Also, someone made it sound like using specific lines from the manga/anime was a bad thing. I was using them to kinda use them as references to remind me how the characters acted and to help keep them in character. I thought it was a good thing. Does anyone else think they're bad? Also! I mention "Mogeta" in this. That's an anime Momiji, Kisa, Hiro, and Tohru all watch. If you've only seen the anime, then remember the anime tape that Kisa and Hiro watch with Tohru? That's Mogeta.
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Chapter 8 - A Cute Picture
Shigure smiled brightly as the trio walked into the house, Tohru greeting everyone before going to make dinner, Haru sitting down near Yuki and Kyo, watching the boys verbally spar, while Hatori came and sat next to his "friend."
"You must be very proud. Your plan is working out just like you hoped." The doctor looked over at the Dog through his good eye, watching as his cousin tried to appear innocent.
"Haa-san! What do you mean? What plan?" This was answered with a frown and narrowed eyes. Shigure was very glad the boys were distracted by the presence of their younger cousin. "Now now, I couldn't help it. My little flower deserves happiness, and I'm merely trying to help." Hatori shook his head, taking out a cigarette and lighting it. Usually he tried to refrain from smoking in Shigure's house, but right now he needed either nicotine, or to simply throttle his cousin. He was the peaceful type, though, so he resorted to a quiet cigarette.
This was the scene Tohru walked in on a little while later, ready to start setting the table. She had thankfully thought ahead and made a pot of stew that morning that simply had to be heated up and have some other things prepared, like steamed rice, to have dinner ready. So when she walked in to see Shigure laughing as Kyo and Yuki seemed ready to fight again, Hatsuharu just watching them blankly, and Hatori not even bothering to look at the boys, his eyes closed as he inhaled on his cigarette.
Cheerfully, in order to (hopefully) lighten the mood, Tohru announced that dinner was ready, causing Shigure to put away his paper and clear the table, Yuki and Kyo to stop their arguing, Haru's blank look to turn to her, and Hatori to crush out his cigarette, sighing.
Once everyone was fed and everything had been cleaned up and put away, the family doctor announced that it was time to go home. He and Haru made their way to the door, Yuki sitting nearby while Kyo leaned against a doorframe, acting like they weren't watching Shigure and Tohru say goodbye to their guests.
"Thank you for coming, both of you! Be safe!" Tohru smiled at Hatsuharu. "And I'll see you tomorrow at school, Haru-kun!" These words received widened eyes and dropped jaws from the younger Sohma residents, and a small grin from the Dog.
Haru merely nodded and replied with a "Good night, Tohru-kun. Yuki, Kyo," before turning and walking off towards Hatori's car as the Dragon sighed and said goodnight to everyone and got in his car, waiting for his younger cousin to get in before starting it up and heading home.
That night when everyone lay in bed but Shigure (he liked to stay up late writing), two boys who thought they were complete opposites were thinking the exact same thing.
"'Haru-kun'! 'Tohru-kun'!"
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School that day was pretty much the same as usual. Tohru spends time with her friends, who pick on Kyo, while Yuki does his student council duties and gets fawned on by almost all of the female students in the school, and Hatsuharu and Momiji eat lunch with the whole group. The only real difference was pointed out by Arisa Uotani, who had been shocked upon hearing the names being used.
"Hey, Tohru. Why are you calling that guy 'Haru-kun' now?" She asked on the way back to class, not knowing that Yuki and Kyo, who were following the girls to class, had turned all their attention to the answer. Tohru blushed and explained the conversation they had had on the way to Ayame's shop, and how they had agreed to use more familiar names with each other, rather than the more polite ones. Uo and Hana glanced at each other while Tohru wasn't looking, and Kyo frowned and shrugged it off, while Yuki started wishing he was able to talk to her like Haru did.
After school, Kyo and Haru headed for the dojo (with Kagura's help) while Tohru left for work, leaving Yuki and Momiji behind alone. The rabbit began to bounce around happily, saying that he was going to walk home with Yuki and visit Shigure. The elder Sohma cousin smiled back and lead the way, only half-listening as his younger cousin talked about how much fun he had at school, until a certain name was mentioned.
"-And then, Tohru and Haru started calling each other different names, so that must mean they're becoming better friends! I mean, they have to be, right, Yuki?" The bunny turned bright eyes on the person in question, smiling happily. When he received nothing more than a quiet nod, the energetic youth frowned in confusion. "what's wrong, Yuki? Isn't it a good thing that Tohru and Haru are getting along so well, now? Though Tohru's so nice, I don't see how someone couldn't get along with her!" He moved to block his cousin's path, looking up at him. "Yuki... What's wrong? Are you upset that Tohru and Haru are such good friends now? But why would you be? Unless..." A look of realization dawned on his face, and he smiled again. "You like Tohru!" When he saw the Rat's eyes widen in shock, Momiji blinked. "Oh wow, you do? Well, don't worry, I won't tell. Besides, how can anyone not like her?" Yuki blinked and looked at his younger cousin.
"Momiji, does that mean you like Tohru too?" The blonde merely grinned and began to skip ahead, singing the "Mogeta" theme song.
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Yuki Sohma stood outside of the Sohma building where Tohru worked as a maid, thinking to himself about how things had begun to change lately. Now only he and Hatori called her by her last name. Hatsuharu had once pointed out to Yuki that the real reason he refused to call her "Tohru" was because he had called her "Honda-san" for so long, he was embarrassed and even a little afraid to call her anything else. After all, what if she thought he was too forward or something? But he didn't like knowing he was the only person who still called her "Honda-san". At least before, Haru had called her that, too, so he hadn't been too worried. But now, what if she agreed with that girl from school and said that he was holding himself at a distance from everyone, including her? He was closer to her and trusted her more than any other person. He didn't want to imagine what would happen if she was hurt by him.
"Yuki-kun!" The Rat turned and saw her coming out of the building, smiling happily as usual. He greeted her as though nothing was wrong, but internally he was at war with himself. To call her by her last name, or to try and use her first name like everyone else.
"Honda-san?" Those bright eyes turned to look at him, her usual smile in place. He couldn't help but smile back at her, then steeled his nerves and took a a great leap. "Would you really rather be called by your first name? You don't seem to mind my calling you by your last name, but Momiji mentioned that calling a person by their first name helps show that you're friends. And I don't want you to think that I don't think of you as my friend." Tohru blinked, her smile replaced by one of confusion. After all, it wasn't often you saw Prince Yuki Sohma looking embarrassed and nervous.
"I don't mind, really! Though I wonder how everyone at school would react to it." She laughed, then began to imagine the fan club's reaction, and her eyes widened slightly. Yuki noticed this and smiled.
"Well, what if I call you Tohru-kun at home like the others, but I still call you Honda-san at school?" He knew very well that the girls at his school could be vicious, and he didn't want them to hurt Tohru because of their jealousy. When she began to blush and agreed, he relaxed a little. He had been pretty worried, but now he felt a little better.
'After all, it's not like they LIKE each other, right?' Momiji's words from earlier that day, and Yuki felt himself getting worried again.
'How could anyone not like her?'
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Well, looks like Haru's got some competition! Shigure better get his butt in gear and work on his plan, huh?