A/N- Good God, I'm useless. This should not have taken this long. Guys please don't be shy about badgering me. A review of "Keep going!" or "Where's the next update?" in between chapters will do wonders. I'm not satisfied with this, but hey. It's something. I'm so sorry. And before I forget, remember chapter 8 when I described Nim's promiscuity? Someone mentioned that Hiro was only 12, and I if s/he is reading, I did put Hiro there on purpose. If you recall,Nim was only 13 when Akito hurt her. Because of this, she didn't recognize how young 12 really was; after all, she was just a year older when she lost her own virginity. Also, not to excuse bad behavior, but I have a personal headcanon that zodiac members reach sexual maturity faster than normal humans. For example, a ram (Hiro's zodiac) can reach sexual maturity as early as one year. So, personally, I think this has to effect them somehow. Anyway, I just wanted to clear that up real quick. Enjoy.
Nim leaned forward a little farther, sticking not only her head but her whole upper body out the window. The wind clawed at her face, whipping her long black hair like a curtain. She had never known why, but Nim had always enjoyed sticking her head out of a moving car. It was… soothing. She sighed quietly and pulled her head back in, closing the window behind her.
"Hey, look, Tohru a mountain!" Momiji called excitedly. "And look, a river! Isn't that cool?"
"Yeah." Tohru agreed, glancing outside the glass as well.
"Yuki? Kyo? Isn't that cool?"
The two rivals both muttered something under their breath, but it was nothing coherent.
"Aw, don't be such negative Nancies." Nim said, rolling her bright amber eyes. "C'mon, when was the last time we visited the Hot Springs? It's been years." Nimian got up and opened a small fridge tucked away in the corner. "Hey, look, food!"
"The scenery is still beautiful." Yuki gazed out the window at the breath taking mountains, ignoring the jaguar's brief but euphoric happiness at the sight of free food.
"Is this all part of the Hot Spring?" Tohru asked.
"Yup, one hundred percent Sohma Property. From that river way back for next 20 miles." Nim explained, biting off an Oreo and passing one to Momiji, who eagerly popped it into his mouth.
"Sohma property?" Tohru asked, cocking her head to the left slightly.
"Yeah, the Hot Spring belongs to Ritsu's mother, one of our cousins."
"Look, we're here!" Momiji called excitedly, pointing.
Nim pricked up slightly, suddenly feeling trapped in the charter bus, despite the obvious open space. She shoved the last Oreo in her mouth, wiped her hands off on her jeans and swallowed, coughing slightly. The small group filed off the bus, Kyo and Nim getting off last. As Nimian stepped in line behind Kyo, she casually reached forward and grabbed hold of his hand. Kyo blushed lightly, but he laced their fingers together instead of pulling away. As Nimian stepped off the bus, she felt a heavy, sluggish weight press against her unexpectedly. She released both her hands and grabbed it to keep the object from falling. However, as she did so, she realized it was a who not a what.
"Hi." Nim smiled kindly at their hostess, slightly cautious. Ritsu's mother wasn't a bad person, she truly wasn't, but Nim had never really been aware of how to deal with her constant apologizing.
"Hello, dear." Meshyou picked herself up off of Nimian slightly, but she still leaned heavily on the girl. "Please, let me show you to your room."
"Wow, it's so pretty here." Tohru said, gazing around the grounds as we all padded after the hostess. "Maybe I go for a walk."
"You wouldn't be the first." Meshyou smiled. "Many a guest has thought so. A few never came back, but don't worry, we always have a search party on premises."
"What?" Tohru's jaw dropped, and she stared at Nim fearfully, but she just laughed gently.
"That was a joke." Nimian promised, a sideways smirk on her face.
"Oh…"
"Hey, look, it's bright out!" Momiji beamed, pointing outside the window. "There's still time to go to the hot springs!"
"We better hurry up; we only have an hour or so before dinner." Nim glanced at the clock.
"I want to go with Nim and Tohru!" Momiji squealed, launching himself toward the two females. Kyo, however, disagreed. His arm shot out and he easily pinned Momiji to the ground, growling menacingly under his breath.
"Nice try, you little pervert!"
"Waahhhh! Nimian, Kyo is hurting me!"
"Be nice." Nim said, sounding rather jaded as she gently poked Kyo in the side with her foot.
"Oh, well…" Tohru began thoughtfully. "He's so young, it doesn't really matter, does it?"
"Young?" Kyo scoffed. "Ha!"
"You just want Nimian all to yourself!" Momiji huffed, pouting slightly. "Now who's the pervert?"
"WHAT? KYO SOHMA, YOU APOLOGIZE NOW! YOU HORRIBLE PERVET BOY!" Meshyou seized Kyo by the back of his shirt collar and hoisted him up into the air. "I'M SO SORRY WORLD! I'M SORRY NIMIAN! I'M SORRY MS. HONDA. I-"
"Put me down, you psycho!" Kyo yelled, his limbs scrabbling to get him back on the ground.
"Hey, put him down, it's all right!" Nim called as she pulled Meshyou away. "Jesus…" Meshyou opened her mouth again, presumably to start apologizing again, but Yuki cut her off.
"Let's get changed, shall we?"
The group each went their separate ways. Nimian opened a closet door to pull out a fluffy, white towel. She slipped into a small bathroom, and peeled off all her clothes until she stood bare. She thought briefly of folding the clothes neatly, but ended up just kicking them carelessly into a corner. She wrapped the towel carelessly around her figure before padding outside to the females' side of the hot spring. She noticed that Tohru hadn't shown up yet, and she felt her more immature side kick in. She sloppily threw the towel onto a chair and began to climb up the rocks toward the back of the spring. When she reached the top, she smirked slightly before running forward and doing a front flip into the water below. The water sloshed around her, and she took a deep breath as she emerged. She shook her head from side to side in a dog like fashion, splattering water droplets everywhere.
"The hell was that?" She heard Kyo call confusedly.
"Just me!" Nim laughed.
"What did you do?"
"I dove in, obviously." She teased. "Hi Tohru!"
"Hi." The smaller girl stepped on to the patio and began to approach the spring. "How's the water?"
"Fantastic!" Nim promised, beaming up at Tohru. Tohru slipped unobtrusively into the spring, gently holding a portrait of her mother in her hand. Nimian noticed, but didn't say anything.
"Hey, Nim, Tohru, are you okay?" A perky voice called from over the wall. Nim laughed quietly before yelling back.
"We're fine!"
"Dammit, Momiji, leave them the hell alone!"
"But I don't want them to get lonely!"
Thwack!
"Ow! Nim, Kyo is hitting me!"
"Well, if you would just-"
"Both of you need to stop arguing or so help me, I will scale that wall ass naked and beat you both."
Kyo promptly froze and blushed heavily, a few risqué images running through his mind. He obediently stopped quarrelling with Momiji; he wouldn't put it past Nim to follow through with her threat.
"Ooooh, Kyo's blushing!" Momiji sang, dancing out of his reach.
"Shut the hell up! I am not!" Kyo's eyes widen, and he launched himself toward the small rabbit.
Nim laughed aloud at their antics, clapping her hands slightly.
"Whatever." Momiji huffed. "Hey, I got an idea! Let's sing a song!"
"There's no way in hell-"
"What do you want to sing, Momiji?" Nim asked, cutting Kyo off.
"Oh, I know! Just repeat after me!" Momiji began to chant.
"Who's in the forest strolling
The birds and the bees sing Momiji
The frogs in the pond are calling
Momiji, yes, its true
The trees raise their leaves-"
"What the hell kind of song is that?" Kyo growled.
"Just shut up and listen." Nim commanded. Kyo growled something unintelligible under his breath but said no more. Tohru and Nim began to chime in.
"Who's in the forest strolling
The birds and the bees sing Momiji
The frogs in the pond are calling
Momiji, yes, It's true
The trees raise their leaves together
Who needs the sun when we've got you?"
Nim smiled at Tohru affectionately, but her brow furrowed with concern. Tohru seemed to be woozy, her eyes half lidded and gazing at the photo of her mother, but not seeing. Tohru fell as she passed out, and Nim leapt forward to catch her. She swore colorfully, and tenderly threw the lithe figure over her shoulder.
"Get me Meshyou!" She demanded urgently.
"Why?" Yuki asked, his voice laced with concern.
"Just do it!"
Nim placed Tohru down on a couch carefully and placed two calloused fingers to her neck, searching for a pulse. She was soothed when she felt the steady tha-thump tha-thump tha-thump of a heart beat. Meshyou rushed into the room, alone thankfully, considering both girls were still naked. She calmly wrapped Tohru in a towel, placed a cool hand towel on her head, and stepped back.
"Well? What now?" Nim questioned expectantly.
"Now we wait."
"No way."
"I'm afraid so. Ms. Honda will come around soon enough."
Nim shifted her wait, feeling awkward with the inability to do anything.
"Perhaps you should get dressed?" Meshyou suggested. Nim glanced down at herself briefly.
"Good idea." She lauded, and left to change. She slipped into a pair of comfortable shorts and a tank top before trekking back to the room that Tohru was in.
She was pleasantly surprised when Tohru shifted slightly and sat up with a quiet moan. Almost the second she came around, she began to panic.
"My mom!" She stammered desperately. "Where's my mom?"
"Right here." Nim said placidly, handing her the frame. "Good thing you wrapped it."
"Thank goodness." Tohru sighed contently. "I guess I should be thanking you, though." She turned to Meshyou. "I'm sorry if I caused you any trouble."
"WHAT? OUTRAGEOUS! NEVER IN ALL MY YEARS HAS A GUEST APPOLOGIZED TO ME! I SHOULD HAVE WARNED YOU-"
As Meshyou began to rant, Nim rolled her eyes and sighed. Tohru, however, seemed slightly uncomfortable with the profuse apologies. Meshyou seemed to become aware of her actions and composed herself.
"I beg your pardon." She murmured quietly.
"Not at all." Tohru smiled kindly.
"Is that a special photo?" Meshyou asked idly.
"Yes, it's my mother. She passed away a year ago." Tohru explained. "Since she can't be here herself, I still wanted her to enjoy the hot spring in spirit."
"What a beautiful story…" Meshyou began to sob into her sleeve quietly.
"Hey, Tohru, Nim, are you okay?" Momiji hollered through the door.
"We're fine!" Tohru called back, before turning to Meshyou. "Thank you again." The two girls then filed quietly out the door.
"Dear lord, food!" Nim explained as she collapsed next to Kyo at the table. She reached out to swipe up a piece of sushi, but Yuki swatted her hand away.
"Do you think we can eat it all?" Kyo asked, surveying the table.
"Pfft, I'm here, I got this." Nim scoffed, sending him a wolfish smirk.
"Well, I guess I better start serving the rice." Tohru leaned over to begin serving, but Momiji stopped her.
"Not today! You're the princess, remember? I'll serve!" He began shoveling rice into bowls while Tohru looked on, her fingers twitching like she wanted nothing more than to serve the food. Momiji passed her some rice, and he thanked her politely.
"Don't you think that's a little bit much?" Kyo sighed, reaching for a piece of sushi. Momiji rapidly swatted his hand with a wooden spoon.
"What the hell was that?" He barked, baring his fangs. Momiji just straighten his back and stared at Kyo stubbornly.
"Tohru is the princess, she gets to eat first." He insisted. The two began an unofficial staring contest, each trying to burn the other's soul out with their glare.
"Well, Ms. Honda, what will you try first?" Yuki asked patiently, ignoring his cousins.
"Oh, well…" Tohru glanced frantically around the table, trying to decide what she should eat first. Her hand shot out blindly, and she slipped a piece of sushi into her mouth. The rest of the group looked at her, waiting for her approval.
"It's delicious!" She promised, grinning.
As if on cue, they began to eat, piling food on their plates as though it would be the last meal they would ever eat. The door slid open and Meshyou knelt in the doorway with her head bowed.
"Pardon the intrusion, but the head chef would like to pay his respects." She whispered.
"As always, I am honored to serve you." He said keeping his voice and head low out of respect. "Does the cuisine meet your standards?"
"Oh, yeah."
"It's even better than I remembered."
"Mm-Hm!"
"It is! A meal fit for a king!"
Suddenly, his face fell and he shot forward in between Nim and Kyo.
"PLEASE MAKE WAY!" His hands wrapped around a mug, and he froze. He began to howl and stammer apologies so fast that Nim couldn't make out exactly what he was apologizing about. For whatever reason, Meshyou and the chef began to fight over who's fault it was.
"Are they by any chance-" Tohru began.
"Related?" Yuki finished. "The family resemblance is amazing, isn't it?"
"Out again. I told you it was supposed to hit the table." Yuki rolled his amethyst eyes.
"What the hell kind of stupid rule is that? Why would I want to hit that slow?" Kyo growled, his hair standing up slightly.
"Because those are the rules." Yuki calmly served the pin pong ball while Nim watched, amused. Kyo pulled back a muscled arm and hit the sphere with as much power as he could muster, sending it through the opposite wall. Tohru began to shout encouragements as Yuki began to taunt him.
"I thought at least at ping pong you would have a chance to beat me."
Kyo growled deep within his throat, before latching his hands under the rim of the table and pulled upwards.
"How the hell am I supposed to beat you with all these stupid rules, anyway? How about we take this outside?" Kyo snarled defiantly.
"You do know you were the one who suggested we play, right?" Yuki sneered.
"Well, if Yuki doesn't want to play, I'll play against you." Tohru offered, brandishing a ping pong paddle.
"Oh, yeah, play her, play her!" Momiji cheered.
"All right, fine, but I'm warning you right now, I won't go any easier on you just because you're a girl." Kyo huffed, serving the ball. Tohru let out a battle cry as she threw her paddle toward the ball, trying to hit it with all her might and then some. With a gentle tap, the ball landed on the ground and rolled passed her rather anticlimactically. Nim couldn't help it; she burst into laughter and clapped a hand over mouth, trying to mask the giggles.
"Wow." Kyo said. "You suck."
"Kyo!" Momiji gasped. "Don't tell her that!"
"What, you think you're better?"
"Nim is!"
"No, she isn't!"
"Then play her!" Momiji challenged.
"I will!" Kyo thrust a paddle into Nim's hands. "Play me."
"I love how I got dragged into this." She rolled her eyes but served nonetheless.
"Oh, wait, I forgot to tell Meshyou something!" Momiji ran out of the room, leaving the two felines alone.
Nim missed the ball and dove down under the table to pick it up. She began to stand up, but the back of her head collided with the edge of the table. She swore and rubbed the back of her head, standing to her full height.
"You dumbass." Kyo scoffed, but his scarlet eyes glinted with affection. Nim sent him a playful glare and flashed him her middle finger. Kyo laughed quietly before advancing toward her, draping an arm around her waist and pulling her close. He placed a chaste kiss on her temple and smirked against the side of her head. Nim closed her eyes and accepted the kiss. She turned her head slightly and kissed him passionately, and Kyo didn't hesitate to reciprocate her actions. When she pulled away, Kyo began to pepper kisses on her face. On her cheeks, her nose, her eyelids.
"Why the sudden PDA?" Nim asked, her breathing shaky as she accepted his love.
"I don't like the way you're so protective of Momiji." He murmured against her skin as he began to trail kisses down her neck.
"Aww, is my little Koneko jealous?" Nim crooned, smirking as Kyo pulled back, his face suddenly flushed.
"I am not!"
"Don't worry." She purred, brushing their noses together. "You'll always be my favorite."
Kyo growled something under his breath vaguely resembling the words 'Shut up' before capturing her lips in another loving kiss.
A/N 2- D'Awww, how cute. Kyo's jealous. Shout out to Kimiko Karakura for helping me write this. She doesn't know it yet, but she is going to get A LOT of useless spam from me. Don't forget to review guys, it makes my day. I'm on winter break until the seventh, and I'm putting my ass into high-gear, so expect at least on more update before then. I will make no excuses this time! Don't forget to pester me!