Disclaimer: You think I own any of this? (dies laughing)
Note, 1: This is one of my first attempts at writing the Fruits Basket characters. Please forgive me if anyone seems too out of character. Advice is always appreciated; just don't be mean or uppity about it.
Note, 2: I don't like curse words. Nor am I certain that my parents would allow me to type them. Therefore, all swearwords will be written as follows: -CENSORED-. The strongest words I'll ever type out in this fic are: dang, shoot, and crud.
Verisimilitude
Three: The Ultimate Babysitting Challenge
"Who that?" Kyo demanded as Shigure, followed by Hatori, entered the apartment. The little orange-top tried very hard to not look overly concerned with the matter, but he was obviously bursting with curiosity.
As Hatori brought Yuki to the bathroom to get cleaned up, Shigure squatted down to talk with Kyo.
"Well, whatcha doin' up so early, Kyon-Kyon?" Shigure grinned, taking the small hands in his own.
"Don't call me that!" Kyo yelled, stamping his foot. "Who was that?!"
"Shh," hushed Shigure, picking up the six-year-old. "That's Yuki—he'll be living with us for a while."
"Why? An' how come you and Baka Ayame live with Hatori?"
"Don't call Aya stupid," Shigure lightly reprimanded. "And you know that we live here because it's fun to live on our own—rug-rats excluded."
Kyo pounded a tiny fist into Shigure's shoulder, earning a wince from the teen.
"Why's Yuki stayin' here?" Kyo asked.
Little brat, Shigure thought, plastering a smile to his face. "Well, he wasn't doing very well at his old house, so now he's gonna stay here. Does he have your permission?" he asked with mock solemnity.
"What zodiac animal's he?" Kyo wanted to know, as he was set down on his bed in the corner of the (very crowded) bedroom.
Without thinking, Shigure began to answer, "He's the—that doesn't matter, Kyo-chan. Just try to be nice?"
Kyo pouted for a minute. "…Maybe."
Shigure sighed in relief. In Kyo-speak, that "maybe" most likely meant "fine, I'll try—but not 'cause you asked me to".
"That's good," Shigure smiled. "It's barely even five in the morning yet. Try to get some sleep."
"No!"
Shigure groaned. "No" generally meant "in your dreams, fly-brain".
"Sleep," Shigure ordered, putting a hand over Kyo's naturally red eyes. "I'll wake you up in an hour to meet Yuki."
"Who's Yuki?"
Wishing he could melt into the floor, Shigure turned around and demanded of the blond-haired little boy, "Since when have you been awake?"
"I dunno! Who's Yuki?" Momiji smiled innocently, bouncing up and down on his bed.
"Someone who you'll meet in an hour. Go back to sleep. I'll see how Ha'ri's doing with Yuki."
Another head, fortunately the last in the room, popped up and wondered aloud, "Who's Yuki?"
Shigure felt a major headache coming on.
-
Half an hour later, Shigure could no longer hold off the group of young zodiacs. And that's why the quartet marched into the living/dining room at five-thirty a.m.
Hatori, sitting next to Yuki on the only couch, was quietly talking with his newest charge. He looked up upon hearing Shigure and three pairs of little feet padding into the room.
"Shigure? Why are they all awake?" Hatori demanded.
"…It's a long, sad story," Shigure sighed. "Seriously. You don't wanna hear it." After a moment of hesitation, he asked, "Think you can handle them for a while? I have to finish up a story I'm writing for school."
Hatori exhaled slowly, "Suuuure."
"Great—thanks!" smiled Shigure. "Well, I'm off to the library! Ta-ta, tots!"
"Just shut up and leave, -CENSORED- idiot," Kyo snapped.
"Kyo," Hatori said sternly. "That's a bad word. Never say that again. Do you hear me?"
"Yeah," Kyo grumbled.
"Well," Shigure grinned, "you were the one who told him to expand his vocabulary."
"Shut up and go write," Hatori shot back.
"Tsk," Shigure pressed. "We aren't losing our temper, are we?"
"No, but if we do, we're going to find ourselves with our mouth nailed shut by a couple of carpet tacks."
…
"Bye!" Shigure exclaimed, grabbing his backpack and sprinting out of the apartment. The door slammed shut behind him.
"Ha!" Kyo exclaimed, climbing up onto the couch. "You showed him, the coward!"
Hatori tried not to smirk.
"Are you Yuki?" Momiji asked the stranger sitting next to his cousin.
Yuki nodded for a short moment before grabbing Hatori's sleeve and burying his face in his new caretaker's arm.
Kyo snorted. "Can't b'lieve you're scared of Momiji!"
Hatori gave Kyo a warning-look before saying to the three little boys, "This is Yuki, your cousin. He lives with us now."
"Hello, Yuki-chan!" Momiji cried out, jumping onto the couch. He hugged Yuki from behind. "Yup, you're a boy!"
Yuki buried his face further into Hatori's elbow.
"What's wrong with him?" Haru wanted to know. The black-and-white-haired five-year-old climbed up onto the couch, kneeling next to Momiji.
"…Nervous," was the answer Hatori decided on. No need to terrify the kids with bloody, tear-jerking stories, right? Unfortunately, Kyo saw through the reply.
"Nervous, my a—"
"Kyo…" Hatori cut him off sharply.
"—'partment?" Kyo finished.
"Thank you."
"Not welcome."
Somebody seriously needed to teach that kid some manners.
Oh, yeah.
He seriously needed to teach that kid some manners.
"Where's Baka Ayame?" Kyo asked, moving to the arm of the sofa closest to Hatori.
"Kyo, don't call people 'baka'. It isn't nice. And I don't know where he is."
"I only call him 'baka' because he is baka," Kyo announced.
"It still isn't nice. You three go back to your room; I want to talk to Yuki a little more. I'll be there in a minute to give you your baths."
"Okee-dokee!" Momiji sang, bouncing off to the bedroom. Haru followed quietly, and Kyo wandered around the room for a moment before finally joining his cousins.
-
Creeeeeeak!
The unexpected visitor cringed at the exceedingly loud noise that the door made. He hesitated, listening to the sounds in the apartment. Three young voices were talking in the bedroom. Someone was being bathed in the bathroom (where else, eh?).
He crept in, intending to grab a few things and then leave. Then, the unexpected…
"KYAAAAA!"