"MMmmm, and whip cream." Yoko added. Takara rolled her eyes at them.
"We don't all eat so boringly like you Takara. Fruit for breakfast? Fruit and fibre? Muesli? Where is the sugar in that?" Takara chuckled silently, as the car drove through the streets. The large Warrior car was so big, people started staring when they pulled up to a food shop.
"Well, since we are all hungry, let's get some breakfast and I'll get a map and hopefully some friendly directions." Kano unlocked the doors, and all three girls were out of the car quicker than he could take the keys out of the ignition. "Ok…I guess we are really hungry." He chuckled, and got out and locked the car. "Wait up!"
"Now what would he like to grow most, turnips, or strawberries? We grew strawberries this year already, maybe he would like a change?" the gentle girl with a big heart, long chocolate brown hair with two lovely yellow ribbons in her hair, bright blue eyes and a gardening magazine rolled under her arm. Her basket was still empty, having spent the last 20 minutes debating what to get a certain grey haired friend of hers. Would Yuki like a change? Or would he want to stick safe with strawberries. And he seems to love growing them, and nurturing them, and picking them when they're ready. And he always lets me help him. Yuki really is good to me. She giggled, and looked over her options again. She decided to stay with strawberries, nice and safe.
Being a Saturday, Tohru Honda wasn't wearing her usual uniform for school, but a knee length soft purple skirt and a white turtle neck, long sleeved shirt. She wore white frilly socks and her flat white trainers, bright and clean. I'm so lucky to have friends like Yuki and Kyo and Shigure. After going to see Akito last month, they really mothered me. I really didn't mean to make them worry so much. And I must have upset Yuki a lot, by going there. He wouldn't let me out of his sight afterwards. He wanted to come with me today too, if Shigure hadn't offered to wait for me outside and take me back home in his car on the way back from his editor. She giggled again, moving on to look for some fresh vegetables for dinner tonight. I feel sorry for that poor editor of his. He always teases her by hiding the rest of his novels and pretending to have lost them, or just not done them yet. I think she looked a little pale last time. I don't know why she would get so ill from just finding the month late final chapter in her office after badgering Shigure all day. In her mind, there was just no need for all the fuss. But she chuckled anyway, finding it amusing to see such relief on the young woman's face when she actually found the final part of his novel, safe and sound.
Oh, they are having a sale on rice! I could stock up for weeks and weeks if I play my cards right.
Just as that thought entered her mind, a tall man bumped into her.
"Suzu! Takara? Yoko! Damn those girls, they know they give me a heart attack when they run off like this." He groaned, and then looked to the young girl bowing her head over and begging for his forgiveness frantically.
"Oh, I am so very very sorry sir! I didn't see you there, I was in a world of my own and I didn't mean to walk into you. Please forgive me, I'll get right out of your way."
"Oh please." He chuckled weakly. It had been his fault for barging round the corner like that. He had bumped into her. "It was my fault. I'm just looking for my sister and her friends. Those three really like to test my blood pressure some times." Kano ran a hand through his hair, and chuckled kindly. He then saw he had made her drop her magazine. "Oh, let me get that for you."
"Oh, no need really!"
"Nonsense. It's the least I can do for walking into you so brashly. Here." He handed her the magazine back after giving it a once over. "You like to garden?"
"With a friend, yes. He is much better than I am though, but I like to help where I can." Kano smiled. This girl seemed so innocent, so enthusiastic and kind.
"Do you know where I could find a map at all? And maybe there is an isle for missing siblings too?"
"Oh, y, have you really lost them! Oh how awful!"
"I know. First I lost our way, then I lost them. I'm doing quite lousy."
"And you look so tired." She said with mothering concern.
"Well, I was driving nearly all night and into this morning." He chuckled. "But don't worry. All I need is my sisters, a map, and a very, very strong cup of coffee."
But she wasn't having any of his joking nature.
"Come this way, we'll ask at the desk for an announcement for your missing sisters. You said sister-s right?" She held his hand, and started to lead him.
"Kinda, see-"
"What do you mean I can't buy this!" Kano snapped his head over towards the counter, and sighed with relief.
"And that, ladies and gentlemen, is my baby sister Suzu." He laughed tiredly, and looked to the young girl. He looked the same age as his sister.
"Oh thank goodness. I wouldn't been able to stop worrying all day if I thought you were out here still looking for them. are those you sisters to?" the blue eyes angel indicated towards the two girls trying to hold the black haired temptress that was his sister, from attacking the overly flirting old man behind the front desk.
"Perverted arsehole!" Tohru gasped.
"Suzu, watch your language and your temper." Kano chuckled, and once and for all pulled her far from the counter. "Now never run off like that again, any of you, and what is the problem?" Tohru smiled, an outsider looking in. this was such a familiar scene, but she couldn't place it. But there was definitely something familiar about the man she bumped into.
"Grrr!" she snarled. Kano resorted to plan B.
"Yoko? Care to explain?"
"We are trying to by some waffles and some fruit for Takara, and the guy says we need real money to buy it! Is he retarded!"
"Now I'm sure this is a big misunderstanding. What is wrong with the money?" Suzu shrugged him off, and brushed herself off.
"Well." Tohru looked over her appearance, and reminded her of Haru. But darker. And something much more about her than simply a mood swing.
Although she seemed to be in full swing, if you know what I mean. "I gave this guy my money, he gave it back and said it was fake, and I told him it was. He then said he would give it to me for free if I gave something to him for free, and then quite freely gave me a one over, and I offered a free BEATING if he didn't fuck off!" she growled, folded her arms, and turned her back to the counter with a huff. "Bastard." Kano rolled his eyes, used to this by now.
"Please be more respectful to my kid sister, please." He said nicely enough. "Now, what is wrong with this money?" he looked his money over, and couldn't see anything wrong with it. He didn't bother asking how Suzu got it from him. Because she always found his money somewhere or another. Even if he didn't know about it.
"Oh, what strange currency." Tohru piped in. "Where are you from?"
"Japan."
"But…we don't use money like that. At least, it doesn't look like any Yen I've ever seen."
"What! Are you deluded? That is Yen."
"Did you get that at an exchange shop somewhere? Oh dear, I think you might have been unfairly tricked." Tohru smiled sympathetically. "Look, this is what Yen looks like." Tohru trustingly opened her purse to them all. "See?" She got some out for them. "The characters on your coins are all wrong." She nodded firmly. "I'll pay for those if you like. Being lost, and having no money must be awful. Oh." She placed a finger on her chin. "I'll just get the rest of the shopping and a map and I'll be right back, ok?" she cheered beamingly at them all, before disappearing behind the kitchen cleaning utensils isle.
They al blinked after her.
"Wait, no, wait!" Kano hurried after her, and the girls all gathered at the end of isle to watch. They couldn't hear anything, but they could clearly see the girl's insistence and bright smile, no matter how much Kano begged her not to.
"Oh great." Yoko and Takara looked round to Suzu, who was pouting again. "Another girl roped in tragically towards my brother and his disastrously good looks. Eck, I'm gonna be sick."
"Or perhaps, a girl roped in by our distress and disastrouslydire situation, by helping us have breakfast and a map, and is currently pointing out where we are."
"Wha-huh?" Suzu snapped her head towards were Yoko was pointing and grinning, and blinked with disbelief.
The girl with yellow ribbons in her hair, long chocolate brown hair, big blue eyes and warm smile, was balancing her purse under her chin, her magazine underneath an open map, and pointing along a road (she assumed), and Kano nodding with understanding. He then took the map from her, and picked up her shopping. They were walking back this way.
"Oh no, you couldn't!"
"No, no I wont have it. You have done so much for us already, trying to help me find my sisters, and now buying us breakfast and a map? No, it is the least I can do to help out with your shopping. And I will pay you back, I swear."
"Oh, gosh no. It doesn't matter at all, really." She giggled.
"Nonsense." He smiled, thanking god someone like this girl was actually real. He thought they only existed in fairytales. "I want to help."
"Oh, but you shouldn't really I-oh!" Her list of shopping was taken from her by gentle hands, and she looked up into equally warm emerald eyes. Suzu snapped her head back to where Takara was stood, to where she stood now. How did she move so fucking fast!
"You want to help to Takara? Let's see." Tohru blinked as Kano and the golden blonde haired girl peered over her list. "Family shopping huh? Quite a lot there." He nodded.
"I want to help to." Yoko announced, walking over to them. "I mean it." She play punched Tohru's arm. "You are alright, thanks for helping us out. No really, you have."
"So you got him to admit he was lost then?" Suzu asked. She then smirked. "I like you already." And I hope to be pleasantly surprised by you. Not getting gaga over my brother is a rare thing, and a good sign. "I'm in."
Tohru watched helplessly as her daily shopping list was split into four, and she was left to watch them all dart around the store for different items.
5 minutes flat, and everything had been gathered. It would have taken her at least another 30 minutes to do that!
"Oh, thank you so much! I really don't know how to repay you."
"Der, we are repaying you." Suzu poked her shoulder.
"But you shouldn't don't have to." She brightly.
"No, we don't. But you didn't have to help us either, but you did." Yoko put an arm around her shoulders, and this was a really good sign. She only ever let Suzu, Kano or Takara this lose to her. "One good deed deserves another, and all that. Right, I'll carry these 4 bags." She lifted them up like they were nothing.
Oh my, I would have had to make two trips home and back just for those four. She blinked with disbelief.
Then Suzu picked up 4, Kano another 5 (one in his mouth) and Takara picked up 2. She seemed to be closer to Tohru's strength than the others. Gosh are they strong.
"Hay, what's your name anyway?" Suzu asked bluntly.
"Oh, oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. How rude of me! My name is Tohru Honda. Please call me Tohru."
"Well Tohru, I'm Yoko Nakamura." Tohru liked the amber colour of her eyes, and her cinnamon hair. She looked natural, but her clothes were very strange. They seemed to be boy's clothes, and way, way too big.
"I'm Kano Fukazawa Sensei. But you can call me Kano." Tohru blushed immediately.
"Oh gosh, sensei?"
"I'm a Sport's studies teacher. You know, at schools with PE and sport's studies. But call me Kano."
"And I'm the bane of his existence, kid sis herself, Suzu Fukazawa. But just Suzu. And this is another good friend, Takara Mei." Takara smiled and nodded to her. Tohru wanted to ask why she hadn't said anything, but that would be rude and she really didn't want to upset them on their first meeting. Or ever. But she did find herself looking every now and then at the blonde's necklace. Such a pretty pink ribbon, and a gorgeous gold pendant. She wanted to trace it with her fingers, but thought better of it. She then looked over the dress she wore. Elegant, dainty. A white summer dress that ruffled like a gypsy collar, with only spaghetti straps holding it up. She had a yellow cardigan tied around her waist now, the weather getting hotter with the season.
"Well I'm really honoured to meet you all!" she chirped. "I'll just go and pay for all this." It's a good thing I got my pay yesterday. I'll just have to work a little longer at the weekend, that's all. Tohru added her own money to the money Shigure gave her to shop with, and followed them all outside. "Please, let me at least carry the bag in your mouth Fukazawa sensei. Don't burden yourself on my account. Oh please, I should really carry something."
"Naff." He muffled through the bag handle. This wasn't a strain at all.
"Look, when my brother says something, he means it. You have not got a hope in hell of changing his mind." Suzu then chuckled at her blank look. "In other words, he isn't going to give you a bag." She opened her mouth. "And neither are we." She chuckled again, and they all stopped in front of a black car. The driver window came down, and Kano raised a brow.
There was a man with ruffled black hair, parted to the sides of his eyes, framing dark brown eyes with a twinkle of mischief in them, but shining with maturity at the same time. He had a wonderfully chiselled jaw line, smooth, perfect for nibbling…
He wore oddly enough, a full grey Gi and matching Hakame. Very traditional. He looked very tall sat there in the driver's seat, and wearing a very smooth smile.
"Well Tohru, it seems you have succeeded in collecting yet another group of friends. I hope you won't forget about us, will you?" he comically pretended to swoon, and Tohru reacted instantly.
"Oh gosh no never! You are all my friends and I would never forget about all the wonderful things you have done for me and would never ever ever even think about-" her mouth was muffled, and she looked over her shoulder to find Yoko grinning at her.
"He's kidding."
"What? How would you know that?" the man asked.
"Because after so many years of Kano, I see really bad sarcasm and mucking about from a mile off." Yoko released Tohru's mouth. "I didn't over do it did I? you're not hurt or anything, right?"
"What, no no of course not." She chuckled.
"Good." She picked up her 4 bags again. "So…which way to your house Tohru?"
"Excuse me?" the mad addressed her. But Tohru intervened.
"Well they are all lost and have no money because a lousy sale's man gave them the wrong currency and they've been driving all last night into this morning too! I helped the best I could with a map and they offered to pay me back by carrying my shopping for me." She explained hurriedly. "I just want to make sure they are alright Shigure San, to help them on their way. I would never be able to forgive myself if I left them to wander around, alone, starving and with no hope!" Shigure blinked at her, and chuckled a smile.
"Well in that case, I guess I can't refuse. Hop in." he certainly couldn't have Tohru fretting herself. Yuki and Kyo would kill him! and he wouldn't be able to bare it either. He was half tempted to hazard a guess that Tohru knew this…but he shrugged it off. One look at her innocently smiling face dispelled all thoughts of underhanded sneakiness.
"Oh thank you so much Shigure San! I'll sure make it up to you some how!"
"Is this your brother?" Suzu asked with a sceptical eyebrow raised.
"Oh, no." she chuckled. "This is Shigure Sohma San, he is one of the men I live with." At that Suzu's eyes almost boggled out of her head. Then she looked scadalised towards Shigure.
"ONE of the men you live with? How many do you live with Tohru?"
"Oh, two others. Yuki Sohma, and Kyo Sohma. We aren't related, but we are really close friends and I pull my weight around by cleaning and cooking and all sorts of cleaner lady things around the house. I do what ever I can, you know." She beamed.
But everything she said entered Suzu's head, twisted, and bubbled until she was livid. She put the bags down, yanked on Shigure's collar and half dragged him out of the car window.
"You sick bastard! How dare you use a young girl for you own amusement like this! I bet you have a uniform for her and everything! A piny!"
"W Well I did get her a maid's uniform from Aayame once but-"
"One girl living alone in a house with THREE other GUYS! Are you retarded? I'll sure make it up to you some how!"
"Suzu!" Kano put his bags down and dragged her sister off the sweapdropping Shigure. His eyes had become as big as saucers and was blinking at her wildly.
"Wh, wha, what!"
"But I'm not lonely or hard done by Suzu. I like it there." She beamed, blissfully unaware of what Suzu had just insinuated.
"I am so sorry Mr Sohma. My sister is quite, well, free viewed and expressive of those views. She really doesn't think before she acts sometimes."
"Grfhgp." She muffled profanities through Kano's hand, but he didn't release her. "Thank you so much for the invitation, we will be what, 5 minutes? Just a quite look at the map and we will be on our way. I promise." He sweatdropped, having never been so embarrassed, and yanked his flailing sister back.
"No, not at all." Shigure quickly reassured him. "I have a strange family myself, I know how it feels to be the older one and have to control their impulses." Or bear the brunt of them. "Please, get into the car and we'll sort you out for sure."
"I'll give you something to sort out!"
"Suzu!" he yelped with despair. "Please behave yourself. Stop making assumptions!"
"I follow my instincts and I have never been wrong yet!"
"Like when you weren't wrong back in the supermarket?" Yoko was referring to her first assumption of Tohru, and that turned out to be wrong…so…
"Humph!" she folded her arms, and Kano sighed with relief.
"I am very sorry, please forgive my sister."
"No problem." Shigure chuckled. "It's actually quite normal for me to be accused of being a pervert." He sweatdropped. "Undeservingly of course."
"Yeah, right." Kano chuckled, and then remembered something. "Oh, I have my own car, we can follow you with the shopping in there if you like. Lot's of room in the truck."
"Truck?" Shigure leaned out his window, and his eyes glazed over. "Is that a Mitsubishi Warrior?"
"Yep. My baby."
"What a gorgeous gene pool you have. An excellent specimen."
"Oh I do try." Both men chuckled, and surprisingly blushed afterwards. But they recovered from it instantly. "Well I guess I'll just follow you then."
"Are all four of you ramped up in there? I'm sure we could 'share out' our teens if you like. If you are taking the shopping as well."
"Well I would put it in the back of the truck, but I don't want anything to get lost or damaged, so I suppose that would work great." Kano nodded, and looked to Yoko. "Could you go with Tohru and Mr Sohma?" he then rethought that. She might still need to be with at least one friend. And Takara couldn't go obviously. "Actually, maybe Suzu should-"
"Ooo, you have leather seating too. I tell you, riding for hours on end and sleeping in a car all night and morning really gives you an appreciation for leather seating." Yoko had already clambered in after Tohru, who eagerly welcomed her. Kano chuckled, glad everything seemed better, and started to walked away.
"I didn't get your name!" he turned back, seeing Shigure blushing at how stupid he sounded. Kano smiled dashingly, and bowed his head once.
"Kano Fukazawa. But just call me Kano." He then turned, and marched Suzu (still in a mood) and Takara back to the warrior. Oh yeah, Mr cool.