Chapter 6
ALL CHARACTERS ARE BASED ON THE OFFICIAL ANIME ONLY! And I do NOT own any of the fruit's basket characters, only Yoko, Kano, Suzu, and Takara.
Now that all that has been said (forgot to do it earlier lol) enjoy!
"But that makes no sense." Kano muttered to himself. He and Shigure had been sprawled over this damn map for what seemed like hours, tracing the roads Kano took and coming up with impossible places.
I mean, wouldn't you remember driving through the middle of a natural preservation site? Or a mountain or two? Because the only real place of civilisation Kano came to once he left the motorway was this place, Kaibara.
And there was no sign of the shrine they had parked at either. The dirt road was there, but no shrine, no shack, no road, nothing.
Kano stood back, pushing his hands into the small of his back until it cracked. Driving all night in a car, sleeping there for a few hours, and then being on your feet for half the day, wasn't good for your back, he decided. "I would remember driving by a huge river. There was none."
"I can't find anything local or national that fits the description you told me." Shigure frowned, also standing and holding his chin. He stared at the open map, as if waiting for the answers to jump up from the paper and reveal all. "And I looked in the Lake directory. There was a Hikostumbe river, but no Hiko Lake."
"That's impossible." Kano ran his hands through his midnight hair, ruffling it up even more. His dark magenta closed, exasperated beyond hell. "I've been going to Hiko Lake since my days of baby dungarees. But where is it? And I don't recognise anything on this map! And I went camping only last month, I know my way around, but it's like I'm in another world here!" he groaned, and hung his head over with his hands fisted against his hips. "Where are we…?"
"Well, I suppose we could check the police station tomorrow morning, get your details up and go from there." Shigure suggested with a hopeful smile. "Don't worry, I'll make sure you know your way home before you leave, I swear." He put his hand on his back and smiled. Kano looked over until his magenta eyes met dark brown ones, and slowly smiled too. It was then Kano noticed how close Shigure had gotten to him, his chest a brush away from his shoulder, and his hand on the table…in front of his groin. He returned his attention to the older man's eyes, noticing they were closer to, very close, so close that-
"Shigure San, Kano San!" Tohru chirped happily outside the door.
"Oh, that will be Tohru with lunch." Shigure quickly took his hand back, and opened the door. "Ah, my ever reliable little flower." Tohru came in and placed a tray with two plates of sandwiches on it on the side table. "And what a pretty little flower you look today Tohru!" she blushed, and smiled shyly.
"Oh, thank you."
"I wonder, is your nectar as sweet as that smile of yours?" Kano lifted her chin with one hand, the other playing with one of the yellow ribbons in her hair. Her blush intensified, and she took a step backwards with a gulp.
"Oh, I, well, I wouldn't know. Enjoy your lunch!" she squeaked, and swiftly left them to bend over the map again.
When Shigure laughed, Kano looked to his mature face with a raised eyebrow.
"She must be panicking, with two flirtatious men on the premises."
"Well." Kano chuckled. "I do try. Bless her." He picked up a sandwich. "Ooo, sausage."
No matter how hard they looked, they just couldn't re track where Kano had made a wrong turn, or even where he came from!
In the end, Shigure tore Kano away from looking at the map obsessively, and said they would just have to sort it tomorrow.
The two men left the office at last, only to receive a look from Suzu.
A look, that said I-know-all-about-it. Her smirk knowing, her pink magenta eyes gleaming suggestively, before turning her smug self towards Tohru, in the kitchen.
"Kano's back. Remember, he's cooking!"
"Oh, Fukazawa sensei! I've started to prepare the food. We're having Gyoza dumplings!" Tohru peered out from the kitchen, beaming that bright smile of hers, and waiting patiently.
"Are you going to go in and help Mr mighty chef? Or do you need someone to hold you hand?" Suzu suggested cruelly, making Kano pout at her, stuck his tongue out, and ruffle her hair. "Hay!"
"That's what horses eat." He chuckled, and rubbed his hands together on the way to the kitchen. "So, what do we have?"
"Well we have all the ingredients for the dough, the filling and the dipping sauce. We just need to make it first!" very enthusiastic. Kano smiled, and looked around. "Has anyone seen my jacket?"
"Here." Yuki handed it back to him from over the chair. "And thanks."
"No problem." Kano looked over the young teen. Short, stylish grey hair with one side slightly longer than the other, purple eyes and pale skin. "Yuki, right?" he bowed his head. Very obedient too. Before he could say anything else, Suzu pulled on his sleeve, and top toed up to whisper in his ear. "Oh…ok." He cleared his throat. "I would very much appreciate the help if you would lend it, Yuki." He raised a brow, confused. "Help, me and Tohru, in the kitchen." Yuki nodded, and quickly joined Tohru. Kano winked at his sister, but couldn't help but catch Shigure's eyes. His brown eyes were curious, that much was sure, but they were also questioning, looking deep at him. Like he was looking for something, hidden.
"Forgive me, but I dread to think what my dear cousin Aayame is doing alone with your young friend Takara." He started to turn.
"He's gone." Suzu answered boredly. "Left on Yuki's orders. After hitting on Yoko, of course." She snickered. Shigure wiped his hand down his face, and then chuckled.
"That sounds just like him."
"Where's Yoko now? Sulking somewhere?" Kano chuckled, but stopped when Suzu only frowned.
"She…she went for a walk." Suzu folded her arms and looked away from them all, as if it was impossible to meet their gaze. "Hours ago."
"Should we go look for her?" Shigure offered. A young girl walking on her own when it was getting darker sooner…
"No." Kano sighed. "She only goes off if she needs to be alone. She'll be back soon."
"Yeah…she better. 'Coz I'm gonna kick her ass when she gets back!" Suzu growled, before storming off to the living room.
Shigure and Kano looked to each other. It had been a long eventful day, and with all the bad news, it was starting to take its toll on them.
"I'll get on with dinner." Kano turned to the kitchen.
"I'll monitor the pups." Shigure turned to the living room, and they separated.
When Shigure entered the living room, Suzu was pacing furiously back and forth, Takara was sat watching her calmly from the couch, and Kyo was nowhere to be seen. "Where's Kyo?"
"Hmm? Oh, orange head buggered off 20 minutes ago. Didn't say where he was going when I asked, just grunted. Git." She grumbled, increasing her pace.
"You're going to wear a trench in the middle of my living room." He chuckled…but she wasn't amused.
"Would you rather I broke things and hit people!"
"…no…"
"Then deal with it!" Shigure blinked at the outburst, realising she was much more brash than her brother. Very testy indeed.
"…maybe if you sit down then-" one death glare silenced his attempts with a whimper. "-or maybe not." He cleared his throat, and knelt at the table. "So, Takara, tell me a little about yourself. How old are you? Have you known Kano and his sister for long? And Yoko?"
"We met when he were little." Suzu spat. "I met Takara first, when we were in nursery together. She was being picked on, I broke the bully's nose, best friends ever since." Shigure raised a brow. I asked Takara. Why won't Suzu let her answer?
"And Yoko?" He turned to Takara again. But again, Suzu was the one who answered him.
"A few years later we met Yoko. She got into a scrap with the boys on her first day, and they called their big brothers on her. I stepped in and helped her kick ass. Takara patched up our bruises afterwards, and the rest is history." Now that he thought about it, he hadn't heard Takara talk at all yet…
He was saved from the promising silence when Kyo came storming down the stairs.
"Kyo, where are you-"
"Out." He snapped, and pushed the patio doors open. Suzu immediately yanked him back by his elbow, and scowled at him.
"Where are you going? After Yoko!"
"I don't give a shit where she is or why!" he yelled in her face, making her step back. "So fuck off. Girls, too many girls around here." He grumbled to himself, and pushed the door shut behind him.
They watched in silence as he headed off towards the woods.
…where Yoko had gone.
Stupid girl, running off. It's getting dark with winter, doesn't that say danger danger, young girl walking alone in the dark attracts perverts? At all? or is she completely stupid!
Kyo growled, his hands firmly inside the pockets of his green utility trousers, walking quickly through the woods. She had come this way, he had watched her walking from the roof. He had gone there to try and calm his thoughts, but only got angrier!
Yoko had smirked at him, taunted him, pissed him off to no end…and yet he couldn't forget the gleaming shine of her amber eyes as they fought, they way she surprised him with her technique. With those baggy clothes, it was hard to judge just where her fist would aim, or where her limbs actually were. He had found on quite a few occasions that his fist had skimmed her body instead of hitting, only connecting with her large clothing. And what was with that anyway? She was a girl, and she was pretty enough (he blushed) so why did she dress like a boy? Was it like a reversed Ritsu complex? Nah, he couldn't buy that. She seemed sane. Seemed. But then she teased him, making him seem like an idiot! It made him so furious he couldn't help himself but fall from one verbal pit, to the other. She just wiped the floor with his ass without ever getting physical. Even though he knew she could…
And even through all of that, she didn't seem malicious, like she was toying with him. that just made him even more angry, because in knowing she wasn't being mean, he couldn't seem to find the drive to threaten her or attack her for it like he would Yuki or Haru.
But what she said…
"I don't want men flirting with me, now or ever." She stated as if it was Decalogue fact.
"Why?" Kyo found himself asking with a brow raised at her before he could stop himself.
"Because all men are bastards, end of story."
Why does she hate guys so much? Why would she say that all men are bastards.
He wasn't a bastard.
Well…maybe he was. But Tohru liked him.
But Tohru likes everyone. Even Akito… he shuddered.
No doubt word of this will get to Akito, and he will be furious with them all, especially him.
Ok, so Aayame and Yuki transformed too, but that damn rat was Akito's 'precious Yuki', and Aayame always slithers out of messes, and always has. But Kyo? The Cat? The cursed monster of the Sohma family? He was hated by Akito the most, and had been told so by himself on many an occasion. I'll get locked away over this…
Kyo booted a tree, feeling a little satisfaction alongside the throbbing pain in his foot. He was just so furious, and secretly…afraid too. He didn't want to be caged up like his grandfather was. He had his beads, he wouldn't change in the rain into his 'true form' as Akito put it. But he still transformed into a stupid cat when Yoko hugged him, damn it!
Kyo stopped and blushed at the memory. For the brifest of moments before he changed in a poof of smoke, he felt her, all of her. Beneath those boyish clothes, she felt…hot.
A flat stomach, large breasts, and she was a blonde. She would no doubt be the fantasy of many a guy.
If she didn't dress like one.
Maybe that's it. Maybe she dresses like guys to put them off, because they hassle her all the time. Yeah, that's it.
That thought actually make him smile slightly. It meant Yoko wasn't vein and arrogant about her looks, pushing her attractiveness in other peoples' faces all the time. Like a number of girls did at school.
Mostly around Yuki.
Another thing he hated him for, his constant crowd of adoring fans. All perfect, all beautiful, and all praising him all the time.
And yet…Yoko didn't act like one of them. She didn't even go all misty eyed when she saw him.
In fact…she had spoken to him most of the time, not Yuki. When she had been with all of them, she stood near him, not Yuki. She talked to him, not Yuki.
Her constantly battered pride actually glowed slightly.
Because upon first impression, someone had actually preferred him, over the damn rat.
That had never happened before.
And Tohru didn't count, because she met Yuki first.
His mood lightened as the sky darkened, his face smiling and the light breeze ruffling his orange hair pleasantly. The smell of cedars carried on the wind, and then some other scent hit him.
Peaches and cream.
He knew that scent, it had hung around him for hours today…
Yoko.
Kyo sped up, breaking out into a run, until he skidded before his tree.
That was where he was headed (not after Yoko, of course wink wink), the one place around here where there were no other Sohmas, no Yuki, no curse, no stress at all.
And yet, there was Yoko.
Sprawled in the flat centre at the top of the tree, where the thickest of branches spread out like a cage around here, was the very girl he was thinking of.
Her eyes were closed, her back up against his back rest branch, and her hair…
Her long cinnamon blonde hair wasn't in a bobble, fanning down like a beautiful veil of sun kissed hair, moon kissed by the dawning night.
She looked beautiful there, so serene and unaware of his presence. He had no intention of disturbing her, content to just watch her sit there, resting in his secret place, dealing with her demons.
That was, until the ever fading light reflected off her angelic face…and the steady, silent streams of tears leaking down her face.
She…she's crying.
"Yoko." Her name had called out from his lips before he could stop himself. He was really losing control of his mouth lately.
Her head snapped towards him, amber eyes open wide in watery shock, and quickly covered by two olive sleeve covered hands. She rubbed at her face frantically.
"Ah…damn pollen. The wind must have carried it to my-"
"Bullshit." Kyo scaled the tree like he had down a thousand times before, and squatted down in a very Spiderman pose before her, elbows on his knees and his legs bent beneath him, his feet on the bark of the tree. "You're crying."
"Oh shove off." She hiccupped, turning her body so she didn't have to face him. "Hay!" Kyo pressed his back up against his rest, laying right next to her and refusing to leave. "Hay! I'm sitting here!"
"Yeah, in my tree."
"Your tree?" Yoko repeated, scandalised and her face slightly red. She scowled despite it, really not in the mood for him right now. "I don't see your name on it!"
"Oh it's there." He shifted onto his side too. They now faced each other, making sure there were a few inches between them, and leaning up on the thick branch they both decided was their resting place. "Right-" Kyo leaned forward, his hand coming the side of her face closest to the bark. Yoko's eyes opened wide, wavering, and watching as Kyo seemed to lean into her. His redish brown eyes half closed, and his lips parted ever so slightly. Yoko gulped as his breath tingled her lips, starting to shake and tremble. And just as he seemed to go in for the kill, he shoved her face out of the way, and pointed to the bark her head had been blocking. "-there. See?" It took Yoko a few moments to gather herself, but she turned and saw quite clearly, the name 'Kyo Sohma' carved into the bark.
That bastard. She seethed. Are all Sohma men this bloody loose? She was about to scream at him, when he continued. "But, I'll share it with you if you like." At that she blinked, and Kyo pulled out a carving knife. "I can spell Yoko, easy." She pushed herself up and watched as he engraved her name a little way under his. "How do you spell your last name?" she looked to his face, unsure whether he was being patronising, or…sweet.
"Nakamura. N-A-K-A-M-U-R-A."
"Right." He finished chipping at the branch until her name was done, to forever lay beneath his… "Damn, I'm starving." Kyo turned onto his back, his hands behind his head, and sighed comfortably. "You?"
"…yeah."
"I heard Kano and Tohru say they're making Dumplings." Kyo licked his lips. "About time we had some real food. We've been eating leak soup for days!"
"Yuk! Disgusting." Yoko pulled a face, like something sour had been put on her tongue, and Kyo laughed at her. "What?"
"That's what I said." He looked at her for a moment, as if studying her, before laying back again. "You know, I'm gonna miss laying out here. I can't come so far out when it's winter, too cold. See, can you feel it getting cooler?"
"Winter? It's summer." She rolled her eyes at him. idiot. She remembered the summer sky from her classroom, and the urge to draw it came back.
"Erm, what? it's Winter. October, actually." Yoko snapped her eyes at him, her mouth open, and looked stupefied. "What?"
"Nothing." She said quickly. It was barely June when we left…
"So. Is Kano any good?"
"What?" Her unease at having him find her so upset was starting to leave her. It was odd. Anyone else would have addressed the issue, asked her why she was crying. But Kyo hadn't. It was as if he respected her need for privacy, but interrupted her just to make her stop crying.
"Is Kano a good cook?"
"The best I know."
"He better be. I'm starving!"
"You've said." Yoko chuckled, and was shocked when she realised she had. Is Kyo…trying to cheer me up?
"Exactly. I'm enforcing my need for nourishment. Because what Shigure says is food…is far from edible."
"That sounds like Suzu." Yoko laid back even more, sighing happily. "She tried to cook a few times. And we all got ill."
"Really?"
"Yep. So we don't let her cook." They both chuckled, and smiled to the other.
"So…are you hungry?" Yoko sat up, her stomach growling in response.
"…slightly."
"Then let's eat!" Yoko chuckled loudly as he jumped down from the tree, and looked up, waiting for her. "Hurry up! I'm freezing my whiskers off here!"
"Then get a shave!" She laughed, and jumped down. Yoko quickly realised her hair was down, gasped, and frenziedly started tying it up.
"Alright, come on." Kyo started walking, waited for her to catch up, and set off again. "Mmmmm, I can smell it from here." He drooled.
"Stop that, your making me even hungrier!"
"…race ya?"
"…eat my dust, Kitty cat!" they both bolted forward towards the house, both grinning and both giving it their all, until the house was in sight.
"Wait! You win!" Kyo laughed, grabbing her hand and pulling her to a stop with him.
"Hay! First one over the threshold!"
"Tohru has to clean up the skid marks later if we do that." He didn't let go of her wrist, and they started walking to the house.
"Oh, right. Ok."
"Listen…Yoko…erm." A blush crept over his cheeks, and he snatched glances over at her nervously.
"What Kyo?"
"You're alright. I was a bit…off with ya when we first met." He scratched his head, looking away out of embarrassment. "But I like you. I would have liked you to stay around for a while. You're cool." He waited for the laughs, for the teasing he had received earlier…but they never came.
Instead, he felt that same embrace of her hidden goddess figure moulding against him and for the brief moment, it was bliss.
Then with a poof of smoke everything changed and he ended up being held to her bosom as an orange cat, purring contently in Yoko's arm with the other hand scratching and stroking his back soothingly. Yoko collected his clothes, and finally walked back inside, closing the patio door behind her, a smile on her lips.
"I like you too Kyo. You're not that bad at all…thank you."
While they were away, Kano, Tohru, Yuki, and Shigure were all in the kitchen. Shigure had soon retreated from the living room, where Suzu was still on a rampage, to the kitchen.
"So, you're quite the chef apparently." He leaned against the kitchen side with one hip, his arms folded over his grey kimono, watching, with no intention of helping. Unlike Tohru, who was scuttling around the kitchen and watching intently as the Kano mixed the water and flour to make soft dough. Kano smiled then, his dark magenta eyes not looking up from the counter, his hands covered in flower and on task. But he was still listening.
"When you're a bachelor in the city, taking care of your sister and the girls too, you have to learn to cook. Because you'd go hungry otherwise." He chuckled. "Or really fat on take outs."
"Did you teach yourself?" Kano covered the dough with a damp cloth, and also leaned with his hip against the side, facing Shigure. Back in his full navy tracksuit with the white stripes down the sides, he looked very much the PE teacher he was.
"I read around a bit, but mostly self taught. I basically just bought ingredients and winged it." They both chuckled.
"So you like to experiment then?" Kano raised a brow at him, wondering if he had heard a certain something under that statement. Because it didn't sound like a question…
"In the kitchen, I'm renowned for it." He then remembered being face to face with Shigure, completely naked in this very corner only hours before…
"Are you ok? You look suddenly flushed?"
"Hmm?" he blinked, looking away to get rid of his thoughts. "No, I'm fine. Oh Tohru, could you please roll out the dough for me, cut it into 30 pieces, and roll them into even circles? I want to get started on making the filling."
"Sure!" She put the lid on the rice pot, and left Yuki to watch it. "Everything's over there."
"Right." He winked at her, and blew her a kiss from his flowery hands, getting some of it on her cheek. She giggled, and got on with the dough. Shigure followed him to the sink, and to the middle counter. He picked up the knife, and started chopping up cabbage leaves into very small pieces. "Can you see the green onion?"
"We usually use leeks instead of onions. Yuki grows them, they are so tasty." Tohru then blushed at her outburst.
"Well, I am sure Yuki knows exactly what you like, Tohru." Kano winked to Yuki, who covered his purple eyes and pink cheeks with his grey hair over the pot. Tohru however, had missed the innuendo completely.
"Oh he does. In fact, we go over everything I find yummy in his secret base, don't we Yuki?" she giggled, her long brown hair tied back in a cook style, rolling the dough firmly. Shigure had to slap his hand over his mouth to stop himself from laughing cruelly. Kano turned and bit onto Shigure's shoulder, surprising him. it was obviously his way of controlling his mirth, as his hands were now mixing up the cabbage with chopped onion, nira, ginger, and garlic in a bowl. So he couldn't use them.
Kano then blushed madly, and snapped up.
"Sorry, I do that with Suzu." Shigure smirked, and shrugged his shoulders playfully.
"I don't mind. Feel free to bite me at will."
Kano gulped, and turned back to the food.
Shigure was definitely testing him here. And he didn't want to fumble over himself, or act like a nervous teenage boy.
Like Yuki, hiding in a corner and avoiding everyone and everything in his shame.
Recovering, he then watched Tohru, and stopped her quickly.
"That's alright. We don't want them too thin, after all." he then smirked cruelly, getting Shigure's attention. "Why don't you check on the rice?"
"Oh, sure." She beamed, and skipped off to Yuki. Her hand reached out on instinct to lift the pan lid, only for Yuki to grab her wrist.
"Wait! The lid is really hot now, you could have burned yourself Ms Honda." He sighed, smiling at her before she could start apologising in a Ritsu fashion. "It's ok, just use the gloves next time, ok?"
"Ok, I'll remember. Oh dear, I'm such a ditz sometimes." She shook her head, chuckling. "Thank you Yuki, I would have been burnt if you hadn't stopped me." Her beaming smile froze him and time all around him for a moment, before a cough from Shigure broke him out of it. Oh great, you idiot! Staring right at her, isn't good. Yuki scolded himself. Ah! I'm still holding her hand!
"Ok. Here." He handed her the glove, instantly missing the feel of her soft fingers in his palm, but having to bare it. Like he always did.
Kano rolled his eyes, and started to add the seasoned pork strips.
"Remember the Titanic movie?"
"I think I just watched it." Shigure chuckled, leaning in to whisper to him, and keeping the two fumbling tens unaware of it. "The sad thing about the Rat/Dog affair over there, is that Tohru is too sweet and submissive to make a move, and Yuki is too timid too either. He is so used to pushing girls away, he doesn't know how to attract the one he wants."
"And why did he call her Ms Honda?" Kano added the salt, pepper, Soya sauce, sesame oil, and looked for the sake. Shigure sighed, handing the bottle to him.
"Yuki also seems unable to tell the difference between casual courtesy, and formal politeness."
"Very off putting. Guys who can't be confident in themselves enough to call you by your first name." Kano shook his head, and froze when Shigure chuckled huskily right in his ear.
"I agree, Kano."
"IT'S ABOUT FUCKING TIME!" Kano released a tight breath, and thanked his lucky stars for Suzu's enlarged lungs and vocal box.
"I think Yoko's back."
"GET THE FUCK OFF'A ME!" Shigure barked a laugh.
"And Kyo too, from the sounds of it." Kano stiffened when he realised Shigure was right behind him.
Sure enough, everyone gathered in the living room to see Yoko, dressed in her baggy brown combats, her huge olive green jumper with cuffs overhanging her hands, her cinnamon blonde hair tied back in a high ponytail, her fringe trying to cover her sparkling amber eyes, her rose lips curved into a magical smile, and with an certain orange cat hissing in her arms…
"Stop fucking PRODDING me!" But Suzu didn't stop, choosing to take out the brunt of her frustrations on Kyo instead of Yoko.
"You said you didn't care about Yoko and stormed off like an IDIOT! And then you just go after her, without taking me with you!" she poked him on the head a little harder. "I think I will stop when I'm good and ready!"
"Leave him alone Suzu." Yoko stepped back, with a smile on her face. "I'd still be out there if Kyo and his stomach hadn't brought us back here."
"Hay! Yours too!" her stomach roared, making her grin with false innocence.
"Oh, would you look at that. I guess I am hungry." She giggled, shifting Kyo up like a teddy against her chest. To this, he didn't object.
"Well, now that you're back, I think I'll finish dinner. Tohru, you and Yuki can set the table and join the others now if you like." Kano then chuckled. "Sorry about that Shigure, I'm just so used to taking charge." He ran a hand back through his stylish curtains of black hair, and opened his dark magenta eyes…only to see a feral smirk on Shigure's face. And his eyes seemed…darker.
"Well, that's ok. But you really should remember that I'm the dominant one around here."Kano gulped deeply, as Shigure went back to the kitchen, determined not to let Kano have a break. He unzipped the top of his jacket, suddenly feeling rather stuffy, and looking to Suzu.
Why that little wench!
Suzu had almost an entire fist in her mouth, forcing herself to chock her laughter on it and her other hand pointing right at him. She knew he was suffering here, and she was just laughing at him!
Suzu brushed herself off and wiped away a tear, before walking up to brother dearest, and lowered her voice.
"Don't do anything I would. Remember, he likes to be the Semi." Kano raised a hand playfully like he was going to hit her.
"You better get your skinny ass out of my sight before I spank it." He whispered back to her.
"Ha. And you'd know all about classifying ass-categories, wouldn't you?"
"March to that table." But his face was bright pink. It took him a few minutes to return to an acceptable skin tone, before returning to the kitchen.
Once there, he dove right into pouring the sake into the mix blindly, too occupied looking for Shigure.
And he did it again.
Shigure snuck up behind him, and placed his hands on the counter, at either side of his hips.
"What're you doing now?" Shigure was sure he had him sussed now, smirking to himself, and looking over Kano's shoulder, the perfect image of innocence.
However, Kano was a master of such things himself, and knew just how to 'wriggle' out of this one.
Literally.
"I'm just going to- oh, I'm sorry." His butt brushed up against his groin by 'accident' as he bent over the counter, supposedly reaching for the tray of dough circles.
"N, no problem." Shigure bit his tongue, resisting what his perverted mind was barking at him. Doggy style was one such phrase…
"I just need to put my filling into the hole." He portioned a thick blob of the filling into the centre of one of the dough circles, and lifted it up into his hand. "Could you pass me the water?"
"Oh, sure." Anything to get out of this position. Shigure took a deep breath before returning to standing behind him, and handed him a small sake bowl of water.
"Good, this is actually one of the most important parts." Kano smirked, wetting the end of his finger. "If I didn't lubricate the circumference, I would be looking at some bad food. See?" he smoothed his finger around the edge, and folded it over into a half moon shape, where it stuck. "I have chef hands, I'm told. With the right amount of moisture, I can reduce anything to clay in my hands." Kano looked over his shoulder, smirking lustily, looking Shigure right in his suggestive brown eyes.
You want to call my bluff? Go ahead, call it. I dare you.
"Is that by reputation? Or a sales pitch?" Oh, bring it on Kano. If you want to throw me a bone, I'll bite. I'm a dog, I know just how to play this game. He smirked even more. But then again, so do you.
"Both." Kano smirk opened his mouth slightly, showing off perfect white teeth, before turning his back to him. "I think those poor little flowers and pups will be starving. Would you like to give me your hand?" Shigure looped his arm under his, holding his palm open up to him, and very low down.
"Any time." He then whispered against his ear. "All you need to do, is ask." When his tongue darted out to lick where his ear met his jaw, that was it.
Kano had won, he had called Shigure out first.
"And what are you implying, Mr Sohma?" the smirk was still there, as was the hint.
"What ever you would like it to be." He then stepped back, and rolled up his sleeves. "Shall we get on with feeding these pups?"
"Yeah, I think we should." Kano smirked. He felt invigorated! That had never happened before! He had never been so intense with anyone, and to have the upper hand like that. It was just the thing he needed after the way today had gone.
"We can always continue our conversation where we left off later." Shigure slyly retorted, before quickly leaving with the first tray of starter rice.
Dinner was merry at first, everyone hungry, and everyone cheerful.
Suzu hadn't screamed at Yoko too much, and Kyo had managed to cling to his pride and scamper away well before he transformed. He was now dressed in only his light blue PJ bottoms. They were eating later after all, after Yoko had gone for a 'walk'. They would be getting ready for bed after super anyway, so he didn't see the point in getting dressed again.
However, he soon wished he had at least put a top on when Yoko sat next to him. His face lit up brighter than a neon light when her hand accidentally brushed with his ribs, matching Yoko.
Yuki and Tohru sat silently on the side next to them, the girls sat together to keep the boys apart. Tohru smiled and asked everyone how their food was, praising Kano and asking for tips so she could make it one day. Yuki simply stole glances at her, adding yet another perfect memory of her to heart, of them all happy because of her.
He didn't know what to make of Takara, other than polite and sweet. She hadn't said much, and still hadn't gotten to the bottom of why she was in his room in the first place.
Suzu was rather…loud…violent…bad tempered…and worse than Kyo. Because she was a girl. But she had a mother hen complex to her, lying underneath the tough girl exterior. He supposed she wasn't too bad.
Yoko he approved of, simply because she had managed to keep that stupid cat out of his hair all day, and she seemed quite palsy with Tohru too. Suzu and Takara were friendly, but didn't really get along with her like Yoko did. He assumed it was because they were both simple minded, not in a bad way though. In a way where they were happy with what they had, grateful, and always seemed to smile, all the time, no matter what. All for other people. Even after she was obviously upset earlier, Yoko returned with a bright smile and assured everyone after her initial arrival that she was perfectly fine, and to stop worrying.
Very Tohru like, he decided.
Perhaps that is why he thought getting along with her to be easier than the other two girls, because he could get along with Tohru. So someone who is Tohru like, shouldn't be too difficult.
She also didn't swoon at him like other girls, although neither did Takara or Suzu.
For a moment, he thought Takara would, from her constant serene smiles and watchful emerald eyes. But she treated them all the same, he found.
And Kano?
Yuki found his hands holding onto his chop sticks a little tighter. It hadn't missed the constant flirts and suggestive comments he made at Tohru, and the way she blushed and giggled shyly at him.
He resented that, and didn't want to conclude that it was because he wanted to be like that.
Confident, good looking, smooth talking and seductive.
He wanted to be all those things, for Tohru.
But what did he do whilst Shigure and Kano chatted her up and put flower on her cheeks, making her laugh?
He stirred the rice, and hid.
A coward.
While Yuki brooded to himself, Tohru fussed, Yoko and Kyo blushed and said nothing but ate, Suzu spoke at Takara…Shigure and Kano smirked in silence, eating slowly.
"Sake?" Shigure offered.
"I'm not driving, why not?" he chuckled. They had finished their meals before the kids, who all seemed too distracted together to eat properly, so they enjoyed the sake instead. "Are you going anywhere tomorrow? Work?"
"I'm an Novelist, remember?"
"Yeah, so? Don't you have an editor or office somewhere?"
"Both." Shigure clinked his glass with Kano's. "You were in my office when we were looking over the map, and my editor makes house calls." Frantic ones for late chapters, heh heh. "I work from home."
"Ah, I see."
"And what about you? Should you be at work Monday?"
"Well it's Sunday tomorrow, but we won't be leaving until later so…probably not." He frowned.
Up until that moment, Kano had allowed himself to be carried along by the joyous undercurrent of family life. He had missed it, being art of a bigger family. It had been so long since there were more than just him and Suzu to cook for, to care for. And with his late study hours recently and work, sometimes it was just him, or just her. It was such a lovely house, like the fairytale home he had locked up at the back of his mind when he was a child. That dream had long since been forgotten to him. Years and years ago.
And tomorrow night…that would be all it was, a distant dream of a peaceful place, created in his head and nothing more to him.
Not even a memory.
"Hay." Shigure must have seen the drastic change in his mood from his face, lowering his voice as to not alarm the others. "You're going to be ok. I swear I'll make sure you can get home before Hatori touches you." He whispered, placing a hand on his knee. Kano turned his head and looked into those warm brown eyes, and sighed.
"Is it so wrong that I want to stay here? When I have no right?" he had said more to himself that Shigure, who answered none the less.
"If it was up to me, you would stay here. You don't realise it, but your coming here has actually done quite a lot of good. Look at them." Kano looked up and around the table.
His sister was teasing Yoko and Kyo, who both ganged up on her with threats of some sort of martial art combo only they understood, Tohru and Takara were beaming and looking over a garden magazine Tohru had bought, looking at the beautiful flowers there. Yuki hadn't once argued seriously with Kyo today, not at all since they all came home. And Kyo! Mr I-don't-need-anyone was hitting it off with Yoko like they were destined to be the best of mates.
It made him want to smile and cry all at the same time.
Because it would never be.
Kano wouldn't be able to cook and tip toe around Shigure playfully, Yoko would never be able to open up to a guy, Suzu would return to her grouchy self (who was currently reveling in her friend's happiness, he knew), Takara would worry about them both again, and they would never remember the kindness of one girl, and three men. Or the joy they had felt being with a family, albeit as dysfunctional as them, being a true family.
Takara was an orphan, Suzu had lost both her parents with him years and years ago, and Yoko…no wonder she repelled boys so much. Just look at her example.
It was just…such a shame. "Hay. Be careful, you look like you're going to cry." Shigure rubbed his back. Kano couldn't take anymore, and stood abruptly from the table.
"I think I left something in the kitchen." He vanished, leaving them all in shock.
Now Shigure felt even more of a bastard than before.
It wasn't his fault exactly, but he wasn't trying to fight against the Sohma rules either. Hatori would come, late tomorrow if what the phone call from Aayame said was possible, and Kano and his three 'sisters' would be out of their lives forever.
What if they got lost? What if they got hurt, or robbed, or killed or raped!
It would be all his fault for not standing up for them.
They had rights!
They were good people, he knew, everyone in this house could and probably would vouch for that. He certainly would. There has to be another way. There has to be…
He felt so torn about what he was feeling and what was the right thing to do, he didn't notice Suzu run from the table after her brother.
"Kano! Kano!" Suzu threw herself at her brother's chest, burying her face there and wrapping her arms around his middle tightly. As soon as she had walked in there, she took one look at his tears and couldn't control herself into the cool and collected mould she usually adopted in times like this.
This was her big brother, the only one who could turn her into his kid sister. "Oh please stop crying Kano. What's wrong? Are you hurt! Did Shigure-"
"No." Kano laughed, cutting her off just in case a certain Sohma of the Dog was listening. "No, he hasn't done anything wrong…which makes it so much worse."
"What?" She looked up, smoothing her hands over his face to wipe away his tears. This is what she usually did, when he got like this. Once or twice every few months, usually when he thought of them and mom, of the past, she walked in on him crying in his room. And she would always wipe his tears away and let him hold her possessively until he stopped. He didn't sob or wail, he was always silent as the tears steadily fell down his face.
He was her source of strength, so when he wept, she felt weak and wanted to cry too.
But she never did.
"Oh Suzu. If it was as simple as 'his fault' or 'her fault', I could get angry and fix it. Give me a problem, a target, and I'll fix it. But this isn't anyone's fault. So what can I do? But watch as you all suffer for it."
"We're not suffering." She shook her head, cupping his cheeks.
"Not yet…oh it is such a loss, such a waste." He cupped her face and kissed her forehead. "I love you Suzu, my dearest baby sister." He kissed her again. "And I love Takara and Yoko too. I love you all. You may not all have been born as my family, but you are my family, my sisters. And I swear I'll always do my best for you. Do you understand? Always."
"You always have, you great big softy." She play punched his chin, and opened up the fortress wall that barred her gentle sincerity from her bad ass exterior. Her smile softened, her pink magenta eyes twinkled and her crimson lips didn't look striking, but loving.
"You have you're mom's eyes. And her smile. You can bring down the coldest, most despairing creature, and make them feel human. Just like she could." He sniffled, an kissed the top of her head. "Have I ever told you that?"
"Thousands of times. And I love it when you tell me it every time." She chuckled, and hugged him with all her love.
"You have the best of both worlds you know. Hard, grafting, and you have the strength to overcome anything. But you also have the kindness of an angel hidden beneath your leather and scarlet lips." She chuckled. "And believe it or not, the latter is the most potent weapon in your arsenal. Never forget that."
"I won't." Suzu got on her very tip toes, and kissed his lips. "I love you too Kano. Mom would have been proud of you." And with that, he threw his arms around her and gripped to her as he wept into her neck.
"I wish you could have met her Suzu." He sniffled. "She would have loved you dearly. You know, she always said, in the face of evil, a true smile is all you need to woe his mercy." He rubbed his eyes. "I don't know where'd I be if I lost you to-"
"But you didn't." She cut him off, reverting back to 'good old Suzu'. "You shouldn't even think about that. It's in the past, and should stay there. Forever." She held his hands, and he nodded.
"You're right of course."
"Of course I'm right!" That made him laugh happily. "I'm going to make sure Yoko and Takara don't come after you too. Are you going to wait here a few minutes? Or do you want me to stay with you?"
"No, no I'll just be a minute." He wore a brave smile, and watched her leave. You are so strong. I only wish…you could have met your mother. But in a way, you already know her. Because you are her. His smile faulted. I just hope you don't fall in love with a monster too, like she did. He shook his head, dismissing that thought right away.
No, she would never get pulling into that trap like their mother had. She was smarter than that, and she had Kano to take care of her too.
He took a deep breath, steadied himself, and walked back to the living room.