"And then Tohru walked into a wall!" Lianu laughed. The Sohmas easily laughed with her. Tohru, however blushed and looked at the floor.
"I did not-"
"Yeah, you did," Lianu smirked.
"Well, um..." Tohru stuttered.
"You haven't changed a bit, Miss Honda," Yuki smiled.
"Wait, she was walking into things with you guys too?" Lianu asked astonished, and then laughed. "Oh Tohru, you have so many problems there's no place to start!"
"I-"
"Oh please, you fell down stairs half the time!" Kyo snorted, and Lianu just cracked up laughing.
"Seriously? Oh Tohru, you're such a klutz!"
Tohru just laughed nervously, looking at her feet. The surprise visitors had been forced to stay for dinner at the Jing house, and it seemed the Girl of the Moment was about to have all of her embarrassing adventures told. First the walls, now the stairs...I wonder what else they'll say?
"Well, the girl may be clumsy, but at least she makes good food," Hiro spoke up, for once approving of this strange girl that Kisa had become so attached to.
"Oh, Tohru is such a dear! She never even lets me cook, but trust me, no one minds," Mrs. Jing confided to her guests, smiling. "She makes some delicious desserts! Her chocolate moose pie is to die for!"
"Sissy, did you find new recipes?" Kisa asked.
"Um, yes. I saw a dessert cookbook at the local library, and well, I decided to check it out. There are some really interesting ideas in there!" Tohru grinned, tasting the velvet cupcake she had made earlier thoughtfully. It was missing something...
"You'll make some for us tomorrow," Hiro stated. His cousins just glared at him. Be polite! Kisa's eyes seemed to beg, and he sighed. "If you want, I guess. But it's really only fair."
"Um, of course. I'll go to the store in the morning," Tohru replied immediately, trying to please the young Sohma.
"Ooh, I bet it's just delicious! Do you put icing on the top too? What about cakes? Do you only make pie?" Momiji asked eagerly, his boyish face excited with dessert fantasies.
"Well, I could try. I'm still trying all the recipes out..."
"Don't worry, Tohru's food is to die for," Lianu grinned.
"So true, but enough about our Tohru, tell us about yourselves," Mr. Jing smiled at the Sohmas.
"Well, not much has been going on since Tohru left," Hatsuharu answered calmly. "There's been mountain loads of homework and papers, familial duties. Kyo joined the kendo club," he said, and Tohru looked at the orange haired boy in shock. Usually, you had to force Kyo into any group activity!
"Stupid Shigure," Kyo muttered as an explanation.
"Ah," Tohru nodded in understanding. Sometimes, Shigure could go overboard...
"And Yuki joined the Poet's Society at school,"
"Really?" Tohru asked, surprised.
"Yes, it's actually quite interesting," Yuki replied, a small smile on his face. "Quite calming after a stressful day."
"Kisa is breaking hearts,"
"Go get 'em girl," Lianu grinned.
"That's wonderful! Anyone I should know about?" Tohru teased.
"Besides at this table?" Hiro muttered, only to be kicked under the table by a Sohma that shall remain nameless.
"Speaking of Hiro, he has decided to join the Debate Club," Hatsuharu moved on, giving the younger boy a level look.
"More like forced," Hiro grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest in annoyance.
"He made the Headmaster made at him," Kisa explained quietly. "He was trying to talk his way out of taking a test on Medieval Europe. I think he broke his teacher," Kisa confided worriedly. "But when the Headmaster found out he decided it would be better if Hiro's 'powers' were used for good instead of evil."
"Hiro, you can't just-"
"Why can't I? Isn't this a free country? Can't I do what I want?"
"Um, of course but, it isn't-"
"You actually think you're going to tell me what to do?"
"I think you just like to complain," Kyo broke in. Hiro just gave his cousin a look.
"What about you, Momiji? You doing anything?" Tohru asked, turning to the youngest looking of the group.
"Drama!" the boy exclaimed. "It's so much fun! I love the acting and the lines and the costumes!"
"That's wonderful," Tohru enthused.
"You should see me sometime, okay?"
"I would love to, just tell me when, alright?"
"Okay," Momiji chirped.
The group chatted as they ate their desserts. Tohru looked around herself happily. It was so nice to see all her friends again, her family, and her new friends. Everyone was side by side, happy. Lianu was embarrassing Tohru with all sorts of stories told, the guys were only making it worse with stories from back home. They were laughing, talking, grinning. Tohru felt so happy, so-
DING-DONG.
Tohru got up quickly, jarred out of her thoughts.
"I'll get it," she said to her friends. She moved to the front door, opening it quickly with a smile. "Oh, Hojo," she gasped, and then smacked her forehead.
"You forgot?" Hojo chuckled.
"I'm so sorry, some more of my friends came in, and well, I let time get the best of me," she apologized.
"It's alright," Hojo smiled easily. "Oh hi, you must be the friends. I'm Hojo."
Tohru turned to find Yuki and Kyo behind her.
"Oh, you didn't have to come to the door, you know, you're guests," Tohru chided them. "Um, yes, these are my friends. Hojo, meet Yuki and Kyo."
"Hi, Yuki, it's nice to meet you," Hojo said to Kyo. "You too Kyo," he nodded at Yuki.
"Um, no, it's the other way around. Kyo has the bright hair, and Yuki has the dark," Tohru corrected him.
"Whoops, sorry," Hojo apologized. "So, do you mind if I steal Tohru away for an hour or two?"
If Tohru had been looking, she would've seen her friends faces darken.
"They don't mind, let me get my purse. Oh, what am I thinking, come in," Tohru said, feeling thoughtless as she ran towards her room.
"Hi Mr. Jing, Mrs. Jing. What's up Li?"
"Oh, nothing much. Just getting to know Tohru's friends," Lianu replied easily, shrugging.
"Where are my manners? Would you like something to eat? Drink?" Mrs. Jing asked pleasantly.
"No thanks, I'm good," Hojo shook his head.
"Well, suit yourself. It's some of Tohru's delicious creations," Mr. Jing grinned.
"Cream cheese!" Tohru's voice exclaimed.
A bunch of blank looks and stares was all that Tohru got at her outburst.
"That's what missing! I knew it! I need a filling!" Tohru rushed past the group in the dining room to go to the kitchen, pulling a book off the counter. She grabbed a pencil and quickly wrote down the revelation before returning to the still confused group.
"The velvet cupcakes need cream cheese, either as frosting or as a filling. The frosting now just doesn't taste right," Tohru explained.
"Ah."
"Well, we're off," Hojo waved, and a chorus of goodbyes were returned as the duo left. Tohru turned back to her friends, smiling and waving and then closed the front door behind her.
Silence fell upon the Jings and Sohmas.
"So, which one of you is going to go after her?" Lianu smirked. "What? It's kinda obvious," she snorted at their surprised faces. "You didn't come all this way to watch her leave with someone else, did you? Last I checked, you came to take her 'home'. I'm pretty sure that doesn't involve bring along a boyfriend."
"I can't believe you're here again!" Tohru's surprised voice exclaimed as she opened the front door again. "And Ayame too? What are you three doing here?"
The Sohmas turned to find three familiar men in their midst: Shigure, Hatori, and Ayame.
"Yuki, my only brother! I know your heart has been saddened in my absence, but have no fear, I am here!"
"Please get off me," Yuki growled, trying to pry himself out of his brother's death hug.
"Hatori, what have I done to deserve this cruel fate? My brother is being so cold, so cold," Ayame cried to the older Sohma.
"Give him space then," Hatori sighed, ever the level headed one.
"Shigure! We meet again!" Mr. Jing exclaimed, rising to greet the other Sohma. "What brings you back out this way?"
"The truth," Shigure replied. "And of course Tohru's amazing chocolate pie!"